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Muhammad was an illiterate Arab who was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. His first years were marked by the death of his parents. Since his father died before his birth, his uncle, Abu Talib, from the respected tribe of Quraysh, raised him. As Muhammad grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. His reputation and personal qualities led to his marriage at the age of twenty-five to Khadijah, a widow whom he had assisted in business; henceforth, he became an important and trusted citizen of Makkah. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad never felt fully content to be part of a society whose values he considered to be devoid of true religious significance. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the cave of Hira, near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the "Mountain of Light," near Makkah. At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Qur'an, the faithful recording of the entire revelation of God. The first words read:
It was this reality that he gradually and steadily came to learn and believe, until he fully realized that it is the truth. His first convert was Khadijah, whose support and companionship provided necessary reassurance and strength. He also won the support of some of his relatives and friends. Three basic themes of the early message were the majesty of the One, unique God, the futility of idol worship; the threat of judgment; and the necessity of faith, compassion, and morality in human affairs. All these themes represented an attack on the materialism and idolatry prevalent in Makkah at the time. So, when he began to proclaim the message to others the Makkans rejected him. He and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622, God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijrah (migration), in which they left Makkah for the city of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. During his suffering, Muhammad also drew comfort from the knowledge revealed to him about other prophets such as Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, each of whom had been persecuted and tested. After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia had accepted Islam, and within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the west and as far east as China. It was clear that the message was not limited to Arabs; it was for the whole of humanity. The Prophet's sayings (Hadith), are believed to be revelation. The number of sayings which were collected by his followers and scholars are about 10,000. Examples of his sayings are:
Although Muhammad is deeply loved by all Muslims as God's final messenger, he is not an object of worship. Read more about Muhammad in other sites |
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Date Last Modified: 1/3/2005
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