“Or do they say, there is madness in him?
Nay, he has brought them the truth, and most of them hate the truth.”
Introduction
Billions of people today believe in the truth of the Prophet Muhammad testified, peace be upon him, and follow Islam, the religion he founded 1400 years ago. However, those who disbelieve in him require an explanation as to what was really going on when he claimed divine revelation.
Some assert that he was, God forbid, lying, or that he didn’t even exist at all. In reality, as will be discussed later, his existence is not at all in doubt, and his truthfulness was attested to even by his harshest enemies.
The only other explanation, which will be tackled in the bulk of this article, is that because some mentally ill people have religiously-themed delusions, this must have been what the Prophet, peace be upon him, was experiencing.
The earliest examples of such allegations can be traced to medieval Christian sources. Theophanes, for example, an 8th century Byzantine historian, advanced the theory that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was suffering from epilepsy, which they considered a demonic possession, being both spiritual and mental illness at once.
From the 19th century, European orientalists advanced some of these accusations further. One Austrian historian, Aloys Sprenger, described the Prophet’s revelations as a “paroxysm of cataleptic insanity.” More modern critics have also argued that the Prophet was, God forbid, suffering from psychiatric delusions. Three conditions are generally considered to be possibilities: Schizophrenia, Bipolar Affective Disorders, and Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, as all three can falsely convince sufferers that they are experiencing revelation.
This article will comprehensively answer the allegation of madness, drawing upon my own experience and knowledge as a psychiatrist. Assessing the question through the prism of these three conditions, I will argue that not only was the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, not mentally unwell, but that he had peerless mental balance, rooted in his peerless spirituality.
In doing so, this article does not seek to stigmatise those suffering from such illnesses. The Prophet himself, peace be upon him, showed compassion and understanding to those suffering from neuropsychiatric illnesses, as will be shown.
However, this allegation is used to discredit the truth of the Prophet Muhammad. In doing so, it holds people back from spiritual progress, and therefore warrants a full and informed response.
In proving the truth of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the Quran’s pronouncements on the truth of the other Prophets will also be vindicated, clearing them too from allegations of mental illness.
“For when it was said to them, ‘There is no God but Allah,’ they turned away with disdain.
And said, ‘Shall we give up our gods for a mad poet?’
Nay, he has brought the truth and has testified to the truth of all the Messengers.”
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is described by the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision) in the following way.
Schizophrenia is characterised by disturbances in multiple mental modalities, including thinking (e.g., delusions, disorganisation in the form of thought), perception (e.g., hallucinations), self-experience (e.g., the experience that one’s feelings, impulses, thoughts, or behaviour are under the control of an external force), cognition (e.g., impaired attention, verbal memory, and social cognition), volition (e.g., loss of motivation), affect (e.g., blunted emotional expression), and behaviour (e.g., behaviour that appears bizarre or purposeless, unpredictable or inappropriate emotional responses that interfere with the organisation of behaviour).
The criteria go on with various specifiers, but in simpler terms, schizophrenia can be divided up in the following way:
- Positive symptoms: These include delusions and hallucinations – the term ‘positive’ means that they are new or added symptoms compared to everyday experience.
- Negative symptoms: These are normal behaviours that are absent in someone with schizophrenia. Common negative symptoms include inability to enjoy everyday activities, feel emotions, or have the motivation to initiate plans. Patients with such symptoms often exhibit social withdrawal.
- Disorganized symptoms: These are problems with thinking and behaviour, including bizarre behaviour and confusing thoughts.
Hallucinations & Delusions?
Delusions are generally fixed, false beliefs held despite evidence to the contrary. Hallucinations are extrasensory experiences, such as hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t really there.
Was the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, suffering from delusions and hallucinations? A good way of figuring this out is to look at the content of his speech. Sufferers of mental illness tend to have quite irrational beliefs. In a paper entitled ‘The Lived Experience of Psychosis,’ many statements from sufferers of mental illness are detailed. One individual, describing his thought content during his first psychotic episode, explains:
“There was going to be a nuclear holocaust that would break up the continental plates, and the oceans would evaporate from the lava… My future wife and I were going to become aliens and have eternal life. My actual situation [however] was a sharp contrast. I was living in a downtown rooming house with only cockroaches for friends.”
Delusions can take on all kinds of forms. Here, aliens were mentioned, as they feature prominently in pop culture. However, 200 years ago, delusions tended to focus on things in their society, often relating to the Monarchy, or plots from Parliament, as well as traditional Christian themes.
Now, some critics will say that this fits well with the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him — he lived in a society with prominent religious beliefs, and so his mind created religious beliefs also. However, this is a complete misunderstanding, even on the face of it.
7th Century Arabia was steeped in idolatry. They had one idol for each day of the year, and had many religious rites and poems of praise for these idols. The Prophet’s teachings, peace be upon him, were totally incongruous with that milieu. Instead, he preached a radical monotheism that was completely coherent, and in keeping with the great teachings of Abraham, Jesus and Moses, many centuries prior. Over 23 years, and unbelievable persecution, his monotheistic ideas did not mutate and transform, wax or wane. Instead they were consistent throughout, and totally at loggerheads with the polytheistic society into which he was born.
Now, be this as it may, some will say that he suffered from ‘grandiose delusions’, God forbid, because he claimed to be a Prophet, and indeed the greatest Prophet with the final law to Mankind.
It is indeed true that many people do suffer with religious delusions, and claim contact with God, divine commission and revelation. However this does not mean that no-one can be contacted by God. To paraphrase the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the existence of fake diamonds does not mean that real diamonds don’t exist.
In fact, it is because such people came to every people in history, that such delusions form in the mentally unwell. Delusions are context-specific, and the context was set by the great success of the major prophets, such as the Prophet Muhammad, Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, etc.., peace be upon them all.
In reality, all of these Prophets had claims that were opposed by their community. People asked for proofs. The difference between them and mentally unwell people, is that the real Prophets were able to establish their claims, and died after having converted so many of their opponents.
These are the ‘signs’ that the Prophets bring. Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad had many such signs which convinced tens of thousands of Arabians that he was true, within his own lifetime. Perhaps the most potent of these signs were the prophecies about the future the Quran itself contained. If these prophecies are true, then it is proved that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was indeed revealed the Quran by God.
The Proof of Prophecy
Surah Al-Takwir: The Overthrowing
One of the most remarkable prophecies is Surah Al Takwir, Chapter 81 of the Holy Quran. The first few verses of this chapter are as follows:
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
When the sun is wrapped up,
And when the stars are obscured,
And when the mountains are made to move,
And when the she-camels, ten-month pregnant, are abandoned,
And when the primitive people are gathered together,
And when the seas are filled,
And when people are brought together,
And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about,
‘For what crime was she killed?’
And when books are spread abroad.
And when the heaven is laid bare,
And when the Fire is caused to blaze up,
And when the Garden is brought nigh,
Then every soul will know what it has brought forward
This chapter pertains to events that would occur centuries later, and describes them in remarkable detail. A detailed exposition of these verses can be found in this article, which also contains some insights into certain mathematical miracles that are more hidden.
When the sun is wrapped up, And when the stars are obscured…
These are spiritual terms relating to a time when Islam would be attacked and smeared. The Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace, was described in the Quran as the ‘radiant sun’ and his companions were described by him as ‘stars’. This line refers to a time when Anti-Islam attacks would lead to their true characters and message being obscured. This has been the case for the last millennium in western lands in some form, but the hate has especially intensified in recent centuries, causing these chcharacter assassinations to spread among the Muslims with whom Christians have had contact. Moreover, Muslims themselves have imbibed erroneous notions about the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions. By committing extremist atrocities and attributing them wrongly to Islam, their conduct caused the message of the Prophet and hisaracter assassinations to spread among the Muslims with whom Christians have had contact. Moreover, Muslims themselves have imbibed erroneous notions about the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions. By committing extremist atrocities and attributing them wrongly to Islam, their conduct caused the message of the Prophet and his companions to be obscured.
And when the mountains are made to move…
This period of history, characterised by the spread of Christian civilisation across the world, is then described in startling detail by this Quranic chapter. The power and force with which this civilisation has advance can be described as moving mountains, as mountains referred to great nations in Quranic idiom. Colonialism took the Christian nations across the world – great mountains that travelled across the globe.
And when the she-camels, ten-month pregnant, are abandoned…
Now what powered this rapid expansion of the Christian nations? It was the industrial revolution, which brought about new forms of transport. Through industrial power, the Christians were able to overtake the world, as typified by the steam engine. Thus the chapter refers to this as the time when camels will be abandoned as a mode of transport. This is an amazing prophecy for an Arab to make 1400 years ago, because a world without animal transport had never been seen, let alone predicted.
And when the primitive people are gathered together…
As this Christian world expanded, it came into contact with native peoples of the lands it would colonise. Thus, these peoples would all be gathered together, both with the Europeans, but also within themselves in, in so-called ‘reservations.’
And when the seas are filled…
Now how did the Europeans get to these lands? It would be via the sea. Naval might has enabled colonial expansion – causing the seas to be ‘filled.’ This can also refer to naval warfare, as explained by the 4th Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, in his brilliant analysis of these verses from which our analysis derives.
And when people are brought together…
Through the global revolutions of colonisation and new technologies, the entire world has become like a global village. With fast transport and the era of telecommunications, the world is integrated like never before.
And when the girl-child buried alive is questioned about, ‘for what crime was she killed?’…
It is in this same age of global integration that the consciousness of oppressed peoples has risen. The most significant of these is that of women’s liberation. Female issues have come to the fore – and girls are no longer buried alive, neither physically, nor socially, nor intellectually.
And when books are spread abroad…
Now what has caused these revolutions in society? It is the spread of information, typified by the easy accessibility of literature. In the 19th Century, this was seen by the explosion of the global book trade, though this has its roots in the Gutenberg Press, centuries before.
And when the heaven is laid bare…
This explosion in information and education has revolutionised science and technology. In this age, the heavens have metaphorically been ‘laid bare,’ by the expansion of space technology like telescopes, allowing us to see beyond our planet, and even beyond our solar system.
And when the Fire is caused to blaze up…
And at this time, God declares that the fire will be caused to blaze up, indicating that this will be an age of firepower, and warfare. WW1 and WW2 testify to this. Moreover, the spiritual fire of sin will be blazing, indicating that this will be an age of spiritual darkness.
And when the Garden is brought nigh…
The Garden here represents paradise, meaning that in this age of sin, even a small amount of goodness would weigh heavy in the divine scales.
The passage continues by saying that at this time of spiritual darkness, a ‘new dawn’ would come, signifying the advent of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, who would guide mankind once more into the light. Tellingly, the chapter concludes by God announcing that the witnessing of all these signs would signify that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon really does revelation, and that he is not mad:
This chapter is just one of a multitude of prophecies made by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that were fulfilled. While Surah Al-Takwir is astonishing as is describes the exact times that we are living in now, many prophecies were made and fulfilled in the lifetime of the Prophet himself.
And I call to witness the night as it passes away,
And the dawn as it begins to breathe,
That this is surely the revealed word of a noble Messenger,
Possessor of power, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,
Obeyed there, and faithful to his trust.
And your companion is not mad.
Holy Quran, 81:18-23
Other Prophecies
For instance, the Prophet, peace be upon him, foretold the fate of specific people. For instance, he prophesised the ruin and the demise of Abu Lahab, who was a strong opponent and enemy of Islam. This is recorded in the 111th chapter of the Quran.
Prior to the Battle of Badr, a major battle in the history of Islam during which the Muslims were outnumbered by an offensive force hell-bent on destroying them, the Prophet foretold in front of his companions where his opponents would die:
“The Prophet ﷺ showed us where those [enemies] at Badr would die. He would place his hand somewhere on the ground and say, ‘This is where so-and-so will die tomorrow, by God’s will, and this is where so-and-so will die.’ I swear by the One who sent him with the Truth, none of them fell anywhere other than exactly where the Prophet’s hand had touched.”
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also foretold specific future events. He described that he had been told by God of the spread and might of Islam – a phenomenon which has been powerfully fulfilled.
“Indeed, Allah gathered up the earth for me so that I saw its east and its west, and the dominion of my nation will indeed reach what was gathered up for me.”
He also described the Persian’s victory over the Byzantine (Roman) empire at the start of the 7th century, a prophecy that was widely publicised at the time:
“The Romans have been defeated, In the land nearby, and they, after their defeat, will be victorious. In a few years — Allah’s is the command before and after [that] — and on that day the believers will rejoice, With the help of Allah. He helps whom He pleases; and He is the Mighty, the Merciful. Allah has made this promise. Allah breaks not His promise, but most men know not.”
The Prophet Muhammad also prophesised his own ultimate victory over his opponents, the Quraish, and the fact that he and his followers would have ownership of the Holy Kaaba in Mecca. This was at a time when the early Muslims were in a state of great weakness, with such a victory appearing far-fetched at the time.
The Prophet predicted numerous other phenomena, relating to specific individuals, and to his own family life, and to the wider social, economic and political circumstances of the time and beyond. If he was, God forbid, delusional, it would have been extremely easy for his opponents to point at failed prophecies that he made as a proof of this. However, they were constantly startled by his remarkable eloquence, the devotion of his followers, the accuracy of his prophecies, and the victories he was able to attain, seemingly against all the odds.
Many of his harshest enemies, who would have jumped on any weakness or perceived incorrect prophecy, in fact became Muslims, convinced by the unique extraordinary nature of these predictions.
Prophecy then, is a key Quranic answer answer against the allegation of madness.
It is decisive.
One who is proved to be from God is automatically cleared of this allegation.
And said, ‘Shall we give up our gods for a mad poet?’
Nay, he has brought the truth and has testified to the truth of all the Messengers.
By establishing the truth of this Prophet, the Quran thereby establishes the Truth of all the Prophets, as it declares that they were all true; they too came with great signs that they were from God, though their followers distorted their teachings over centuries.
Prophecy then is the ultimate answer to the allegation that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was mad. A mentally unwell person has no special insight into the future. The rest of the article is therefore given for the sake of completeness.
Disorganised Thoughts?
Disorganisation of mind and behaviour are a key part of schizophrenia, as well as wider forms of psychosis.
One particular aspect is thought disorder which refers to speech being muddled, reflecting a deeper muddling of thoughts. Sometimes thoughts will go from one topic to a completely different one; sometimes they will stop altogether, leading to pronounced silence in the middle of a sentence. Sometimes sufferers will spend inordinate periods of time getting to the point they are trying to make, their mind unable to filter relevant information.
The disorganisation of thoughts and feeling overwhelmed at the chaos inside one’s head is an extremely common theme in individuals suffering from psychotic mental illnesses. For instance, one sufferer cited in the paper above reports:
“My head is ‘swarming’ with thoughts or ‘flooding’. I become overwhelmed by all the thinking going on inside my head. It sometimes manifests itself as incredible noise.”
All clinicians working in the field of psychiatry experience this when talking to psychotic patients – they will have to follow difficult conversations, sometimes additionally confused by the patient experiencing hallucinations at the same time. Acutely psychotic patients will generally have tell-tale signs of their illness in their speech. The paper finds a variety of descriptions from sufferers about how their thought patterns become distorted:
Words such as “rollercoaster” , “whirlwind”, “vertigo” or “maelstrom” are used by individuals to try to convey an experience of inner chaos and confusion, which is difficult to articulate accurately through language…
“Being in a whirlwind is not a very good metaphor for that experience, but I have trouble finding words to describe it”…
“My thoughts seemed to have lost the power to squeeze things to clear organization” .
The weakening of the natural “core self” that organizes the meaning and significance of events can lead to a disturbed “grip” or “hold” on the conceptual field.
The Prophet’s Teachings
Now, was there any evidence that the Prophet Muhammad had a disturbed grip on the conceptual field? To look at this, we can look at his recorded statements and speeches.
These can be divided into Quranic revelation he uttered, and those of his non-Quranic statements.
In the latter category, we have his famous Farewell Sermon, widely considered one of the world’s greatest ever and most influential speeches, setting the tone for the centuries of progress by Muslims.
O men, what I say to you, you must hear and remember. All Muslims are as brethren to one another. All of you are equal. All men, whatever nation or tribe they may belong to, and whatever station in life they may hold, are equal.”
While he was saying this the Prophetsa raised his hands and joined the fingers of the one hand with the fingers of the other and then said:
“Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any right, any superiority to claim over another. You are as brothers.”
This speech is just one small example of thousands of his statements passed down the hadith literature. These were memorised by his deeply stirred companions, and they are coherent and succinct.
Next, we can turn to those statements of the actual prophetic revelation. A portion of this was recorded in Quercus’ ‘Speeches That Changed the World – The Stories and Transcripts of the Moments That Made History’ – containing over 50 momentous and thought-provoking speeches, featuring a pivotal passage of the Quran that reoriented the Muslims back to the Kaaba in Mecca.
Indeed, the revelations of Quran are replete not just with prophecies, but with moral teachings that apply to every facet of society. Revealed over 23 years piecemeal, they come together to produce an incredible whole whose structure has been admired for centuries.
All of this in stark contrast to the utterances of those afflicted with hallucinations and delusions. mental illness. Can a man whose eloquence and logic over a 23 year period confounded and amazed even his harshest opponents be psychotic? Not only this, but the Prophet created a moral revolution. From a society that embraced slavery, cruelty to women, and brutal warfare, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, transformed the people to embrace compassion, kindness and humility.
“Verily, Allah has revealed to me that you must be humble towards one another, so that no one oppresses another or boasts to another.”
Western Writers’ View on the Holy Prophet
Now lest, this is assumed to just be a claim, we present some extracts from western orientalists who studied Islam in a period of great prejudice against Islam. These views cannot be dismissed as mere ‘wokeness.’
Professor Arthur Arberry
For instance, Professor Arthur Arberry tells us:
“In making the present attempt to improve on the performance of my predecessors, and to produce something which might be accepted as echoing however faintly the sublime rhetoric of the Arabic Koran, I have been at pains to study the intricate and richly varied rhythms which – apart from the message itself – constitute the Koran’s undeniable claim to rank amongst the greatest literary masterpieces of mankind…
This very characteristic feature – ‘that inimitable symphony,’ as the believing Pickthall described his Holy Book, ‘the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy’ – has been almost totally ignored by previous translators; it is therefore not surprising that what they have wrought sounds dull and flat indeed in comparison with the splendidly decorated original”
Arthur J. Arberry, “The Koran Interpreted,”
Oxford University Press, 1964
Dr. Steingass
Dr Steingass had a further stirring tribute:
“We may well say the Qur’ān is one of the grandest books ever written, because it faithfully reflects the character and life of one of the greatest men that ever breathed. “Sincerity,” writes Carlyle, “sincerity, in all senses, seems to me the merit of the Koran.” This same sincerity, this ardour and earnestness in the search for truth, this never-flagging perseverance in trying to impress it, when partly found, again and again upon his unwilling hearers, appears to me as the real and undeniable “seal of prophecy” in Muhammad…
But the approaches to truth are many, and he who devoted all his powers and energies, with untiring patience and self-denial, to the task of leading a whole nation by one of these approaches, from a coarse and effete idolatry, to the worship of the living God, has certainly a strong claim to our warmest sympathies as a faithful servant and noble champion of truth…Here, therefore, its merits as a literary production should perhaps not be measured by some preconceived maxims of subjective and aesthetic taste, but by the effects which it produced in Muhammad’s contemporaries and fellow countrymen. If it spoke so powerfully and convincingly to the hearts of his hearers as to weld hitherto centrifugal and antagonistic elements into one compact and well-organized body, animated by ideas far beyond those which had until now ruled the Arabian mind, then its eloquence was perfect, simply because it created a civilized nation out of savage tribes, and shot a fresh woof into the old warp of history.”
Dr Steingass, pg. 527-528,
Dictionary of Islam,
Thomas Hughes
Needless to say, mental illness is characterised by incoherence and incongruence. The output of such an illness cannot affect the hearts of billions of people throughout history, and change its course irrevocably.
In fact, no ordinary man can do this, even if they are perfectly mentally sound. As written by the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, peace be upon him:
“Is it not a most wonderful thing to have happened that in an age when all the great nations of the world possessed a plenitude of financial, military and intellectual means, a mere penniless orphan, who was powerless, helpless, unlettered and unaided, brought forth such resplendent teachings which, with their conclusive arguments and irrefutable proofs, dumb-founded every opponent? It also exposed the mistakes and faults of such scholars who in their conceit boasted of being great philosophers and men of wisdom. In spite of his being poor and helpless, he rose to great power and dethroned many a mighty king and in their place installed the poor. If this was not from Allah, what else was it? To conquer and excel the whole world in wisdom, in knowledge and in strength, can all this be accomplished without the help of Allah?”
Baraheen-e-Ahmadiyya, Vol.1, p. 138
Via “Selected Writings” Translation, pg. 21
The Promised Messiah & Mahdi,
Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam
Disorganised Behaviour
Finally we come to the behaviour of those afflicted with Schizophrenia.
“Subjectively, the best comparison I can make is to a waking nightmare. You have all the terror and confusion and the bizarre images and thoughts that you have in a nightmare. And then with the nightmare you sit bolt upright in bed in utter terror. Only with a nightmare you then wake up, while with psychosis you can’t just open your eyes and make it all go away.“
Psychosis affects the mind in an extremely negative and often terrifying manner. Its experience distracts, confounds and distort everyday behaviours. Basic functioning, like self-hygiene, going to the shops, making and eating food, became a great challenge. Most sufferers will not be able to work with it.
“Spaced out and terminally disconnected, I am not always able to focus even when trying my hardest. My new manager enjoys holding morning meetings with a group of us cramped into his small office as he attempts to fill my brain with information. My breathing is fast and shallow and my legs bob up and down as my uneasiness and anxiety increase. I know others notice and judge my ability…
I feel like a fraction of myself in stark contrast to how I felt at my previous job prior to the schizophrenia, where I was the star of the group: always on target, enthusiastic, and energetic. Here, people quickly catch on that I am not on top of it.“
Molly Watson
While some can recover, most lose functioning. It is exceptionally rare to find sufferers with Schizophrenia at the top of companies.
The Prophet’s Behaviour & Capacity
When we contrast this to Prophets such as the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, we find something completely different. In Mecca, he was the persistent leader of a small band of persecuted followers. In Medina, he was elected the Governor of Medina, and produced the famous Charter of Medina that guaranteed rights for each of the different religious communities there. Living under continuous attack from the Meccans, he essentially found himself in a war that lasted years. He dispatched multiple expeditions and forces to different tribes that were aligning against him, led armies, won battles and through it all grew his community. In the end, he conquered Mecca with 10,000 men, but forgave his persecutors, he converted to Islam en masse.
This was no ordinary man.
“Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images, founder of twenty earthly empires and of one spiritual empire—that is Muhammad!
At all the scales by which one measures human greatness, what man was greater?
There is none greater than he who, while proclaiming the same dogma as those before him, at the same time promulgated a purer morality, who did not draw the sword to aid his words, wielding only the sword of the spirit, who shed his own blood instead of spreading that of his brothers, and who was a martyr rather than a conqueror. But this man, people have judged too great to be measured by the measure of men, and if his human nature and his doctrine made him a prophet, even among the unbelievers, his virtue and his sacrifice made him divine!”
Alphonse Lamartine,
Histoire de la Turquie, 1855
Volume 1, pg. 280-281
Portrait by Ary Scheffer, 1848
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms include diminished emotional expression, a decrease in motivation to initiate and sustain activities, apathy towards life, and general social withdrawal. Patients with negative symptoms often struggle to find motivation to groom themselves. They can often be dishevelled and poorly groomed.
The Prophet’s Openness
On the contrary, the Prophet Muhammad lived a life that was the opposite of isolation — it was an open book. Every facet of his being has been recorded. He had an extremely rich emotional and social life, being able to resolve disputes, establish treaties, bring people together, and emotionally resonate with all kinds of people.
Far from being dishevelled, his appearance was so extraordinary that it has been commented on numerous times, with his spiritual radiance being far more remarkable than his clean and modest clothing:
It is related from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “I once saw the messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on the night of a full moon. On that night he wore red (striped) clothing. At times I looked at the full moon and at times at the messenger of Allah. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that the messenger of Allah was more handsome, beautiful and more radiant than the full moon.”
Baraa bin Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that:
“The messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a man of a medium build, (slightly tall); he had broad shoulders; he had dense hair which reached his ear-lobes; he wore a red striped lower garment and a shawl. I never saw anybody or anything more handsome than him.”
One companion, Hassaan bin Thaabit, may Allah be pleased with him, described the Prophet, peace be upon him, with the following couplets:
“His face shone like the moon’s full glow, And his eyes sparkled like the stars in the night’s show.”
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, far from having a limited emotional expression, was extremely expressive. One account states:
“I have not seen anyone with a more cheerful countenance than Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)!”
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, also demonstrated remarkable contentment at all stages of his life – during times when he was consumed by poverty and suffering, and during times when he was safer and wealthier. He certainly did not struggle with his motivation, or with low mood, or with difficulties initiating tasks. According to one account, the Prophet stated:
Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Wealth is not in having many possessions. Rather, true wealth is the richness of the soul.”
The Prophet, peace be upon him, was mentally so well that those who met him aspired to be like him, and those that were close to him aspired to spend more and more time with him. Those who needed help sought guidance from him, and those who knew him, or heard about him, loved him for his character, his courage and his beauty.
Bipolar Affective Disorder
Bipolar Afective Disorder is characterised by extremes in mood — for periods sufferers are low in mood, experiencing depressive symptoms, while at other times they are elated — experiencing symptoms of ‘mania’, or ‘hypomania’.
During manic episodes, patients often experience ‘delusions of grandeur,’ meaning that they believe that they possess special powers, or that they are prophets, gods, or royalty. Patients with Bipolar Affective Disorder, when experiencing symptoms, can be described as being extremely unbalanced in their thoughts, moods, speech, and emotions.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, however, demonstrated complete moderation and balance in every aspect of his life. This is reflected in his sayings, and in the Holy Quran itself.
The Prophet’s Humility
For example, even though the Quran states that he is the best of messengers, the ‘Seal of the Prophets’, he specifically told his followers not to boast to the followers of other faiths that he was ‘better than their prophet’, lest they cause quarrels:
“None of you should say that I am better than Jonah”
He said something similar regarding Moses. This is the opposite of grandiosity — he did not wish for his high station to be advertised to others in such a way that it caused interfaith discord.
Despite his immense status, he would spend his time emphasising the need to worship God, and highlighting that he was only a messenger, and not an object of worship himself.
“Say, ‘I am only a human being like you, to whom has been revealed that your God is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord, let him do righteous work and not associate anyone with the Lord.’”
Sufferers of grandiose delusions would most certainly not emphasise their limitations — rather they do quite the opposite.
Before the Battle of Badr, in which he had been promised victory, he was found praying for hours just before it. When asked by his closest follower why he felt the need to pray so much when God had promised them victory, he said that he prayed lest there was some shortcoming among them which would jeopardise their victory.
When the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard some of his Companions call him by saying, “Oh our master! Oh son of our master! Oh the best of us! Oh the son of the best of us!” he forbade them from saying these words by affirming,
“I am Muhammad ibn Abdullah, a slave of Allah and His Messenger. By Allah, I do not like you to raise me above my true position which Allah set for me.”
When his name was written as a seal, ‘Muhammad the Messenger of Allah’, he made it so that the name of Allah appears above his name, which was at the bottom.
One final remarkable fact is that the Prophet used to sit with his companions in a way that did not differentiate him from others. It is reported that when a stranger, who did not know the Prophet, entered the gathering where the Prophet was sat, the stranger would often be unable to distinguish him from the others. The stranger would ask, “which one of you is Muhammad?” This highlights his humility, that fundamentally he saw himself as a man who had been chosen by God for a great task, rather than someone who was megalomaniacal.
This is all extreme humility — and it was because of this humility that God exalted him to the highest station.
The Prophet’s Moderation
In those afflicted with Bipolar Affective Disorder, they will often be unbalanced and extreme, staying up all night to work on this project and that, being erratic and not suffering any deniers of their ideas.
On the contrary, the Prophet, peace be upon, consistently emphasised the need for balance and moderation:
“Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights.”
“Make things easy and do not make things difficult. Make people calm and do not frighten them away.”
“None makes the religion difficult except that it overcomes him. So, aim for what is right, stick to the moderate way…”
The Prophet’s Balance
Manic patients are well known for often overspending or gambling. This is a common feature that highlights the disinhibition and lack of judgement that their mental illness has caused. The Prophet, peace be upon him, however demonstrated complete balance and simplicity in his personal actions too, as well as his doctrines.
The Holy Quran, revealed to the Prophet, emphasises balance continuously. Notably, it talks about balance when it comes to spending money.
And those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly but moderate between the two…
The Prophet’s Emotional Control
People with BPAD are often known to be emotionally labile when unwell with hypomania or mania, feeling low or high, and finding it difficult to stay in the middle. Moreover, while unwell, many sufferers find it difficult to not express their emotions and control their behaviours. This is also a feature of some personality disorders, such as Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder.
On the other hand, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was known to always be in control of his emotions — even when he and his followers were heavily persecuted, even when his own family members passed away.
On one occasion, upon the death of his grandson, the Prophet’s eyes filled with tears and he silently cried. He did not weep loudly or wail, however even watching the Prophet cry surprised his companions, and they mentioned it to him concerned that it showed some kind of weakness. The Prophet explained to them that crying was a mark of love. Apart from this thoroughly human reminder to his companions, it shows that he was so in-control of his emotions throughout his life, that even watching a few tears run down in face was surprising to those who knew him best.
This control was reflected in the Prophet’s teachings. The Quran puts heavy emphasis on controlling one’s emotional state, and remaining steadfast. The Prophet forbade people to become overcome by their emotions, such as anger.
“There is nothing that is swallowed greater with Allah in reward than a slave of Allah who swallows and contains his rancour out of desire for the pleasure of Allah.
Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The person who is strong is not strong because he can knock people down. The person who is strong is the one who controls himself when he is angry.”
The Testimony of an Orientalist
Sir William Muir, an Orientalist scholar of Islam, attested to this:
A patriarchal simplicity pervaded his life. His custom was to do everything for himself. If he gave alms he would place it with his own hands in that of the petitioner. He aided his wives in their household duties, mended his clothes, tied up the goats, and even cobbled his sandals. His ordinary dress was of plain white cotton stuff, made like his neighbours’. He never reclined at meals.
Muhammad, with his wives, lived, as we have seen, in a row of low and homely cottages built of unbaked bricks, the apartments separated by walls of palm-branches rudely daubed with mud, while curtains of leather, or of black haircloth, supplied the place of doors and windows…
A remarkable feature was the urbanity and consideration with which Muhammad treated even the most insignificant of his followers. Modesty and kindliness, patience, self-denial, and generosity, pervaded his conduct, and riveted the affections of all around him. He disliked to say No. If unable to answer a petitioner in the affirmative, he preferred silence. ‘ He was more bashful,’ says ‘A’isha, ‘than a veiled virgin ; and if anything displeased him, it was rather from his face, than by his words, that we discovered it ; he never smote any one but in the service of the Lord, not even a woman or a servant.’
The Life of Mohammad (pg. 511-12, 1912)
Sir William Muir
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Another lazy explanation is to suggest that the Prophet Muhammad suffered from Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, which has gained some currency in recent atheist circles online.
This condition consists of seizures that originate in the temporal lobes of the brain. Symptoms include auras — which are unusual sensory experiences that occur before a seizure — altered consciousness, repetitive involuntary movements such as lip smacking, and confusion post-seizure. Typically, individuals with this disorder suffer from longer term cognitive changes such as worsened memory, as well as reduced mood. Quality of life is significantly affected, and without medication, this condition has a relatively poor prognosis, even leading to unexpected death in some cases.
The Prophet Muhammad’s life experience is completely in contradiction to the life of a sufferer of temporal lobe epilepsy.
The Experience of Revelation
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was once asked about his experience of revelation:
Al-Harith bin Hisham asked Allah’s Messenger, “O Allah’s Messenger! How is the Divine Inspiration revealed to you?” Allah’s Messenger replied:
“Sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell, this form of Inspiration is the hardest of all and then this state passes off after I have grasped what is inspired. Sometimes the Angel comes in the form of a man and talks to me and I grasp whatever he says.”
Aisha added: “Verily I saw the Prophet being inspired divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over).”
This account, and many like it, refute any concept of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. The Prophet describes the revelation as striking him immediately as a bell — not actually hearing a bell, but it coming upon him suddenly. His revelations take different forms, and he was witnessed during them. While being seen, there is no evidence of any automatism (such as lip smacking, swallowing or picking at his clothes).
There is also no evidence of a ‘post-ictal state’. This is a confused state after a seizure that is ubiquitous in all forms of epilepsy; however, the Prophet describes being completely lucid and able to grasp and recount the nature and exact wording of the revelation he received immediately after.
Revelations were an intense experience, as supported by the sweat dropping from his forehead, however such an account is certainly not consistent with the confusion and disorientation that one would expect from a sufferer of epilepsy.
In another a famous narration by Ibn Abbas, it is reported that early in his revelatory experiences, the Prophet used to move his lips along with what was being revealed to try and remember it:
“Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to bear the revelation with great trouble and used to move his lips (quickly) with the Inspiration.”
However, after the Quran explicitly advised him that he didn’t need to do this, and that Allah would enable him to remember it, he ceased this practice:
Afterwards, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to listen to Gabriel whenever he came and after his departure he used to recite it as Gabriel had recited it.”
Another account shows that revelations did not come at random, but were often timed according to their need:
Zaid bin Thabit narrated:
“Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) dictated to me the verse:
‘Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in the Cause of Allah.’ (4:95) Ibn Umm Maktum, who was sitting behind the Prophet (ﷺ), said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! By Allah, if I had the power to fight (in Allah’s Cause), I would.’ He was a blind man.
“Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to bear the revelation with great trouble and used to move his lips (quickly) with the Inspiration.” Then that state was over, and Allah revealed:
‘…except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame etc.)’ (4:96)”
Here, the Prophet’s companion lamented that he was unable to fight in a defensive war against those trying to wipe out the Muslims, and wondered as to whether his inabilities would be punishable by God. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, at that very moment, developed a heavy thigh, and a revelation was given to him, that those who were disabled were exempt from fighting.
Such an incident highlights that temporal lobe epilepsy is entirely inconsistent with the Prophet’s experiences. An epileptic seizure cannot be timed at a moment of need, and wisdom and clarity of thought is not its output. There are no features here of any abnormal movements, automatisms, or post-seizure confusion. What is being described is an entirely different phenomenon.
Moreover, it is quite evident that a man suffering from any form of mental disorder, whether it be schizophrenia or a neurological disorder such as epilepsy, would not have been followed and revered as a leader, a scholar, a Prophet, and a commander of men. To believe such a thing means that one does not have the faintest idea about the concept of mental illness, and the burden and difficulty that mental illness provides a person. Suffering from such a disease does not give a person extra powers, or wisdom, or memory, or clarity of thought. Rather it diminishes those things.
Contemporary Knowledge of Seizures
Moreover, the people at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) knew about epilepsy, and would have recognised it if they felt the Prophet suffered from this.
In one place it is narrated that:
Ibn ‘Abbas once said to me, “Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise?”
I said, “Yes.”
He said, “This black lady came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, ‘I get attacks of epilepsy [seizures/fits] and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.’ The Prophet said (to her), ‘If you wish, be patient and you will have Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.’ She said, ‘I will remain patient,’ and added, ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’ So he invoked Allah for her.”
The Arabic word translated as ‘epilepsy’ was أُصْرَعُ (usra’u), which means to be thrown down or overcome. The same word was used in medieval Arabic medical texts to describe the condition of seizures, i.e.: Epilepsy. The context of becoming uncovered clearly indicates the context of this narration is that of seizures.
With this in mind, the narration is very instructive, telling us:
- Epilepsy is a debilitating illness, that causes significant suffering — far from what the Prophet experienced himself.
- The Prophet understood the concept of epilepsy, and far from stigmatising mental illness, he assured the woman that God would admit her to paradise as a compensation for her suffering. This attitude is far more forward-thinking even than in today’s world, where sufferers of such diseases are looked down upon.
- Had the people of the time felt that the Prophet suffered from epilepsy, they would have identified it. Far from following him as a Prophet, they would have recognised the symptoms of illness as it was already present in their society.
- The teachings of Islam are beautiful — they emphasise patience, and that with patience in this life comes reward in the next. This is an uplifting message, and one taught by the Prophet. The lady in the hadith was willing to endure her suffering, such was the strength of her faith in God. This was the faith that the Prophet instilled in his followers. Could a sufferer of mental illness inspire people in this manner? Surely not.
Allegations Against Socrates
The same allegation of TLE has been levelled against the founder of Western Philosophy himself — Socrates — who also claimed revelation and fought against a polytheistic society for the sake of Monotheism, being eventually executed for it.
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, gave an extended analysis of this in his inimitable Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth, here.
May Allah have mercy on him
He concluded:
“Did not the same misfortune befall all the prophets of God before or after him? Each of them was accused of hallucination by the society he addressed though not as politely as the author of the said article has treated Socrates. All such accusers knew full well that the prophets they accused of such mental aberrations were neither frail in mind nor weak of moral health. They were the wisest people of their time, sound of head and heart, respected as such by the society in which they grew from the age of their childhood to that of full maturity. None of them is accused of behaving in any manner like a soothsayer prior to their claim to prophethood; none is ever reported even after that to act as though he were hallucinating. Hallucinations are always unpredictable, disjointed and incoherent. The voices that some hallucinators hear do seem to address them as though they were from God but they never reveal to them any philosophy or way of life which can be shared and practised by others. There is no logic in what they hear and no logic in what they say. Hallucinations never give birth to rationality.
To mix up hallucination with prophecy is but a morbid attempt to discredit Divine revelation. The experience of the prophets of God is essentially different! Truth, wisdom and rationality are their distinctive features while the hostile society they confront symbolizes dogma, falsehood and superstition. The message that the prophets deliver is always based on sound moral code. They breathe wisdom, they exude piety, they advocate rationality, they preach morality, justice, moderation, understanding, kindness, patience, service and sacrifice. Is this the prophetic message delivered to them during their maddest moments of ‘hallucination’? What hallucination indeed! One only wishes that their accusers had remembered their own hallucinatory experiences while they were stricken, for instance, by a severe attack of septic fever or typhoid. Do they ever remember a wise code of life bestowed upon them during those temporary derangements which could stand the test of time and deliver a new message to mankind to be taken seriously by them?”
Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth
Pg. 97
Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmadrh
Did the Prophet Muhammad Exist?
It is evident that the Prophet, peace be upon him did not suffer from mental illness. So what are some other explanations for his claim to Prophethood? Some laypeople cast doubt that he even existed. In reality, this is simply a ‘get out of jail’ explanation, to avoid actually having to even think about the topic.
The truth, however, is that the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, from his early years until his death, are extremely well known and documented in extraordinary detail. Such detail is unprecedented when compared to other historical figures, even those who lived much later than the Prophet. Unlike in the case of other Prophets, here is no debate among scholars as to whether the Prophet Muhammad existed or not.
Highlighting this fact, one biography of the Prophet states:
“The life of Muhammad is known as the Sira and was lived in the full light of history. Everything he did and said was recorded. Because he could not read and write himself, he was constantly served by a group of 45 scribes who wrote down his sayings, instructions and his activities. Muhammad himself insisted on documenting his important decisions. Nearly three hundred of his documents have come down to us, including political treaties, military enlistments, assignments of officials and state correspondence written on tanned leather. We thus know his life to the minutest details: how he spoke, sat, sleeped, dressed, walked; his behaviour as a husband, father, nephew; his attitudes towards women, children, animals; his business transactions and stance towards the poor and the oppressed; his engagement in camps and cantonments, his behaviour in battle; his exercise of political authority and stand on power; his personal habits, likes and dislikes – even his private dealings with his wives.“
Introducing Islam (1994)
Chapter: A Life of History
Ziauddin Sardar & Zafar Abbas Malik
There is even evidence of early texts of the Holy Quran, such as the Birmingham Manuscript, which date back to very near the time of the Prophet Muhammad, with text exactly the same as those of the modern Quran. Not only is the existence of the Prophet literally an open book, but the literal book that was revealed to him is exactly the same now as it was fourteen hundred years ago at its origin.
Was the Prophet Muhammad Untruthful?
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, definitely existed. For atheists therefore there is no place to hide — one must confront the details of his life and his character head on. As mentioned, if he were a false Prophet, and an individual in full control of his sense, without mental illness, the only other possibility is that he was, God forbid, a liar.
The reality, however, is that there is scarcely a person on earth whose truthfulness has been established as much as the Prophet’s was. How many people on earth can say that their nickname is ‘the Trustworthy?’ This was the case with the Prophet Muhammad. Widely used among the people of Mecca before his claim to Prophethood, he was known as Al-Amin, the truthful. When disputes arose among the Meccan people, they would often call upon the Prophet to resolve them. It was the Prophet, for example, who decided, upon request of the people, where the black stone should be placed during the rebuilding of the Kaaba – the holy site in the city of Mecca.
Even more strikingly, nearer the end of his life, even his fiercest enemies admitted to the fact that he was always truthful and never lied. When the Byzantine emperor Heraclius discussed the Prophet with Abu Sufyan, one of the Prophet’s most ferocious enemies, Abu Sufyan admitted that the Prophet did not lie.
Heraclius said, ‘Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?’
I replied, ‘No. ‘
Heraclius said, ‘Does he break his promises?’
I replied, ‘No. We are at truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it.’ I could not find opportunity to say anything against him except that.
Heraclius concluded as a result that one who never lied to people could not lie about God.
The Prophet’s example of his truthfulness shone through throughout his life, but he also implored his followers to always speak the truth, highlighting the importance he placed on this.
The Prophet is reported to have said:
“Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar”
Sahih al-Bukhari #6094
“Speak the truth even when it is bitter”
A man who not only made much of his reputation around being truthful, among all those around him including his enemies, and who counselled others to speak the truth as well, cannot be a liar.
Finally, the strong evidence of prophecy already given, is enough evidence of the Prophet’s truth. More can be read here, and in this category, as well as in the video below.
Conclusion
When we analyse the life and character of the Prophet of Islam, it becomes apparent that there are no excuses, no plausible reason why he cannot be considered a true Prophet, truthful in all his claims, and a recipient of genuine divine revelation. Not only this, but his own Prophethood in itself provides evidence of the Prophethood of the Prophets which came before him. He is the seal, the authenticator of those holy men who claimed revelation and founded the religions of the past.
A man fourteen hundred years ago in the Arabian wildness, who neither craved nor sought power, was respected for his moral goodness and purity as a young man. He then claimed to have received revelation from God, as other Prophets before him had also received. He spoke truth always — a fact acknowledged even by his harshest enemies. He was kind, compassionate and humble. He was courageous and just. He bore misfortunes with steadfastness and dignity. His words were remarkable in the profoundness and their depth. He transformed a society in moral decay into one of justice and kindness. His influence sparked a scientific, material, and spiritual revolution in the world, with even the most educated scientists today being inspired by his words and his impact. His prophecies reverberate even today, and time has proved them to be true. He has been ranked one of the most influential men in human history.
Knowing all this, far from being mentally unwell, one cannot help but accept that the Prophet Muhammad was the most mentally and spiritually enlightened person to ever walk the earth.
“A strange and phenomenal event took place in the deserts of Arabia, when hundreds of thousands of dead become alive within a few days, and those who had been corrupted through generations took on Divine colour. The blind began to see and the tongues of the foolish began to flow with Divine wisdom. Such a revolution took place in the world as no eye had seen or no ear had heard of before. Do you realise what this was? All this was brought about by prayers during the darkness of the night of one who had been wholly lost in God. This created uproar in the world and manifested such wonders as seemed impossible at the hand of the unlettered helpless person. O Allah! Send down blessings and peace upon him and on his followers in proportion to his concern suffering for the Muslim Ummah [community of Muslims] and shower upon him the light of Thy mercy, forever.“
Bakaratud Dua’, Ruhani Khaza’in, Vol. 6, pp. 10-11
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
