Prophethood and Worldly Ambition: A Scholarly Response to the Misconception "Was the Prophet a Seeker of This World?"

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Trustworthy Prophet who never sought the fleeting debris of this world, nor pursued its temporary enjoyments.

To proceed: Among the misconceptions raised by some skeptics in their attempts to challenge the Prophethood of Muḥammad ﷺ is the claim: “Muḥammad was not a true Prophet, but rather a clever, ambitious man who exploited the claim of Prophethood to achieve worldly gains—power, wealth, status, and women.”

While this doubt may appear to be a psychological analysis of the Prophet’s motivations, it is actually rooted in grave methodological errors regarding the nature of Prophethood and asceticism (Zuhd), and a blatant disregard for established historical facts. It is appropriate that we address this with a comprehensive scholarly view.

Methodological Errors in the Misconception

The First Error: A Flawed Conception of Prophethood and Asceticism

The first error is starting from a distorted concept of Prophethood and Zuhd, assuming an imaginary contradiction between being a Prophet and possessing worldly power or social status.

Skeptics often imagine that a true Prophet must live in an isolated hut, destitute and far from any levers of power or influence. This is a false conception. Islam does not call for monasticism or withdrawal from life; rather, it encourages seeking material strength to support the truth, as Allah says: “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power” [Sūrat al-Anfāl: 60].

It commands striving in the earth and civilizational excellence alongside moral height: “But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world” [Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ: 77].

History testifies to many Prophets who combined Prophethood with worldly power: Dāwūd (David) and Sulaymān (Solomon), peace be upon them, were Prophet-Kings possessing wealth and power unmatched in their time. Yūsuf (Joseph) was a Prophet and the ʿAzīz (High Minister) of Egypt. Mūsā (Moses) was a Prophet and a political and military leader. Therefore, there is no contradiction between Prophethood and achieving material or social elevation.

The Second Error: Logical Contradiction in the Misconception’s Implications

If we were to accept the skeptics' logic—that a Prophet must remain weak to prove his sincerity—the Prophet ﷺ would have had to abstain from building any political, military, or economic strength. He would have had to remain oppressed in Makkah, refuse the migration (Hijrah) that gave him a foothold, and refuse to establish a system to organize Muslim affairs.

The inevitable result would have been the total eradication of the Muslims by the Quraysh and the death of the message in its cradle. This logic places Truth at the mercy of Falsehood. Skeptics fall into a trap of their own making: if they see the Prophet weak, they say, "If he were a true Prophet, Allah would have granted him victory." If they see him strong and victorious, they say, "He only seeks the world and power." No matter which path is taken, it is used against him, revealing that their stance is not based on objective criteria but a preconceived bias.

The Third Error: Disregarding Established Historical Facts

The third error is the total disregard for the historical reality of the Prophet's life. If he were truly a seeker of this world, the signs would have been evident, especially when he gained control over Madinah and then the Arabian Peninsula. History teaches us that seekers of the world reveal their true faces upon gaining power—living in palaces and surrounding themselves with luxury. However, historical facts testify to the exact opposite.

Refuting the Alleged Worldly Ambitions

First: Denying the Pursuit of Kingship and Power

If Muḥammad ﷺ were a seeker of kingship, would we find him living in rooms made of clay and palm branches, sleeping on a mat made of fiber that left marks on his side? When ʿUmar [may Allah be pleased with him] wept seeing this and mentioned the luxury of the Persian and Roman kings, the Prophet ﷺ said: “What have I to do with this world? I am in this world only like a rider who sought shade under a tree, then went on and left it.”

Days and months would pass without a fire being lit in his house for food; he survived on dates and water. When wealth came to him, he distributed it that same day. He died without leaving behind a single Dīnār, Dirham, slave, or maidservant; his shield was even pawned to a Jewish man for thirty measures of barley to feed his family. He mended his own sandals, patched his clothes, and milked his own sheep. If a stranger entered his gathering, they could not distinguish him from his companions and would ask, "Which of you is Muḥammad?" Does history know any seeker of kingship who lived like this?

Second: Denying the Pursuit of Fame and Eternal Remembrance

If Muḥammad ﷺ sought to immortalize his name, he had the perfect tool: the Qur’ān. The Arabs—the masters of eloquence—agreed that it surpassed all they knew. If a single poem of the "Hanging Odes" (al-Muʿallaqāt) was enough to immortalize a poet, imagine a book that surpassed all their poetry and prose. Had he sought fame, he could have attributed it to himself.

Instead, he attributed the entire Book to Allah and denied himself any credit in its composition, insisting he was merely a messenger: “Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. * It is not but a revelation revealed” [Sūrat al-Najm: 3-4]. Remarkably, his name appears in the Qur’ān only five times, while Moses is mentioned 136 times, Jesus 25 times, and Mary 34 times. If he wanted fame through this Book, would he not have filled it with his own name and ancestry? Furthermore, claiming it was from Allah was the heaviest responsibility; a false claim would have led to historical ridicule, as happened to imposters like Musaylimah the Liar, whose name remains synonymous with falsehood until today.

Third: Denying the Pursuit of Money and Wealth

This misconception is among the strangest and easiest to refute; one need only look at the life of the Prophet ﷺ and his household (Āl al-Bayt) after him for it to collapse entirely.

If he were seeking wealth, numerous opportunities were before him, yet he turned away from them all. After gaining authority in Madinah, the riches of Khaybar were opened to him, the Jizyah (tribute) came from Najrān, and wealth arrived from Bahrain, along with the spoils of Ḥunayn. Yet, he continued to live on dates and water, sometimes for months without a fire being lit in his home. He died while his shield was pawned to a Jewish man for thirty measures of barley borrowed to feed his family.

When wealth reached him, he distributed it the same day. Once, ninety thousand Dirhams were placed on a mat before him; he divided them among the needy and did not turn away a single beggar until every coin was gone. Regarding his family, he took steps that ensured they would never profit financially from his position:

He permanently forbade them from receiving Ṣadaqah (charity), saying: “Indeed, charity is not permissible for Muḥammad nor for the family of Muḥammad.”

He declared that he would leave no inheritance, saying: “We, the assembly of Prophets, do not leave inheritance; what we leave behind is charity.”

What kind of "financial project" is this, where the leader deprives himself and his family of wealth during his life, prevents them from inheriting after his death, and forbids them from receiving charity until the Day of Resurrection?

Fourth: Denying the Pursuit of Women and Lust

The accusation that the Prophet ﷺ was driven by lust is a claim that fails at the first honest examination of his life history.

If he were a man of lust, the signs would have appeared in his youth. Yet, he lived his youth in a pre-Islamic society that did not forbid fornication, but he was never known to have any illicit relationship. At twenty-five, he married Khadījah [may Allah be pleased with her], who was fifteen years older than him and had been twice widowed. He remained with her alone for twenty-five years—the prime of his life—and did not marry anyone else until she passed away.

When he married later, consider the nature of his wives: Sawdah was an elderly woman he married out of mercy after her husband died; Ḥafṣah was a young widow; Umm Salamah was a widow with orphans; Zaynab bint Khuzaymah was known as the "Mother of the Poor." Most were widows or elderly women requiring care. If he sought beauty and pleasure, would he not have chosen young virgins who were frequently offered to him?

Furthermore, in the ninth year of the Hijrah, Allah commanded him to give his wives a choice: they could stay with him and endure a life of hardship and asceticism, or be released to seek a more comfortable life. All nine chose to stay with him despite the poverty. Women know their husbands best; had he been an impostor seeking worldly pleasure, they would have seized the chance to leave.

Fifth: Denying the Goal of Arab Unification for Political Ends

This claim ignores the fact that Muḥammad ﷺ began his mission by challenging everything the Arabs held dear. He attacked their idols, criticized their ancestral traditions, and forbade wine and usury (Ribā). No one seeking to "unite" a people for political power starts by infuriating them all.

Furthermore, his call was not based on tribalism or Arab nationalism. He declared: “Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you” [Sūrat al-Ḥujurāt: 13]. He made Bilāl the Abyssinian his Muʾadhdhin (caller to prayer), Ṣuhayb the Roman a close companion, and Salmān the Persian a member of his household. This was a universal faith that equated Arabs with non-Arabs, which is the opposite of a nationalist political agenda.

Rebuttal to Potential Objections

"But he did gain power and influence": We do not deny he gained power, but we deny it was his goal. Power was a means to establish justice and protect the weak. A seeker of the world uses power for personal luxury; a Prophet uses it to serve the Message.

"This could all be an act": It is impossible for a human to maintain a "mask" of asceticism for twenty-three years, in secret and in public, without slipping—especially when his closest family members, who saw his private life, remained his most devoted followers.

"Other false prophets claimed asceticism": Falsehood is quickly exposed upon reaching power; impostors eventually indulge. Muḥammad ﷺ only increased in humility and generosity as his power grew.

Conclusion: The Clear Truth

It is manifest to any fair observer that Muḥammad ﷺ was the furthest of people from seeking the world. A man who refused kingship when offered, lived in hardship when he gained power, and left no inheritance for his children cannot be a seeker of worldly gain.

His life is a testimony to his truthfulness. While world-seekers are exposed by power, he became more detached from it. He died leaving no gold or silver, but leaving a legacy that brought humanity from darkness to light. Allah said: “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” [Sūrat al-Aḥzāb: 21].

And Allah knows best. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muḥammad, his family, and all his companions.