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:
- Recite:
In the name
of your Lord who created Man from a clot
(of
blood).
- Recite:
Your Lord is
Most Noble, Who taught by the pen, taught man what he
did not know.
- (Qur'an
(96º{1-5})
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:
- To pursue Knowledge
is obligatory on every Muslim (man and
woman).
- Paradise lies at the
feet of mothers.
- Removing a harmful
thing from the road is charity.
- Those who do not show
tenderness and love cannot expect to have tenderness
shown to them.
- Adore Allah
(God) as though you see Him; if you do not see Him,
He nonetheless sees you.
Although Muhammad
is deeply loved by all Muslims as God's final messenger,
he is not an object of worship.
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