Who is Muhammad?

Who is Muhammad?

Muhammad is the prophet of Islam and God’s final and greatest messenger to mankind to perfect the same message preached by earlier prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus peace be upon them all. God says in the Quran: 

“He is not sent to be any except a mercy to all the worlds (21:107).” 

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) was born in the holy city of Mecca in the year 570 A.D to a family known for its distinguished purity and nobility amongst the rest of the tribes and families in Arabia.

His father, Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib, passed away months before his birth, and his mother, Aminah son of Wahab, passed away when he was only 6 years old. Two years later, his guardian, his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib also passed away. He spent the rest of his upbringing under the guardianship of his uncle, Abu Talib, who raised him like his own son and better.

In addition to being orphaned by both parents by the age of 6, Muhammad (p) grew up in a challenging society. Pre-Islamic Arabia was infiltrated with idol-worshipping, tribalism, feudalism, and backward practices. The economic crises resulting from the exploitation of the people by the ruling class and by bands of usurers had robbed human life of its meaning and darkened the horizon of social well-being.

The wealthy usurers who engaged in trade amassed enormous amounts of wealth through illegitimate means and exploited the weak and poor classes of society. Plunder, robbery, and savagery were rampant throughout Arabia. Before Islam, daughters were considered a bad omen and a source of disgrace— many were innocently killed or buried alive.

It was in this society where the Prophet grew up. However, Prophet Muhammad was known for honorable traits. He never followed the habits and customs of the idol worshippers around him. He never lied, stole, or behaved treacherously. He always acted with dignity and care. These qualities he was known for won the affection of the Arabs and became known as “Muhammad the Truthful, the Trustworthy”. This was to the extent that the Arabs would entrust their precious belongings with Muhammad before embarking on their trips. In addition, he was never seen reading a book, writing a single letter, or learning from any teacher.

Muhammad (p) would spend a lot of time in solitude, worshiping God. He would spend a month in solitude in a cave called Hira’, in the mountains, and would worship God there. By the age of forty, while in the cave of Hira’, his prophetic mission commenced with the first verses of the Quran revealed to him through the archangel Jibril (p):

“Read! By the name of your Lord… (96:1).”

His prophetic mission spanned nearly twenty-three years—the first thirteen of which were spent in Mecca. The early Muslims faced difficult circumstances—persecution by the polytheists, along with boycotts, and starvation. After thirteen years of preaching in Mecca, he immigrated to Medina and established an ever-expanding community of believers.

His greatest miracle is the unparalleled miracle of the Holy Quran. Consider a man living in an environment far from knowledge and culture, an orphan who lost both parents at a young age, and never attended a class or wrote a single letter. It was in such circumstances that the Holy Prophet brought forth a melodic text with rich content constructing a system of life containing bringing forth answers and guidance to topics of beliefs, jurisprudence, legislation, stories and lessons of prophets, morals, human rights, marital and family affairs, society and more.

Within twenty-three years of striving and perseverance, the pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance ended, and the polytheistic society of Arabia was transformed into a monotheistic society at the hands of Prophet (p). By the end of the Prophet’s (p) life, almost everyone in the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. The number of Muslims has continued to grow ever since. Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh&hp) life continues to inspire many and Islam is the fastest growing religion today.

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