Is it true that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, used to groan like a camel, foam at the mouth, lie on the ground when revelation came to him? And does Ahmad ibn Hanbal's statement that he would suffer pain, bite his lips, close his eyes, and groan like a camel indicate that he was afflicted with epilepsy?

The claims of liars and slanderers against the religion of Islam and its Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, are endless. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was accused of madness and sorcery, and this is not unprecedented, as messengers before him also received such accusations.

The methods of revelation through which Allah revealed to His Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, were varied: 1. Direct speech from Allah Almighty from behind a veil: while awake, as on the Night of Isra and Mi'raj, and in dreams. 2. The blowing into the heart: which is what Allah casts into the heart of the one to whom revelation is sent. 3. The true dream: which was the first form of revelation the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, received. 4. Through Jibril (Gabriel), peace be upon him: He would come to him in various forms, including: a. In his true form in which Allah created him. b. In a sound like the ringing of a bell, and this was the most intense form of revelation for him. c. Appearing in the form of a man, and he might be seen by the Companions or appear in the form of a stranger.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, suffered during the descent of revelation, and certain states would appear on him, including: 1. Hearing a buzzing sound like that of bees near his face. 2. Sweat pouring from his forehead, even on very cold days. 3. His weight becoming extremely heavy, almost causing a camel to kneel or Zayd ibn Thabit's thigh to be crushed. 4. Being afflicted with distress and anguish (al-buraha'). 5. His face changing, becoming flushed then red. 6. Lowering his head and covering himself with a cloth. 7. Moving his tongue rapidly and intensely to memorize from Jibril, until Allah forbade him from doing so. 8. Hearing a snoring sound from him like that of a young camel.

All the distress and hardship that befell the Prophet, peace be upon him, was due to the heaviness of the revelation, and Allah Almighty had prepared him for it, as He states: "Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word."

It has not been established that he, peace be upon him, would clench his mouth, or stretch out on the ground, or bite his lips, or close his eyes during revelation. As for likening his snoring to that of a young camel, it does not dishonor the Prophet, peace be upon him; it is merely a simile to convey the image to the Arabs.

The accusation that the Prophet, peace be upon him, suffered from epilepsy is a false claim, and several points demonstrate its invalidity: 1. Epilepsy was known among the Arabs, and if he had been afflicted with it, they would not have refrained from using that accusation. 2. The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to pray for those afflicted with epilepsy and other diseases, so why would he not pray for himself if he were afflicted? 3. They linked his alleged affliction with epilepsy to the time of prophethood; where was this disease before then? 4. If what he experienced was epilepsy, why did it not appear in all forms of revelation, some of which were easy? 5. The symptoms of epilepsy do not apply to the state of the Prophet, peace be upon him: a. An epileptic's body becomes cold, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, sweated profusely. b. An epileptic thrashes and falls, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, remained stable in his sitting or standing position. c. An epileptic does not remember what happened to him, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, conveyed what he heard perfectly. d. An epileptic babbles, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, brought forth great wisdom and rulings. e. An epileptic needs rest, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, returned to his normal state after the revelation ended. f. An epileptic drops what he holds, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, never dropped anything from his hand. g. An epileptic is saddened by his condition, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, was greatly saddened when the revelation ceased. h. An epileptic's face turns pale, whereas the Prophet, peace be upon him, had a flushed face that turned red. 6. The polytheists entrusted the Prophet, peace be upon him, with their belongings even after his call to Islam, which indicates their trust in him and the soundness of his mind. 7. How can someone afflicted with epilepsy lead a nation and armies, correspond with kings, and reconcile people? 8. Testimonies from Western historians and writers such as Thomas Carlyle, Will Durant, and Max Meyerhof refute this misconception and affirm the Prophet's, peace be upon him, mental and psychological soundness.