Refuting accusations against Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (part 1)
One of the accusations repeated by Orientalists and modern critics, is that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ suffered from mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. Muslim scholars across the ages have consistently exposed this claim as baseless, irrational, and contradictory to both historical evidence and the lived reality of the Prophet’s ﷺ life.
The Qur’anic response
The Qur’an itself directly refutes such allegations:
مَا صَاحِبُكُم بِمَجْنُونٍ
“Your companion is not mad.” (al-Takwir 81:22, al-Qalam 68:2, al-Ḥaqqah 69:41-42)
For the believer, Allah’s testimony is decisive. But even when approached rationally, the claim collapses under scrutiny.
Classical exegesis on “majnun” (madness)
The classical mufassirun unanimously explained that the Quraysh accused the Prophet ﷺ of being majnun (possessed, insane, deluded) as a way to undermine his message, not as a genuine medical diagnosis:
- Ṭabari (d. 310H) in his Tafsir explains that majnun was a slander by the disbelievers, claiming revelation was madness or sorcery, but Allah categorically rejected their claim by affirming the Prophet’s ﷺ clarity and truthfulness.
- Ibn Kathir (d. 774H) notes in his tafsir of al-Qalam 68:2 (ma anta biniʿmati rabbika bima jnun) that Allah defended His Messenger against these charges, affirming that his speech and actions were wise, coherent, and divinely guided.
- al-Qurtubi (d. 671H) emphasises that the verse is a declaration of the Prophet’s ﷺ perfect mental and spiritual state, silencing the slanderers.
- al-Razi (d. 606H) points out that the coherence of the Qur’an itself is proof that its bearer could not be mad; madness brings inconsistency, whereas revelation brought unmatched order, depth, and wisdom.
Thus, classical exegetes saw the Qur’an’s defence as both a spiritual guarantee and a rational proof.
1. Dr Mustafa al- Aʿzami
In his writings on the Sunnah and his critiques of Orientalists, Dr. al-Aʿẓami emphasised:
- Schizophrenia produces incoherence, contradiction, and dysfunction in life.
- The Prophet’s ﷺ life was marked by harmony, clarity, and consistency across twenty-three years of prophethood.
- The Qur’an is structurally and intellectually impossible to reconcile with mental disorder.
- Orientalists were not offering medical diagnoses but projecting modern labels to undermine his prophethood.
2. Shaykh Muhammad Abu Shahba
In al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah fi Ḍawʾ al-Qurʾan wa al-Sunnah, Abu Shahba refuted the claim:
- A mentally ill man cannot unite scattered Bedouin tribes into a global civilisation within a single generation.
- Schizophrenia isolates from reality, but the Prophet ﷺ mastered leadership, diplomacy, law, family life, and spirituality.
- His balance with wives, companions, enemies, and children reflects psychological brilliance, not illness.
- Abu Shahba concluded that such accusations are projections of critics’ own societal illnesses.
3. Rational and historical refutations
- Consistency of Revelation: The Qur’an’s 23-year gradual revelation, addressing diverse contexts with coherence, is unmatched and beyond the capacity of one suffering delusion.
- Civilisational Impact: The Prophet ﷺ established a nation, instituted laws, and transformed societies — achievements impossible for one mentally unsound.
- Testimony of Contemporaries: The Quraysh never claimed medical insanity. They called him poet, sorcerer, or soothsayer — attempts to explain away his influence, not genuine psychiatric diagnoses.
- Balance in Leadership: In Badr, Uḥud, Ḥudaybiyyah, the Conquest of Makkah, and the Farewell Pilgrimage, his clarity, patience, compassion and wisdom demonstrate extraordinary psychological stability.
From the classical mufassirun to modern scholars, the consensus is clear: the claim that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ suffered from schizophrenia is false, irrational, and contradictory to reality.
Allah describes him:
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ
“Indeed, you are upon a tremendous character.” (al-Qalam 68:4)
His life, message, and the Qur’an itself demonstrate harmony of mind, soul, and action. Far from madness, he is the ultimate example of human perfection supported by divine guidance.
Responding to children’s questions
When children or teenagers raise such difficult questions, it is important not to dismiss them. Too often, cultures silence children when they ask questions deemed “taboo.” Yet a child’s enquiry often comes from a pure fitrah, a sincere desire to understand the truth.
Parents and teachers should affirm that such questions show the child is thinking and alive to the truth. Answer with clarity and firmness, using Qur’anic replies first, and then rational arguments. Encourage them to study the sirah (his biography), to see how the Prophet ﷺ conducted himself.
Accusations copied into “Muslim” writings
Some so-called Muslim historians, influenced by Orientalist narratives, misrepresented the Prophet’s ﷺ first encounter with revelation as resembling an epileptic seizure. Such writings are not based on authentic sources; rather, they copy hostile narratives from outside.
The Muslim response remains the same: we rely on Allah’s testimony in the Qur’an and the evidence of the Prophet’s ﷺ life.
The test of accusations and patience
It must be remembered that such accusations were themselves part of the Prophet’s ﷺ trial. Being called a madman or accused of falsehood was painful, yet Allah reassured him repeatedly in the Qur’an. This repetition indicates that the accusation would arise again and again in different eras, and believers must be equipped to respond.
The Prophet ﷺ is, as Allah said, the perfect example:
لَّقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِي رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٞ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever hopes in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.” (al-Ahzab 33:21)
The companions’ testimony
Another rational point is that those closest to him, his companions, knew him best. They described him as compassionate, balanced, trustworthy, and consistent. Had there been any trace of madness, incoherence, or delusion, it would have been impossible for his closest followers to sustain such loyalty and to transform their lives so radically.
Shaykh Haytham Tamim – Tafseer Class 29th September 2025