Which one of you is Muhammad?

One day, a person who had never seen the Prophet (pbuh)  entered a gathering and started looking for him. His eyes searched the room, but unable to immediately recognize him among the people, he curiously asked:

"Which one of you is Muhammad?"

This question clearly shows how humbly the Prophet (pbuh) lived. He sat among the people like one of them, wore what they wore, ate and drank as they did, endured hunger with them, and never distinguished himself from them in any way.

Just think about it—despite holding the highest status, he never made himself stand out. Today, we can easily recognize a leader, an elder, or a person of high position. They sit differently, dress differently, and speak differently. But our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) chose to live among the people as one of them.

Does this incident not remind us that true leadership and greatness are not achieved through status and display, but through humility and sincerity?

The humility, generosity, and compassion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were most evident in the way he lived among his people. He did not dress differently, sit differently, or eat differently from them. He experienced hunger with them, shared meals with them, and even a stranger would have difficulty recognizing him in a crowd.

The Qur’an describes this noble character as follows:

"There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.”
(At-Tawbah, 9:128)

He felt the hardships of his people as his own, shared in their hunger, and when someone was in need, he would give without hesitation. Allah (SWT) also highlights the significance of charity and sincere kindness:

"And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, [Saying], "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah . We wish not from you reward or gratitude.'"
(Al-Insan, 76:8-9)

The Prophet (pbuh) was a living example of this verse. When he gave, he expected nothing in return—only seeking the pleasure of Allah. He did not choose wealth, status, or display, but sincerity, compassion, and sharing.

Do these incidents and verses not show us that true greatness lies not in wealth and position but in humility, good intentions, compassion, and generosity—in short, in beautiful character?

Related Hadiths and Sources:

1. "While we were sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a man came and asked, 'Which one of you is Muhammad?' The Messenger of Allah was reclining among his companions. We said, 'This white man reclining here.' The man then said, 'O son of Abdul Muttalib!' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, 'I am listening to you.' The man continued, 'I will ask you some things that are heavy on me. Do not take offense.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'Ask whatever you wish.' The man then asked, 'By the Lord of those before you and those after you, has Allah sent you to all people?' The Prophet replied, 'Yes.' He continued, 'By Allah, has He commanded you to perform prayer?' The Prophet replied, 'Yes.' 'By Allah, has He commanded you to fast?' The Prophet replied, 'Yes.' 'By Allah, has He commanded you to take wealth from the rich and distribute it to the poor?' The Prophet replied, 'Yes.' The man then said, 'I believe in what you have brought, and I am the messenger of my people who remain behind. I am Dimam ibn Tha’labah from the tribe of Banu Sa’d ibn Bakr.'"
   (Bukhari; Kitab al-‘Ilm, 57)

2. "One day, while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was hosting a banquet for his companions and personally serving them, a traveler from afar approached and asked, 'Who is the leader of this people? I am looking for the chief.' The Messenger of Allah did not say, 'It is me.' Instead, as he was distributing water to his companions at the time, he replied, 'The leader of a people is the one who serves them.'"
   (Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa, 2:463)

3. "A delegation from Banu Amir came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and addressed him, 'You are our master!' The Prophet replied, 'The Master is Allah!' They then said, 'You are the most virtuous among us and the foremost in nobility!' The Prophet said, 'Say what you will, or something close to it, but do not let Satan lead you astray.'"
   (Kutub as-Sittah, Hadith No: 5391)