Life Of Hazrat MUHAMMAD(S.A.

W)
From His Birth To Hijrat
Short History:Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) was born of a noble family of Banu Hashim ancestry.
However, he was not fortunate enough to have been born wealthy as he was born an
orphan. His father, Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib, died of sickness at the age of 25 on a
trading journey to Syria, leaving his wife Amenah only a few months pregnant.
Muhammads Birth:
His birth was on the twelfth (12) of Rabiul Awwal 53 B.H. (570 A.D of the Christian era) was
ordinary and has no significance in Islam and the celebrations on this occasion have nothing
to do with shari'ah and some people consider it Bidah.
Abdul Mutalib, his grandfather who was the chief of Makkah at that time, showed pride in
him as Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) compensated him for the loss of his son who died in the prime
of his youth. His mother showed affection for her son as she awaited the best nurses to
come and take care of him: The tradition at that time was that nurses would come from the
desert seeking to be the custodians of the children of nobility in return for good pay and gifts.
Giving that Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) was not wealthy all nurses turned away from him, Halimah
of the Banu Saad tribe was one of them, but when she could not find any other child she was
ashamed to return home empty handed, so she went back and took Muhammad (s.a.w.s.),
and since then Allah showered his mercy on her; for instance animals started giving plenty of
milk after they had been dried. Therefore, her and her husband felt they were blessed to
have taken Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and became very attached to him.
Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) spent five years with Banu Saad during which nothing out of the
ordinary happened except one told incident which scared Halimah and became known as
the splitting of his chest. When he was playing with the other boys Jibril held him, threw
him down, split his chest, took out his heart and took out a clump from it and said: this is
Satan's portion of you. Then he washed him in a basin made of gold with the water of
zamzam, then sealed his chest and returned him where he was. The boys ran to Halimah
and said Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) has been killed. They came back and found him alive but
pale. (Reported by Anas in the Hadith compilations of Muslim and Ahmed)
Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) returned to Makkah at the age of five to his mother and grandfather
who took good care of him, but the days refused to allow him tranquility among those tender
hearts, as his mother died during a visit to Madinah to visit her husbands grave. She took
Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and his maid Umm Aiman with her. On the way back, she fell very sick
and
died
in
Abwaa
leaving
Muhammad
(s.a.w.s.)
with
Umm
Aiman.
His grandfather always took good care of him and never left him alone, he took him to all
public gatherings. However, at the age of eight, Abdul Muttalib died leaving him into his
uncle Abu Talibs care. Since Abu Talib had many children and was not wealthy, Muhammad
(s.a.w.s.) insisted on sharing the burdens of life with him. He went with his uncle on a trading
journey to Syria at the age of thirteen. He met a monk called Bahira during the journey, who
looked at his face and the sign on his back (the sign of Prophethood) and asked Abu Talib:
What is this boy to you ?My son he said. His father should not be alive. Said Buhira. Abu
Talib then said, Yes, in fact he is my brothers son and told him the rest of the story. The
monk said Now you are telling me the truth. Take him back and be careful of the Jews over

him.
Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) then returned to Makkah and resumed his life, working as a shepherd
in his early life. He did not acquire knowledge or education from a monk or a philosopher or
sorcerer, as was the norm then. Instead he read through the pages of life and took what he
found good. He combined the good qualities of discipline with spiritual purity, rightness and
contentment.
In this manner, he entered his third phase of life and got acquainted with his first wife
Khadija (r.a.) who was a merchant woman of nobility and wealth. She had heard of his
truthfulness and trustworthiness, so she offered him to take her trade to Syria (before
marrying him). He was 25 years old and she was 40 years old when they got married. Their
marriage lasted until she died at the age of 65.
The Message of Islam:Every year, Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) used to leave Makkah to spend Ramadan in the
cave of Hiraa where he used to meditate and worship for self-purification away from the
falsehood of Jahilia. In this cave, He met with the heavenly host and listened to the voice of
the angel telling him to read. He knew that he had become a Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s.) and
that it was Jabril, the ambassador of revelation who came to him; then the missions struggle
began.
Quraysh spared no efforts to fight Islam and persecuted those who embraced it. The
Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and his companions abused, ridiculed, humiliated, accused of indulging in
magic, and the weak and oppressed believers were tortured until they disbelieved, died or
swooned (as they had no clan to defend them).
In spite of all that Islam grew stronger, so Quraysh decided to change strategy and agreed
not to buy, sell or intermarry with Muslims or those who approved of their religion, protected
them or sympathized with them. They wrote this agreement which was called The General
Boycott on a piece of parchment and hung it inside the Kaabah as a secret pact. Therefore,
Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and his followers were forced into confinement in the Vale of Banu
Hashim where they were cut off of any assistance. This boycott lasted three long years
during which only the bond of faith kept the hearts together and gave them strength. It ended
after Hisham Ibn Amr (who felt very upset about the terrible plight of Muslims) gathered
some clans around him and agreed to break the pact. They went to Makkah to tear the
parchment and to their surprise they found that the worms had already eaten it up except the
words: In Your name O God.
After ten years of suffering for the mission of Islam, Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) suffered the loss
of his wife Khadijah and his uncle Abu Talib, in other words, he had lost his public life, as his
uncle defended him and protected him from any calamity, and his private life, as Khadijah
loved, supported and shared with him the miseries and pains of the Dawah.
Muhammad s Attractive Leadership:Muhammad led a very ordinary life yet the life style he practiced offered an example
for others to follow. So this is an invitation to search through the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) lifestyle
and adopt what he did in his daily activities.
To start with read what Al Hasan (son of Ali) said about the Prophet of Allah
(s.a.w.s.) Doors are not locked under him, nor do door keepers stand for him, and trays of
food are not served to him in the morning or the evening. He sits on the ground and eats his

food from the ground. He wears coarse (rough) clothes and rides on a donkey with others
sitting behind him, and he licks his fingers after taking food.
His regular deeds:-

His habits were really simple in all aspects of his life as we see. He never started any
activity without saying In the name of Allah.
Sleeping Habits:Aisha (r.a.) said that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to sleep during the earlier part of the
night and stood praying during the later part. She also said that when he got up at night he
started his prayer with two rakaat.
When Allahs Messenger (s.a.w.s.) went to bed he Used to lie down on his right side and
said: O Allah I surrender myself to you, and seek protection in you, longing for you and
fearing you; there is no protection and no escape from you except with you, I believe in your
book which you sent down and your Prophet (s.a.w.s.) whom you sent down and your
Prophet (s.a.w.s.) whom you sent. (Bukhari)
Then he used to read Surah Al Ikhlas and Al Muawathatein (Surah Al -Falaq and An-Naas)
three times. (Dawud and Tirmithi)
Praying:Ibn Omar (r.a.) said that at night, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to pray rakaat in two
then finished with one, and he used to supplicate saying:
O Allah, forgive me my sins and my ignorance, my excesses in my matter and what you
know better than myself. O Allah forgive me the wrongs (I did) lightly and seriously, and my
accidental and intentional transgressions and all that is with me. (Bukhari)
For Fajr prayer, he used to pray two short rakaat between the call and the Iqama and also
read Quran. According to him Quran at dawn is always witnessed by the angels of the
nights and the angels of the days. (Tirmithi)
Bathing, Ablution and the Call of Nature:Aisha (r.a.) said that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used his right hand for ablution and taking
food, and the left hand for the toilet and the like.
When bathing from janaba, Aisha said, he would begin by washing his hands, then he made
ablution as for prayer, then he puts his fingers in water and runs them through the roots of
his hair and then poured handfuls of water with his hands over his head and let the water
flow all over his body . (Bukhari)
The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: It is an obligation on every Muslim to bathe at least once every
seven days and wash both his head and body. (Bukhari and Muslim)
As far as ablution is concerned, Allahs Messenger (s.a.w.s.) said:
He who makes ablution and makes it the best way, his sins leave his body, even from
beneath his nails. (Muslim). In the hadith compiled by Imam Bukhari it was narrated that
when the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) got up from sleep for Tahajjud prayer, he cleansed his mouth
with a tooth-stick (miswak).
As far as answering the call of nature is concerned the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said He

who relieves himself should be concealed from the view of others . (Abu Dawud) and Two
people should not go out together to relieve themselves, uncovering their private parts and
talking to each other, for Allah abhors this. (Ahmad and Abu Dawud) He also told Omar, Do
not pass water while standing.
When he entered the toilet he used to say O Allah I seek refuge in You from all kinds of
evils. (Bukhari) And when he came out of the toilet he used to say Grant Your forgiveness.
(Tirmithi)
Clothing:Umm Salama (r.a.) said The piece of clothing best liked by Allahs Messenger
(s.a.w.s.) was the shirt. (Tirmithi) When he put on a shirt, he used to begin with the right
side and says Praise be to Allah who clothed me with this. And he forbade us to
exaggerate in our clothing when he said: Eat, drink and wear good clothes as long as these
things do not involve excess, and arrogance. (Ahmed) In another hadith it was narrated that
Allahs Messenger (s.a.w.s.) cursed the man who puts on womans clothes and the woman
who puts on mens clothes. (Abu Dawud)
Eating and Drinking:Allahs Messenger (s.a.w.s.) used to invoke the name of Allah before eating and also
before washing his hands before and after eating. He used to say, The blessing of food is
received by washing the hands before and after taking it. (Tirmithi and Abu Dawud)
Muslim also reported that Allahs Messenger (s.a.w.s.) used to eat with three fingers and he
licked his hand before he wiped it. The Messenger (s.a.w.s.) told Abu Salma (r.a.) Invoke
the name of Allah, and eat with your right hand and eat what is near. (Muslim) And he also
said, If dinner is served, and Iqama for prayer is (also), then take the dinner first. (Bukhari)
Manners of Speech:Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) used to start his speech with salam. He says: Saying
salam comes before talking. (Tirmithi) And he teaches us not to talk unnecessarily saying:
Do not talk without remembering Allah, for talking without remembering Allah hardens the
heart.
(Tirmithi)
He never used obscene talk nor did he listen to it, nor did he listen to anything about anyone.
Aisha (r.a.) said that His speech was clear and distinct such that all those who listened to
him understood him. (Abu Dawud)
General Conduct in Living with People:Allahs Messenger (s.a.w.s.) used to say salam when he arrives where people are
seated and when he wishes to leave, he also says salam as the former is as appropriate as
the latter. (Abu Dawud)
He did not like people exalting him He came out once leaning on a stick and a group of
people stood up, he said: dont stand up as foreigners stand up exalting each other
therewith. (Abu Dawud)
When visiting people, he used to ask permission to enter saying Peace be upon you, may I
enter. (Abu Dawud) and when his guests are leaving he used to go with them to the door of
the house.
Allahs Messenger (s.a.w.s.) used to receive gifts and to give gifts back. (Bukhari) and he
said Make gifts to one another for a gift removes rancour from the chest. (Tirmithi)

At home, he used to serve his family. Aisha was asked about what the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)
used to do in his house, she said He used to work for his family, that is to serve his family,
and
when
prayer
time
came,
he
goes
out
for
prayer.
(Bukhari)
Fatimah (RA):The Holy sanctuary Kabah was now filled with three hundred sixty idols. The original,
pristine message of Prophet Ibrahim was lost, and it was mixed with superstitions and
traditions of pilgrims and visitors from distant places, who were used to idol worship and
myths. In every generation, a small group of men and women detested the pollution of
Kabah and kept pure their practice of the religion taught by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail.
They used to spend some of their time away from this polluted environment in retreats to
nearby hills.
Muhammad (s) was forty when, during his one of many retreats to Mount Hira for meditation
during the month of Ramadan, he received the first revelation from the Archangel Jibril
(Gabriel). On this first appearance, Gabriel (as) said to Muhammad: "Iqraa," meaning Read
or Recite. Muhammad replied, "I cannot read," as he had not received any formal education
and did not know how to read or write. The Angel Gabriel then embraced him until he
reached the limit of his endurance and after releasing said: "Iqraa." Muhammads answer
was the same as before. Gabriel repeated the embrace for the third time, asked him to
repeat after him and said:
"Recite in the name of your Lord who created! He created man from that which clings.
Recite; and thy Lord is most Bountiful, He who has taught by the pen, taught man what he
knew not."
These revelations are the first five verses of Surah (chapter) 96 of the Quran. Thus it was in
the year 610 CE the revelation began.
Muhammad (s) was terrified by the whole experience of the revelation and fled the cave of
Mt. Hira [Qur'an 81:19-29]. When he reached his home, tired and frightened, he asked his
wife: cover me, cover me, in a blanket. After his awe had somewhat abated, his wife
Khadijah asked him about the reason of his great anxiety and fear. She then assured him by
saying: "Allah (The One God) will not let you down because you are kind to relatives, you
speak only the truth, you help the poor, the orphan and the needy, and you are an honest
man. Khadijah then consulted with her cousin Waraqa who was an old, saintly man
possessing knowledge of previous revelations and scriptures. Waraqa confirmed to her that
the visitor was none other than the Angel Gabriel who had come to Moses. He then added
that Muhammad is the expected Prophet.Khadijah accepted the revelation as truth and was
the first person to accept Islam. She supported her husband in every hardship, most notably
during the three-year boycott of the Prophets clan by the pagan Quraish. She died at the
age of sixty-five in the month of Ramadan soon after the lifting of the boycott in 620 CE.
Gabriel (as) visited the Prophet as commanded by Allah revealing Ayat (meaning signs,
loosely referred to as verses) in Arabic over a period of twenty-three years. The revelations
that he received were sometimes a few verses, a part of a chapter or the whole chapter.
Some revelations came down in response to an inquiry by the nonbelievers. The revealed
verses were recorded on a variety of available materials (leather, palm leaves, bark,
shoulder bones of animals), memorized as soon as they were revealed, and were recited in
daily prayers by Muslims [Qur'an 80:13-16]. Angel Gabriel taught the order and arrangement
of verses, and the Prophet instructed his several scribes to record verses in that order
[Qur'an 75:16-19 and 41:41-42]. Once a year, the Prophet used to recite all the verses
revealed to him up to that time to Gabriel to authenticate the accuracy of recitation and the
order of verses [Qur'an 17:106]. All the revealed verses (over a period of 23 years and

ending in 632 CE) were compiled in the book known as Quran. The name Quran appears in
the revealed verses. TheQuran does not contain even a word from the Prophet. The Qur'an
speaks in the first person, i.e., Allah's commandments to His creation. Gabriel also visited
the Prophet throughout his mission informing and teaching him of events and strategy as
needed to help in the completion of the prophetic mission. The Prophets sayings, actions,
and approvals are recorded separately in collections known as Hadith.
The mission of Prophet Muhammad (s) was to restore the worship of the One True God, the
creator and sustainer of the universe, as taught by Prophet Ibrahim and allProphets of God,
and to demonstrate and complete the laws of moral, ethical, legal, and social conduct and all
other
matters
of
significance
for
the
humanity
at
large.
The first few people who followed this message were: his cousin Ali, his servant Zayd ibn
Harithah, his friend Abu Bakr and his wife and daughters. They accepted Islam by
testifying that:
"There is no Deity (worthy of worship) except Allah (The One True God) and Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah."
Islam means peace by submission and obedience to the Will and Commandments of God
and those who accept Islam are called Muslims, meaning those who have accepted the
message of peace by submission to God.
In the first three years of his mission forty people (men and women) accepted Islam. This
small group comprised of youth as well as older people from a wide range of economic and
social background. The Prophet was directed by a recent revelation to start preaching Islam
to everyone. He then began to recite revelations to people in public and invite them to Islam.
The Quraish, leaders of Makkah, took his preaching with hostility. The most hostile and
closest to the prophet was his uncle Abu Lahab and his wife. Initially, they and other leaders
of Quraish tried to bribe him with money and power including an offer to make him king if he
were to abandon his message. When this did not work, they tried to convince his uncle Abu
Talib to accept the best young man of Makkah in place of Muhammad and to allow them to
kill Muhammad. His uncle tried to persuade the Prophet to stop preaching but the Prophet
said: "O uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to
stop me from preaching Islam, I would never stop. I will keep preaching until Allah makes
Islam prevail or I die."
The Quraish began to persecute Muslims by beating, torture and boycott of their businesses.
Those who were weak, poor or slaves were publicly tortured. The first person to die by this
means was a Muslim women by the name Umm Ammar (the mother of Ammar Ibn Yasir).
The Muslims from well-to-do families were physically restrained in their homes with the
condition that if they recant they will be allowed freedom of movement. The Prophet was
publicly ridiculed and humiliated including frequent throwing of filth on him in the street and
while he prayed in the Kabah. In spite of great hardships and no apparent support, the
message of Islam kept all Muslims firm in their belief. The Prophet was asked by God to be
patient and to preach the message of Quran. He advised Muslims to remain patient
because he did not receive any revelation yet to retaliate against their persecutors.
[Persecution]
When the persecution became unbearable for most Muslims, the Prophet advised them in
the fifth year of his mission (615 CE) to emigrate to Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia) where
Ashabah (Negus, a Christian) was the ruler. Eighty people, not counting the small children,
emigrated in small groups to avoid detection. No sooner had they left the Arabian coastline,
the leaders of Quraish discovered their flight. They decided to not leave these Muslims in
peace, and immediately sent two of their envoys to Negus to bring all of them back.

However, Negus allowed them to stay under his protection after he investigated Muslim
belief and heard the revelations about Jesus and Mary (peace be upon them both), which
appears in Chapter 19, entitled Mary, of the Quran. The emigrants were allowed freedom of
worship in Abyssinia.
The Quraish then made life even more difficult for the Prophet by implementing total ban on
contact with the Prophets family (Bani Hashim and Muttalib). The ban lasted for three years
without the desired effect. Just before the ban was lifted, the Prophet was contacted by the
leaders of Quraish to agree to a compromise under which they should all practice both
religions (i.e., Islam and Idolatry). Upon hearing this, the Prophet recited a revelation
(Chapter 109) he had just received and which ends with the words: "... For you your religion
and for me mine." The ban was lifted when leaders of Quraish discovered that their secret
document on the terms of ban, which they had stored in Kabah, was eaten by worms and all
that was left were the opening words In Your name, O Allah. The effects of the three-year
boycott left the Prophet with more personal sorrow when he lost his beloved wife Khadijah
(ra) and uncle Abu Talib soon after the ban was lifted.
After Khadijah's death in 620 CE, the Prophet married a widowed Muslim woman, Sawdah
(ra) who was fifty years old. She and her husband had emigrated to Abyssinia in the early
years of persecution. After her husband died, she came back to Makkah and sought
Prophets shelter. The Prophet, recognizing her sacrifices for Islam, extended his shelter by
marrying her. Later in the same year, the Prophet upon receiving the divine command in a
dream, after approval of Sawdah, contracted marriage to Aishah, the daughter of his dear
companion Abu Bakr. She joined the Prophet in Medinah, completing the marriage contract.
Sawdah and Aishah (ra) were the only wives until he was fifty-six years old.
After the death of his uncle Abu Talib, the Prophet went to Taif (about 50 miles east,
southeast of Makkah) to seek their protection. They flatly refused and mocked at him, and
severely injured him by inciting their children to throw stones at him. Gabriel (as) visited the
Prophet here suggesting that the angels were ready to destroy the town if he were to ask
Allah for the punishment. Nevertheless, the Prophet declined and prayed for future
generations of Taif to accept Islam [Taif]. It was on the return journey from Taif that the
verses from Surah Al Jinn (Chapter 72) were revealed. It indicated that the Quran is a book
of guidance to both the Jinns and Humankind.
Soon after the terrible disappointment at Taif, the prophet experienced the events of al-Israa
and al-Miraaj (621 CE). In the Al-Israa, Gabriel (as) took the Prophet from the sacred
Mosque near Kabah to the furthest (al-Aqsa) mosque in Jerusalem in a very short time in
the latter part of a night. Here, Prophet Muhammad met with previous Prophets (Abraham,
Moses, Jesus and others) and he led them in prayer. After this, in Al-Miraj, the Prophet was
taken up to heavens to show the signs of God [More... The Dome of the Rock]. It was on this
journey that five daily prayers were prescribed. He was then taken back to Kabah, the whole
experience lasting a few hours of a night. Upon hearing this, the people of Makkah mocked
at him. However, when his specific description of Jerusalem, other things on the way, and
the caravan that he saw on this journey including its expected arrival in Makkah turned out to
be true, the ridicule of the nonbelievers stopped. The event of Israa and Miraaj is mentioned
in the Quran - the first verse of Chapter 17 entitled The Children of Israel.
In 622 CE, the leaders of the Quraish decided to kill the Prophet and they developed a plan
in which one man was chosen from each of the Quraish tribes and they were to attack the
Prophet simultaneously. Gabriel informed the Prophet of the plan and instructed him to leave
Makkah immediately. The Prophet, after making arrangements to return the properties
entrusted to him by several nonbelievers, left with Abu Bakr in the night he was to be

assassinated. They went south of Makkah to a mountain cave of Thawr [see Qur'an 9:40],
and after staying three nights they traveled north to Yathrib (Medinah) about two hundred
fifty miles from Makkah. Upon discovery of his escape, the leaders of Quraish put up a
reward of one hundred camels on him, dead or alive. In spite of all their best scouts and
search parties, Allah protected the Prophet and he arrived safely in Quba, a suburb of
Medinah [Qur'an 28:85]. This event is known as the Hijra (migration) and the Islamic
calendar begins with this event. The people of Aws and Khazraj in Medinah greeted him with
great enthusiasm in accordance with their pledge made at Aqaba less than a year ago
during the annual pilgrimage. One by one those Muslims (men and women) of Makkah who
were not physically restrained, and who could make a secret exit, left for Medinah leaving
behind their properties and homes.
To insure the peace and tranquility, the Prophet proposed a treaty defining terms of conduct
for all inhabitants of Medinah. It was ratified by all - Muslims, non-Muslim Arabs and Jews.
After his emigration to Medinah, the enemies of Islam increased their assault from all sides.
The Battles of Badr, Uhud and Allies (Trench) were fought near or around Medinah. In these
battles until the year 627 CE, the nonbelievers with encouragement from Jews and other
Arabian tribes attacked the Prophet and Muslim community. The Muslims while defending
their city and religion lost many men, which resulted in many widowed Muslim women and
numerous orphaned children. In these circumstances, Prophet Muhammad (s) married
several women during fifty-sixth year up to the sixtieth year of his life. He did not contract
any marriage in the last three years of his life, following the revelation limiting the number of
wives up to a maximum of four. This is the first time in the history of revealed scriptures that
a limit on the number of wives was imposed and the terms of conduct were specified. The
Prophet was instructed not to divorce any of his wives after this revelation [Qur'an 33:52]. All
of the ladies he took as wives were either widowed or divorced, except Aishah.
The Prophet married Umm Salamah (ra) in 626 CE. Her husband had died of wounds
inflicted in the Battle of Uhud (625 CE). When the Prophet asked her for marriage, she
replied: "O Messenger of God, I suffer from three shortcomings. I am a very jealous woman,
and I am afraid this might cause me to do things that you dislike. Secondly, I am an old
woman. Finally, I have many children." The Prophet answered: "Regarding your jealousy, I
pray to God to remove it from you. As for your age, we are similar in age. As for the children,
your children are mine." Thus it was that she agreed to marry the Prophet. The Prophets
marriage contract with Umm Habibah (ra) was solemnized, by proxy, by Negus, King of
Abyssinia, in 628 CE.
Two of his wives, Juwayriah and Safiyah, were prisoners of war. Both belonged to the family
of the chief of their tribes and were set free by the Prophet; they then gladly accepted Islam
and were pleased to become the Prophets wives. The Prophets marriages provided
security to women who would have otherwise remained unmarried, unprotected, or felt
humiliated. His marriages were also a means of transmitting important teachings of Islam.
The Prophet's wives, called the "Mothers of the Believers,"[Qur'an Surah 33, Verse 6 and
the last part of Verse 53] showed themselves as examples of proper Muslim womanhood. All
his wives, especially 'Aishah, transmitted many ahadith (sayings, deeds, and actions) from
Prophet Muhammad (s).
A year after the Battle of Allies (Trench), the Prophet and fifteen hundred of his companions
left for Makkah to perform the annual pilgrimage (628 CE). They were barred from
approaching the city at Hudaybiyah, where after some negotiations atreaty was signed
allowing for them to come next year. This treaty facilitated exchange of ideas among the
people of the whole region without interference. Many delegations from all regions of Arabia

came to the Prophet to investigate the teachings of Islam, and a large number of people
accepted Islam within a couple of years. The Prophet sent many of his companions (who
memorized the Qur'an by heart) to new communities to instruct them about the practice of
Islam.
More
than
fifty
of
them
were
murdered
by
non-believers.
A few weeks after Hudaybiyah the Prophet sent letters to several kings and rulers(including
the two superpowers - Byzantines and Persians) inviting them to Islam.Negus, the king of
Abyssinia, and the Ruler of Bahrain accepted Islam, andEmperor Heraclius acknowledged
Muhammads Prophethood. Among rulers who accepted Islam but without any initiative from
the Prophet was Chakrawati Farmas, a Hindu King of Malabar (located on the southwest
coast of India).
About two years later at the end of 629 CE, the Quraish violated the terms of the Treaty of
Hudaybiyah by helping Banu Bakr in the surprise attack on Bani Khuzaah who were allied
with the Prophet. Some of Bani Khuzahs men escaped and took shelter in Makkah and they
sought redress. However, the leaders of Quraish did nothing. They then sent a message to
the Prophet for help.
The Prophet, after confirming all the reports of the attack and subsequent events,marched to
Makkah with an army consisting of three thousand Muslims of Medinah and Muslims from
other Arab communities that joined him on the way totaling ten thousand Muslims. Before
entering the city he sent word to citizens of Makkah that anyone who remained in his home,
or in Abu Sufyans home, or in the Kabah would be safe. The army entered Makkah without
fighting and the Prophet went directly to the Kabah. He magnified Allah for the triumphant
entry in the Holy city. The Prophet pointed at each idol with a stick he had in his hand and
said, "Truth has come and Falsehood will neither start nor will it reappear" [Qur'an 17:81].
And one by one the idols fell down. The Kabah was then cleansed by the removal of all
three hundred sixty idols, and it was restored to its pristine status for the worship of One
True
God
(as
built
by
Prophets
Ibrahim
and
Ismail).
The people of the city expected general slaughter in view of their persecution and torture of
Muslims for the past twenty years. While standing by the Ka'bah, the Prophet (s) promised
clemency for the Makkans, stating: "O Quraish, what do you think that I am about to do with
you?" They replied, "Good. You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother." The Prophet
forgave them all saying:
"I will treat you as Prophet Yousuf (Joseph) treated his brothers. There is no reproach
against you. Go to your homes, and you are all free."
The Prophet also declared:
Allah made Makkah holy the day He created heavens and earth, and it is the holy of holies
until the Resurrection Day. It is not lawful for anyone who believes in Allah and the last day
to shed blood therein, nor to cut down trees therein. It was not lawful to anyone before me
and it will not be lawful to anyone after me.
The people of Makkah then accepted Islam including the staunch enemies of the Prophet. A
few of the staunchest enemies and military commanders had fled Makkah after his entry.
However, when they received the Prophets assurance of no retaliation and no compulsion in
religion, they came back and gradually the message of Islam won their hearts. Within a year
(630 CE), almost all Arabia accepted Islam. Among the Prophets close companions were
Muslims from such diverse background as Persia, Abyssinia, Syria and Rome. Several
prominent Jewish Rabbis, Christian bishop and clergymen accepted Islam after discussions
with the Prophet.
One night in March 630 CE, Angel Gabriel visited the Prophet and addressed him as: "O
father of Ibrahim." A few hours later, the Prophet received the news of the birth of

hisson from his wife Mariah, and the Prophet named him Ibrahim. He was the only child born
after the six children from Prophets first wife Khadijah. Ibrahim died when he was ten
months old. On the day of Ibrahim's death, there was an eclipse of the sun. When some
people began to attribute it to the Prophet's bereavement, he said: "The sun and the moon
are two signs of the signs of God. Their light is not dimmed for any man's death. If you see
them
eclipsed,
you
should
pray
until
they
be
clear."
The great change in Arabia alarmed the two superpowers, Byzantines and Persians. Their
Governors, particularly the Byzantines, reacted with threats to attack Medinah. Instead of
waiting, the prophet sent a small army to defend the northmost border of Arabia. In the
remaining life of the Prophet, all of the major battles were fought on the northern front. The
Prophet did not have a standing army. Whenever he received a threat, he called the Muslims
and discussed with them the situation and gathered volunteers to fight any aggression.
The Prophet performed his first and last pilgrimage in 632 CE. One hundred twentythousand men and women performed pilgrimage that year with him. The Prophet received
the last revelation during this pilgrimage. Two months later, Prophet Muhammad (s) fell ill
and after several days died on Monday, 12 Rabi al-Awwal, the eleventh year after Hijra
(June 8, 632 CE) in Medinah. He is buried in the same place where he died.
Prophet Muhammad lived a most simple, austere and modest life. He and his family used to
go without cooked meal several days at a time, relying only on dates, dried bread and water.
During the day he was the busiest man, as he performed his duties in many roles all at once
as head of state, chief justice, commander-in-chief, arbitrator, instructor and family man. He
was the most devoted man at night. He used to spend one- to two-thirds of every night in
prayer and meditation. The Prophet's possession consisted of mats, blankets, jugs and other
simple things even when he was the virtual ruler of Arabia. He left nothing to be inherited
except a white mule (a gift fromMuqawqis), few ammunition and a piece of land that he had
made a gift during his life time. Among his last words were: "We the community of Prophets
are
not
inherited.
Whatever
we
leave
is
for
charity."
Muhammad (s) was a man and a messenger of Allah (The One God). He is the last of the
prophets [Qur'an 33:40] sent by Allah to guide man to the right path; Adam was the first
Prophet. The Quran mentions twenty-five Prophets by name and provides a great insight of
their mission, struggle and their communities. The Quran exonerates prophets from charges
leveled against them in previous Scriptures. The Quran also mentions four
previously revealed Scriptures: Suhoof (Pages) of Ibrahim (Abraham), Taurat ('Torah') as
revealed to Prophet Moses, Zuboor ('Psalms') as revealed to Prophet David, and Injeel
('Evangel') as revealed to Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Islam requires belief in all prophets and
revealed scriptures (original, non-corrupted) as part of the Articles of Faith. Muhammad (s) is
greatly respected as the model of Quranic behavior. Muslims mention his name by adding
"peace be upon him," a phrase used with the name of all prophets [e.g., Qur'an Surah 37:
verses 79, 109, 120 and 130; also 33:56]. All sincere Muslims try to follow the Quran and
the Prophets example to minute details. The account of every aspect of his life has been
preserved (numerous daily accounts including his family life). Prophet Muhammad (s) has
served as an example for all Muslims in all periods to modern times. He will remain a model
example for all of humanity.
Praise and Glory be to Allah, we seek Allahs forgiveness and we turn to him in repentance.