Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (the seal of prophets and messengers)
Nearly six centuries passed after Jesus (peace be upon him) had been raised to heaven, during which people swerved from guidance and turned to disbelief and error and worshiped others besides Allah. So, Allah Almighty sent Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah, Hijaz, with guidance and the true religion, calling people to worship Allah alone, with no partner. He supported him with signs and miracles that proved his prophethood and message. He made him the seal of the messengers and made his religion the final one, preserving it from distortions and alterations till the end of time. So, who is Muhammad? Who are his people? How did Allah send him? What are the signs of his prophethood? What are the details of his life and biography? This is what we will attempt to present and clarify in these few pages.
a. His lineage and honor
He is Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hāshim ibn ‘Abd Manāt ibn Qusayy ibn Kilāb. His lineage goes back to Ishmael the son of Abraham (peace be upon both of them), from Quraysh, an Arab tribe. He was born in Makkah in 571 AD.His father died while he was still in his mother’s womb. So, he grew up as an orphan under the care of his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib and later, after his grandfather’s death, under the care of his paternal uncle Abu Tālib.
b. His traits
We have previously noted that a messenger chosen by Allah Almighty should be at the climax of purity, truthfulness, and noble morals, and that was the exact description of Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). He grew up as a truthful and honest man, known for his good morals, kind speech, and eloquence. He was loved by everyone, near and far, and was held in high esteem among his people. They called him “the
honest one” and would entrust him with their precious possessions whenever they went on a journey.
In addition to his good morals, he was also of a good appearance. The eyes would always enjoy looking at him. He had a white face, wide eyes, long eyelashes, black hair, broad shoulders, and moderate height, closer to being tall. One of the Companions described him saying: «I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in a Yemeni garment, and I had never seen anyone better looking than him. «He was unlettered, who could not read or write, and lived among mostly unlettered people. Few of them would read and write. They, however, were smart, quick-witted, and with sharp memory.
c. Quraysh and the Arabs
The Prophet’s people and clan lived in Makkah beside the Ka‘bah, which Allah Almighty had commanded Abraham and his son Ishmael (peace be upon them) to build.
As many years passed, they deviated from the religion of Abraham – sincere worship of Allah alone – and, along with the surrounding tribes, they placed idols of stones, trees, and gold around the Ka‘bah. They deemed them sacred and believed that they could bring about benefit and cause harm. Moreover, they created certain rituals in worship to these idols, the biggest and the most important and famous of which was the one called Hubal. There were other idols and trees outside Makkah, worshiped apart from Allah and held in sanctity, like Al-Lāt, Al-‘Uzza, and Manāt. The relationship between different tribes was marked by arrogance, pride, aggression, and grinding wars. They, nonetheless, had some good traits like bravery, hospitality, and truthfulness.
d. The start of the Prophet’s mission
At the age of forty, and one day when the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was in the cave of Hirā’ outside Makkah, he received the first revelation from heaven through Angel Jibrīl (Gabriel) who
pressed him and said: “Read!” He said: “I cannot read.” He again pressed him strongly and repeated the request and received the same reply. He did this for a third time, pressing him more strongly and asking him to read, and the reply was: “What should I read?” Thereupon, he said:{Read in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know.}[Surat al-‘Alaq: 1-5]
The angel went off and left him. So, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) returned to his house and wife, in fear and panic. He said to his wife Khadījah: “Cover me, for I fear for myself.” She said: “No, by Allah, Allah will never humiliate you for you maintain kinship ties, help the poor, and assist those hit by calamities.”
Then, Gabriel came to him in the form Allah had created him in, blocking the horizon. He said: “O Muhammad, I am Gabriel, and you are the Messenger of Allah.”
Thereafter, the revelation successively came from heaven, commanding the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to call his people to worship Allah alone and to warn them of polytheism and disbelief. So, he began to call his people, one by one, starting from the nearest ones, to embrace Islam. The first to believe in him were his wife Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, his friend Abu Bakr as-Siddīq, and his cousin ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib.
As his people knew about his call, they began to confront him and plot against him. One morning, he came out and called out loud: “O morning!” A word used at that time for the purpose of gathering people. The people gathered one after another to hear what he had to say. When they gathered, he said to them: “What if I informed you that the enemy would attack you in the morning or in the evening – would you believe me?” They said: “We have never seen you lying.” He said: “Indeed, I am a warner to you, ahead of a severe punishment.” Thereupon, his paternal uncle Abu Lahab said to him: “May you perish, is it for this that you have gathered us?!” So, Allah Almighty revealed:{May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and
may he perish! Neither his wealth nor his worldly gains will avail him. He will burn in a Flaming Fire, and so will his wife, the carrier of firewood, around her neck will be a rope of palm fiber.}[Surat al-Masad: 1-5]
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) kept calling them to Islam and asking them, “say: ‘There is no god but Allah’, only then you will succeed.” But they said: “Has he made gods only one god? This is strange indeed.”
Allah Almighty revealed verses that called them to guidance and warned them of the error they were in. Some of these verses read:{Say, “Do you disbelieve in the One Who created the earth in two Days, and you set up rivals to Him? Such is the Lord of the worlds. He placed on it firm mountains standing high above it, and showered His blessings upon it, and measured its sustenance totaling exactly four Days, for all who ask. Then He turned to the heaven when it was all smoke, and said to it and to the earth, ‘Come into being, willingly or unwillingly.’ They both said, ‘We come willingly. ‘He then formed them into seven heavens in two Days and assigned to each heaven its mandate. And We adorned the lowest heaven with lamps [stars] which also serve as a protection. That is the design of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. «But if they turn away, then say, “I warn you of a blast like the one that befell ‘Ād and Thamūd.”}[Surat Fussilat: 9- 13]
However, these verses and this call only increased them in obstinacy and arrogant rejection of the truth. They even began to inflict harsh torment upon anyone accepting Islam, especially the weak ones who had no means of protection. They would, for example, place a large rock upon the chest of one of them and drag him through the markets during severe heat, ordering him to disbelieve in the religion of Muhammad or remain in this torment. Many of them died from severe torture.
As for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), he enjoyed the protection of his paternal uncle Abu Tālib, who loved and sympathized with him. He was a respected leader in Quraysh; however, he did not embrace Islam.
Quraysh tried to strike a deal with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). They offered him money, authority, and other temptations provided that he should give up the call to this new religion, which insulted the idols they sanctified and worshiped apart from Allah. In response, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) displayed a firm and categorical stance, for this was a message that Allah commanded him to convey to people, and were he to disobey the command, Allah would punish him. He told them that he wanted good for them, and they were his people and kith and kin. «By Allah, if I were to lie to all people, I would not lie to you, and if I were to deceive all people, I would not deceive you.”
When their attempts to strike a deal to stop his call to Allah bore no fruit, the Quraysh became more hostile towards the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and his followers. They asked Abu Tālib to hand Muhammad over to them so that they would kill him, in return for whatever he wanted, or otherwise he should stop proclaiming his religion amongst them. So, his uncle asked him to cease his call to this religion.
Feeling sad, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: «By Allah, O uncle, if they were to place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand so that I should give up this religion, I would not give it up until Allah makes it dominant or I perish in the process. «Thereupon, his uncle said: “Go ahead and say whatever you wish. By Allah, they would not be able to harm you in any way before I die in defending you”. Later, as Abu Tālib was dying, and some leading tribesmen were present, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) came and was requesting him eagerly to embrace Islam, saying: “Uncle, say a word by which I can intercede for you with Allah. Say: There is no god but Allah”. Witnessing that, the notables said: “Would you renounce the religion of ‘Abd al-Muttalib (would you renounce of the religion of your forefathers)?” So, he found it too grave that he should leave the religion of his forefathers and enter Islam. Hence, he died as a polytheist. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) grieved so much because his uncle died as a polytheist. So, Allah Almighty addressed him saying:{You
cannot guide whoever you like, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He knows best who will be guided.}[Surat al-Qasas: 56]
After his uncle’s death, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) suffered harm. They would place filth (taken from animals) over his back while he was praying at the Ka‘bah.
Thereafter, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) headed to Taif, 70 km from Makkah, to call its people to Islam. They, however, opposed his call more vehemently than the people of Makkah and incited their fools to throw stones at the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as they expelled him from their town. They followed him with stones and injured his honored heels.
In that state, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) turned to his Lord in supplication and pursuit of support. So, Allah Almighty sent him the angel telling him that his Lord had heard the people’s reaction to him, and he would cause the two large mountains to crash upon them, if he so willed. He replied: “No, but I hope that Allah would bring out of their children those who would worship Allah alone and associate none with Him”.
Then, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) returned to Makkah, where the hostility continued towards all those who believed in him. Later, a delegation from Yathrib – which was then called Madīnah – came to him, and he invited them to Islam. They embraced Islam. So, he sent with them one of his Companions, called Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr, to teach them Islam. Many from the people of Madīnah accepted Islam at his hand.
The following year, they came back to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to give him the pledge of allegiance on Islam. Then, he instructed his persecuted Companions to emigrate to Madīnah, which they did, individually and in groups. They were, thus, called “Al- Muhājirūn” (the Immigrants). The people of Madīnah welcomed and
honored them and shared with them their houses and properties. Hence, they were later called “Al-Ansār” (the Supporters).
When Quraysh learned about this Hijrah (immigration), they were determined to kill the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Hence, they planned to besiege the house where he passed the night and to strike him collectively with the sword on coming out. Allah Almighty saved him, however, and he came out while they were unaware. Then, Abu Bakr as-Siddīq caught up with him and he instructed ‘Ali to stay in Makkah to return the trusts left with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) to their owners.
While the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was on the path of Hijrah, Quraysh declared a huge prize for whoever could seize Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) alive or dead. But Allah Almighty saved him and made him and his Companion reach Madīnah safe and sound.
The people of Madīnah received him in a welcoming, cheerful, and an extremely joyful manner. They all came out to meet him, chanting: The Messenger of Allah has come; the Messenger of Allah has come.
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) settled in Madīnah. The first thing he did was constructing a mosque, where the prayer would be performed. He began to teach people the laws of Islam and noble morals and to recite the Qur’an to them. His Companions rallied around him, taking guidance from him, purifying their souls, and refining their manners. Their love for the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) deepened and they got influenced by his sublime attributes; and the brotherly bond of faith strengthened among them. Madinah truly became a utopia that lived in an atmosphere of happiness and brotherliness, with no difference between rich and poor, black and white, and Arab and non-Arab. The only criterion of distinction was faith and piety. Out of this elite community, the best generation that history has ever known emerged.
One year after the Prophet’s Hijrah, confrontations and battles began between the Messenger of Allah along with his Companions against Quraysh and its allies who were hostile towards Islam.
The first battle between the two sides, the Great Battle of Badr, took place in a valley located between Makkah and Madīnah. Allah Almighty supported the Muslims, 314 fighters, against Quraysh, one thousand fighters. The Muslims attained a clear victory, killing seventy of the Quraysh fighters, most of them were leaders and senior figures, and taking seventy captives, while the rest ran away.
There followed other battles between the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and Quraysh, in the last of which (8 years after his leaving Makkah) he managed to lead an army of ten thousand Muslim fighters towards Makkah to attack Quraysh on their own grounds and inflict a crushing defeat on them. He overcame his tribe that had sought to kill him, tortured his Companions, and prevented people from the religion that Allah sent down to him.
Following this remarkable victory, he gathered them and said:“O people of Quraysh, what do you think I will do to you?” They said: “You are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother.” He said: “Go, for you are set free.” He pardoned them and gave them the free choice to embrace Islam.
This prompted people to enter the religion of Islam in multitudes, and then the entire Arabian Peninsula embraced Islam.
Shortly afterwards, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) performed Hajj along with 114000 who had recently embraced Islam.
On the day of ‘Arafah, he stood and delivered a sermon in which he clarified the rulings and laws of Islam. Then, he remarked: “I may not meet you after this year. Behold! Those present should convey this to those who are absent.” Then, he looked at them and said: “Have I conveyed the message?” The people replied: “Yes.” He said: “O Allah, bear witness.” He
again said: “Have I conveyed the message.” The people replied in the affirmative, and he said: “O Allah, bear witness.”
After Hajj, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) returned to Madīnah and one day he addressed people saying that Allah Almighty gave someone a choice between living eternally and what is with Allah, and he chose what is with Allah. The Companions wept, knowing that he had meant himself and that his departure from this world was imminent. On Monday, the 12th of Rabī‘ al-Awwal, 11 AH, the Prophet’s illness worsened, and he started suffering the throes of death. He gave a farewell look at his Companions and exhorted them to adhere to performing the prayer. Then he breathed his last and departed to the Supreme Companion.
The Companions were extremely shocked and sad for his death to the extent that one of them – ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) – unsheathed his sword and threatened to kill anyone saying that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had died.
Thereupon, Abu Bakr came and reminded him of the verse saying:{Muhammad is no more than a messenger; there were messengers passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? Anyone who turns back on his heels will not harm Allah in the least, but Allah will reward those who are grateful.}[Surat Ᾱl ‘Imrān: 144]Upon hearing this verse, ‘Umar fell unconscious.
This is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, the seal of all prophets and messengers. Allah sent him to all mankind as a warner and bringer of glad tidings. And he conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, and gave sincere advice to the Ummah.
Allah Almighty supported him with the Noble Qur’an, the divine revealed speech that{No falsehood can approach it from the front or from behind; a revelation from the One Who is All-Wise, Praiseworthy.}[Surat Fussilat: 42]If all people, from the beginning of humanity to the end of times, were to gather and jointly try to produce something like the Qur’an, they would not be able to, even if they collaborated with one another. Allah Almighty
says:{O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, so that you may become righteous; He Who made the earth a resting- place for you, and the sky a canopy; and sends down rain from the sky, and brings forth fruits thereby as a provision for you. So do not set up rivals to Allah while you know. If you are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down upon Our slave, then produce a chapter like it and call upon your helpers other than Allah, if you are truthful. But if you did not do it, and you can never do it; then beware of the Fire whose fuel will be people and stones, which is prepared for the disbelievers. And give glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens under which rivers flow. Every time they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, “This is what we were provided with before,” for they will be given fruit that resemble one another. They will have purified spouses, and they will abide therein forever.}[Surat al- Baqarah: 21-25]
The Qur’an consists of 114 surahs, which comprise over six thousand verses. Allah Almighty challenges people over all ages to produce one surah similar to its surahs, knowing that the shortest surah in the Qur’an consists of three verses only.
If they could do so, they would then know that this Qur’an did not come from Allah. Indeed, this is one of the greatest miracles by which Allah supported His Messenger. He also supported him with other miracles and supernatural acts, such as the following:
e. Supporting the Prophet with miracles:
1. He would supplicate Allah and place his hand in a vessel, and as a result, water would spring forth from between his fingers. The whole army, more than a thousand, would drink from this water.
2. He would supplicate Allah and place his hand in food, which would increase in the bowl and suffice 1500 Companions.
3. He would raise his hands towards the sky in supplication for rain and before leaving his place, drops of water would fall down his face from rain, and other numerous miracles.
Allah Almighty also supported him with His protection. None of those seeking to kill him would ever be able to reach him and extinguish the light that he came with from Allah. In the Qur’an, Allah says:{O Messenger, convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord. If you do not do that, then you have not conveyed His message. Allah will protect you from the people…}[Surat al-Mā’idah: 67]Despite Allah’s support for him, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was still a role model in all his words and deeds, and he was the first to obey the divine commands revealed to him, the most keen on performing the acts of worship and obedience, and the most generous, readily spending in charity whatever he had, giving it to the poor and needy – even the inheritance as he once said: “We, the prophets, do not leave inheritance. Whatever we leave is charity”. 2
As for his morals, they are higher than anyone could ever reach. Everyone who accompanied him would love him from the bottom of his
2 Narrated by Ahmad (2/463) with an authentic Isnād] A similar Hadīth, which was mentioned by Ahmad Shākir in his review of “Musnad” (19/92), reads: “My heirs will not inherit a dinar, for whatever I leave, excluding the adequate support of my wives the wage of a worker, is to be given in charity.”
heart, and the Prophet would become dearer to him than his children, parents, and all people.
Anas ibn Mālik, the Prophet’s servant, said: “I never touched a hand that is better, softer, or more fragrant than the hand of the Messenger of Allah. I served him for ten years, and he never said to me: ‘Why did you do that?’ for something I had done, nor did he ever say to me: ‘Why did you not do that?’ for something I had not done.” 3
This is Muhammad the Messenger of Allah. Our Lord raised his status and reputation among all humankind. No one is mentioned today in the whole world as often as he is mentioned. Since 1400 years, millions of minarets all over the globe announce the Adhān (call to prayer) five times a day and proclaim: “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”. And millions of worshipers repeat the same phrase tens of times every day in their prayers: “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”.
f. The noble Companions
After the Prophet’s death, his noble Companions shouldered the responsibility of the call to Islam and dispersed far and wide to spread it. They were, indeed, the best callers to this religion. Of all people, they were the most truthful in speech, the most just, and the most honest, and they had the greatest interest in guiding people and spreading goodness among them.
They assumed the morals and traits of the prophets. So, their morals played a remarkable role in people’s acceptance of this religion in different parts of the world. They willingly embraced Islam in large numbers, from West Africa to East Asia and Central Europe, without any coercion.
These are the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, the best people after the prophets. The most famous among them are the four rightly
3 Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4/230)
guided Caliphs, who ruled the Muslim state after the Prophet’s death. They are:
1. Abu Bakr as-Siddīq. 2. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. 3. ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān. 4. ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib.
Muslims hold feelings of recognition and appreciation towards them and draw close to Allah Almighty by loving His Messenger and his Companions, men and women, respecting and revering them.
No one would hate or insult them except a disbeliever in Islam, even if he claims to be a Muslim. Allah Almighty praises them saying:{You are the best nation ever raised for mankind: you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah.}[Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 110]And He affirmed His pleasure with them when they gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as He says:{Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you [O Prophet] under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility upon them and rewarded them with an imminent victory.}[Surat al-Fat-h: 18]
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