# His Simplicity: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character **Author:** Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy **Series:** Proofs of Prophethood **Published:** 2022-02-04 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/W6JuvurYE4s **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-simplicity **Topics:** Faith, Prophets ## Description Accounts of false preachers and false prophets speak to their pretentious behaviours, decadent lifestyles and extravagance. But the lifestyle of the Prophet ﷺ was a true testament that his mission could not be self-serving. In this episode, Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy sheds light on this proof of... ## Transcript **[0:00]** In this episode, we want to move on to how the simplicity of the Prophet's lifestyle, peace and blessings be upon him, and the humility with which he carried himself, is yet another strong endorsement for his claim to prophethood. **[0:18]** You see, the lifestyle of the Prophet, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, was a true testament that his mission could not have been self-serving. And we can read all throughout history about imposter prophets. What were their lives like? What were their personalities like? Their pretentious **[0:34]** behavior, their decadent lifestyles, their extravagance and their exploitation of others. Whereas the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, at the end of his mission, he became the undisputed ruler of Arabia. Yet you find no semblance of luxury in any sphere of his life. **[0:53]** His living quarters were tight and meager to the point that his wife says he would tap her leg when he would want to prostrate in his night vigils, in his night prayers, so he would have room to place his forehead on the ground. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, **[1:09]** one month after another after another, she says, would pass without any fire being kindled in his house, meaning no cooking, meaning no meat. And there would be nothing but water and dates, she said, unless one of his companions would gift him a jug of milk. One time, Umar ibn al-Khattab, **[1:29]** may Allah be pleased with him, walked in and saw that little water skin hanging in the Prophet's room and the straw mats that he slept on having left marks on his side. So out of sympathy for the great Prophet of God, he had an emotional meltdown. He cried. And the Prophet Muhammad, **[1:46]** peace and blessings be upon him, asked him, what makes you cry? He said, how can this be? You are God's Prophet, God's final messenger to humanity, and you live like this, a life of hardships, while Rome and Persia have emperors that are frolicking in their gardens and meadows, enjoying their fountains and springs. How can this be? And so the Prophet Muhammad, peace and **[2:05]** blessings be upon him, said to him, are you in doubt, O Umar? Are you in doubt regarding the reward of the hereafter? These are a people whose pleasures, whose enjoyment has been expedited for them in this, meaning this shallow world. Don't you know, don't you remember, that for them is **[2:21]** this world and for us is the hereafter? You know the famous historian Washington Irving, upon citing how Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in all the biographical reports about him, would milk his own animal and he would sew, stitch his own clothing, and was a human just like any **[2:39]** other human being, except that he claimed to receive revelation from God, Washington Irving says, this was a man who never indulged in the magnificence of apparel, he says, which is the ostentation of a petty mind, meaning only foolish people show off in this way, whereas Muhammad was **[2:57]** above seeking validation from such a trivial source, meaning materialism. When he would arrive at a gathering, he would not like it that anyone rise for him, and his companion Anas ibn Malik, radiAllahu anhu, would say, we used to want to stand up in salutation, out of honor for him, **[3:15]** to honor him with our greeting as we stand erect, but we knew how much he hated that, and that was the only thing that kept us seated. He was the greatest educator of all time that still was never ashamed to say, I don't know. He was the busiest statesman of all time, yet he would **[3:34]** allow the weakest members of society to take him by hand to wherever they needed. He was the greatest husband of all time that still left room and was sensitive enough to notice when his wives happened to be upset at him. He was the greatest prophet and messenger of all time, and yet he would still **[3:52]** say to the people, do not aggrandize me, don't overpraise me the way they did with my brother, Jesus the son of Mary. I am but a slave, so say the slave of God, the servant of God and his messenger. And in another beautiful hadith, he said, the example of me and the previous prophets **[4:08]** before me is like the example of a magnificent building, a brilliant building that people walk around and say how marvelous, were it not for this one missing brick in one of its corners. He says, I am just that brick. I am that brick and I am the seal of the prophets. ## Other Episodes in "Proofs of Prophethood" - [A Mighty Book: The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-mighty-book-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [Knowledge Of The Lost Past : The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/knowledge-of-the-lost-past-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [Muhammad ﷺ or Shakespeare? : The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/muhammad-or-shakespeare-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [A Linguistic Wonder: The Inimitable Qur'an](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-linguistic-wonder-the-inimitable-quran.md) - [Behold God's Power: The Prophet’s ﷺ Miracles](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/behold-gods-power-the-prophets-miracles.md) - [Possible And Provable: The Prophet’s ﷺ Miracles](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/possible-and-provable-miracles-the-prophets-miracles.md) - [Signs of The End Times: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/signs-of-the-end-times-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [His Companions' Deaths: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/his-companions-deaths-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [Flawless Accounts of The Future: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/flawless-accounts-of-the-future-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [A Shoreless Ocean: The Prophet’s ﷺ Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-shoreless-ocean-the-prophets-prophecies.md) - [Prohibiting Intoxicants: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/prohibiting-intoxicants-the-prophets-message.md) - [Wise & Merciful Prohibitions: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/wise-merciful-prohibitions-the-prophets-message.md) - [The Ritual Fast: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-ritual-fast-the-prophets-message.md) - [The Islamic Prayer: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-message-the-islamic-prayer.md) - [Moral & Intellectual Greatness: The Prophet’s ﷺ Message](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-message-moral-intellectual-greatness.md) - [Molding a Modern Generation: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-molding-a-modern-generation.md) - [Revolutionizing Human Rights: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-revolutionizing-human-rights.md) - [Restoring the Unity of God: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-restoring-the-unity-of-god.md) - [A Love Larger Than Life: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-a-love-larger-than-life.md) - [Preface: The Prophet’s ﷺ Accomplishments](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-accomplishments-preface.md) - [His Optimism: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-optimism.md) - [His Bravery: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-bravery.md) - [His Mercy: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-mercy.md) - [His Honesty: The Prophet’s ﷺ Character](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophets-character-his-honesty.md) - [The Fruits of His ﷺ Prophethood](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-fruits-of-his-prophethood.md) - [Biblical Prophecies](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/biblical-prophecies.md) - [The Darkest Century](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-darkest-century.md) - [The Multitude of Proofs of Prophethood](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-multitude-of-proofs-of-prophethood.md) - [Do We Still Need Prophets?](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/do-we-still-need-prophets-proofs-of-prophethood.md) - [The Physical Miracles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ- Infographic](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-physical-miracles-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Prophecies of Muhammad ﷺ](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophecies-of-muhammad-infographic.md) - [A Miraculous Revelation](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/a-miraculous-revelation-infographic.md) - [The Accomplishments of the Prophet Muhammad](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-accomplishments-of-the-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Inimitable Qur’an - The Revelation to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-inimitable-quran-the-revelation-to-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Message of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-message-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Character of Prophet Muhammad (Infographic)](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-character-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [Laying the Groundwork for the Coming of Prophet Muhammad](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/laying-the-groundwork-for-the-coming-of-prophet-muhammad-infographic.md) - [The Physical Miracles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-physical-miracles-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Prophecies of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-prophecies-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Accomplishments of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Proofs Of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-accomplishments-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Message of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-message-of-prophet-muhammad.md) - [The Character of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: How His Noble Qualities and Personality Are Proof of His Prophethood](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/the-character-of-prophet-muhammad-how-his-noble-qualities-and-personality-are-proof-of-his-prophethood.md) - [An Ethical and Historical Necessity: The Proofs of Prophethood Series](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/proofs-of-prophethood/an-ethical-and-historical-necessity-the-proofs-of-prophethood-series.md)