biography of hazrat muhammad in english

Muhammad was a prophet and founder of Islam.

Who Was Muhammad?

Quick facts, the life of muhammad, the prophet muhammad, the death of muhammad.

Muhammad was the prophet and founder of Islam. Most of his early life was spent as a merchant. At age 40, he began to have revelations from Allah that became the basis for the Koran and the foundation of Islam. By 630 he had unified most of Arabia under a single religion. As of 2015, there are over 1.8 billion Muslims in the world who profess, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”

FULL NAME: Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim BORN: c. 570 BIRTHPLACE: Makkah, Saudi Arabia DEATH: June 8, 623

Muhammad was born around 570, AD in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). His father died before he was born and he was raised first by his grandfather and then his uncle. He belonged to a poor but respectable family of the Quraysh tribe. The family was active in Meccan politics and trade.

Many of the tribes living in the Arabian Peninsula at the time were nomadic, trading goods as they crisscrossed the desert. Most tribes were polytheistic, worshipping their own set of gods. The town of Mecca was an important trading and religious center, home to many temples and worship sites where the devoted prayed to the idols of these gods. The most famous site was the Kaaba (meaning cube in Arabic). It is believed to have been built by Abraham (Ibrahim to Muslims) and his son Ismail. Gradually the people of Mecca turned to polytheism and idolatry. Of all the gods worshipped, it is believed that Allah was considered the greatest and the only one without an idol.

In his early teens, Muhammad worked in a camel caravan, following in the footsteps of many people his age, born of meager wealth. Working for his uncle, he gained experience in commercial trade traveling to Syria and eventually from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. In time, Muhammad earned a reputation as honest and sincere, acquiring the nickname “al-Amin” meaning faithful or trustworthy.

In his early 20s, Muhammad began working for a wealthy merchant woman named Khadijah, 15 years his senior. She soon became attracted to this young, accomplished man and proposed marriage. He accepted and over the years the happy union brought several children. Not all lived to adulthood, but one, Fatima, would marry Muhammad’s cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom Shi’ite Muslims regard as Muhammad’s successor.

Muhammad was also very religious, occasionally taking journeys of devotion to sacred sites near Mecca. On one of his pilgrimages in 610, he was meditating in a cave on Mount Jabal aI-Nour. The Angel Gabriel appeared and relayed the word of God: “Recite in the name of your Lord who creates, creates man from a clot! Recite for your lord is most generous….” These words became the opening verses of sūrah (chapter) 96 of the Qur'an. Most Islamic historians believe Muhammad was initially disturbed by the revelations and that he didn’t reveal them publicly for several years. However, Shi’a tradition states he welcomed the message from the Angel Gabriel and was deeply inspired to share his experience with other potential believers.

Islamic tradition holds that the first persons to believe were his wife, Khadija and his close friend Abu Bakr (regarded as the successor to Muhammad by Sunni Muslims). Soon, Muhammad began to gather a small following, initially encountering no opposition. Most people in Mecca either ignored him or mocked him as just another prophet. However, when his message condemned idol worship and polytheism, many of Mecca’s tribal leaders began to see Muhammad and his message as a threat. Besides going against long standing beliefs, the condemnation of idol worship had economic consequences for merchants who catered to the thousands of pilgrims who came to Mecca every year. This was especially true for members of Muhammad’s own tribe, the Quraysh, who were the guardians of the Kaaba. Sensing a threat, Mecca’s merchants and leaders offered Muhammad incentives to abandon his preaching, but he refused.

Increasingly, the resistance to Muhammed and his followers grew and they were eventually forced to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, a city 260 miles to the north in 622. This event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. There Muhammad was instrumental in bringing an end to a civil war raging amongst several of the city’s tribes. Muhammad settled in Medina, building his Muslim community and gradually gathering acceptance and more followers.

Between 624 and 628, the Muslims were involved in a series of battles for their survival. In the final major confrontation, The Battle of the Trench and Siege of Medina, Muhammad and his followers prevailed and a treaty was signed. The treaty was broken by the Meccan allies a year later. By now, Muhammad had plenty of forces and the balance of power had shifted away from the Meccan leaders to him. In 630, the Muslim army marched into Mecca, taking the city with minimum casualties. Muhammad gave amnesty to many of the Meccan leaders who had opposed him and pardoned many others. Most of the Meccan population converted to Islam. Muhammad and his followers then proceeded to destroy all of the statues of pagan gods in and around the Kaaba.

After the conflict with Mecca was finally settled, Muhammad took his first true Islamic pilgrimage to that city and in March, 632, he delivered his last sermon at Mount Arafat. Upon his return to Medina to his wife’s home, he fell ill for several days. He died on June 8, 632, at the age of 62, and was buried at al-Masjid an-Nabawi (the Mosque of the Prophet) one of the first mosques built by Muhammad in Medina.

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Prophet Muhammad

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Muhammad ibn Abdullah (l. 570-632 CE) is venerated today as the Prophet of Islam and the “seal of Prophets” by his followers – the Muslims. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last – hence the “seal” – of many prophets before him in Judaism and Christianity such as Adam, Moses , Abraham , Isaac, Ishmael, Jesus Christ , and others. He was an ordinary person from Mecca, who (according to Islamic tradition) received a divine revelation from God and began preaching a new faith in Arabia (between 610-632 CE). Ultimately these revelations would be compiled in the form of a book, the Quran, after his death .

He was met with stiff resistance from the Meccans, although he did manage to gather a few converts. What started as a feeble group of followers soon turned into an empire when he assumed control of the city of Yathrib (Medina) and began expanding his dominion and his faith through conquest and politics. By the time of his death, Muhammad had managed to unite most of the Arabs under the banner of Islam. This empire would be inherited by his successors – the caliphs of the Islamic world: the Rashidun caliphs (the first four are referred to as Rashidun which means “rightly guided”), the Umayyad Dynasty , Abbasid Dynasty , and later the Ottomans. His empire would spread beyond the borders of Arabia, the faith would also spread at first through conquest and later through trade and missionary work, and his initial revelation would become one of the three great monotheistic religions in the world today.

Muhammad was born in 570 CE in the city of Mecca of the Hejaz province of Arabia. His clan – Hashim, belonged to a respected tribe – Quraish, his clan (headed by his grandfather – Abd al Mutalib at the time) provided water to the pilgrims traveling to Mecca. Mecca hosted a variety of idols and was considered a sacred site focused around the Ka'aba (which is still considered sacred by the Muslims).

Muhammad's father, Abdullah, had died while his mother was still pregnant, and his mother, Aminah, also passed away in 576 CE, when he was just 6 years old. His grandfather, Abd al Mutalib, then took the responsibility of raising him, but he also died two years later. Muhammad's uncle, Abu Talib (Abd al Mutalib's son and successor), then devoted his life to raising his nephew, and it is said that they both loved each other just as a father and a son would. As he grew up, he became an honest caravan trader (rare in those days). The Arabs referred to him by the names of “As-Sadiq” (the truthful) and “Al-Amin” (the trustworthy) and, in fact, it is said that many would give their wealth to him for safekeeping, even after he began preaching a faith in which they did not believe.

Marriage with Khadija

When he was 25 years old, a wealthy widow named Khadija (l. 555-620 CE), sent him with one of her trade caravans for business. She was so impressed by his honesty, that she sent him a marriage proposal, which he accepted. Muhammad was bound in matrimony with his first wife (595 CE), a woman who was 15 years older than him but whose support and companionship would help him in his mission; he would not take any other wife while he was married to her, although this was pretty common in Arabia back then. He later commented about his relationship with his wife:

Allah (God) never gave me a better wife than Khadija. She believed in me at a time when other people denied me. She put all her wealth at my service when other people withheld theirs from me. And what's more, Allah gave me children only through Khadija. (Hadith quoted from Musnad Imam Ahmad 6:118)

The Prophet had two sons and four daughters with Khadija (although Shia Muslims only consider one daughter – Fatima – to be born from this marriage); both of his sons died in infancy. Later in his life, Muhammad did marry other women and had another son, who also died in infancy.

Declaration of Prophethood

As he reached his late thirties, he began worshipping in a cave named “Hira”, in the mountain “Jabal al-Nour” (Mountain of Light), near Mecca. It is said that one fateful day, in 610 CE, a light appeared before him and claimed to be the angel Gabriel who approached him with the first revelation from God – “Allah”. It is said that Muhammad was initially perplexed and scared, he ran back home, shivering with fear. It was only after his wife comforted him and took him to her cousin Warqa (a Christian scholar), who recognized and told him that he was a prophet, that he realized the responsibility that had been conferred upon him.

Friction with the Meccans

Muhammad began preaching the oneness of God to his family and close friends; the first convert was his wife Khadija and the first male convert was his close friend Abu Bakr (l. 573-634 CE). It was after some time (in 613 CE) that he began preaching openly, and he met resistance from the Meccans. Mecca hosted many idols at the Ka'aba and their economy was mostly based on pilgrims pouring in from all corners of the Arabian Peninsula to worship these idols, whom Muhammad considered false gods. The Meccans went to all lengths, from bribery to physical torture, to stop him, but he would not give in.

Notwithstanding with Muhammad's growing influence, rival Qurayshite clans boycotted the Hashim clan (616-619 CE) to force them into withdrawing their support for Muhammad, which made conditions for Muhammad and his followers (who are referred to as the “Sahaba” by the Muslims) quite difficult but, in the end, the boycott was lifted. Scholar Tamara Sonn elaborates:

Muhammad and his small community were driven from their homes, forced to live in separate quarters on the outskirts of town, and boycotted. Yet they preserved in their commitment to follow the guidance of God. They were instructed to suffer injustice with dignity. (24)

Muhammad faced continual rejection in Mecca and so turned his attention toward the resort town of Taif in 619 CE. He was initially welcomed there but the people rejected his message and, in the end, he was forced to run from the city as a wild mob of street children threw rocks at him, and he barely made it out of the city alive. According to a famous Muslim legend, the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad afterwards, asking for his permission to destroy the town, but Muhammad refused, saying that he was sure that they would convert later on.

His optimism was broken by the death of his uncle Abu Talib and his wife Khadija, in 619 CE (a year remembered as the “Year of Sorrow” by the Muslims). Abu Talib's position was taken by another of Muhammad's uncles – Abu Lahab – who hated him, and lacking any support from his clan, Muhammad was completely vulnerable.

Migration to Medina

Tired of Meccan persecution, some Muslims had already migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 615 CE. But for the Prophet and the bulk of his followers, a real opportunity for escaping Meccan oppression came in 621 CE, when some citizens of Yathrib (modern-day Medina) invited the Prophet to their city. Impressed by his message, they wanted the Prophet to act as their ruler. Muhammad and his companions complied and migrated in batches to the city.

Narrowly escaping an attempt on his life, Muhammad left Mecca with his close friend Abu Bakr and, after a perilous journey with the Meccans chasing them, they entered Medina in 622 CE. This migration ( hegira ) is so important in Islamic history that the Islamic Lunar Calendar considers this as year 0 AH (After Hegira).

With his newly assumed role as the leader of Medina, Muhammad became more than just a preacher; he became a king. Medina would soon be turned into a strong kingdom with standards of justice and unity never before seen in Arabia. Muhammad revised the law code and unified the city, using a mixture of persuasion and force of arms (since betrayal was never forgiven by Arabs who lived by the code of retribution). Scholar Robin Doak elaborates:

During his 10 years in Medina, Muhammad became more than just a spiritual leader. He put his administrative and political skills to good use, effectively acting as the town's leader… Islam was evolving from a religious movement to a powerful political one. (20)

Muhammad also established a new community worship place – “Al-Masjid an-Nabwi” (the mosque of the Prophet). The regular activities of preaching continued but Muhammad now had two distinct advantages over his former life: political power and an army of devoted supporters.

Battle of Badr & Battle of Uhud

From their newfound base, the Muslims wanted to strike back at their former oppressors; they started raiding Meccan trade caravans. As the Meccan economy suffered, their forces united against the Muslims. This culminated in the Battle of Badr (624 CE), where an army of 1,000 Meccans ran before 313 Muslims, who had been led to victory by their king Muhammad (although Muslims saw this as a favor of God).

The Arabs had a strong sense of pride; had the Meccans not struck back after their defeat at Badr, they would have appeared weak and vulnerable to their neighbors – a fatal situation in Arabia. The following year, in 625 CE, another huge army was dispatched from Mecca, under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. He decided not to lay siege to Medina but to draw out the Muslims in open battle.

His forces camped near the Mountain of Uhud, from where they began harassing their foes; this strategy worked and the Muslim army marched out to face the enemy. Though outnumbered again, the Muslims were expecting another victory. Initially, the battle went well for the Muslims; the Meccans deserted the field and fled in panic, leaving behind their camps with all their supplies.

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Seeing the enemy flee and victory just moments away, the rearguard deserted its position to collect war booty from the camps (against Muhammad's strict orders). This presented the Meccans with an opportunity, and their cavalry suddenly struck in a surprise attack on the Muslims. Caught off-guard, the Muslims suffered severe casualties; even Muhammad was injured. The Muslims retreated, but the Meccans did not pursue them. They returned to Mecca, declaring victory.

Battle of Trench

Two years later, the Muslims faced an even greater threat: a confederacy. Muhammad had banished two Jewish tribes, Banu Qaynuqa and Banu Nadir; Islamic sources state that they had breached the Treaty of Medina – a treaty of alliance and non-violence formulated by Muhammad when he first assumed the role of king. These tribes, alongside other Jewish tribes from Khaybar (an oasis near Medina, which was a Jewish stronghold in Arabia), and other minor Arabian tribes allied with the Meccans and marched towards Medina, with the intent of a siege. The Muslims prepared for defense by digging a trench around the city to render the confederate cavalry useless; this strategy was unknown to the Arabs and provided the Muslims with a huge tactical advantage. The siege of Medina, also referred to as the Battle of Trench (627 CE), lasted for around 30 days.

The defenders were losing patience as the days went by – and so were the attackers – so the confederates then made a secret alliance with another Medinan Jewish tribe, Banu Qurayza (which was neutral, although still bound by the Treaty of Medina), and the new plan was to attack the Muslims from two fronts. Muhammad was informed of this and sent men to defend that front too. Had the simultaneous attack happened, the Muslims would have been surely defeated, but the Prophet had one last card to play.

Islamic sources report that a respected Arab leader from the confederacy – Nuaym ibn Masud – was secretly a Muslim who was ordered by Muhammad to create divisions between the confederate leaders and Banu Qurayza. The lack of unity, coupled with strong defenses set by the defenders and worsening weather, forced the attackers to retreat; the Muslims had clearly won and with minimal casualties.

The tribe of Banu Qurayza was then brought up on charges of betrayal in violating the peace. Using a verse from the Torah as precedent, a severe sentence was passed by a Muslim judge and approved by Muhammad: all men were killed, women and children alongside, and all property seized. Since then, this event, dubbed as the Massacre of Qurayza, has sparked incessant debate and discussions. What we do know for certain is that had the confederate plot succeeded, the fate of the Muslims would have been no different.

Conquest of Mecca

In 628 CE, when the Muslims wished to go on a pilgrimage ( Hajj ) to the Ka'aba, they were denied entry by the Meccans who were fearful of their growing power but, instead of conflict, the matter was concluded with the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, which gave the Muslims permission to perform pilgrimage in the following year (which they did – a mini version of it, called umrah ) and assured safety for the Meccans as well as the Muslims.

With the matter settled with the Meccans, the Muslims marched towards the Jewish stronghold of Khaybar in 628 CE, whose inhabitants had sided with the Meccans two years earlier. Khaybar was captured by the Muslims, but the locals were allowed to remain in their lands under Muslim control. This trend of keeping local non-Muslims under Muslim overlordship would continue even after Muhammad's death. Non-Muslims, living in Muslim-controlled lands, were considered dhimmi or protected people and had to pay a special tax called the jizya (just as the Muslims paid zakat or alms), although they did enjoy true religious independence. In some cases, they would convert to improve their social status or out of actual devotion, while in other cases, although rarely, forced conversions were also carried out even though Muhammad had clearly instructed his followers against this.

Within two years, the Meccans breached the Treaty of Hudaybiyya when they sided with one Arab tribe (Banu Bakr) against another one (Banu Khuza'a) which was an ally of the Muslims. In 630 CE, the Muslim army approached Mecca; the doors were opened and the city surrendered. Muhammad entered Mecca and offered all people amnesty if they took refuge either in the Ka'aba or Abu Sufyan's house (who had by that time accepted Islam). He then went on to destroy all of the idols in the Ka'aba, officially declaring it as the holy site for Islam. It would be here that he would later on perform his first and last full pilgrimage (or Hajj in 632 CE, before his death; hence it is also known as the farewell pilgrimage in Islamic tradition), and it was also where he announced that the divine revelation – Quran – had been completed.

Death of the Prophet

Another confederacy (of Bedouins) was crushed at the battle of Hunayn (630 CE), and Muhammad had also sent armies to conquer other important regions of Arabia. The city of Taif, from whence he had been forced to flee, submitted to his rule in 631 CE. An attempt to consolidate power over Arab tribes living under Byzantine rule failed with the Muslim defeat at the battle of Mu'tah (629 CE) but it gave Muhammad's successors an idea for their future (successful) endeavors against the Byzantines.

By the time of his death in 632 CE, Muhammad was the most powerful political leader in the whole of Arabia. Most of the tribes had converted to Islam, although most of these conversions had political motivation rather than spiritual. This fact would become quite relevant after Muhammad's death, as these tribes would separate from the Islamic empire and would have to be brought back under control. After a brief illness, Muhammad died peacefully in his own house with his youngest wife, Aisha (Abu Bakr's daughter), by his side.

Muhammad was a man of exceptional vision and administrative talent who also commanded armies in battle with incredible skill and charisma without any prior experience. He endured a great deal of hardship to spread his message, which he must have believed was the truth given to him by God, especially since forsaking his path would have meant rewards beyond his wildest dreams, as the Meccans had promised early on when they were trying to silence him.

As was the norm of his time, Muhammad married multiple women, after the death of his first wife. These marriages were mostly meant to cement tribal alliances, and Muhammad treated his wives with utmost respect and love. Polygamy may seem unsuitable in the modern era, but we cannot object to people living according to the norms of their time. Muhammad, though he had no surviving sons (which was considered necessary for one to be remembered and for which he was severely mocked in his time) has nevertheless not been forgotten. Muhammad's name remains to this day one of the most popular Muslim names worldwide, and his message has reached an unprecedented number of believers.

Although non-Muslims object to the Muslim insistence that Muhammad not be rendered in any image, this is important to Muslims who believe that such images equate with the kind of idolatry Muhammad objected to. Not having a visual image of Muhammad allows one to interpret the Prophet in his or her own way and this allows for a more intimate connection with the founder of the faith. Whenever Muslims in the present day hear, speak, read, or write his name, they add “peace be upon him”, as a sign of respect for all he sacrificed in his life to preach the religion of peace.

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Bibliography

• Doak, R. S. Empire of the Islamic World. Chelsea House Publications, 2009.
• Ruthven, M and Nanji, A. Historical Atlas of Islam. Harvard University Press, 2004.
• Saunders, J. J. History of Medieval Islam. Routledge, 1965.
• Sonn, T. A Brief History of Islam. Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
• Terry, J. J. "Muhammad, the prophet." Encyclopedia of World History (Vol. 2) , edited by Ackermann, M. E. et al. Facts on File, Inc New York, 2008, 286-287.

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Khan, S. M. (2019, December 02). Prophet Muhammad . World History Encyclopedia . Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Prophet_Muhammad/

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Khan, Syed Muhammad. " Prophet Muhammad ." World History Encyclopedia . Last modified December 02, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/Prophet_Muhammad/.

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Chapter 1: A Brief Biography Of Prophet Muhammad

We have sent thee not except as a mercy to all the Worlds. (The Holy Qur’an, The Prophets, 21:107 ).

We have sent thee not except as a giver of glad-tidings and a warner to all the peoples. (The Holy Qur’an, Sheba, 34:28 ).

************************

Muhammad was son of Abdullah, who was son of Abdul-Muttalib, who was son of Hashim - whose ancestry reached the Prophet Ismael son of the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon them.

The Prophet Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca, in Arabia, on a Friday, the 17th day of the lunar month of Rabi-I, in the year 570 CE into a noble family whose fathers and ancestors were amongst the chiefs of the Quraysh tribe, and the Bani-Hashim clan. His Prophetic mission began on the 27th day of the month of Rajab, in the year 610 CE, when he received the first divine revelation. Then the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet progressively according to the circumstances of the time over a period of 23 years.

The Prophet Muhammad was killed by poisoning on the 28th day of the month of Safar in the 11th year of the Hijrah 1 , 630 CE.

• His Childhood

Muhammad's father Abdullah son of Abdul-Muttalib was the best and most pious among the sons of Abdul-Muttalib and his most beloved. Abdullah died while Muhammad was still in his mother's womb. All that he left behind were five camels and a servant girl named Barakah, also known as Umm Ayman, who was Muhammad's nanny.

Abdullah was a true believer and a monotheist. After his death, Muhammad's grandfather, Abdul- Muttalib, became his guardian. Abdul-Muttalib was one of the chieftains of the tribe of Quraysh, and a believer in Allah (in the way of Prophet Abraham), as was Abu Talib, a brother of Abdullah. Abdul-Muttalib always respected and honored treaties and adopted the finest of morals. He loved the poor and helped pilgrims. He would even feed the wild beasts and the birds of the mountaintops. He would feed people in times of famine and would restrain wrongdoers.

Muhammad's mother was Aminah, daughter of Wahab son of Abd Manaf, son of Kilab. She was also a believer in Allah. When Muhammad was born his mother said: “As soon as I put my child on the ground he leaned with his hands on the ground, raised his head to the skies and looked at the horizons all the while speaking in phrases of monotheism. Then a voice called out to me saying: 'The best of mankind has been born, so name him Muhammad.'“

Then Aminah sent for Abdul-Muttalib. He came to her and she said: 'A wondrous boy has been born to your family.' Then she brought baby Muhammad to him. Abdul-Muttalib looked at him and entered the Kabah 2 and prayed to Allah. He, then left the Kabah and returning the infant to his mother and named him Muhammad. Muhammad was not even seven years old when his mother died. After his mother’s death, his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib assumed his guardianship. Because of his knowledge of the status of the child and his faith in him, Abdul-Muttalib treated Muhammad with more care and attention than his other children. A group of the Medlaj Clan came to Mecca and when they saw Muhammad they said to his grandfather: ‘Take good care of him for we have never seen another of his station.’ Abdul-Muttalib told this to Abu Talib in his will and asked him to heed what they had said and take care of him. Muhammad was eight when his grandfather died, and he was taken into the care of his uncle Abu Talib. Abu Talib, chief of the Bani-Hashim clan within the Quraysh 3 then became the guardian of Muhammad from his eighth year. Abu Talib went on to protect and serve the Messenger of Allah, defending him and honoring him throughout the testing times of his Prophethood, until the last breath of his life.

• His Adulthood

Muhammad grew up to become a fine young man. He became known for his excellent manners, and because of the honesty in his conduct and dealings he was referred to as al- Sadiq (The Truthful One) and al-Amin (The Trustworthy One).

As a youngster Muhammad used to accompany his uncle on his business trips to Syria. When the Messenger of Allah reached the age of twelve he journeyed with his uncle Abu Talib as far as Basra. A Christian monk, named George, saw him there and recognized him by his description. He took his hand and said: “This is the chief of the Worlds, God has send him as a mercy to the Worlds.”Abu Talib asked: “How do you know this?”He said: “We find him mentioned in our books.”He asked Abu Talib to take him back fearing for his safety.

As an adult, Muhammad worked as a trader between the cities of Mecca and Damascus, and earned a great reputation in the process. Having heard of the reputation of Muhammad, Lady Khadijah, one of the noblest of the Quraysh, on one occasion commissioned him to take charge of some of her trading business between the two cities.

Lady Khadijah sent one of her servants, Maysarah, along with him to keep an eye on him and report back to her. Having seen his performance in the business, and the returns he brought, as well as his honesty, Lady Khadijah put Muhammad in charge of her business.

Although she had many proposals of marriage from various dignitaries of the Quraysh, Lady Khadijah declined them all. It is reported that it was Lady Khadijah who, albeit indirectly and discreetly, made the marriage proposal to Muhammad. Some historians have reported that when they married in 595 CE they were both 25 years old.

Lady Khadijah gave birth to three children. All of the Prophet's children were from Khadijah except Ibrahim who was from Mary the Copt, who was born in Medina and lived for a year and ten months. The male children who were all born in Mecca were: al-Qasim, which is where Muhammad's epithet (Abul-Qasim; meaning Qasim's father) comes from, and Abdullah. The boys all died young during the lifetime of the Prophet.

His only daughter was Fatimah, who married Imam Ali son of Abu Talib, and bore him Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum, and another son who was named Mohsin by the Prophet before his birth. Fatimah was the only one of the siblings to survive the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet Muhammad used to say Hasan and Husayn are two Imams (leaders) whether they rise up (against tyranny) or not.

Ali was born to Abu Talib and his wife Fatimah bint Asad in 600 CE. Ali's birth was associated with a particularly significant phenomenon. When Fatimah bint Asad was in labor she came to the Kabah pleading to God for help with her labor. It is reported by various narrators and recorded by many chroniclers that as she was engaged in her prayers by the southern wall of the Kabah, the wall split open and she entered the House, whereby the wall returned to its normal state.

Having observed this extraordinary phenomenon, people who were present tried to follow her into the House through the opening but did not succeed. They then tried to go inside the House through its door but could not unlock the door. Reports indicate that she was inside the House for three days, and when she left the House with her newborn she did so in the same manner as she had entered the House.

The Prophet Muhammad took particular interest in baby Ali, and he played a major role in Ali's upbringing and education. Ali would be the most ardent supporter of the Prophet throughout the difficult years of his mission to convey the divine message and the teachings of Islam to the masses.

• Start Of His Mission

The Prophet Muhammad used to spend much time in prayer and worship of the one God. This he used to do in a cave, known as Hira, in the al-Noor mountain near the city of Mecca.

In 610 CE, at the age of forty, Muhammad received the first of the divine revelations when he was engaged in devotion and prayer inside the cave of Hira:

In the name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate; Read in the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot, Read and thy lord is the most noble, Who taught by pen, Taught man what he knew not ... ( 96:1 -5).

The Prophet Muhammad conveyed the news and the Message to Ali and Lady Khadijah. Ali and Lady Khadijah both embraced the new revelation instantly and without any hesitation.

Khadijah was thus the first woman to believe in the Messenger of Allah and the first woman to pray with him. She supported him wholeheartedly and spent all her wealth in the way of Allah. She was the first woman that the Prophet married and he married no other during her lifetime. She was immensely loyal to the Prophet. The Angel Gabriel ordered him to convey a special greeting and a blessing from God and ordered that he gave the land of Fadak to Fatimah as an appreciation for what her mother had spent in the way of Allah.

The Prophet Muhammad began to invite individuals to the new revelation, albeit in secret. There were very few supporters and believers. When the Prophet performed a congregational prayer, he was joined by were Lady Khadijah and Ali. This low-key approach continued for three years.

Afterwards, on instructions from the Almighty, the Prophet's invitation to Islam started to became more and more public. The Almighty instructed His messenger to begin with his clan:

And warn your nearest kinsmen ( 26:214 ).

For this purpose the Prophet Muhammad prepared a banquet and invited the elders and chiefs of the Bani-Hashim, who were forty in number. After they were served with a good feast, the Prophet invited them to Islam. He called upon them to support him in his mission, and promised them that whoever did so would be appointed as his successor.

Yet, none took up the offer dismissing the Prophet and his mission as nonsense, with the sole exception of Ali. Ridiculing the whole thing, the Bani Hashim chiefs turned to Abu Talib saying, “Your son will be your commander, you should obey him!”Nevertheless the mission continued unabated albeit with very few supporters.

• Resonance Of His Call

The followers of the new religion started to grow, and so did the concern of the Quraysh towards them. The elders of Quraysh send Abu Talib, the trusted uncle of the Prophet to him, asking him to stop his call for this new religion, and in return they would give him whatever he wanted. “If you want wealth, we will give you as much as you want, if you want women we will marry you the most beautiful women of Arabia, and if you want position and status we will make you the owner-king over us.”

When Abu Talib conveyed the message of the elders of Quraysh to his nephew-prophet, the Messenger of Allah replied, “I swear by the Almighty that if they put the Sun in my right hand and the Moon in my left on condition so that I desist from this affair I would not leave it until Allah causes it to prevail or I die in the process.”Then the Messenger of Allah began to weep and rose and made to leave, but Abu Talib called him and said: “Come back my nephew. Say what you like my nephew, for by Allah I will never hand you over to them ever.”

The Quraysh realized that they were dealing with a true and determined prophet. From then on, open hostility towards this new religion, its prophet, and its followers started to increase. Lady Khadijah dedicated all her wealth and resources for the cause of her prophet-husband's mission. The extent of this hostility reached blatant persecution of the followers of the new religion and its prophet.

'Neutralise The Messenger And His Message'

Then the Quraysh plotted amongst themselves about the companions of the Messenger of Allah who had entered Islam with him from amongst their tribes. Each tribe pounced upon any of its own who were Muslims, tormented them and forced them out from their religion.

Abu Talib protected the Messenger of Allah, and seeing what the Quraysh were doing to the sons of Hashim and Abdul-Muttalib, he called upon them to protect the Messenger of Allah just as he was protecting him. So they gathered with him and stood up with him, except for Abu Talib's brother Abu Lahab and his sons who had assisted the Quraysh against the Prophet.

Then the Quraysh openly decided to kill the Messenger of Allah. When this news reached Abu Talib he gathered the sons of Hashim and Abdul-Muttalib and took the Messenger of Allah to his quarter and protected him from those who sought to kill him.

The Quraysh imposed total and complete embargo against the Prophet and his followers in all its forms; social, economic, political, etc. No citizen of Mecca was allowed to buy from or sell to them, no one was allowed to marry anyone of them, or even befriend or socialize with them, not even help them. Nor would a peace settlement be accepted from them ever, nor they would be shown any mercy until they had handed over the Messenger of Allah to be killed.

The Quraysh agreed to draw up a document to this effect, and one of them wrote this document in his own hand, which subsequently was afflicted by paralysis, and then they hung the document inside the Kabah.

The Prophet and many of his followers, and members of the Hashim clan withdrew to Abu Talib and entered the Abu Talib’s Quarter known as Sheb Abu Talib, which had become their virtual open-top prison. Their condition deteriorated as time went by, and although some friends of sympathizers managed to smuggle in some help to the Muslims, but this was few and far between. There they remained in the quarter for three years until they were exhausted. The voices of the children could be heard from the quarter crying of hunger.

The Quraysh also increased the pressure on those who had entered Islam but had not entered the quarter. The trials became grave and the Muslims were severely shaken. It is reported that Ali son of Abu Talib used to secretly leave the quarter in disguise and fetch foodstuff to the besieged, carrying it into the quarter on his back.

In one of the divine revelations made to him, the Messenger of Allah informed his uncle Abu Talib that Allah had sent woodworms to their document that had eaten every word except the name of Allah. Having heard this Abu Talib said: “No! By the falling stars, you have not lied to me.”

Abu Talib set out with a group of the clan of Abdul-Muttalib until he reached the vicinity of the Kabah, which was full of the people of Quraysh. He spoke and said to them:

“Something has occurred which may be a cause for a settlement between you and us so bring out your document. They said: 'The time has come for you to accept and recant. Only one man has caused the split between you and us, and you have put your people in jeopardy because of him.'

Abu Talib said: “I propose a matter for you in which there is fairness. My nephew has told me and he has not lied to me, that Allah distances Himself from this document and has erased all your treachery and enmity and all that remains written is His name. If it is as he has said then by Allah, we will never hand him over to you until the last of us dies. If what he has said is false then we will hand him over to you so that you may kill him or spare him as you wish.'

They said: “We agree.”Then they opened the document and found it as they had been told but some of them clung to their falsehood and obstinacy and said: “This is sorcery from your companion.”Then some of those who had made the pact spoke and tore up the document.

• End Of One Torment And Start Of Others

The clan of Hashim then felt safe enough to emerge from their quarter and once more mingle with the people. This was in the tenth year of the noble prophethood, circa 620 CE.

It was less than six months after the end of this trial when Abu Talib passed away. Then the Prophet's wife Lady Khadijah also died only three days after Abu Talib according to some accounts. The Messenger of Allah was very saddened and named this year the 'Year of Sorrow'.

The loss of Abu Talib and Lady Khadijah dealt a severe blow to the Prophet at a time when he needed these two most. The death of Abu Talib cleared the last hurdle for the Quraysh, and if the presence of Abu Talib imposed certain limits and drew some red lines for the Quraysh that they could not cross, now his death left them free to do to the Prophet what was the unthinkable while Abu Talib was alive.

With the death of Abu Talib, the trials meted out by his tribe to the Messenger of Allah grew more barbaric and audacious. Once when the Prophet was praying by the Kabah, one of the idolaters approached and violently tried to strangle him.

The Quraysh encouraged the foolish to throw dirt on the Prophet's face and head. They used to throw filth, blood and thorns at his door. Ummayah ibn Khalaf used to insult the Prophet until his face became red but still the Prophet would not say anything to him. When a fool threw the dirt in the face of the Messenger of Allah, he entered his house with the dirt still on his head. Fatimah began to clean the dirt from his head. She was crying and the Messenger of Allah saying: “Do not cry my daughter, for Allah will protect your father.”He also said: “The Quraysh could not harm me until Abu Talib died.”

It is related from Khabab who said: 'I approached the Prophet when he was reclining in the shade of the Kabah. This was after we had received some harm from the Polytheists. I said to him: “O Messenger of Allah, will you not invoke Allah?”He sat up red in face and said: “Among those who came before you, there were those whose skins would be scraped off with combs of iron down to the bone and this did not divert them from their religion. Allah will complete this matter until a rider may travel from Sana to Hadralmaut with nothing to fear but the wolf getting to his sheep.'

• Migration Of The Messenger Of Allah

The Quraysh and their allies made the decision that Muhammad had to be physically eliminated in order to finish with him and his religion once and for all. However, whoever did this would have to deal with the consequences and face the wrath of the respectable Bani-Hashim clan. In order to divide the guilt between as many clans and tribes as possible, forty clans were involved in the task.

The best warrior from each clan is chosen for the task. They were instructed to storm the house of Muhammad and every single one of them was to ensure to strike Muhammad with his sword at least once. This was so that if Bani-Hashim, Muhammad's clan, were to seek revenge for his blood, they would be confronted with forty clans, and thus making it impossible for them to seek any retribution.

The Almighty instructed the Prophet Muhammad to leave for the city of Yathrib, which later became known as Medinat al-Rasul or the City of the Messenger, or Medina for short. In 622 CE, after some thirteen years of calling the people to Islam, the Messenger of Allah left Mecca for Medina.

The Prophet Muhammad asked Ali son of Abu Talib to stay behind to deal with a number of issues, and Ali volunteered to sleep in the Prophet's bed acting as a decoy. The Messenger of Allah managed to slip through those who were surrounding his house just before they stormed it. When they stormed the house to kill him they found Ali instead in the Prophet's bed with no sign of their target.

On his way out of Mecca, Abu Bakr came across the Prophet as he was leaving the city, and asked the Prophet where he was going at that time. The Prophet Muhammad could not tell him other than the truth, and thereafter the Messenger of Allah asked him to join him on his migration to Medina, in order to keep the news of this mission secret until he was out of danger.

With first daylight, the forty brave warriors set off in pursuit of the Prophet by following his track. They used an expert guide to help them track him, and the guide led the warriors to the cave of Thawr, some five miles outside Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad and his companion were actually inside, but the pursuers did not enter the cave.

It is reported that the pursuers did not enter the cave since by the time they had arrived, through divine intervention, a spider had spun its web across the opening of the cave, and a pigeon had placed its nest near there, after the two had entered the cave. The chasers did not attempt to enter the cave on the presumption that had anyone entered the cave, the spider web and the pigeon nest would have been disturbed.

Having failed to capture the Prophet, the Quraysh announced a reward of 100 camels for anyone capturing him or giving information leading to his capture.

The Prophet Muhammad left Mecca on the eve of the first day of the lunar month of Rabi-I, and arrived on the outskirts of Medina, some 400 km north of the city of Mecca, on Monday, the 12th day of the same month.

Another task that Ali ibn Abu Talib had to do when the Prophet left Mecca was to return any goods and valuables that people had given to the Prophet for safekeeping. Many of those who were the Prophet opponents also used to give their valuables to the Prophet for safekeeping every time they went on a long journey and such like. This was because the Prophet was recognized for his trustworthiness even towards his foes. They could not trust their best friends for safekeeping of their valuables, but they trusted Muhammad al-Amin (the trustworthy one). Ali returned all the goods and valuables that were given to the Prophet for safekeeping, including those of the Prophet's foes.

After Ali had returned all the goods the Prophet Muhammad had he given him, to their rightful owners, he went to the roof of the Kabah and yelled at the top of his voice, “if anyone has any claim against Muhammad, or had entrusted him with anything that he has not got back yet, then they should come forward.”It has been reported that nobody did.

Having discharged all his tasks in Mecca, Ali set off for Yathrib together with his mother Fatimah bint Asad, Fatimah the daughter of the Prophet, and Fatimah daughter of Zubair.

• Messenger Of Allah Arrives At Medina

When the news of the Messenger's exodus from Mecca to Medina reached the Muslims in Medina, they began to go every morning to the lava fields and wait there until the heat of noon drove them back. Many days they waited until one day when they returned to their houses, it so happened that a Jewish man was looking out from his fortress when he saw the Prophet shimmering in the haze. No sooner had he sighted him than he hailed the Muslims at the top of his voice saying:

“O Muslims, here is your Master whom you await!”

The Muslims immediately rushed to meet the Messenger of Allah on the crest of the lava fields. He then kept going until they had reached Quba where he stopped with the clan of Amr ibn Awf. The Muslims hailed 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Greatest) with joy at his arrival. The Prophet stopped at Quba for three days awaiting the arrival of Ali. He did not want to enter the Medina without Ali.

The Prophet remained with the clan of Amr ibn Awf for a day or two along with Ali. During his stay in Quba he established the mosque of Quba, and thus it became the first ever mosque established in Muslim era.

And on the Friday, the Prophet entered the Quba mosque and led the Muslims in the Friday prayers and gave a sermon. And this was the first Friday sermon ever given. The Prophet prayed in the direction of Jerusalem and one hundred men prayed behind him. After performing the prayers, the Prophet mounted his camel. He headed towards Medina along with Ali, who never left his side, and the rest of Muslims.

Once in Medina, Muslim families invited the Messenger of Allah to stay with them. In order not to turn down the request of any one of them, the Prophet decided that he would stay with the family by whose house his she-camel would stop. He said: “Let her be for she is being ordered.”The camel kept on walking until she reached the door of the house of Abu Ayyub, who happened to be amongst the poorest in Medina.

Then Abu Ayyub hurried to the Prophet's baggage and took it into his house. Abu Ayyub's mother, who was blind, said: “O if only I had sight so that I could see my master the Messenger of Allah!”The Prophet Muhammad then called to Allah for her and her eyes opened. This was the first of his miracles in Medina.

It is said that when the Messenger of Allah entered Medina, it was the most joyous occasion ever witnessed by the people. One eyewitness said: “I saw the day when he entered Medina and I have never seen a brighter or better day than that day. And I saw the day he died and I have never seen a worse or darker day than the day on which he died.”

• First Muslim Community

With a significant number of those who embraced Islam migrating from Mecca to Medina, as well as the majority of the natives of Medina, it could be said that the first Muslim community began to take shape in the city, under the guidance of the Prophet.

Through his teachings, the Messenger of Allah brought about harmony and peace between the different rivalries and warring groups and tribes of the city and its surroundings. Whereas prior to his arrival, greed, enmity and wars prevailed between the inhabitants, in a short space of time the Prophet managed to sow the seeds of a peaceful cohesive order to the extent that they shared everything they had amongst themselves and with the Muslim migrants from Mecca despite their poverty.

With the city of Medina being some 400 km north of Mecca, some of the Muslims considered it to be a reasonably safe distance from the Quraysh who were mostly in Mecca. However, the Quraysh and their allies did not relent, and they forced the Muslims of Medina into a number of battles and skirmishes. These were usually unequal, especially at the early days, with the Quraysh and their allies being superior in number and armor. For example at the battle of Badr, which was one of the early clashes between the two sides, the Muslims combatants were 313 men, who had seventy camels and two horses, while their opponents were about one thousand, had seven hundred camels and one hundred horses.

Peace between the two sides was eventually brought about through the peace treaty of Hudaybiyah - signed in the eleventh month of the sixth year after Hijrah - which was highly biased in favor of the Quraysh and their allies, to the extent that some of the companions of the Prophet protested to him for agreeing and signing a treaty that was 'unfair and unacceptable'. However, subsequent events after the Hudaybiyah were pointedly in the interest of the Muslims, which in turn exonerated the Prophet's judgement and decision, and proved his wisdom and farsightedness.

• Mecca Liberated

Less than two years after the treaty of Hudaybiyah, Quraysh grew impatient with the environment of peace and security that reigned in the land. Muslim losses in the battle of Mutah in north Arabia - in today's Jordan - encouraged the Quraysh to stir up unrest in the land and break the treaty that they had signed with the Messenger of Allah at Hudaybiyah. They began to distribute weapons to their allies and urged them to attack the allies of the Muslims at night, in breach of the peace treaty they had with the Muslims.

The Messenger of Allah left Medina on a Friday in the month of Ramadan in the eighth year of the Hijrah. He took with him all the Muslim troops which numbered ten thousand and nearly four hundred horsemen. Then the Messenger of Allah proceeded until he arrived at Marr al-Dhahran, the heights of Mecca, in the evening. He ordered his companions to light more than ten thousand fires. News of his progress had been kept hidden from the Quraysh who were concerned and feared that he might attack them.

It is reported that Abu Sufyan, the Prophet's archenemy, was saying: “I have never seen such fires as last night nor such a camp.”He said: “What is the news and what are all these fires?” The narrator responded to him: “The news is that the Messenger of Allah has arrived here. He has come with a force you cannot resist; with ten thousand of the Muslims.”

Abu Sufyan said: “What is to be done?”I said: “By Allah, if he defeats you he will surely strike off your head. So ride this donkey with me so that I can take you to the Messenger of Allah and I will ask him for an amnesty for you.”So he rode behind me.

It is related that Ali ibn Abu Talib said to Abu Sufyan ibn al- Harith: “Go to the Messenger of Allah and say to him what Joseph's brothers said to Joseph:

“By Allah, Allah has preferred you over us and we have certainly been sinful. ( 12:91 ).

Then the Messenger of Allah said in answer to him and seeking to behave best to him in speech: “He said:

Let there be no reproach upon you this day. Allah will forgive you and he is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”( 12:92 ).

The banner of the Muslims was with Saad ibn Ibadah and when he passed by Abu Sufyan he said to him: “Today is the day of slaughter, today the women will be captured.”Abu Sufyan heard him and kept it to himself until the Messenger of Allah passed by him when he said: “Do you know what Saad ibn Ibadah has said?”The Messenger of Allah said: 'What he has said is of no consequence.' Then he sent someone to Saad and took the banner from him and passed it to Ali and said: “Enter with kindness.”

Ali took the banner and began to proclaim: “Today is the day of mercy, today honor will be protected.”Then the Messenger of Allah turned to Abu Sufyan and said to him: “O Abu Sufyan, proceed to Mecca and let them know of the sanctuary.”

When the Messenger of Allah entered Mecca, a tent was pitched for him by the grave of his uncle Abu Talib. He refused to enter his house or the houses of his companions in Mecca that had been confiscated by the Polytheists.

Then the Messenger of Allah, after having rested a little in his tent, bathed and mounted his camel and set out for the sacred mosque. The Muslims were before him and behind him and all around him and they were repeating along with the Messenger of Allah the words of Allah Almighty:

The truth has come and falsehood has perished, indeed falsehood is (by nature) perishing.”( 17:81 ).

Mecca resounded with the sound of their voices until he entered the sacred mosque and approached the black stone at the corner of the Kabah, and kissed it. Then he circled the House upon his camel and with a bow in his hand. Around the House there were some three hundred and sixty idols and he began to strike at them with his bow saying, while the idols fell upon their faces:

The truth has come and falsehood has perished, indeed falsehood is perishing… ( 17:81 ).

The truth has come and falsehood will not revive again and will not return. ( 34:4 ).

Then he raised Ali upon his shoulders so that he could bring down the rest of the idols, which were upon the Kabah. And thus a whole era of idol worshipping in Arabia was brought to an irreversible end, and Mecca was liberated. The conquest of the Capital City of the idolaters and the liberation of the holy city of Mecca at the hands of Prophet Muhammad took place without bloodshed.

The Prophet, however, never again took his birth city, Mecca, as his abode. The Prophet only stayed in the city for fifteen days to manage its affairs. He appointed Etab ibn Osayd, who was twenty-one years of age, as the city's governor when he left the city of Mecca for Medina.

• Ideal Islamic Order

From early days, the Prophet gradually established an Islamic system of governance and a way of life. In its first years, the nascent Muslim community in Medina had to contend with a number of attacks and onslaughts by the Quraysh and their allies. The Prophet used every opportunity to teach the Muslims the right code of conduct for a Muslim in times of war and peace; from personal and ethical qualities they must aspire for, to social, political and fiscal policies.

On the political front, the Prophet enjoined the community to avoid wars and violence as far as possible, and it should only be the absolute last resort, when all other avenues have been exhausted. The Prophet Muhammad went out of his way to avoid conflict and violence, and it is recorded that in the ten years that the Prophet was in Medina, despite the many battles that the Muslims were drawn into, a total of some 800 men were killed on both sides throughout the period.

The Prophet instructed his army against destroying houses or pillaging or cutting down trees bearing fruits. He ordered them not to draw out their swords except when in dire need. He used to rebuke some of his generals and physically amend for their mistakes.

Another social-political principle instilled by the Prophet Muhammad was that “Land belongs to Allah and whoever develops it” 4 . This had a very significant impact on the development of the country both socially and politically, not to mention the economic progress and revival it entailed.

Another socio-economic policy was established by the Prophet's declaration “I am responsible for them” 5 . He who died and left behind a family who would not have enough to make ends meet, then the Prophet would be responsible for them and they should go to him. On the other hand, “he who died and left a wealth behind, it was for his heirs” 6 . All the wealth was for the family the departed left behind, i.e. there was no inheritance tax in Islam.

This policy did not stop there, and it went further when the Prophet announced that if a person died and left behind a debt, then he (Muhammad, and subsequently the leader of the Islamic state in general) was responsible for repaying it 7 .

The Prophetic legislation also addressed the interest of the non-Muslims living under the Islamic state, referred to as dhimmy ; literally means “the responsibility of”(the Islamic state): “He who hurts a dhimmy , then indeed he has hurt me” 8 . Such laws, and the peaceful liberation of Mecca, encouraged many to come and live under the Islamic State, for there were guarantees of at least economic and security for them and their families, in the present and in future. People started to embrace Islam as a way of life en masse. Thus came the divine revelation:

By the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

When came Allah's succor and the conquest, ( 110:1 ).

And thou saw the peoples entering into the religion of Allah in troops ( 110:2 ).

So glorify the praise of thy Lord and seek His forgiveness, indeed He is relenting. ( 110:3 ).

• The Two Momentous Things

In the holy city of Medina, Messenger of Allah ensured that he addressed the two most vital issues during his lifetime, so that these should be the sanctuary, guide and leader for the Muslims after his departure from this life. These were the compilation of the Holy Qur’an as a bound copy, and the appointment of his successors to lead the nation after him. Both of these, he did on direct instructions from the Almighty.

• The Holy Qur’an

The Prophet ensured arrangements be made to compile a 'bound' copy of the Holy Qur’an - known at the time of the holy Prophet, and also today, as the mus-haf . The Messenger of Allah commissioned Ali son of Abu-Talib to gather and compile the entire Qur’an, which Imam Ali did during the lifetime of the holy Prophet and under his supervision 9 .

The Messenger of Allah validated and authenticated the end result - the mus-haf - even verifying the order and position of the individual verses within a given chapter or surah, as instructed by the Almighty. According to traditions, when archangel Gabriel used to reveal a particular ayah or verse to the Prophet, the former would also indicate its position within the surah or chapter of the Qur’an and the surah that it belonged to. 10

Reports state that during the lifetime of the Prophet, when the entire text of the Holy Qur’an was committed to writing and it had been compiled as mus-haf , people used to come to the mosque of the Prophet, where the compiled Qur’an - mus-haf - was kept by the pulpit, to make their copies of the Holy Scripture. 11

It is sometimes stated, through a minor misunderstanding, that the Holy Qur’an was first compiled during the reign of the third ruler Uthman ibn Affaan, some twenty years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. The root of this misunderstanding stems from the incorrect assumption of the meaning of the Arabic word jame that means 'to collect'. Instead it was taken to mean 'to compile'.

What was in fact commissioned at that time was to collect the incomplete documents holding some verses or chapters of the Holy Qur’an and to complete them as copies of the entire Qur’an. Any compilation that took place during this time was to reproduce the authentic copy of the Holy Qur’an as per the version compiled by Imam Ali during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad and under his supervision.

• The Ahl Al-Bayt

The other fundamental and vital task that the Prophet had to secure during his lifetime was to address the question of his succession. On instructions from the Almighty, the Messenger of Allah named and appointed the successors who would lead the Muslim community after him according to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah.

The Prophet Muhammad used numerous occasions to instruct the people to follow and adhere to his twelve appointed successors, 'Caliphs' or 'Imams', the first of whom was Imam Ali son of Abu Talib, and the twelfth is the living Imam Mahdi, who is hidden from public view 12 until such a time when the Almighty will instruct him to reappear in public “in order to lead the nations of this world from tyranny and oppression to tranquillity and bliss”. The Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah, his cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali and the eleven impeccable Imams descendants of Ali and Fatimah form Ahl al-Bayt as referred to in the Holy Qur’an 33:33 .

In 630 CE, seventy days before his death, and just after performing the farewell Hajj pilgrimage, on instructions from the Almighty, at the location of Ghadir Khum, the Prophet appointed Ali as his successor and ordered the Muslims who were present there to pay Ali homage of allegiance as The Commander of the Faithful, and their leader after the Prophet. The revelation from the Almighty on this day in this particular respect was:

O Messenger! Convey that that has been revealed to thee from thy Lord, and if thee do not, then thee would have not conveyed His Message; and Allah will protect thee from the people. Surely Allah guides not the disbelieving people. ( 5:67 ).

After the revelation of the above instruction, the Messenger of Allah declared: “For whoever I am his master and leader, then Ali is his master and leader too. O Lord support whoever supports Ali, and oppose whoever opposes him. 13 Ali is my Caliph and successor upon ye after me.” 14

Some chroniclers put the number of those present at Ghadir Khum, who gave their homage and allegiance to Imam Ali as the Commander of the Faithful and the successor of the Prophet Muhammad, at up to 120,000 men and women.

To confirm and conclude this momentous event, the Almighty then revealed:

Today I have perfected your religion for ye, completed My favor upon ye and have sanctioned Islam for ye as a religion. ( 5:3 ).

In order to reveal the station of his successors present and future, the Prophet frequently used to refer the Muslims to the Ahl al-Bayt - at the time notably Ali - for they were the most knowledgeable about the teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophet himself. To clarify any possible doubt about his immediate successor, in the famous tradition of “City of Knowledge”, the final Messenger of Allah states:

“I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate, so whosoever wishes to access this City, then let him do so through its Gate.” 15

According to many Prophetic teachings and traditions the Holy Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt are considered as the two inseparable and complementary components of the divine message. Towards the end of his life, the Messenger of Allah often used to say: “I leave with ye the two momentous things - the book of Allah and my kin the people of my Ahl al-Bayt. As long as ye adhere to them both ye will never go astray after me.” 16

However, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the people did not honor their pledge of allegiance that they had been given at the time to the Prophet when he appointed his successor on instructions from the Almighty.

After several failed attempts on his life by various means, the culprits eventually succeeded in assassinating the Prophet Muhammad - this time through poisoning. The final Messenger of Allah to humanity died on the 28th day of the lunar month of Safar in the 11th year of the Hijrah, 630 CE.

The Prophet Muhammad brought about a nation and a civilization that in a relatively very short space of time won the prime position amongst all other nations. The Muslims attained such achievement so long as they adhered to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Today even though the Muslims are numerous, they do not occupy the eminent station amongst the nations anymore, because they did not adhere to “the two momentous things”that the Prophet Muhammad left behind for them. The Muslim nation may still be a candidate to lead mankind to bliss and prosperity if they ensure to adhere to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his successors.

• 1. The occasion of the Hijrah (literally migration, and by extension the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina).
• 2. The Kabah is a cubical structure symbolizing the House of God that was built by the Prophet Adam on instructions from the Almighty God in an uninhabited valley, which in turn brought about the creation of the holy city of Mecca around it.
• 3. The Quraysh is a collection of clans and tribes all of whom are blood related.
• 4. al-Kafi, by al-Kulayni, vol. 5, p279.
• 5. Wasael al-Shia, by Muhammad Hasan al-Hurr al-Ameli, vol. 26, p. 251.
• 6. al-Kafi, by al-Kulayni, vol. 7, p. 167.
• 7. al-Kafi, by al-Kulayni, vol. 1, p. 407.
• 8. Bihar al-Anwar, by al-Majlesi, vol. 22, p. 486.
• 9. Bihar al-Anwar, by al-Majlesi, vol. 89, p. 48, Beirut ed. See also “The Qur’an: When was it compiled?” by the same Author.
• 12. Imam Mahdi lives amongst the public but without being recognized by them. However, as and when required, he would make himself recognizable to those who are sincerely pious and devout.
• 13. Mustadrak al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, pp 118, 126, 613. Dar al-Kotob al-Elmiyah, Beirut; Musnad Ahmad, vol. 1, pp 84, 88, 118, 152, vol. 4, pp 378, 370, pub. Cordoba Foundation, Cairo; Musnad Abi-Yacla, vol. 1, p249, pub. Dar al-Mamoon lil-Turath, Damascus; Fada'el al-Sahabah, by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol. 2, pp 572, 585, 586, 613, 682, 705 pub. al-Risalah Foundation, Beirut; Fada'el al-Sahabah, by al-Nasa'ie, vol.1, p15, Dar al-Kotob al-Elmiyyah, Beirut; Tafsir of Ibn Kuthayr, vol. 2, p15, pub. Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, al-Sunan al-Kubra, by al-Nasaie, vol. 5, pp 45, 130-136, 154, Dar al- Kotob al-Elmiyyah, Beirut, al-Kafi, by al-Kulayni, vol. 1, p 286. etc.
• 14. Bihar al-Anwar, by al-Majlesi, vol. 5, p. 69. Tohaf al-Uquol, p. 458.
• 15. al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, by al-Hakim al-Naysabouri, vol. 3, p. 137-138, pub. Dar al-Kutub al-Elmiyyah, Beirut; Majmac al-Zawaid, by Nur-ed-Din Ali ibn Abu Bakr al-Haythami, vol. 9, p. 114, pub. Dar al-Bayan lil-Turath, Cairo; Tarikh Baghdad, by Abu Bakr Ahmad al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, vol. 2, p. 377, pub. Dar al-Kotob al-Elmiyyah, Beirut, and also vol. 4, p. 348, and vol.7, p. 172, and vol. 11, p. 49-50.
• 16. Sahih al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 328, hadith 3874 & 3876, pub. Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, and vol. 13, p. 99-200, pub. Maktabat al-Sawi, Egypt, and vol. 2, p. 308, pub. Boulaq, Egypt; Musnad Ahmad, vol. 3, pp 17, 26, 59, and vol. 4, p. 366, 371, and vol. 5, p181, pub. al-Maymaniyyah, Egypt; Sahih Muslim, Book of Merits, Merits of Ali ibn Abi Talib, vol. 2, p. 362, pub. Isa al-Halabi, and vol. 7, p. 122, pub. Sabih, and vol. 15, p. 170 with al- Nuwawi commentary, Egypt; Dorar al-Semtayn, by al-Zarandi al-Hanafi, p. 231, pub. Qadha al-Najaf; Yanabic al-Mawaddah, by al-Qunduzi al-Hanafi, p. 29-31, 36, 28, 41, 183, 191, 296, 370, pub. Istanbul; Tafsir of Ibn Kuthayr, vol. 4, p. 113, pub. Dar Ihiya al-Kutub al-Arabiyah, Egypt; Jami al-Usul, by Ibn Athir, vol. 1, p. 187, hadith 65-66, pub. Egypt; Mu’jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani, p 137.
• Introduction
• Transliteration
• About The Author
• 'Neutralise The Messenger And His Message'
• Inspirational Conducts
• His Dealings With The People
• His Humility
• The Symbol Of Love And Blessings
• His Clement And Forgiving Nature
• His Steadfastness
• His Abstinence
• His Merciful Nature
• His Kindness To Animals
• His Bravery
• His Justice
• Praising Almighty God
• Encouragement Of Almsgiving
• Qualities Reflected In His Conducts
• An Overview
• In The Eyes Of His Opponents
• Conducts And Strategies Of Battle
• With The Prisoners Of Battle Of Badr
• Ransom Of His Son-In-Law
• Prohibition Of Torture And Mutilation
• Returns Evil With Good
• Gives His Foes The Choice Of Peace
• His Magnanimity
• His Care For His Companions
• He Goes Hungry
• Foe Turned Into Friend
• Tolerated The Enemy Of The State
• His Adherence To The Peace Treaty Of Hodaybiyah
• Among The Blessings Of The Treaty Of Hodaybiyah
• Kindness To Captives
• The Protectorate
• The Jews Enter Islam
• Forgiveness Not Revenge
• A Jew's Word Was Enough
• The Bearer Of The White Banner
• The Prophet Forgives The Traitor
• Before Entering Mecca
• Conduct Of Islam Upon Victory
• With The Custodian Of The Kabah
• Forgive Your Archenemies
• With His Would Be Assassin
• Abandoning The Prophet's Teachings
• Treachery And Making Amends
• His Government
• His Manners And Ethics
• His Compassion
• His Tolerance
• His Forgiveness
• His Generosity
• Earn Your Living
• His Helping And Hospitality
• He Endeavoured To Please Others
• He Turned Foes Into Friends
• Foes Testified To His Distinction
• Kindness Beautifies
• His Loyalty
• His Humbleness
• He Served At Home
• The Trustworthy One
• The Pragmatic Statesman
• He Never Changed
• The Prophet Should Be Emulated
• Selected Sayings Of Prophet Muhammad
• On Supplication
• On Familial Bonds
• On Good Morals And Conducts
• On Clemency
• On Forgiveness, Kindness And Mercy
• On Toiling And Earning That Which Is Lawful
• On Humility
• On The Reprehensibility Of Arrogance
• On Consultation
• On Generosity
• On Discouraging Miserliness
• On Fulfilling Promises
• On Patience And Bearing Hardships
• On Almsgiving
• On Truthfulness
• On Abstinence
• Words Of Light
• Chapter 6: Prophet Muhammad As Seen By Western Thinkers
• ‹ About The Author
• Chapter 2: Sublime Qualities O... ›

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The Biography of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Sep 19, 2021 | Books and Publications , Mawlid , Stories of the Prophets | Last updated on Aug 03, 2023

Ch 1.The Ancestry of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Ishmael’s second wife was Lady Ra^lah ( 1) , daughter of Mudad from the tribe of Jurhum. She delivered twelve (12) male children for him. From them came Nabit and Qaydar, and from these two in particular, God made a group of Arabs multiply. Continue Reading

Ch 2.The Birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ was born in Makkah in the year when the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) Abrahah tried to destroy the Ka^bah. lnstead, Allah destroyed Abrahah and his army. At that time in Makkah, the people named years by major events. Therefore, it is said that the Prophet ﷺ was born in the ”Year of the Elephant”. It was the year 571 of the Western calendar. Continue Reading

Ch 3.The Nursing of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Aminah nursed her son, Mu h ammad ﷺ, for a short time. Then another woman nursed him. Her name was H alimah. Lady H alimah was the main nursing mother of Prophet Mu h ammad, ﷺ. In those days in Makkah, women wanted their children nursed by Bedouins who lived outside of the city. They believed that their children would be healthier if they were raised in the desert. Continue Reading

Ch 4.Some Events in the Prophet’s Early Life

Our Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ , was about five years old when he went back to live with his mother and grandfather. Aminah was very happy. Continue Reading

Ch 5.The Blessed Household of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him

We know from our beloved Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he was a shepherd at some time in his life. Our Prophet said that every prophet tended sheep. Being a shepherd helped to prepare the prophets for the great task of caring for and guiding people. By the time Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ was 25 years old, he was known in Makkah by the name of ”al-Amin” (The trustworthy), because of his good traits. Continue Reading

Ch 6.The Trusted Mediator Receives the Revelation

When our Prophet was thirty-five an incident occurred. Quraysh sought to rebuild the Ka^bah. This happened about five years before the Revelation came to the Prophet, ﷺ. As a young man, Mu h ammad ﷺ was known for his truthfulness and honesty. In addition to calling him Mu h ammad, many people called him as- Sa diq the truthful, or al-Am i n, the trustworthy. When he said something, people believed him… Continue Reading

Ch 7.The Early Converts

In this chapter, we present vignettes of several of our Prophet’s early followers. The early followers have the distinction of believing in the truth from our Prophet, before embracing Islam became popular in the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, many of them suffered severe torture from the blasphemers, simply because they believed our Prophet loved God and worshipped their Creator correctly. Continue Reading

Ch 8.The Public Call and Immigration to Abyssinia

After three years of Prophethood, fearlessly calling to and teaching people Islam with skilled tactics, God ordered Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ, to make a public call. God revealed ayah (214) of ash-Shu^ara’ in which God ordered Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ to warn his relatives, calling them to Islam. Continue Reading

Ch 9.The Year of Sorrow and Trip to Ta'if

Meanwhile, the Muslims in Makkah suffered many tight conditions. They were isolated into a particularly rocky area outside of Makkah (a place where people would not normally live). Additionally, no one was allowed to buy from or sell to them. They were patient, seeking the reward from God. Continue Reading

Ch 10.The Miracles of Our Prophet ﷺ

While the Prophet ﷺ lived in both Makkah and Madinah, his followers and the blasphemers were witnessing magnificent miracles that God bestowed on him. Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ had never told a lie. In addition, God made Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ perform awesome miracles, the likes of which the people with him had never seen before. Continue Reading

Ch 11.Isra' (The Night Journey)

After all the hardships of the boycott, the deaths of family members, and the reaction at Ta’if, God blessed our Prophet ﷺ with a magnificent honor and experience. Two years before immigrating to Madinah, when Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ was fifty-one (51) years old, he left Makkah, from the house of Lady Umm Hani’, his paternal cousin, on a night journey (Isra’). Continue Reading

Ch 12.Mi^raj (The Ascension)

Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was at al-Masjidul-A q sa. Then, he rose up to the heavens. He ascended the stairs called al-Mir qa h. Continue Reading

Ch 13.The People of Yathrib Believe

At the time of Hajj (done in an invalid way by the blasphemers at the time), the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to meet with the various tribes and call them to Islam. Continue Reading

Ch 14.The Hijrah (Migration) to Madinah

After our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, left his house, he went to our Master Abu Bakr’s house and told him that he had been given permission to migrate. Abu Bakr asked the Prophet if he could accompany him and the Prophet ﷺ agreed. Abu Bakr then cried out of happiness. Continue Reading

Ch 15.The Top Jewish Scholar of Madinah Converts

What a great blessing from God was the arrival of the Prophet in Madinah! Before accepting Islam, the two Arab tribes of Madinah, al-Aws and al-Khazraj were fighting frequently. Then, God made the hearts of both tribes inclined to Islam and love for God and His Messenger, blessings and peace be upon him. Continue Reading

Ch 16.Good Confronts Evil at Badr

Prophet Mu h ammad ﷺ was calling the people to Islam just by talking to them, because he had not been ordered to go to battle yet. After his immigration the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was permitted to fight the blasphemers. Continue Reading

Ch 17.Reflections on the Prophet ﷺ and Companions

God made the Companions of our Prophet of mercy the same in belief, but diverse in characteristics. This “unity despite diversity” is what is so appealing about our Muslim nation. Continue Reading

Ch 18.Dealing with Banu Qaynaqa^

After the great Battle of Badr God exposed the treachery of the Jewish tribes of Madinah who had made a treaty with the Muslims. They were jealous, felt threatened by the victorious Muslims. Hence, they began to break the terms of the treaty. Continue Reading

The Nursing of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

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Biography according to the Islamic tradition

• Status in the Qurʾān and in post-Qurʾānic Islam
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• Who was Muhammad?
• What family did Muhammad have?
• What are the traditional events of Muhammad’s life?
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• Table Of Contents

Muhammad is born as a member of the tribe of Quraysh and the clan of Hāshim. His hometown of Mecca houses an ancient and famous pilgrimage sanctuary, the Kaʿbah . Although founded by Abraham , worship there has over time become dominated by polytheism and idolatry . Muhammad’s conception is preceded by a dramatic crisis: his grandfather ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib narrowly fails to implement a vow to sacrifice his favourite son and Muhammad’s future father, ʿAbd Allāh, an obvious adaptation of the biblical story of the binding of Isaac ( Genesis 22). Muhammad himself is born in 570, the same year in which the South Arabian king Abraha attempts to conquer Mecca and is thwarted by a divine intervention later alluded to in sūrah 105 of the Qurʾān . Muhammad’s father passes away before his birth, leaving him in the care of his paternal grandfather, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. At the age of six Muhammad also loses his mother Āminah, and at eight he loses his grandfather. Thereupon responsibility for Muhammad is assumed by the new head of the clan of Hāshim , his uncle Abū Ṭālib. While accompanying his uncle on a trading journey to Syria , Muhammad is recognized as a future prophet by a Christian monk .

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At the age of 25, Muhammad is employed by a rich woman, Khadījah , to oversee the transportation of her merchandise to Syria. He so impresses her that she offers marriage. Khadījah is said to have been about 40, but she bears Muhammad at least two sons, who die young, and four daughters. The best known of the latter is Fāṭimah , the future wife of Muhammad’s cousin ʿAlī , whom Shiʿi Muslims regard as Muhammad’s divinely ordained successor. Until Khadījah’s death some three years before Muhammad’s emigration ( hijrah ) to Medina in 622, Muhammad takes no other wife, even though polygamy is common.

Muhammad’s prophetic initiation occurs at the age of 40. During a period of devotional withdrawal atop one of the mountains in the vicinity of Mecca, the angel Gabriel appears to him in an awe-inspiring encounter and teaches him the opening verses of sūrah 96 of the Qurʾān: “Recite in the name of your Lord who creates, / creates man from a clot! / Recite for your lord is most generous….” Muhammad is greatly perturbed after this first revelation but is reassured by Khadījah and her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal , a learned Christian who confirms Muhammad’s prophetic status. Muhammad continues to receive revelations but for three years limits himself to speaking about them in private. When God finally commands him to take up public preaching, he initially encounters no opposition. However, after the Qurʾānic proclamations begin to deny the existence of gods other than Allāh and thereby to attack the religious beliefs and practices of the Quraysh tribe, tensions arise between Muhammad and his small circle of adherents, on the one hand, and the remaining inhabitants of Mecca, on the other. As a result, some of Muhammad’s followers are forced to seek temporary refuge with the Christian ruler of Ethiopia . For some years, the other chief clans of Mecca even refuse to trade and intermarry with Muhammad’s clan, since the latter continues to offer him protection. Sometime after the end of this boycott , one of the most famous events in the Prophet’s ministry takes place: his so-called Night Journey , during which he is miraculously transported to Jerusalem to pray with Abraham, Moses , Jesus , and other prophets. From there Muhammad continues to ascend to heaven , where God imposes on him the five daily prayers of Islam .

About 619, both Khadījah and Muhammad’s uncle Abū Ṭālib die, and another uncle, Abū Lahab, succeeds to the leadership of the clan of Hāshim. Abū Lahab withdraws the clan’s protection from Muhammad, meaning that the latter can now be attacked without fear of retribution and is therefore no longer safe at Mecca. After failing to win protection in the nearby town of Al-Ṭāʾif, Muhammad secures a pledge of protection from a representative number of the inhabitants of the oasis town of Yathrib, also known as Medina (from its Qurʾānic appellation al-madīnah , “the town”). This promise enables Muhammad and his followers to leave Mecca for Medina, which, unlike Mecca, is partly inhabited by Jewish tribes. Together with Abū Bakr , the future first caliph , Muhammad is the last to depart. It is only because he is warned by Gabriel that he narrowly escapes an assassination plot by the Quraysh.

At Medina, Muhammad has a house built that simultaneously serves as a prayer venue for his followers. He also drafts a covenant that joins together “the Believers and Submitters [or Muslims] of Quraysh and of Yathrib” as well as some of Medina’s Jewish tribes into a community ( ummah ) recognizing Muhammad as the “Messenger of God.” However, relations with the Jews of Medina steadily worsen. Eighteen months after the emigration, a revelation bids the Muslims to pray in the direction of the Meccan Kaʿbah, rather than to continue facing toward Jerusalem as is Jewish practice. At about the same time, the Medinan Muslims begin raiding Meccan caravans. When, during one of these raids, they are surprised by a Meccan relief force at Badr in 624, the Muslims, aided by angels, score a surprising victory. In response, the Meccans try to capture Medina, once in 625 in the Battle of Uḥud and again in 627 in the so-called Battle of the Trench ; both attempts to dislodge Muhammad are ultimately unsuccessful. After each of the three major military encounters with the Meccans, Muhammad and his followers manage to oust another of the three main Jewish tribes of Medina. In the case of the last Jewish tribe to be displaced, the Qurayẓah , all adult males are executed, and the women and children are enslaved.

In 628 Muhammad makes the bold move of setting out to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca. The Meccans are determined to prevent the Muslims from entering the city, and Muhammad halts at Al-Ḥudaybiyyah, on the edge of the sacred territory of Mecca. A treaty is concluded between the two parties: hostilities are to cease, and the Muslims are given permission to make the pilgrimage to Mecca in 629. Two months later Muhammad leads his forces against the Jewish oasis of Khaybar , north of Medina. After a siege, it submits, but the Jews are allowed to remain on condition of sending half of their date harvest to Medina. The following year, Muhammad and his followers perform the pilgrimage as stipulated by the treaty of Al-Ḥudaybiyyah. Subsequently, however, an attack by Meccan allies upon allies of Muhammad leads to the latter’s denunciation of the treaty with the Meccans. In 630 he marches a substantial army on Mecca. The town submits, and Muhammad declares an amnesty.

After his return to Medina, Muhammad receives deputations from various Arabian tribes who declare their allegiance to the Muslim polity. Still in 630, Muhammad embarks on a campaign to the Syrian border and reaches Tabūk , where he secures the submission of various towns. Muhammad personally leads the pilgrimage to Mecca in 632, the so-called Farewell Pilgrimage, the precedent for all future Muslim pilgrimages. He dies in June 632 in Medina. Since no arrangement for his succession has been made, his death provokes a major dispute over the future leadership of the community he has founded.

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The Prophet’s Life in Brief

Birth and Rearing

Muhammad was born in Makkah on Rabi` Awwal 12, 570 CE. His father died before his birth. The infant Muhammad was handed to a Bedouin wet nurse to be brought up by her in the healthy atmosphere of the desert. At the age of five, Muhammad returned to the care of his mother, Aminah bint Wahb, but she died a year later. Muhammad then went to his paternal grandfather, `Abdul Muttalib. He died when Muhammad was eight, and the boy was then brought up by his uncle Abu Talib. At the age of twelve, he accompanied his uncle in a merchant’s caravan to Syria.

As a Young Man

Muhammad was content to work as a shepherd, but his uncle Abu Talib desired something better for him and obtained him employment with a rich widow, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad. Thus Muhammad found himself at the age of 25 in charge of a caravan conveying merchandise to Syria. On his return, Khadijah was so pleased with his successful management of her business and was so attracted by his noble character that she sent her sister to offer the young man Khadijah’s hand. Muhammad had felt drawn to Khadijah, and so matters were soon arranged. Their 26 years of married life were singularly happy. Muhammad continued to work as a merchant. His fairness further enhanced his reputation as “Al-Amin” (The Trustworthy). He continued to take an ever-increasing interest in public affairs and to exert himself in the service of the poor, the helpless, and the weak.

In the Cave

Whenever the iniquities of his people oppressed him, Muhammad retired to the solitude of a cave in Mount Hira’ outside Makkah. There his soul tried to peer into the mysteries of creation, of life and death, of good and evil, to find order out of chaos. Solitude became a passion with him, and every year he would retire to the cave for the whole month of Ramadan to mediate.

First Revelation

It was on one of these occasions, when he was 40 years of age, that Muhammad received the call. One night, while lying absorbed in his thoughts in the solitude of the cave, Muhammad was commanded by a mighty voice to go forth and preach. Muhammad rose trembling and hastened home to seek rest and solace in Khadijah’s tender care, and she calmed and comforted him. She later consulted her kinsman, Waraqah ibn Nawfal. He declared that the heavenly message that had come to Moses had now come to Muhammad, and that he was chosen as a prophet of Allah.

First Converts

Khadijah was the first to accept the truth of Islam. Muhammad then communicated his experience to his cousin `Ali, his adopted son Zayd, and his intimate friend Abu Bakr . The Prophet began by preaching his mission secretly first among his intimate friends, then among the members of his own tribe, and thereafter publicly in the city and suburbs. The Quraysh tribe were the guardians of the Ka`bah , which was a source of great prestige and profit to their city, Makkah. They were, therefore, seriously alarmed and became actively hostile towards Muhammad.

Hijrah to Abyssinia

The fury of the people of Makkah knew no bounds. Muhammad was subjected to insults, to personal violence, and to the bitterest persecution, and his converts were most relentlessly oppressed, persecuted, and tortured. Therefore, in the fifth year of his mission, Muhammad advised them to leave the country and seek refuge from the persecution of the idolaters among the Christian people of Abyssinia. Muhammad and a few stalwart followers remained in Makkah and suffered untold misery and oppression, but still their number continued to increase.

The Boycott

The Quraysh outlawed Muhammad and asked his clan to forgo their right to avenge his blood. The proud clansmen refused to give up the right at the bidding of the people of Makkah, who thereupon boycotted them. After three years, the ban was lifted. A year later, Muhammad lost his uncle Abu Talib and his wife Khadijah. The death of Abu Talib removed the last check on the Makkans’ violence. Persecution grew ever fiercer, and Muhammad sought refuge in the neighboring city of Ta’if, where he was met with great hostility and barely escaped with his life.

Hijrah to Madinah

Muhammad took council with his Makkan followers, and it was decided that they should immigrate to Madinah. They left gradually and unobtrusively, Muhammad remaining to the last. Their departure was soon discovered by the Quraysh, who decided to slay Muhammad before he, too, escaped. They, therefore, cast lots and chose forty men, one from each clan, who took a solemn vow to kill Muhammad. They were to strike simultaneously so that the murder could not be avenged on any one clan. But on the night they were to kill him, Muhammad left Makkah with Abu Bakr.

Muhammad was now free to preach, and his followers increased rapidly. The Muslims could now worship freely and live according to the laws of Allah. But the people of Makkah were not going to allow Muhammad’s movement to take root in Madinah. They organized three great expeditions against the city, but all were beaten back.

Treaty of Hudaybiyah

Eventually the Makkans and Muslims concluded the Treaty of Hudaybiyah to maintain peace and to observe neutrality in their conflicts with third parties. According to the treaty, the Muslims were to return to Madinah that year without performing the pilgrimage , but they could come to do that the following year when the Quraysh would vacate the city for them for three days.

Back in Makkah

It was not until AH 8 that the Muslims were able to put an end to this war by gaining a bloodless victory over Makkah when the Makkans violated the terms of their treaty. The people of Makkah, who had relentlessly oppressed Muhammad and his  followers for 21 years, expected dire vengeance, but in the hour of their defeat, they were treated with the greatest magnanimity. “Go, you are free!” were the words with which Muhammad gave them general amnesty. The Prophet removed all the idols in and around the Ka`bah, saying, [The Truth has come and falsehood vanished] (Al-Israa’: 81) and the Muslim call to prayer was heard in this ancient sanctuary.

In AH 10, Muhammad went to Makkah as a pilgrim, and he felt it was for the last time because the revelation he received there included the verse [This day have I perfected your religion for you…] (Al-Ma’idah: 3). On his return to Madinah, he fell ill of a mortal fever. It lasted for 15 days, but he continued to lead the prayers until 3 days before his death, when he deputed Abu Bakr. At early dawn on the last day of his earthly life, Muhammad came out from his room beside the mosque and joined the public prayers, but later in the day he died. The end came peacefully; murmuring of pardon and the company of the righteous in Paradise, the Prophet of Islam breathed his last, at the age of 63, on Rabi` Awwal 12, AH 11.

After his death, his followers faithfully carried the message of Islam, and within 90 years, the light of Islam reached Spain, North Africa, the Caucasus, China, and India.

All articles published not necessarily the official points of view held by islamonline

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