Muhammad: The Conduct of the “Excellent Example”

How did the 'Prophet' Treat Those Around Him?

There is a strange disconnect between people's awareness of Muhammad and, in fact, knowing anything about him. Most people would be aware that he claimed to be a prophet but not much besides that. Islam benefits from this, as most people tend to think that he might be classed as essentially a meek and mild religious leader. The purpose of this long-form article is to shine a light into this environment of ignorance by asking how Muhammad treated those around him. This is important as his conduct will be seen as normative and inspirational to more than a billion people on the planet. Putting his actions under the microscope is, therefore, one of the most important things that we can do.

There is no question about the fact that Muhammad is the central human figure in Islam. Although Muslims do not worship Muhammad as divine, the Qur’an cannot be any clearer about the fact that Muhammad has lived a life worthy of emulation.

In fact, Muslims are told that they should view him as a model if they hope to achieve paradise: “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often” (Qur’an 33:21). His example, as portrayed in the hadith and his Sira (biography) is, therefore, a matter of supreme importance to Muslims. By following in his footsteps, they believe that they give themselves the best possible chance to inherit eternal life.

If Muhammad consistently preached and lived toleration, then Muslims would be duty-bound to follow him in this example. On the other hand, if his example was one of aggression and belligerence towards unbelievers, then this would be the standard example that Muslims are required to follow.

Unfortunately, it quickly becomes clear, according to the authoritative Islamic texts describing his life, that Muhammad spent a significant part of his prophetic ministry in engaging or promoting warfare for the sake of Allah. This may come as a surprise to those who expect religious leaders to be peaceful and ready to “turn the other cheek”. This was something that Muhammad clearly did not believe in. The following are just some of the ways in which Muhammad promoted and practiced violence.