Who Is the Prophet Muhammad  ?
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Muhammad
was born in Makkah in the year 570. Since his father died before
his birth and his mother died shortly thereafter, he was raised by
his uncle who was from the respected tribe of Quraysh. He was
raised illiterate, unable to read or write, and remained so till his
death. His people, before his mission as a prophet, were ignorant
of science and most of them were illiterate. As he grew up, he
became known to be truthful, honest, trustworthy, generous, and
sincere. He was so trustworthy that they called him the
Trustworthy.1
Muhammad was very religious, and he
had long detested the decadence and idolatry of his society.
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The Prophet
Muhammad’s Mosque
in Madinah. |
At the age of forty, Muhammad
received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. The
revelations continued for twenty-three years, and they are collectively
known as the Quran.
As soon as he began to recite the
Quran and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his
small group of followers suffered persecution from unbelievers. The
persecution grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the
command to emigrate. This emigration from Makkah to the city of Madinah,
some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
After several years, Muhammad
and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave
their enemies. Before Muhammad
died, at the age of sixty-three, the greater part of the Arabian
Peninsula had become Muslim, and within a century of his death, Islam
had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China. Among the
reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the truth and
clarity of its doctrine. Islam calls for faith in only one God, Who is
the only one worthy of worship.
The Prophet Muhammad
was a perfect example of an honest, just, merciful, compassionate,
truthful, and brave human being. Though he was a man, he was far
removed from all evil characteristics and strove solely for the sake of
God and His reward in the Hereafter. Moreover, in all his actions and
dealings, he was ever mindful and fearful of God.
(For more information on the Prophet
Muhammad , please refer
to the links at
More
on the Prophet Muhammad .)
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Footnotes:
(1) Narrated
in Mosnad Ahmad, #15078.
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