A Brief History of the Prophet's Life
LINEAGE
The oldest and noblest tribe in the
whole of Arabia was Banu Hashim. They were the descendants of Ibrahim through his son
Isma'il. The Arabs respected and loved them for their goodness, knowledge, and bravery.
'ABD AL-MUTTALIB
'Abd al-Muttalib was the chieftain of
Banu Hashim and he was also the Guardian of the Ka'bah. Among his ten sons, 'Abdullah was
the father of the Holy Prophet.
MUHAMMAD
In Mecca, a baby boy named Muhammad was
born on 17th Rabi' al-Awwal, 570 AD. His father 'Abdullah, son of 'Abd al-Muttalib, died
before he was born and when he was six, he lost his loving mother Aminah bint Wahab. His
Grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib, took the responsibility of bringing up the orphan. At the
age of ten, he was berefted of his venerable grandfather. On his deathbed, he appointed
his son Abu Talib as the guardian of Muhammad. As a gentle, soft spoken, tall and handsome
boy, Muhammad, accompanied the trading caravans of Abu Talib, across the deserts, giving
him deep insight into nature and man.
KHADIJAH
The wealthy noble widowed lady
Khadijah, in looking for a manager for her rich merchantile caravans, selected Muhammad
(SW) as her manager. The able and fair dealing Muhammad (SW) was a tremendous success.
Khadijah already an admirer of Muhammad (SW), made him an offer of marriage. Muhammad (SW)
was twenty five and Khadijah forty. In spite of this disparity in age, the marriage proved
to be a very happy one.
THE PROPHET
Lover of nature and quite
worrried about human sufferings, Muhammad (SW) often retreated to Mount Hira' for
meditation. One night - Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Majesty) - a voice addressing him,
commanded "Recite in the name of thy Lord." Deeply excited by the strange
phenomena of the Divine Visitation, Muhammad (SW) hurried home to his wife, Khadijah, who
listened to him attentively and said that "I bear witness that you are the Apostle of
God." After an interval, the voice from heaven spoke again "O thou shrouded in
thy mantle, arise, and warn, and magnify thy Lord." This was a signal for him to
start preaching the gospel of truth of One God. In the beginning Muhammad (SW) invited
only those near him, to accept the new Faith. The first to embrace Islam among women was
Khadijah and among men Ali (AS). Soon after, Zayd ibn al-Harithah became a convert to the
new Faith. For three long years, he laboured quietly to wean his people from the worship
of idols and drew only thirty followers. Muhammad (SW) then decided to appeal publicly to
the Quraysh to give up idol worship and embrace Islam. The new Faith, is simple without
complications, practical, and useful for everyday life. It commands to believe and do
good, to keep up prayer and to pay the poor tax (alms). Almost ten years of hard work and
preaching, in spite of all persecution, produced over a hundred followers, physical
cruelties and social boycott made life unbearable in Mecca. The Holy Prophet of Islam
advised his followers, to seek refuge in the to seek refuge in the neighbouring country of
Ethiopia. Eighty eight men and eighteen women sailed to the hospitable shores of the
Negus, under the leadership of Ja'far at-Tayyar (brother of 'Ali) and the cousin of the
Holy Prophet. several times the chieftains came to Abu Talib saying, "We respect your
age and rank, but we have no further patience with your nephew. Stop him or we shall fight
you." Abu Talib asked Muhammad for his decision. With tears in his eyes, the Apostle
firmly replied, "O my uncle! If they place the sun on my right hand and the moon on
my left, to force me to renounce my mission, I will not desist until God manifests His
cause or I perish in the attempt."
TRAGEDIES
In a period of troubles, trials
and tribulations two major tragedies afflicted Muhammad. First the venerable guardian
uncle Abu Talib died and shortly afterwards his noble wife Khadijah died, leaving behind
her daughter Fatimah (peace be on her) - the only child she had from the Holy Prophet -
the daughter who looked after her father so much so that the prophet called her Umm Abiha
(the mother of her father).
MUSLIM ERA
With the death of the old
patriarch Abu Talib, the Meccans planned to assassinate the prophet. Under Divine
guidance, he asked 'Ali to sleep in his bed and Muhammad put his green garment on 'Ali.
While the murderes mistook 'Ali for muhammad, the Holy Prophet of Islam escaped to Medina.
The Muslim era of Hijrah (Emigration) is named after this incident and dated from 17th
Rabi' al-Awwwal, 622 AD. From the time he came to Medina, he was the grandest figure upon
whom the light of history has ever shone. We shall now see him as the King of men, the
ruler of human hearts, chief law-giver and supreme judge.The Preacher who went without
bread, was mightier than the mightiest sovereigns of the earth. No emperor with his tiaras
was obeyed, as this man in a cloak of his own clothing. He laid the foundation of the
Muslim commonwealth and drew up a charter which has been acknowledged as the work of
highest statemanship, a master-mind not only of his age, but of all ages. Unlike the
Arabs, the Prophet, had never wielded a weapon, but now he was forced to defend Islam by
force of arms. Commencing from the battle of Badr, a series of eighty battles had to be
fought, which the infant commmunity defended successfully.
UHUD
Next year, Abu Sufyan, the
famous long-lived enemy of Islam, again attacked the Muslims at Uhud. Hamzah, the first
flag-bearer of Islam and uncle of the Prophet, was killed in action. In spite of strict
instructions from the Prophet, a few Muslim soldiers deserted their post, when victory was
in sight. This changed the course of the battle. Khalid ibn al-Walid attacked the Prophet
and the grave situation was saved by the timely arrival of 'Ali. The enemies ran away and
the issue was decided. Muhammad was deeply grieved at the death of Hamzah.
HUDAYBIYYAH
The Muslims had been in self
exile for six years and began to feel a keen yearning for their homeland, Mecca. The
Prophet desired to perform a pilgrimage to Ka'bah. When he forsook his home town he was
weak, but when
he wanted to return, he was strong. He did not use his strength to force an entry into the
sacred city. Finding the Quraysh hostile, Muhammad entered into a treaty Known as the
Peace of Hudaybiyyah, appearing not very advantageous to the Muslims, but which revealed
the Islamic character of moderation and magnanimity. For the strong to excercise restraint
and toleration is true courage. Having reached upto the door of their birth place with
hearts over-flowing with impatient longing to enter it, the Muslims retraced their steps
peacefully to Medina, under the terms of the treaty, which allowed them to perform the
pilgrimage next year.
MECCA
In The 8th year AH, the
idolators violated the peace of Hudaybiyyah by attacking the Muslims. The enemies were
defeated and Mecca was conquered. The Prophet who fled from Mecca as a fugitive, now
returned home as a mighty conqueror. The Rahmatun lil 'Alamin (mercy unto all beings,
i.e., the Prophet) entered the city with his head bowed low in thankfulness to the
Almighty (Allah) and ordered a general amnesty, instead of the mass massacre of those who
persecuted him and his followers.
WIVES
A great number of Muslim
soldiers were killed in battles at Badr, Uhud, Khaybar, Hunayn and other places, leaving
behind young wives and children. The serious problem of taking care of the widows and
orphans, threatened to break up the moral fabric of the Muslim Society. Muhammad decided
to marry these widows and set an example for his followers to do likewise.
LAST PILGRIMAGE
Under the Divine intuition of
his approaching end, Muhammad prepared to make the farewell pilgrimage to Mecca. Before
completing all the ceremonies of Hajj, he addressed a huge multitude from the top of mount
'Arafat on 8th Dhi al-hijjah, 11 AH, in words which shall ever ring and live in the
atmosphere. After finishing the hajj the Holy Prophet started for Medina. On his way, at
Ghadir Khumm the Voice from Heaven cried: "O Apostle! deliver what has been revealed
to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message and
Allah will protect you from the people, surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving
people. (5:67) Muhammad immediately ordered Bilal to recall the Muslims, who had gone
ahead, who were behind and who were proceeding to their homes at the junction, to
assemble. The famous Sunni mutakallim and commentator, Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi in his
At-Tafsir al-Kabir, vol. 12, pp. 49-50, writes that the Prophet took 'Ali by the hand and
said: "Whoever whose mawla (master) I am, 'Ali is his master. O Allah! Love him who
loves 'Ali, and be the enemy of the enemy of 'Ali; help him who helps 'Ali, and forsake
him who forsakes 'Ali."
DEATH
On Muhammad's return to Medina,
he got busy settling the organization of the provinces and the tribes which had adopted
Islam. His strength rapidly failed and the poison (administered at Khaybar by a Jewess)
took its deadly toll. So ended the life dedicated to the service of God and humanity from
first to last, on 28th Safar, 11 AH. The humble Preacher had risen to be the ruler of
Arabia. The Prophet of Islam not only inspired reverence, but love owing to his humility,
nobility, purity, austerity, refinement and devotion to duty. The Master inspired all who
came into contact with him. He shared his scanty food; he began his meals in the Name of
Allah and finished them uttering thanks; he loved the poor and respected them; he would
visit the sick and comfort the heart broken; he treated his bitterest enemies with
clemency and forbearance, but the offenders against society were administered justice; his
intellectual mind was remarkably progressive and he said that man could not exist without
contant efforts. There is no god but One God and Muhammad is the Apostle of God, peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him and his descendants.
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