The Position of Prophet Muhammad (sws) before and after the Message: Let Us Judge on the Evidence

The Position of Prophet Muhammad (sws) before and after the Message:
Let Us Judge on the Evidence
Prophet Muhammad (sws) lived forty years among his people, enjoying a good reputation and
preeminent status, and he was famed for his truth and honesty. Here we mention two incidents
which should serve as sufficient proof:
The first incident: The rebuilding of the Kaäba
The tribes were quarreling over which of them should have the honor of putting the Black Stone
back in its original place. Abu Umaya (the eldest of the chiefs) suggested that they take the advice
of the first person to pass through the entrance of the sacred house. The others agreed, and the
first person to arrive was Muhammad (sws). When they saw him, they all declared in once voice,
"We agree on this honest man." When he reached them and they told him what was going on,
the Prophet (sws) put the Black Stone on a garment, and asked each tribe to hold one of its
corners. All of them complied. They carried the garment with the stone on it, until they raised it
and brought it near to place, whereupon Muhammad (sws) himself placed it in position and they
continued building above it.
This incident bears witness to his reputation for honesty and virtue amongst his people. It
likewise bears witness to his intelligence and brilliance, his acumen and ability to solve abstruse
problems. He was able to satisfy all of them with his sage wisdom. He involved them all in
carrying the stone and, at the same time, he gained the honor of putting it in its place.
The second incident: Mount Safa
Ibn Abbas (a cousin of the Prophet, sws) said,
When Prophet Muhammad (sws) received the order from Allah to warn his clan, he
climbed up Mount Safa and began to call the tribes until they gathered. He asked, "If I
were to tell you that there are horsemen in the valley intending to attack us, would you
believe me?" They answered, "Yes, for you have always been truthful." The Prophet then
said, "I have been sent to you as a plain warner of severe torture."
Abu Lahab (the Prophet's, sws, uncle) said, "Woe to you, Muhammad! Is this the matter
for which you have gathered us?" For that reason, the following verse of Quran was sent down,  

It means,

This incident bears witness to his foresight, for he got them to admit what they think of him
before surprising them with the message, and their answer was forthright: he had always been
honest and trustworthy.
From these two incidents, we can conclude that honesty and trustworthiness were two integral
features of the Prophet Muhammad (sws), even before the message.
Thirteen years after the message, the Prophet (sws) decided to leave Mecca. He asked his
cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, to return the deposits left in his trust to their owners. This shows that
Quraish entrusted him with their valuables. At an early age, the Prophet (sws) was brought up to
avoid idol worship. Twice before the message, he wished to listen to music played to the tune of
pipes, but Allah kept him from such nonsense; he fell asleep and did not wake until sunrise. As a
young man, he preferred to be alone and would worship for several nights before returning to his
family.
Now we would like to ask, would such an honest and true man dare lie to people?  

Why did he reject the rules of his social environment despite its control and effect over him?
He lived for forty years amongst people drowning in ignorance and lost in misguidance, yet he
did not behave like them, nor was he infected by their misfortune.
He had a very hard time in his formative years. Yet during this period in which hopes and
dreams flourish, there was no indication of his message or sign of the prophecy to come. Despite
the hardships he endured—the death of his mother, though she was still young and he was only
six years old, the death of his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, and then his uncle, Abu Talib, all the
while knowing that his father had died young while he was still in his mother's womb—all of
these events made it clear to him not to have high hopes for the life of this world, yet there was
still no sign of his message or of the prophecy yet to come. Then, during the period of his life
when the spirit settles and hopes cool down, he began a revolution that was to become a turning
point in history. He announced that he was a messenger from Allah and that his message was not
only for the Arabs, but for the whole of mankind. It was not only for the people of his age, but
for all those that will come afterwards. And why not, when he is the Seal of the Prophets—the
last and final messenger sent by Allah, the Glorious and Exalted?
Allah Almighty determined that the Prophet would be the last prophet and that his message
should be for the whole of mankind in every time and place. Allah Almighty has protected that
message and His Book, the Quran, from distortion, whether through addition or removal, for
that is what happened to the previous messages and books, by human hands, according to their
desires.
He (sws) knew from the first moment he received the revelation that he had to work hard and
be exceedingly patient to bear the difficulties until Allah Almighty rewarded him with victory.
The question here is: what made him do all of this? What made him declare his prophecy and
message?
Certainly, it is because he was, really and truly, the Messenger of Allah, who obeyed the
commands of his Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, at the time that Allah decided, according to His
will and wisdom.
The Call
Prophet Muhammad (sws) called the people to pure monotheism and the exclusive worship of
Allah, and he bonded them to one another. He called them to that which is good: performing
prayers, enjoining virtue and forbidding vice.
He ordered messages to be sent to the kings and rulers all over the world. He sent letters to
them, calling them to Islam and its dictates and guiding principles. He sent to the Negus, King of
Abyssinia, to the Muqauqas, King of Egypt, to Chosroe, King of Persia, to Heraclius, Emperor
of Rome, to the ruler of Bahrain, to the ruler of Yamamah, to the ruler of Damascus and to the
king of Amman and his brother. In this way, he spread his message to most of the kings and
rulers of the world. Some of them believed and others did not. At the very least, even for those
who refused to believe, he made them think and made them aware of his name and his religion.
So we ask: could pure monotheism be acquired in an idol-worshipping society—a society that
takes pride in noble birth, shows preference based on lineage, in which bigotry prevails, evil
deeds are practiced regularly and immorality runs rampant?

It means,

He was a messenger from Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, who was inspired by his Lord, the
Blessed and Exalted.  

His Illiteracy and His Call
Muhammad (sws) was illiterate, but his illiteracy is evidence of his prophecy. Despite being
illiterate, he was able to teach all sorts of people: literate and illiterate alike. His Islamic university
has graduated rulers, politicians, soldiers, leaders, jurists, mathematicians, authors, historians,
teachers, preachers, religious scholars, fair judges and scientists in every field.
Despite his illiteracy, he spoke with uncanny precision of scientific facts which remained
unknown for centuries until being discovered by modern science recently.
Allah  says

It means,

As we see, his illiteracy was evidence of his message and prophecy. He truly is the
Messenger of Allah, may the blessing and peace of Allah Almighty be upon him.