Prophet Muhammad (s): Difference between revisions

'''Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah (s)''', is the Prophet of Islam. He was born in [[Mecca]], attained prophethood at forty, and began inviting people to Islam in Mecca. Fourteen years later, he went to Yathrib to extend his invitation. This city was later named [[Medina|Medina of the Prophet]] after the Prophet's arrival and became the center of the Islamic government. He lived in this city for ten years, and [[al-Masjid al-Nabawi]] was his residence along with his wives. Later, mosques were built in various places where he visited or prayed.

Most Shi'as consider the seventeenth of Rabi' al-Awwal as the date of the birth of the Prophet (s), while most Sunnis consider the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal as his birthday.<ref>Āyatī, Muḥammad Ibrāhīm. ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 43</ref>

 

 

==From Childhood to Marriage==

From childhood to youth and the marriage of Prophet Muhammad (s), some events have been highlighted by biographers.

At the age of six, Muhammad (s) accompanied his mother Amina to [[Medina]]. Amina passed away on the return journey in a place called [[Abwa']] and was buried there. [[Umm Ayman]], took him back to Mecca, after Amina's death. [[Abd al-Muttalib]], the grandfather of Muhammad (s), took care of him until the age of eight, and upon Abd al-Muttalib's passing, his care was entrusted to his uncle, [[Abu Talib]].<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 168-169,179; Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar'', vol. 2, p. 281.</ref>

At the age of twelve, or some say nine or thirteen, Muhammad (s) accompanied Abu Talib on a trade caravan of the [[Quraysh]] to [[Syria]]. Muhammad (s) once again traveled to Syria at the age of twenty-five for trade, financed by [[Khadija]], a journey that laid the groundwork for the marriage of Muhammad (s) and Khadijah.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 181; Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 20.</ref>

 

Ten years after his marriage to Khadija and fifteen years after the fourth Fijar war, when Muhammad (s) was thirty-five years old, the Quraysh decided to reconstruct the Ka'ba. In this reconstruction, Muhammad (s) placed the [[Black Stone]] (al-Hajar al-aswad) in its place.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 192; Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī'', p. 321-323.</ref>  

 

Some reports suggest that Muahammad's age at the time of this event was twenty-five.<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 1, p. 19.</ref>

 

Muhammad (s) used to spend some time in seclusion and solitude in the cave of Hira' every year. Some have said that this period lasted for one month each year, and according to some narrations, it was during the month of Ramadan.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 236.</ref>

According to the widely accepted belief among Shi'a Muslims (Imamiyyah), the event of the Bi'tha occurred on the 27th day of the month of Rajab. However, according to the popular belief among Sunni Muslims, it took place during the month of Ramadan.<ref> Āyatī, ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 67.</ref>

According to some reports, the first encounter of the Muhammad (s) with the angel Gabriel occurred during one of his days of seclusion in the [[cave of Hira]].<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 236.</ref> It is said that Muhammad (s) was forty years old at this time.<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 22.</ref>

 

There is a difference of opinion regarding the first verses revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (s). Some believe that the first five verses of Sura al-'Alaq (Quran 96) were the initial revelations, while others argue that the first verses were from Sura al-Muddathir (Quran 74). Additionally, some scholars consider the Sura al-Fatiha (Quran 1), as the first revelation.<ref> Āyatī, ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 70.</ref>

 

==Commencement of the Prophet's Call in Mecca==

Among the family members of Prophet Muhammad (s), the first believers and supporters were [[Ali (a)]] and [[Khadija]].<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 23.</ref>

 

[[Hamza b. Abd al-Muttalib]] also embraced Islam in the second or sixth year after Bi'tha. Besides them, a group of Meccans joined him. The companions of the Prophet (s) used to go to the outskirts of [[Mecca]] to pray until a confrontation between them and the Meccan polytheists led them to thereafter pray at the [[house of Arqam]].

 

 

During the Hajj of the twelfth year of Bi'tha/621, twelve individuals from the people of Yathrib pledged allegiance to the Prophet (s) at [[al-'Aqaba]], known as the [[first al-'Aqaba pledge]]. In the Hajj of the thirteenth year's after Bi'tha/622, around seventy dignitaries from [[Medina]] met with the Prophet (s) and pledged allegiance, known as the [[second al-Aqaba pledge]], inviting him to migrate to Medina.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 438; Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 38.</ref>

==Migration to Medina==

The migration of Muslims began after the second pledge at al-Aqaba in Dhu al-Hijja of the thirteenth year after Bi'tha/622. The Prophet (s) himself migrated in the first of Rabi' al-Awwal of the year 14 after Bi'tha/623. The Prophet's journey to Medina later became known as the Tariq al-Hijra. He entered Quba on the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal, which was one of the neighborhoods of Medina.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 590; Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar'', vol. 2, p. 286.</ref>

==The Prophet (s) in Medina==

The Prophet (s) lived in [[Medina]] for ten years and passed away in this city. The migration to Medina later became the beginning of Islamic calendar. The years following the migration were the years of the establishment of the Muslim state under the leadership of the Prophet (s). During these years, several small and large battles occurred between the Muslims of Medina and the polytheists of Quraysh or other tribes around or within Medina (the Jews).<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī'', vol. 2, p. 491; Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar'', vol. 2, p. 287-289.</ref>

The most important of these are the Battles of [[Badr]], [[Uhud]], [[Khandaq]], and [[Khaybar]]. Gradually, the power of the Muslims increased, and in the eighth year/629-30, with the Conquest of Mecca, their power was consolidated in a large part of the Arabian Peninsula.

==Conquest of Mecca==

The Conquest of Mecca took place in the eighth year after the Hijra/629-30.<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar'', vol. 2, p. 296.</ref> He first went to [[al-Masjid al-Haram]] riding a camel and circumambulated the [[Ka'ba]] seven times, then touched [[the Black Stone]] with a stick he had in his hand.<ref> Āyatī, ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 464.</ref>

 

==Memorials of the Prophet (s) in Mecca and Medina==

In addition to the Quran, which is the holy book of Muslims and the result of divine revelation to the Prophet (s), Muslims consider many places or buildings associated with him as valuable memorials. Among them, mosques have been built in various locations in Mecca and Medina where the Prophet (s) prayed.<ref>Numayrī, ''Tārīkh al-madīna al-munawwara'', vol. 1, p. 75.</ref>

Many of these memorials are still standing today. The most important of these buildings is the [[Al-Masjid al-Nabawi|Prophet's Mosque]], which was connected to the house of the Prophet (s) and his wives. The Prophet's body was buried in this mosque after his death. Today, the Prophet's Mosque is the largest pilgrimage site for Muslims after the [[al-Masjid al-Haram|Masjid al-Haram]] in Mecca.

Even outside the cities of Mecca and Medina, places where the Prophet (s) prayed during his journeys and expeditions later became mosques. Among them, one can mention the 17 mosques along the route of the Tabuk Expedition, which were built from Medina to [[Tabuk]].<ref>Āyatī,  ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 500.</ref>

After migrating to Medina, the Prophet (s) performed [[Umra]] once in the month of Dhu al-Qi'dah of the sixth year after the Hijra, which is known as [[Umrah al-Qada]].<ref>Āyatī,  ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 427.</ref>

Once again, after the [[Battle of Hunayn]], in the month of Dhu al-Qi'dah of the eighth year after the Hijra, the Prophet (s) performed Umra. He also performed Hajj once in the tenth year after the Hijra. This pilgrimage is known as the [[Hajjat al-Wida']].<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar'', vol. 2, p. 297.</ref>

The number of wives of the Prophet Muhammad (s) has been recorded differently by various sources.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 643; Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar'', vol. 2, p. 290.</ref>