Evidence that Muhammad was a Prophet
30-6-2004 | IslamWeb
Question:
Can you prove that Muhammad is a true Prophet. What powers did God give him?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The signs that prove the prophecy of Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, are numerous. Many books have been written to enumerate them and thoroughly discuss them. We would like to mention some of these signs as reported by Muslim scholars and which prove that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was indeed a real prophet, including:
First: His good character and high morals, as well as the noble qualities that distinguished him. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was known before embarking on his prophetic mission as a truthful and honest person, although the community where he lived was a society of ignorance. This was, perhaps, the most important sign of his prophecy. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was not known to have ever lied to people. Then why would he lie on behalf of the Lord by claiming that he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was a prophet if he was not really one?
Second: The powers and triumphs Allaah The Almighty gave him, and the spread of the religion he preached, as well as the triumph of this religion over all existing religions in a short period of time. Had he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, been a liar, Allaah The Almighty would have humiliated and destroyed him, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as He had done with those who came before him, who falsely claimed to be prophets.
Third: The miracles Allaah The Almighty gave him as supporting evidence were beyond the ability of human beings and beyond the range of natural phenomena. The moon split for him, water gushed from his fingers, food became more abundant in his hands, and similar phenomena were reported from authentic sources and happened in a way that could not be denied.
Fourth: The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was backed by the greatest miracle of all, which is the Quran. In fact, the Quran was a challenge and remains a challenge for the Arabs, who were then known to be good poets and eloquent speakers. Allaah The Almighty challenged them to write a single Soorah (Chapter) that would be similar to that of Quran, but they were unable to do so. Indeed, the challenge still endures – none of the Arabs throughout history, since the revelation of the Quran were able to compose anything that was even similar to it. No doubt, the Quran has been preserved intact until it came to us. Many groups of people memorized it, including children, adults, males and females. So, one generation brought the Quran to the next, until it reached us as it was revealed fourteen centuries ago. Hence, the Quran remains intact and completely protected from distortion or alteration. Nothing has been added to it or taken from it. The Quran is full of scientific facts that were verified only in recent times as a result of scientific investigation. Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who was illiterate, could not have known these facts fourteen centuries ago. Doesn’t this prove the authenticity of the Quran and that it is the Word of the Creator of the Universe, Who knows all its secrets?
Fifth: The matters of the Ghayb (Unseen) that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, informed us about. Some of them occurred during his lifetime; others occurred later on. Some of these things happened to the prophets who preceded him, and some have yet to occur. He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also informed us about the Signs of the Day of Judgment, some of which are occurring today before our eyes, such as widespread killings and genocide, adultery and fornication and the consumption of alcohol, outnumbering of males by females and the increased number of earthquakes, and afflictions, etc.
Sixth: The testimony of some of the People of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) that he was a true prophet. Some of them believed in him, like 'Abdullaah ibn Salaam 
who was a Jew, as well as Negus (king of Abyssinia), who was a Christian. Some of the People of the Book certified that he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was a prophet of Allaah The Almighty but refused to follow him, like Huyayy ibn Akhtaab.
The above are some of the signs that prove his, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, prophethood and the authenticity of his revelations. We would like the questioner to visit some of the Islamic centers in her area, and they will guide her to some useful references in the matter.
Allaah Knows best.