Life-of-Muhammad

176Life of Muhammad sanew to it. They had no idea how self-denying a peoplecould become after they had accepted Islam. But,instead of benefiting by the example of self-denial andself-sacrifice which they saw, instead of reciprocatingthe good treatment they received from the Muslims, theybecame more avaricious and greedier than ever. Theirdemands began to mount. They mobbed the Prophet sa ,and pushed him to a spot under a tree with his mantlehaving been torn from his shoulders. At last theProphet sa said to the crowd, "I have nothing else to give.If I had, I would have made it over to you. I am no miser,nor am I mean" (Bukhari, Chap on Faradul Khums).Then going near his dromedary and pulling out ahair, he said to the crowd, "Out of this money andproperty I want nothing at all, not even as much as ahair. Only, I must have a fifth, and that for the State.That is the share which Arab custom has ever admittedas just and right. That fifth will not be spent on me. Itwill be spent on you and your needs. Remember thatone who misappropriates or misuses public money willbe humiliated in the sight of God on the JudgementDay."It has been said by malicious critics that theProphet sa longed to become a king and to have akingdom. But imagine him confronted by a mean crowd,while he is already a king. If he had longed to become aking and to have a kingdom, would he have treated abeggarly mob as he treated this Meccan mob? Would hehave agreed to be mobbed at all in the way he was?Would he have argued and explained? It is onlyProphets as and Messengers as of God who can set such anexample. All the booty, the money, and the valuablematerial that there was to distribute had beendistributed among the deserving and the poor. Still therewere those who remained unsatisfied, who mobbed theProphet sa , protested against the distribution chargingthe Prophet sa with injustice.