God Arises Affirmation of Prophethood
unprejudiced way will surely grant that the Prophet’s life was quite exemplary from the moral point of view. Prophethood was conferred upon Muhammad, may peace be upon him, in his fortieth year. The whole period of his life prior to this was so markedly of a high moral character that he had earned himself the title of “As-Sadiq al-Amin,” or “the truthful, the trustworthy”. Throughout the entire region where he lived, he was highly thought of by everyone, being considered the most honest possible person and incapable of telling a lie. Five years before the commencement of his prophethood, the Quraysh in Makkah, decided to reconstruct the Kabah after a sudden flood had shaken its foundation and cracked its walls. The work began, and new walls were built. As the walls rose from the ground and the time came to place the sacred black stone in its place in the east wall, they differed as to who should have the honour of laying it in place. Competition was so keen that it almost led to a new civil war. Four or five days passed in this state. Then Abu Umayyah, son of Mughirah al Makhzum, suggested to the Makkans, “Let the first one to pass through the gate of the Ka’bah next morning be our arbitrator in this dispute.” And the ~ 262 ~