Dot Point 2: ISLAM - Muhammad

Examine the principal events in Muhammad's life

Watch Beginnings of Islam part 2

Khatim symbol (Black Star) is known as the seal of the Prophet Muhammad. The term is
generally interpreted to affirm the status of the Prophet Muhammad as the last real prophet of
Islam and that there will be no other true prophet after him.

The Early life of the Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad was born in the year 570 CE to his father Abdullah and his mother Aminah. He
became the Prophet of Islam. Muslims have counted many figures as prophets. They believe
the first prophet was Adam (Qur’an 2:37), then consider the Jewish prophets such as Abraham
and Moses to be prophets of Islam also. They accept Jesus as a prophet too. All these figures
are considered vital to the conveying of God’s message to humanity, but Muhammad is special
to Muslims because he is the final and most revered of the all prophets.

Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca into the Quraysh tribe, which was the main tribe in
Mecca at that time. Due to blood disputes and the violent nature of the times, Muhammad’s
father died just before he was born. His mother died when he was six. Muhammad was cared
for in turn by his grandfather Abd-al-Muttalib, a highly esteemed hanif and his uncle Abu Talib, a
merchant of considerable wealth and standing.

As soon as he was old enough, he went to work. He did not learn to read or write. He did,
however, gain a reputation very early in life for being scrupulously honest and a settler of
disputes. Like many of his fellow citizens of Mecca, Muhammad began working on the
caravans. The owner of Muhammad’s caravan was a woman, Khadijah. Like many rich women
in the area, she was a widow and was occupied with running the family business. She liked
Muhammad’s honesty, and when he was 25 years old she asked him to marry her. Muhammad
agreed
While Khadijah was alive Muhammad had no other wives and they had six children - two sons
Qasim and Abdullah who tragically died during their infancy and four daughters Zainab,
Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. In the household of Muhammad and Khadijah, two
other children also lived. The first was Ali, son of Muhammad's uncle Abu Talib who had
become destitute. The other was Zaid ibn Haritha, a slave child, given as a gift to Kahdija but
ultimately freed by Muhammad and brought up as his own son.

The life of the Prophet Muhammad

On caravan journeys to Syria, Muhammad came into contact with Jewish and Christian
communities. As the Prophet grew in years he became increasingly more contemplative. He
began to keep regular company with the hanifs. He often withdrew into the solitude of the
nearby hills for days on end to pray and contemplate the meaning of life.

Night of Power

In 610 CE, at the age of 40, one day while he was praying and contemplating in a cave on
Mount Hira, he thought he saw an angel. The angel said its name was the Archangel Jibril
(Gabriel). Its first command to Muhammad was to recite. Muhammad listened to what the angel
said then returned to the city, frightened. He told Khadijah what had happened, and was worried
that he might be going mad. She supported him by suggesting that perhaps he really had seen
an angel. In this way, Khadijah became the first follower of Islam. Muhammad returned to the
cave, and the angel revealed to him more words from God each time over the next three years.
Muhammad memorised these words and asked the scribes in Mecca to write them down
(Hartney, 2010).

Archangel Jibril’s command

Muhammad was commanded by Archangel Jibril to tell everyone in Mecca about the holy words
he had been given. At first only a few people would listen. His core message was strictly
monotheistic: there was only one God and that God alone should be worshipped. The Meccans
were polytheists and they ridiculed Muhammad. Ridicule turned to hostility with the realisation
that an acceptance of the Prophet's message would mean an end to the lucrative enterprise
associated with the worship of idols in Mecca. If Muhammad had not been able to rely on his
membership of the Quraysh tribe, he might have been killed. His continued presence in Mecca
began to cause problems. One night a group of people came to his house to kill him; it is said
that Muhammad escaped just in time.

Watch this clip: Muhammad Shares His Faith

The year of sorrows

In 619 CE Muhammad's wife Khadija and his uncle and patron Abu Talib died. This left
Muhammed vulnerable to the threats and persecution of his opponents in Mecca.

The night journey

During the year of sorrows and amid the persecution in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad
experienced another great vision. This vision is known as the Laylat-ul-Mi'raj. It refers to the
extraordinary experience of the night journey, where, as the Prophet Muhammad lay sleeping he
was visited by the Archangel Jibril who took him to Jerusalem and then through the seven
heavens to finally see a vision of paradise and of hell. The experience culminated with the
Prophet Muhammad being brought into the presence of Allah.

Daily prayer instructions

It was in the course of this night journey that the Prophet Muhammad received the instruction
that people should pray five times each day. Accordingly this has been reflected in Muslim
practice ever since.

The call from Al-Yathrib

There was a town about 400 kilometres north of Mecca that had many problems. Everyone in
the town fought incessantly with each other. There was also a sizable Jewish community.
People in this town of Al-Yathrib had heard of Muhammad. They knew how fair and pious he
was. They asked him to come and be their magistrate. Muhammad gathered his followers in
Mecca only after ensuring the people of Al-Yathrib would convert to Monotheism, and left the
city in 622 CE.
Hijrah

The escape from Mecca was called the hijrah or ‘flight’. It is an important date. It was from this
time that Islam moved from being a small protest group nestled in Mecca, to a powerful religious
force in Arabia. It is from this year that the Muslim calendar is measured. In Al-Yathrib,
Muhammad and his followers established the first independent community of Islam. The name
of the town was changed to Medina, which means ‘city of the prophet’. Over the next decade,
Muhammad led Medina with great care, passing laws that were fair for both Muslims and
non-Muslims and ensured stability in the city. Moreover, he carried out a social revolution.

Muhammad lived in Medina with his wives whom he had married after Khadijah's death. It is
believed that he married twelve other women. Some of these were clearly for love, while others
secured his community by developing connections with other powerful families. Of these only
the youngest Aisha would be significant in the development of Islam. Slowly, Muhammad unified
the Arabs under Allah. This unification became known as “umma”.

Revelation to face Mecca and Ramadan fast

His teaching incorporated the need for regular fasting as well as the requirement of the regular
prayer times as revealed in the night journey. He arranged for money to be collected and given
to the poor.

Following some conflicts with Jews living in Madinah, Muhammad established a treaty with them
providing for their religious freedom in respect for them as followers of Musa. However, it was
during this time that the Prophet Muhammad received the revelation that Muslims should face
Mecca when praying and not Jerusalem as had been the previous practice. Likewise the custom
of fasting on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur was to be replaced with the Ramadan fast.

Capture of Mecca

The people of Mecca felt increasingly threatened. They put an army together and attacked
Medina on several occasions. Each time Muhammad was able to repel their forces. The most
important battle was at Badr in 623 CE. Seven years later, in 630 CE, Muhammad marched his
forces to Mecca and stood his troops outside the city. The Meccans were worried that they
would be killed. Muhammad told them that he only wanted to go to the Ka’ba. The people
agreed to open the city. Muhammad rode his camel to the Ka’ba and began smashing the idols
to the ground, but did not attack anyone. From this point on, the Ka’ba would only be used to
worship one God, Allah.

Although Muhammad had made his home in Medina, Mecca became the holiest place in the
Islamic faith. The people of Mecca eventually converted to Islam (monotheism) and the religion
continued to grow (Hartney, 2010).

The death of Prophet Muhammad

Not long before his death, the prophet received a last series of messages from Allah through the
Archangel Jibril. These stressed that Allah’s message to humanity had been completed and the
Qur’an was the final message of Allah to humanity. Muhammad, knowing he was about to die,
completed one last pilgrimage to Mecca and preached his sermon from the Mount of Mercy.This
became known as the ‘Farewell Pilgrimage’.

The death of Prophet Muhammad

Later in the year 632, he died at the age of 62. He was buried in the room where he died which
has now become a place of pilgrimage for Muslims. Despite Muhammad’s death, Islam
continued to spread from the peninsula and around the world.

ACTIVITIES:

WATCH: ATOMI: Events in Prophet Muhammad's Life Video & Quiz

1. Prepare a timeline of the principal events in Prophet Muhammad’s life. (There

could be more than one event in any given year.) The KAHN Academy film will
help - Beginnings of Islam part 2

Year Event

ORDINARY LIFE
570 CE Muhammad born at Mecca
576 CE His mother dies. Left an orphan. Raised by his grandfather and later
his uncle.
589 CE Worked as a trader gaining a reputation for honesty.
595 CE Married Khadijah (40) when he was 25. She was a wealthy widow.

MECCA PERIOD - Persecution & Sacrifice

610 CE At 40 …..
613 CE
619 CE
620 CE
622 CE

MEDINA PERIOD - Triumph against all ages

623 - 627 CE
628 CE
630 CE
632 CE

2. After viewing Muhammad Shares His Faith, explain why Muhammad’s message
was controversial, given the social conditions and religious practices of the era..

3. Outline the events leading up to the acceptance of Islam by the people of Mecca.