ABSTRACT
The Prophet is often described by Muslims as embodying a huge number of virtues, and is called by Sufis the perfect man, al-insan al-kamil. He was kind, loyal, patient, trustworthy, honest and as his youngest wife ‘A’isha said of him, his character was the Qur’an. He exemplified the ethics of the Book, and some of the Book refers to him. His character has often been attacked by those hostile to Islam, since if he is regarded as the perfect man by the religion, an excellent way of attacking it is through criticism of the character of its leading representative. It is worth pointing out however that the Qur’an never says that Muhammad is anything but a human being, a point that is reiterated quite often. Yet there is a good deal of language which praises him in extraordinary ways. Does he deserve to be described in this way?
