Knowing the Prophet (SAW), his sublime morals, manners and lofty qualities leads to faith. Whoever comes to really know him would never doubt his truthfulness and integrity and would willingly believe in all that he came with: the Book and the Sunnah, the religion of truth, “Or is it that they do not recognise their Messenger and therefore do not acknowledge him?” (Q23:69) meaning that through knowing him (SAW), the servant would quickly embrace faith if he did not previously have it, or increase in faith if he had previously embraced it.
Allāh encourages people to ponder the life of His Messenger, “Say, ‘I exhort you to do one thing alone, to stand before Allāh in pairs and on your own and then reflect. Your companion is not possessed. He is only a warner come to you ahead of a terrible punishment.’” (Q34:46)
Allāh takes an oath by the perfection of this Messenger, his exalted manners and that he is the most perfect of creation, “Nūn. By the Pen and what they write down! By the blessing of your Lord, you are not mad! You will have a wage which never fails. Indeed you are upon an exalted standard of character.” (Q68:1-4)
He (SAW), in himself, is the greatest caller to faith through his praiseworthy attributes, sublime qualities, truthful and beneficial words and rightly guided and guiding actions. He is the greatest leader and the best example, “You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allāh.” (Q33:21) “Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it and whatever He forbids you, forgo.” (Q59:7)
Allāh has mentioned those firmly endowed with knowledge, those who are the elite of creation, as saying, “Our Lord! We heard a caller” meaning this Messenger “calling us to faith” through his statements, morals, manners, actions, religion and all of his affairs “and we had” such “faith” that entertains no doubt.
Because faith is one of the greatest matters through which one draws close to Allāh, and from the greatest means of approach to Allāh, they sought the means of approach to Him through their faith that He forgive their sins and gift them with the most lofty objectives, “Our Lord! We heard a caller calling us to faith, ‘Have faith in your Lord!’ and we had faith. Our Lord forgive us our wrong actions, erase our bad actions from us and take us back to You with those who are pious.” (Q3:193)
This is why a just person who is sincerely looking for the truth will quickly believe in him (SAW) just by hearing his words, and then not have any doubt. Indeed many people knew that he was not a liar just by looking at his face. It was asked of one of them, ‘Why have you believed in Muhammad?’ They replied, ‘He never ordered anything to which the intellect would say, “If only he had prohibited it” and he never prohibited anything to which the intellect said, “If only he had ordered it.” ’ So this intelligent person accepted faith based on the excellence of his laws and his agreeing to the sound intellect.