Biography of The Prophet

MUHAMMAD

(Peace Be Upon Him)

University of

Batna1

Faculty of Islamic

Sciences

Department of Sharia

Teacher: BAHMED.N

Level: Master 1

Sharia & Law

1

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon

Muhammad, last of the prophets and messengers.

1.Introduction:

Linguistically, the word "Arab" means deserts and waste barren land well-nigh waterless and treeless. Ever

since the dawn of history, the Arabian Peninsula and its people have been called as such.

A. Location and nature of Arab Tribes:

Thanks to its geographical position, the peninsula has always maintained great importance; it is mostly

deserts and sandy places, which has rendered it inaccessible to foreigners and invaders, and allowed its people

complete liberty and independence through the ages, despite the presence of two neighbouring great

empires.

Its external setting, on the other hand, caused it to be the centre of the old world and provided it with sea

and land links with most nations at the time. Thanks to this strategic position the Arabian Peninsula had

become the centre for trade, culture, religion and art.

When talking about the Arabs before Islam, we deem it necessary to draw a mini- picture of the history of

rulership, and the religious dominations of the Arabs, so as to facilitate the understanding of emergent

circumstances when Islam appeared.

B. Rulers:

When the sun of Islam rose, rulers of Arabia were of two kinds: crowned kings, who were in fact not

independent; and heads of tribes and clans, who enjoyed the same authorities and privileges possessed by

crowned kings and were mostly independent. The crowned kings were only those of Yemen, Heerah and

Ghassan. All other rulers of Arabia were non-crowned.

On the 12th of Rabiul-‘Awwal of every year an honored and glorified memory shines over the

whole world, and is commemorated by the entire Muslim world. Every honest Muslim participates

in celebrating such an honorable memory to praise Allah for the blessing and endowment of

Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him. What we are presenting in these few pages

is only the tip of an iceberg about the life of the last Prophet.

2

C. Religions of the Arabs:

Almost the whole of Arabia believed in a polytheistic form of religion. The Arabs traced their descent to

Abraham. They knew that Abraham was a monotheistic Teacher. In spite of this, they entertained

polytheistic beliefs and were given to polytheistic practices. Traditions and ceremonies of the worship of

their idols had been mostly created by ‘Amr bin Luhai, and were deemed as good innovations rather than

deviations from Abraham’s religion. (Self-devotion to the idols, performing pilgrimage to the idols, Seeking

favour of idols through various kinds of sacrifices and immolations….)

D. Social Life of the Arabs:

❖ The Arabian Society presented a social medley, with different and heterogeneous social strata.

(different social classes).

❖ The status of the woman among the nobility recorded an advanced degree of esteem whereas the

others had no status and no rights.

❖ Life in Arabia was paradoxical and presented a gloomy picture of contrasts. Whilst some Arabs held

children dear to their hearts, others buried their female children alive(infanticide).

❖ Family, or perhaps tribal-pride, was one of the strongest passions with him.

❖ The Arabs suffered from some extreme moral defects but at the same time they possessed some

admirable qualities.

❖ Gambling was their national sport. But they had made of it a fine art.

❖ Their chief occupation was trade, and to this end they sent their caravans to far-off places.

❖ Their capital consisted of sheep, goats and camels.

❖ Polygamous marriages were very common, and there was no limit to the number of wives a man

could take.

❖ Slavery was widespread. The slave had no accepted status.

2.Prophet’s Birthday:

Muhammad (pbuh), the Master of Prophets, was born in Bani Hashim lane in Makkah on Monday morning,

the twelfth of Rabi‘Al-Awwal, in the year, 570 C.E, almost 600 years after Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary

(peace be upon them both).

3

The Prophet's full name is Muhammad son of ‘Abdullah, son of ‘Abdul-Muttaleb, son of Hāshem. He was

from the Banu Hāshem clan of the Quraysh tribe. His ancestry went all the way back to Prophet Ishmael

and Prophet Abraham (peace be upon them both).

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born in the sacred city of Makkah, in the barren land of Arabia. Within it

stood the Ka`bah, the First House ever built for humanity, to worship the one true God, called Allah. The

original Ka`bah was built by Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ishmael, near the blessed spring of

Zamzam. Over time, the people had abandoned the teachings of Prophet Abraham and had introduced a

variety stone carved idols and wooden statues in the Ka`bah. At the time of the birth of the Prophet, the

Ka`bah had 360 idols in it.

3.The Young Orphan:

The Prophet (pbuh) was an orphan. His father Abdullah passed away two months before he was born. When

the Prophet (pbuh) was born, his mother, Amenah bint Wahb, sent him to his grandfather, Abdul-Muttaleb,

who was in the Ka`bah at the time. Abdul-Muttaleb was the chief of the Quraysh tribe and was esteemed by

all. The grandfather was elated at the good news and gave the baby the name “Muhammad”, meaning “the

praised one.”

It was the custom in Makkah for mothers to send their babies into the desert to be put in the care of a desert

tribe, where they grew up in the traditional healthy outdoor environment. Halimah As-Sa’deyyah took the

Prophet (pbuh) home and nursed him as a feeder-mother. Having looked after so many children before, she

noticed something extraordinary about the child. During Muhammad's stay with Halimah; she and her

family received all kinds of blessings and favours from God.

The Prophet (pbuh) returned to his mother after five years of desert life. When he was six years old his

mother, Amenah passed away. As a young boy, he must have felt very sad and heart-broken at the loss of his

mother. The Prophet (pbuh) then went to stay with his grandfather, Abdul-Muttaleb, who was extremely

kind to him and looked after him with great love and affection.

After two more years, when the Messenger of God was eight years old, his grandfather also died. Thereafter,

Abu Tāleb, an uncle of the Prophet (pbuh) took him under his care.

4

4.His Adulthood:

As the Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) grew up, he surpassed everyone in intelligence,

modesty and truthfulness. He was known for moderation, honesty and a serious sense of responsibility. In

his early youth, he was known to be a thoughtful boy. He worked as a shepherd and played with other

children.

Even before he received his first revelation, Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) believed in One

God, the God of Abraham (blessings and peace be upon him) and never fell into the common practices of his

people of worshipping idols. He believed that there was only one God, and only He was truly worthy of

worship. He never gambled nor did he drink alcohol. He did not engage in gossip and backbiting. He gave

charity to the poor and looked after the needy. He never lied, never broke a promise and never bore false

witness. Everyone respected him, and the people addressed him as “Al-Amin”, which means “the

trustworthy one”. He was also known as “As-Sadeq” or “The Truthful” for he never told a lie.

Muhammad (pbuh), had no particular job at his early youth, but it was reported that he worked as a shepherd

for Bani Sa‘d and in Makkah. At the age of 25, he went to Syria as a merchant for Khadijah. Ibn Ishaq

reported that Khadijah, daughter of Khwailid was a business-woman of great honour and fortune. She used

to employ men to do her business for a certain percentage of the profits. Quraish people were mostly

tradespeople, so when Khadijah was informed of Muhammad (pbuh), his truthful words, great honesty and

kind manners, she sent for him. She offered him money to go to Syria and do her business, and she would

give him a higher rate than the others. She would also send her hireling, Maisarah, with him. He agreed and

went with her servant to Syria for trade.

5.His Marriage to Lady Khadija:

When he returned to Makkah, Khadijah noticed, in her money, more profits and blessings than she used to.

Her hireling also told her of Muhammad’s good manners, honesty, deep thought, sincerity and faith. Many

prominent men had asked for her hand in marriage but she always spurned their advances. She disclosed her

wish to her friend Nafisa, daughter of Maniya, who immediately went to Muhammad (pbuh) and broke the

good news to him. He agreed and requested his uncles to go to Khadijah’s uncle and talk on this issue.

5

Subsequently, they were married. The marriage contract was witnessed by Bani Hashim and the heads of

Mudar. This took place after the Prophet’s return from Syria. He gave her twenty camels as dowry. She was,

then, forty years old and was considered as the best woman of her folk (tribe) in lineage, fortune and wisdom.

She was the first woman whom the Messenger of All (pbuh) married. He did not get married to any other

until she had died.

Khadijah bore all his children, except Ibrahim, Al-Qasim, Zainab, Ruqaiyah, Umm Kulthum, Fatimah and

‘Abdullah who was called Taiyib and Tahir. All his sons died in their childhood and all the daughters except

Fatimah died during his lifetime. Fatimah died six months after his death. All his daughters witnessed Islam,

embraced it, and emigrated to Madinah.

6.Beginnind of the prophecy (First Revelation):

A. In the Shade of the Message and Prophethood:

When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was nearly forty, he had been wonting to pass long hours in retirement

meditating and speculating over all aspects of creation around him. This meditative temperament helped to

widen the mental gap between him and his compatriots. He used to provide himself with Sawiq (barley

porridge) and water and then directly head for the hills and ravines in the neighbourhood of Makkah.

One of these in particular was his favourite resort a cave named Hira in the Mount An-Nour. It was only

two miles from Makkah, a small cave 4 yards long and 1.75 yard wide. He would always go there and invite

wayfarers to share him his modest provision. He used to devote most of his time, and Ramadan in particular,

to worship and meditation on the universe around him. His heart was restless about the moral evils and

idolatry that were rampant among his people; he was as yet helpless because no definite course, or specific

approach had been available for him to follow and rectify the ill practices around him.

B. The mission begins:

The Messenger of Allah was alone in the Cave of Hira' on the day destined for the start of his prophetic

mission. He was forty-one years old and it was the seventeenth day of Ramadan, the sixth of August 610

C.E. Suddenly an angel appeared and said to him, 'Read!'

'I cannot read,' he replied. Later, the Messenger of Allah, when recounting

6

what had happened, said, 'He seized me and squeezed me as hard as I could bear and then let me go and said,

''Read!"

'I said, " I cannot read."

'Then he squeezed me as hard as I could bear a second time and let me go. Again, he said, " Read."

'I cannot read.'

'Then he squeezed me a third time and let me go and said:

"Read in the name of your Lord Who created, created man of a blood-clot. Read, and your Lord is

the Most Generous, Who taught by the Pen, taught man what he did not know." '(96: 1-5)

This was the first day of his prophethood and these were the first verses of the Qur'an to be revealed.

C. Khadijah's reaction:

Naturally, the Messenger of Allah was alarmed by the experience. He had not known what was happening

and he had not heard of anything like this ever happening before. It had been a long time since there had

been a Prophet. In any case, the Arabs had only a remote connection with prophethood. He was very

frightened and returned to his house trembling.

'Wrap me up! Wrap me up!' he said.

When Khadijah asked why, he told her what had happened. She was an intelligent lady and had heard of

prophethood, Prophets and angels. She used to visit her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who had become a

Christian. He had read many books and had learned much from the people of the Torah and the Evangel.

Khadijah knew the character of the Messenger of Allah better than anyone because she was his wife and

close to his thoughts. She was well aware of his noble character and enviable qualities. She realized that he

had always been given success, and support by Allah, he was a man chosen from among His creation. She

declared with trust and belief, strongly and forcefully, 'No! Allah would never disgrace you! You maintain

close ties with your relations, you bear others' burdens and give people what they need.

D. Waraqah ibn Nawfal:

Having said this, Khadijara took the Prophetsa to her cousin, Waraqa bin Naufal, a Christian. When he heard

the account Waraqa said:

7

"The angel who descended on Moses , I am sure, has descended on you" (Bukhari).

E. Phases and Stages of the Call:

The Call into Islam could be divided into two phases distinctively demarcated:

1. The Makkan phase: nearly thirteen years.

2. The Madinese phase: fully ten years.

1.a The Makkan phase can be divided into three stages:

➢ 1.The stage of the secret Call: three years.

➢ 2. The stage of the proclamation of the Call in Makkah: from the beginning of the fourth year of

Prophethood to almost the end of the tenth year.

➢ 3. The stage of the call to Islam and propagating it beyond Makkah: it lasted from the end of tenth

year of the Prophethood until Muhammad’s (pbuh)emigration to Madinah.

1.b Three Years of Secret Call:

It is well-known that Makkah was the centre for the Arabs, and housed the custodians of Al-Ka‘bah.

Protection and guardianship of the idols and stone graven images that received veneration on the part of all

the Arabs lay in the hands of the Makkans. Hence the difficulty of hitting the target of reform considered

the den of idolatry. Working in such an atmosphere no doubt requires unshakable will and determination,

that is why the call into Islam assumed a clandestine form so that the Makkans should not be enraged by

the unexpected surprise.

F. The Early Converts:

The Prophet (pbuh) naturally initiated his sacred mission right from home and then moved to the people

closely associated with him. He called into Islam whoever he thought would attest the truth which had come

from his Lord. In fact, a host of people who nursed not the least seed of doubt as regards the Prophet [pbuh],

immediately responded and quite readily embraced the true faith. They are known in the Islamic literature

as the early converts. Khadijah, the Prophet’s spouse, the mother of believers, was the first to enter the fold

of Islam followed by his freed slave Zaid bin Harithah, his cousin, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, who had been living

with him since his early childhood, and next came his intimate friend Abu Bakr As- Siddiq. All of those

professed Islam on the very first day of the call.

8

G. The call to Islam on Mount of Safa:

The Messenger of Allah kept his mission secret for three years. Then Allah commanded him to display His

religion openly, saying, 'Loudly proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the idol

worshippers.' (15: 94) He also said, ‘Warn your clan, your nearest kin, and lower your wing to those

of the believers who follow you' (26: 21 4-15) and 'Say: I am the clear warner. ' (15: 89).

The Prophet climbed up on to the mountain of Safa and called out as loudly as he could, 'Ya Sabahah!' This

was a well-known concept used to assemble the community in an emergency. When there was any danger

of an enemy attacking a city or a tribe, the call, 'Ya Sabahah!' would ring out. The Quraysh were always

quick to respond. They gathered round the Messenger of Allah, who said, If I told you that there were horses

on the other side of this mountain about to attack you, would you believe me?'. Their intelligence and sense

of justice allowed them to confirm this statement.

'Yes,' they replied. Then the Messenger of Allah said, 'I warn you of a terrible punishment.' The people were

silent, except Abu Lahab who said, 'May you perish for this! Did you only summon us here for this?'

The Makkans, on their part, burst into outrage and disapproval. Muhammad’s (pbuh) words created a

thunderbolt that turned the Makkan time- honoured ideological life upside down. They could ill afford to

hear someone attaching to polytheists and idolaters, the description of straying people.

6. Enmity of the Quraysh and Abu Talib's concern:

When the Messenger of Allah openly proclaimed the call to Islam and called out the truth as he had been

commanded to do by Allah, his people did not distance themselves from him nor reject him. However, when

he criticized their gods, they regarded him as a menace and united in opposition against him.

His uncle, Abu Talib, concerned about the Messenger of Allah, protected him and stood up for him. The

Prophet continued in his mission, loudly proclaiming the truth. Nothing deterred him and Abu Talib

continued to care for him and defend him. Eventually, a group of men of the Quraysh went to Abu Talib

threatening, 'Abu Talib! Your nephew has cursed our gods and criticized our religion and ridiculed our

customs and called our fathers misguided. Either leave him to us or there will be a split between us and you.

You have the same religion and creed as we do.' Abu Talib spoke reassuringly to them, and they left satisfied.

9

The division and enmity of his people was a terrible burden for Abu Talib but he did not want to surrender

the Messenger of Allah to them.

The Messenger of Allah saw that Abu Talib was very upset by what had happened and was finding it hard

to carry on helping him. He said, ' uncle, by Allah, if they were to place the sun in my right hand and

the moon in my left hand on condition that I abandon this business, I would still not leave it until

Allah makes it victorious or I die doing it. '

7. The Quraysh torture the Muslims:

The Messenger of Allah continued to call people to Allah and the Quraysh despaired of both him and Abu

Talib. Their anger descended on those of their fellow tribesmen who had become Muslims and were

defenceless.

The Muslims were subjected to persecution. They were treated with contempt and mocked, but when that

failed, the Quraysh turned to physical attacks and punishment. Every clan targeted those who had become

Muslims among them. They began to imprison them and torture them with beatings, hunger and thirst.

Bilal, an Abyssinian, who had become a Muslim, was taken out on to the plain of Makkah by his master

Umayyah ibn Khalaf and left flat on his back in the midday heat. His master ordered that a huge stone be

placed on his chest and declared, 'By Allah, this stone will not be removed until you die or reject Muhammad

and worship al-Lat and al-'Uzza.

While he was suffering, Bilal would only say, 'God is One! God is One!' Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah

be pleased with him) passed by when he was lying there. He gave Umayyah a black slave who was stronger

and sturdier in exchange for Bilal and he set Bilal free.

The Banu Makhzum clan took ‘Ammar bin Yaser, his mother and father, who were all Muslims, into the

midday heat. They tortured them and then left them exposed to the burning sun of Makkah. The Messenger

of God (blessings and peace be upon him) would pass by them and tell them to be patient. Finally, after much

persecution, Ammar’s mother, Sumayah was killed, her only crime being, her refusal to renounce Islam.

8. The Escape to Abyssinia:

10

The Quraysh made life so difficult and unbearable for the Muslims in Makkah that the Prophet (blessings

and peace be upon him) finally told some of the believers to migrate to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). He suggested,

“If you were to go to Abyssinia, you would find there a king who does not wrong anyone.”

At first, a total of 15 men and women travelled to Abyssinia. Then the number increased to 83. This safe

haven for the Muslims made the Makkans all the more furious. They sent two of their best envoys to the

King of Abyssinia. The men presented expensive gifts to the King and told him to hand over the rebel

Muslims. The Negus, King of Abyssinia, sent for the Muslims and asked them to explain themselves.

It was on this occasion that Ja‘far, the son of Abu Tāleb, gave his memorable and magnificent speech. He

said, “O King, we were a people of ignorance who worshipped idols, committed sins, treated neighbours

badly, and the strong among us abused the weak. We were like that until God sent a Messenger to us. We

knew his noble birth, his honesty, trustworthiness and decency. He called us to proclaim the oneness of God

and to worship Him alone. He commanded us to speak the truth, to be faithful, to keep good ties with our

relatives, to be good to our neighbours and to refrain from crimes and bloodshed. He forbade us sinning,

telling lies, taking property of orphans unjustly and insulting righteous women.”

“For this reason alone, our people have attacked us, tortured us and forced us from our religion…When they

tortured us and came between us and our religion, we left for your country, choosing you, because we hoped

we would be treated fairly, while we were with you.”

The Negus listened to all of this attentively. Then he asked Ja‘far to recite some of the noble Qur’an. Ja‘far

recited the beginning of Surah Maryam (The Chapter of Mary, the mother of Jesus). After listening to the

Qur’an, the King was so touched by it that he wept until his beard was wet. He said: “It seems as if these

words and those which were revealed to Jesus are rays of light which radiated from the same source.”

The Negus then turned to the two men from Quraysh and told them that he would never hand over the

Muslims to them. He allowed the Muslims to live in his country in peace and treated them with honour. The

Negus later on embraced Islam.

9. Umar and Hamza Embrace Islam:

11

In the sixth year of Prophethood, the Prophet’s uncle, Hamza, and Umar bin al-Khattab (may God be

pleased with them both) embraced Islam. The Quraysh were greatly disturbed at the conversion of Hamza

and Umar since both of them were known for their strength and courage. The Prophet (blessings and peace

be upon him) had expressly prayed to God, asking Him to guide Umar to Islam. Once Umar embraced Islam,

the Muslims gained confidence. Previously, they used to pray in secret, fearful of the disbelievers. However,

when Umar became a Muslim; they began to pray openly in front of the Ka`bah.

10.The Boycott:

The number of Muslims was steadily increasing day by day. The Quraysh were so alarmed, they decided to

exile the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and his followers and force them to live in a confined

section of the town. No provisions were allowed to be given to them, and the Muslims had to suffer long

torturous periods without food and water.

The Muslims remained in this desperate state for three years, until the ban was finally lifted and the

document was miraculously destroyed by ants. Even with such severe trials and conditions, the Prophet

(blessings and peace be upon him) remained firm and continued calling the people to God night and day.

11.True Patience: Year of Sorrow:

Soon after the end of the boycott, in the tenth year of Prophethood, Abu Tāleb, the Prophet’s supportive

uncle and the Prophet’s wife, Khadijah, both died. They had both been valuable companions noted for their

loyalty, support and dedication. Now that they had both died, the Prophet experienced great grief and

sadness. Yet, despite these losses, he never gave up. He persevered on course, patiently inviting people to

Islam, not minding the hardships he had to face for the cause of God.

12.The Journey to Ta’if:

After Abu Taleb’s death, the Messenger of God suffered more than before. He was now without protection

and open to attack and maltreatment. When abuse at the hands of Quraysh became unbearable, the

Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) decided to go to Ta’if, a city about 45 miles from

Makkah, to call the people to Islam. He first went to the leaders of Ta’if, but contrary to his expectation,

they were very discourteous to him and refused to accept his message. They even incited a street mob to

12

shout abuse at the Prophet and pelt him with stones. The pelting continued for approximately three miles

making the Prophet’s body flow with blood. Even after such adversity, when the angels came to ask

permission of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) to crush the people of the city, he refused out

of mercy, hoping that one day their children would embrace Islam.

13.The Miraculous Night Journey:

On one very special night, the Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) was taken by the angel

Gabriel from al-Masjed al-Haram in Makkah to al-Masjed al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. From there he ascended

into the heavens. During this journey he saw many great signs of Allah and met many of His prophets,

including Adam, Abraham, Moses, John and Jesus the Messiah (peace be upon them all).

During this night, Allah first made fifty prayers obligatory on Muslims each day. The Messenger of God

(blessings and peace be upon him) kept asking God to reduce the number of prayers until He reduced it to

five prayers daily. Out of His mercy, God declared that whoever performs their five prayers daily with

sincerity, would have the reward of fifty prayers.

The next morning, the Prophet told the Quraysh what had happened. As expected, they did not believe

him and rather took the opportunity to ridicule him. To further convince and persuade them the Prophet

gave them a detailed description of Jerusalem, a city he had never visited before. He even gave information

of a caravan that he had seen on the way back to Makkah. Yet none of these descriptions were sufficient

proofs for the disbelieving Quraysh.

14The Delegation:

In the eleventh year of Prophethood, while the Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) was

at Aqabah, he met a group of men from Madinah (at that time known as Yathreb) and invited them to

Islam. They were neighbours of the Jews and had heard mention of a Prophet, who was about to come. After

some deliberation they accepted his teachings and became Muslims.

13

The Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) sent Mus’āb bin Umayr with them. Mus’āb was

a handsome young man who was a proficient reciter of the Qur’ān. He accompanied them to Madinah,

preached Islam to the people, and led them in prayer.

15.The Prophet's Migration:

The Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) ordered the Muslims who were with him in

Makkah to leave for Madinah. He could no longer tolerate their suffering at the hands of the Quraysh. The

emigration from Makkah to Madinah was not easy. The Quraysh put many obstacles to prevent the Muslims

from leaving Makkah. On the 27th of Safar in the 14th year of Prophethood (September 622 C.E.),

Allah granted permission to the Prophet to travel to Madinah. Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s close friend,

accompanied him on this blessed and historical journey.

On the eve of that day, the Quraysh had gathered to make one final attempt to assassinate the Prophet. They

agreed that each tribe would provide a young man and together they would attack the Prophet, each man

striking a blow. Allah informed His Messenger of this plot, and so he (blessings and peace be upon him)

secretly left the house without the men of Quraysh noticing him.

a.A New Beginning:

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah on Friday, the 12th of Rabi'

al-Awwal (September 27th, 622 C.E.) and took the downstairs of Abu Ayyub’s dwelling as a temporary

residence. The Muslims were overjoyed at the arrival of the Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon

him). It was the best thing that had ever happened to them. Young children were singing beautiful songs,

welcoming the Prophet to their city. From that day on, the town of Yathreb was known as Madinat an-

Nabi, or the City of the Prophet.

Soon after his arrival, the Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) helped in the building of a

masjid, now known as al-Masjed an-Nabawi. The masjid was a meeting place for the faithful and a centre for

all of their activities. After the masjid was built, the Messenger of Allah chose Bilal bin Rabah, known for

his beautiful voice, to call the people to prayer.

14

b.The First Constitution:

In Madinah, the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) became the Head of State. He established

brotherhood between the emigrants (Muhājerīn) from Makkah and the Helpers (Ansār) of Madinah. The

Ansār were so pleased to form a brotherhood that they were willing to divide all their possessions and give

half to their Muhājer brothers.

The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) also made an agreement with the Jews, confirming their

freedom to practice their faith and to live in peace. This accord is considered the first Constitution and

Charter of Human Rights and Liberties. It guaranteed freedom, security and justice to every citizen.

During this period the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) put great emphasis on education. Men,

women and children were taught all different aspects of faith and worship. He also stressed the importance

of ethics and good manners, since he realised that a great city is not built by strong walls but rather by

outstanding people. Thus, within a few years Madinah became the most honourable society ever known in

human history.

c.The Battle of Badr:

Even after the Muslims left Makkah, the Quraysh continued their hostility and waited for any opportunity

to crush the young and fragile Muslim community. The Muslims realised that they could no longer allow

aggression without any resistance. If they did not defend themselves, they would ultimately all be

annihilated. The Prophet, who had practiced strict pacifism in Makkah for thirteen years and disliked the

use of coercive force, was now given permission by God to defend against any attacks by his enemies.

The Qur'an declared: "Fighting has been prescribed for you and you detest it, but perhaps you detest

something and in it is much good. And perhaps you love something and in it is much harm, and God

knows and you do not know." (Qur'an 2:216).

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

15

In the month of Ramadān, the 2nd year after the Hijrah, the Muslims fought the Quraysh of Makkah in a

historical battle at Badr. The Muslims were only 313 in number, whilst the Quraysh army numbered more

than a thousand and were fully equipped.With the help of Allah, the Muslims were victorious in the battle.

During the battle, some of the Quraysh men were taken as prisoners and later released. For the first time in

history, prisoners of war were fed, looked after and treated humanely. During the following years, the

Quraysh made several other failed attempts to destroy the new Muslims state, but the Muslims held strong

and defended themselves with great courage and valor.

d.The Treaty of Hudaybeyah:

In Dhul-Qa‘dah, the sixth year after Hijrah, the Muslims left for Makkah with the intention of making the

lesser pilgrimage (Umrah). The Muslims had come clad in white as pilgrims signifying that they had come

in peace. Yet, the Quraysh arrogantly refused the Muslims entry into Makkah.

It was on this occasion that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) made a truce with the Quraysh

at a place called al-Hudaybeyah, approximately 7 miles from Makkah. The treaty stated that the Muslims

would not be allowed to perform Umrah this year but permission would be given for the following year. The

two parties also agreed to abandon war and to live in peace for ten years. Even though the terms of the

treaty were heavily on the side of the Quraysh, this was to be another triumph for Islam.

e.The Conquest of Makkah:

As expected, the Quraysh violated the terms of the Hudaybeyah Treaty and supported enemies of the

Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). Therefore, on the morning of Friday, the 20th of Ramadān,

8A.H. the Prophet accompanied by an army of ten thousand entered Makkah and captured the city with

hardly a single drop of blood being shed. The Prophet forgave all those who had up to then been bitter

enemies of Islam and declared a general amnesty.

The Prophet then went into the Ka`bah and destroyed all the idols inside it. The Ka`bah was once again

restored to the purpose for which it was built by Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), as a place to worship

the one true God (monotheism). The victory of Makkah had a tremendous impact on the Arabs. It showed

that Islam was indeed the religion of Allah and it paved the way for the whole of Arabia to accept the faith.

16

f. The Farewell Pilgrimage:

On the 4th of Dhul-Hijjah, the tenth year after Hijrah, the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) entered

Makkah for the last time to perform Hajj (pilgrimage) accompanied by 144,000 Muslim men and women.

The Prophet realized that his mission was coming to an end and that it was necessary to bid farewell to his

loving companions. On this occasion he gave a historic sermon in which he explained the principles of Islam.

He said,

“O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore, listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these

words to those who could not be present here today. O people, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and

property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your

Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has Judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn Abd Al-Muttalib (Prophet’s uncle) shall

henceforth be waived… Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to

lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O people, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under Allah’s trust and

with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you

do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste. O people, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during

the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab also, a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety (taqwa) and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be

legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O people, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O people, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me

two things, the Qu'ran and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O

Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people”.

17

On this occasion God revealed the following verse of the Qur’ān:

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, and have completed my favour upon you, and have

chosen for you as your religion al-Islam.” (Surah al-Ma'idah 5:3)

16.The Death of the Prophet (Blessings and Peace Be Upon Him):

The Messenger of God had now completed his work on earth and fulfilled his responsibility. The time had

come for him to return to his Lord. On Monday the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, at the age of 63, God the

Almighty, reclaimed the soul of his beloved Messenger. The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)

passed away in his home, with his family close by him. He was buried under the room in which he died in

the city of Madinah.

He died on the same day he was born, in the same house he had lived in for ten years in Madinah, on a small

bed made of leather stuffed with palm fibre’s, in the arms of his beloved wife Aishah. His dying words were,

"Treat your servants well. The prayer, the prayer, don’t be neglectful of the prayer. O God, (I have chosen)

the Exalted Companionship."

The companions were greatly saddened, not only by the loss of their beloved Prophet but also because they

knew there would be no further revelation from God. Some were so shocked that they denied that the

Prophet had died. It was on this occasion that Abu Bakr, the close companion of the Prophet announced, “If

anyone worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead. But whoever worships God, then know that God

is the Ever-Living, who will never die.” He then recited the following verse of the Qur'an:

“Muhammad is not but a messenger. Many messengers have passed on before him. So, if he was to

die or be killed would you turn back on your heels (o disbelief)?” (3:144)

When the Messenger of God (blessings and peace be upon him) passed away, the entire Arabian Peninsula

had accepted Islam. He left behind a message that remains as clear and alive today as when it was first

delivered.