Muhammad


We know more about Muhammad than any other prophet in history. His life was lived in the full light of history, and even the minutest details of his daily life were preserved and authenticated for later generations of Muslims, who would take him as the ultimate role model.

Muhammad was an Arab born in Mecca in 570CE. He was a direct descendant of Abraham through his first son, Ishmael. He was widely known for his honesty and good conduct, to the extent that he was nicknamed “Al-Amin” – which means “The Trustworthy”, and called upon to arbitrate in the bitter disputes between the Arab
tribes.


Muhammad kept away from the idolatry, adultery and other widespread evils of his time, and chose to worship only Allah (Almighty God), following in the footsteps of Abraham, his forefather. In 610CE, Allah (Almighty God) elected him to be His final prophet and began the revelation of the Qur'an to him through the archangel Gabriel, a process that would take 23 years to complete. This momentous event in human history began a period of intense persecution and exile for Muhammad and the small band of Muslims.


In time, by the Will of Allah (Almighty God), the message of pure monotheism had spread and Muslims numbered in the thousands, united under the leadership of Muhammad.


The Muslims marched on Mecca, the inhabitants of which expected to be slaughtered or taken as slaves, as was the custom in Arabia at that time. Instead, Muhammad stunned the Meccans by announcing a general amnesty, forgiving those who had killed, robbed and otherwise cruelly persecuted Muslims. Allah (Almighty God) says: And We have not sent you except as a mercy to mankind [Qur’an 21:107]. The majority of the Meccans embraced Islam wholeheartedly, finally acknowledging Muhammad’s sincerity and recognizing the truth of his message.


The centerpiece of Mecca was the Ka’aba – established by Abraham as the first building dedicated to the worship of Allah Almighty God). The polytheistic pre- Islamic Arabs had filled it with idols who they worshipped besides Allah (Almighty God). Muhammad, his mission nearing its end, cleansed the Ka’aba of it’s idols – restoring the building built by his forefather Abraham back to its original purpose – the worship of Allah (Almighty God) alone. Today, over a billion Muslims turn toward the direction of the Ka’aba when they pray.

Despite his conquest of Arabia, Muhammad’s lifestyle remained humble. He often went hungry for lack of food, sewed his own clothes when they needed repair and milked his own goats.


His message and example would inspire millions, and within a few years of his death, Muslims, united under the enlightened leadership of Muhammad’s companions, liberated Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt and Palestine. As in Arabia, most of the inhabitants of these lands chose to embrace Islam as their way of life.

His life was a shining example to all humanity of how one should live nobly – as a man, a husband, a father, a best friend, a leader, and a ruler.