168. The blind person, and the indifference of Prophet Muhammad.
Chapter 80 of the Quran in its verses (80:1-12) presents us a historical event, about Abdullah son of Ummu Maqdum, a blind person, who was looked down upon because of his blindness during those days, and one of the first reverts to Islam
He greets Prophet Muhammad with a ‘Salam’ on his way while the Prophet was in conversation with members belonging to a higher clan.
Prophet Muhammad frowned at him because Abdullah intervened at a time he was conversing with members of a higher clan.
The blind person’ would not have definately aware of the frowning or Prophet Muhammad’s attitude towards him.
But immediately there is a warning from the Almighty in the form of Quranic verses.
Allah addresses Prophet Muhammad thus “ You are ignoring by frowning on this person just because of the presence of people of a higher clan”. The blind person was aware of this only after the revelation of this verse.
This reveals a truth to us.
Had Prophet Muhammad been the author of The Quran, it is not possible that he passes strictures against himself in the same Quran he is alleged to be the author.
If he was the author of the Quran he would not have dared to pass strictures against himself in it, taking into consideration the reaction of people who would read the Quran in the years to come.
Because the Quran is from the Almighty, the prophet openly declares to the people who hold him in high esteem, that Allah has reprimanded him.
We can take this as an intellectual proof to declare ‘The Quran’ as the word of God.
Moreover it could be understood that, though being the messenger of Allah, the Prophet cannot by himself do anything that displeases the Creator.
And again this is a proof that Allah renders justice not on the basis of the person who commits an act but on the kind of an act committed.
We need to ponder the kind of religion we are in, where Allah reprimands His messenger for his reaction towards an ordinary blind person. Think of the benefits mankind would gain by the ideology of such a religion.
We can also find in history after this event ,Prophet Muhammad being courteous towards that person.
Everyone is equal by birth and only by their actions is one considered higher or lower, and to know more about equality and brotherhood in Islam refer explanation points 11, 32, 49, 59, 141, 182, 227, 290, 368, 508.
