Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) born as Muhammad ibn

Abd’Allah ibn Abd al-Muttalib was a man from

Makkah who unified Arabs under the religion ‘Islam’.

Muhammad (S.A.W) was born as an orphan as his

father had died before his birth. Prophet Muhammad

was given birth in the year of 570 A.D also known as

‘the year of elephant’.He was then taken to the open

desert for healthy up-bringing as per the tradition of

Arabs at that time. He was taken by Halimah bint Abu

Dhuayb also regarded as prophet’s foster mother.

Soon after he was brought back to Makkah, hismother, Aminah bint Wahb died due to illness. At thisstage the prophet was 6 years old and was then underthe care of his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib. At theage of 8 his grandfather also passed away and thenMuhammad was under the care of his uncle, AbuTalib. After the death of his father, Abu Talib wasappointed as the chief of their clan, Bani Hashimtherefore Muhammad (S.A.W) was under theprotection of the chief of the clan. Muhammad(S.A.W) was also know as Al-Sadiq, the truthful andAl-Amin, the faithful. Prophet’s first wife was, Khadijahbint Khuwaylid, when they got married the prophet was25 years old while Khadijah (R.A) was 40 years old.

Several years later, Muhammad was involved with a wellknown story about setting the Black Stone in place in thewall of the Kaaba in 605 CE. The Black Stone, a sacredobject, had been removed to facilitate renovations to theKaaba. The leaders of Mecca could not agree on whichclan should have the honor of setting the Black Stoneback in its place. They agreed to wait for the next man tocome through the gate and ask him to choose. That manwas the 35-year-old Muhammad, five years before hisfirst revelation. He asked for a cloth and put the BlackStone in its centre. The clan leaders held the corners ofthe cloth and together carried the Black Stone to the rightspot, then Muhammad set the stone in place, satisfyingthe honor of all.

“Revelation”

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) used to go to

cave Hira quite often, a cave in the mountain

of Hira in Makkah. During one of his visit to

cave Hira, angel Gabriel appeared to him in

the year 610 and commanded Muhammad to

recite verses which would later be included

in the Quran. There is a consensus that the

first words of the Quran to be revealed were

the beginning of Surah 96:1. Upon receiving his

first revelations, he was deeply distressed. After

returning home, Muhammad was consoled and

reassured by Khadijah and her Christian cousin,

Waraqah ibn Nawfal.

According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad's wife

Khadijah was the first to believe he was a prophet.

She was soon followed by Muhammad's ten-year-old

cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib, close friend Abu Bakr, and

adopted son Zaid. Around 613, Muhammad

began to preach to the public(Quran 26:214). Most

Makkans ignored him and mocked him, though a

few became his followers. There were three main

groups of early converts to Islam: younger brothers

and sons of great merchants; people who had fallen

out of the first rank in their tribe or failed to attain it;

and the weak, mostly unprotected foreigners.

Tradition records at great length the persecution and

ill-treatment towards Muhammad and his

followers. Sumayyah bint Khabbab, a slave of a

prominent Makkan leader Abu Jahl, is famous as the

first martyr of Islam, having been killed with a spear

by her master when she refused to give up her faith.

Bilal, another Muslim slave, was tortured by Umayyah

ibn Khalaf who used to place a heavy rock on his chest

to force his conversion. Apart from insults,

Muhammad was protected from physical harm as he

belonged to the Bani Hashim clan.

In 617, the leaders of Makhzum and Banu Abd-Shams,

two important Quraysh clans, declared a public

boycott against Banu Hashim, their commercial rival,

to pressure it into withdrawing its protection of

Muhammad. The boycott lasted three years but

eventually collapsed as it failed in its objective.

During this, Muhammad was only able to preach

during the holy pilgrimage months in which all

hostilities between Arabs were suspended.

Islamic tradition states that in 620, Muhammadexperienced the Isra and Mi'raj, a miraculous journeysaid to have occurred with the angel Gabriel in one night.In the first part of the journey, the Isra, he is said to havetravelled from Makkah on a winged horse (Buraq) to "thefarthest mosque" (in Arabic: masjid al-Aqsa), whichMuslims usually identify with the Al-Aqsa Mosque inJerusalem. In the second part, the Mi'raj, Muhammad issaid to have toured heaven and hell, and spoke withearlier prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. IbnIshaq, author of the first biography of Muhammad,presents this event as a spiritual experience whereas laterhistorians like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir present it as aphysical journey.

The Hijra is the migration of Muhammad and his

followers from Makkah to Medina in 622 CE. In

September 622, warned of a plot to assassinate him,

Muhammad secretly slipped out of Mecca, moving

with his followers to Medina, 320 kilometers

(200 mi) north of Mecca. The Hijra is celebrated

annually on the first day of the Muslim year. After

living in Makkah for almost 52 years the prophet

migrated to Medina, at that time it was known as

Yathrib. The Muslim people in Medina also know as

Ansars welcomed the muhajireen( Makkans who

migrated to Medina).

In the year 624 A.D the Muhajireen along with

Ansars fought with the pagans of Makkah at the

grounds of Badr. In this battle many of the chiefs

Of Makkah were killed. A year later the Makkans got

ready in order to take their revenge for their defeat. In

625 A.D the both side faced each other once again

this time at the plains of Uhud. This battle was lost by

Muslims because of their disobedience to the

prophet but they later repented and asked Allah for

forgiveness. In 627 A.D the Makkans decided to finish

off Islam for once and for all, setting out with an army

of almost 10,000 men they marched towards Yathrib.

The Muslims were aware of their plan. One of the

man who was taken as a slave from Persia named ‘

Salman al-Farsi’ gave prophet the plan to dig a trench,

prophet really liked the idea and the Muslims began

to dig a trench around Yathrib. When the Makkans

arrived they were totally confused as they had never

seen anything like this. After a long siege, due to very

cold weather the Makkans were forced to finish the

siege and go back home therefore very few people

were killed in this battle. After this the treaty of

Hudaybiyyah took place.

In the year 628 A.D the prophet saw a dream of going

to Makkah to perform Umrah. The prophet set out

with his companions to perform Umrah but when

they reached a valley close to Makkah named

‘Hudaybiyyah’ the Makkans informed them that they

will not be allowed to perform Umrah as they had

taken a pledge and had they voided the pledge they

would have been held in disgrace by other Arabs but

as they stopped the Muslims from entering Makkah

this led anger throughout the Arabian peninsula. The

other tribes believed that they only respected

Quraysh as they were the caretakers of the Kaaba but did

not allow them to treat it as their property.

Due to this fact the Arabs started to support Muhammad(S.A.W) and his

companions rather than the Quraysh of Makkah. In the valley of

Hudaybiyyah there was treaty signed by the Muslims and the Kafirs of

Makkah, which stated as follows:-

“In your name, O God!

This is the treaty of peace between Muhammad Ibn Abdullah and

Suhayl Ibn Amr. They have agreed to allow their arms to rest for ten

years. During this time each party shall be secure, and neither shall

injure the other; no secret damage shall be inflicted, but honesty and

honor shall prevail between them. Whoever in Arabia wishes to

enter into a treaty or covenant with Muhammad can do so, and

whoever wishes to enter into a treaty or covenant with the Quraysh

can do so. And if a Qurayshite comes without the permission of his guardian

To Muhammad, he shall be delivered up to the Quraysh; but if, on the other

hand, one of Muhammad's people comes to the Quraysh, he shall not be

Delivered up to Muhammad. This year, Muhammad, with his companions,

Must withdraw from Mecca, but next year, he may come to Mecca and remain

For three days, yet without their weapons except those of a traveller; the swords

remaining in their sheaths.”

2 years later Bani Bakr, allies of the Makkans carried

out a raid on Bani Khuzah killing some of their people

therefore voiding the treaty, as Muhammad (S.A.W)

came to know he gave Quraysh 3 offers:-

(1)Makkans would pay blood money for those slain

among the Khuza'ah tribe; (2) they should disavow

themselves from Banu Bakr; (3) they should declare

the truce of Hudaybiyyah null. The Quraysh did

not hesitate and chose the 3rd option but they soon

realized their mistake and asked Muhammad to look

in the matter again, but this time it was too late.

• In 630 A.D the prophet and his companions with other Arab tribes set out to Makkah to conquest. They numbered nearly 10,000. At arriving they first removed all the idols from the premises of Haram. By this time almost all of Makkah had accepted Islam. Some of their chiefs had fled and most of them accepted Islam. Although later these chiefs returned to Prophet and accepted Islam. These companions later fought very hard in the battles with the Byzantines and Persians.

• The Prophet later returned back to Madinah.In 632A.D the prophet fall sick and in the month of

Rabi-Ul- Awwal the Prophet passed away. He was

buried in the room of Ayesha (R.A) which is present

day a part of the Masjid-e-Nabwi.