Life-of-Muhammad

242Life of Muhammad saidleness. The Holy Prophet sa said: "God provides for youalso on account of your brother and it behoves youtherefore to make provision for him and leave him free toserve the Faith" (Tirmidhi).During the course of a journey, when the Prophet's saparty arrived at their camping place, his Companionsimmediately occupied themselves with their respectivetasks in setting up camp for the night. The HolyProphet sa said: "You have allotted no task to me. I shallgo and collect fuel for cooking." His Companionsprotested and said: "O Messenger of Allah sa ! why shouldyou occupy yourself in that way when all of us are hereto do whatever may be necessary?" He said: "No, No. It ismy duty to do my share of whatever may have to bedone," and he collected fire-wood from the jungle forcooking the food (Zurqani, Vol. 4, p. 306).TRUTHFULNESSAs has been related the Holy Prophet sa was himselfso rigid in his standards of truthfulness that he wasknown among his people as "The Trusty" and "TheTrue". He was equally anxious that Muslims shouldadopt the same standards of truth as were observed byhimself. He regarded truth as the basis of all virtue,goodness and right conduct. He taught that a truthfulperson is one who is so confirmed in truth that he iscounted truthful by God.On one occasion a prisoner was brought to the HolyProphet sa who had been guilty of the murder of manyMuslims. ‘Umar ra , who was also present, believed thatthe man richly deserved the imposition of the deathpenalty and he looked repeatedly at the Prophet saexpecting that the Prophet sa would at any momentindicate that the man should be put to death. After theHoly Prophet sa had dismissed the man ‘Umar rasubmitted that he should have been put to death as thatwas the only appropriate penalty. The Prophet sa replied:"If that is so, why did you not kill him?" ‘Umar ra replied: