Most Muslims would agree that to question a single word from Allah would be blasphemy and make us no better than Satan whom refused to serve man as God commanded. This is a brief biography of the man based on the Hadiths and the Holy Quran. God had seen how man worships other men so there were not any images of the man himself. I personally feel I have a mental image just from reading the Quran and the Hadiths. I can vividly see him the last day he was alive smiling as he looked out his window at the people in prayer.
I do not question most of the teachings that the Muslims follow and have found nothing that I question in the Holy Quran. But I do have one question in my mind. The greatest event taught to the Muslims is the night that Muhammad ascended into heaven via Jerusalem. The story is very long so I am just going to mention the part that I question in my mind for now. Muhammad proclaimed to be a Muslim. Yet on this occasion, one of the most holy times of his life he did not submit to the will of Allah (The One Holy God). How could he stand face to face with Allah and question his authority and decision. I have read that he received instructions from Allah (The One Holy God) to tell the people to pray fifty times a day. But then per instructions of Muses (Moses) he returned to the presence of Allah (The One Holy God) many times until he had appealed to the decision of Allah (The One Holy God) to make changes to that until it was only five times a day.
"Narrated Abu Dhar :
"... Ibn Hazm and Anas bin Malik said: The Prophet said, "Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers when I returned with this order of
Allah, I passed by Moses who asked me, 'What has Allah enjoined on your followers?' I replied, 'He has enjoined fifty prayers on them.' Moses said, 'Go back to your Lord (and appeal for reduction) for your followers will not be able to bear it.' (So I went back to Allah and requested for reduction) and He reduced it to half. When I passed by Moses again and informed him about it, he said, 'Go back to your Lord as your followers will not be able to bear it.' So I returned to Allah and requested for further reduction and half of it was reduced. I again passed by Moses and he said to me: 'Return to your Lord, for your followers will not be able to bear it. So I returned to Allah and He said, 'These are five prayers and they are all (equal to) fifty (in reward) for My Word does not change.' I returned to Moses and he told me to go back once again. I replied, 'Now I feel shy of asking my Lord again.' Then Gabriel took me till we '' reached Sidrat-il-Muntaha (Lote tree of; the utmost boundry) which was shrouded in colors, indescribable. Then I was admitted into Paradise where I found small (tents or) walls (made) of pearls and its earth was of musk."
Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Number 345
Well I am just a man. I am not a prophet of God. I am surely not perfect. And I do not consider myself special in anyway. But if I was to have a chance to physically or spiritually to stand in front of the Holy Creator and received a commandment or instructions for someone else, I would not go back and question his decision on any mans authority. I could not do it even if I thought it was impossible to do the commandment. I would take the commandments and do my best as I could without putting due stress on family or myself. I consider that Muhammad was also just a man as I. How could he a Muslim question a decision of Allah (The One Holy God)? He had already submitted to the will of Allah. Was he so great a man that he could question a commandment directly from Allah himself?
The answer is that he is not perfect, as many Muslims believe. He was a man of good heart and character but he made mistakes.
" ...but I am a human being like you and liable to forget like you..."
Bukhari Volume 1, Book 8, Number 394: Narrated 'Abdullah:
I respect what he did for the people of Arabia and all mankind. I respect him because of the book he dedicated his life to from Allah, The Holy Quran. As many Muslims look down on others he knew in his heart they would change his religion after he died. He did his best to make the religion perfect with all the aspects of spirituality and life. His life was used as good example to follow. He respected the Christians and Jews as the original receivers of the message the Holy Quran confirms. And I believe in my heart that he did his best and that is all God asks from us. In my heart I believe he was a Muslim and followed Islam even though according to the scholarly level believers in this time they would probably question some of his decisions. They might even go as far as to say he is not Muslim for the example above. If he were alive today teaching the same message I am sure many of his so called followers would declare him wrong because of their changes if they did not know it was he.
Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd:
I heard the Prophet saying, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar), and whoever will come to it, will drink from it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and them." Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri added that the Prophet further said: "I will say those people are from me. It will be said, 'You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.' Then I will say, 'Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the religion) after me! "
Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Number 174: