Prophet Muhammad (s): Difference between revisions

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>

His father was [[Abd Allah b. Abd al-Muttalib]] and his mother was [[Amina bt. Wahb b. 'Abd Manaf]].<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-Nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 157.</ref>

Muhammad (s) was born in a house in [[Shi'b Abi Talib]], which later became known as [[the Prophet's birthplace|Mawlid al-Nabi]] and was respected. After his birth, he was entrusted to [[Halima]], to nurse him. He resided with Halima among the tribe of Banu Sa'ad b. Bakr b. Hawazin for four years, and in the fifth year, Halima returned him to his mother.<ref>Masʿūdī, ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar'', vol. 2, p. 280.</ref>

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>  

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>

In the eleventh year after Bi'tha/620, during the days of Hajj, the Prophet (s) met with six individuals from the [[tribe of Khazraj]] in [[Yathrib]] (later known as Medina) and invited them to Islam. After returning to Yathrib, this group brought up the Prophet's invitation.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 1, p. 428-431.</ref>

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>

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) 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 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>

After the rituals, the Prophet (s) entered the Ka'ba, smashed the idols, stood at the door of the Ka'ba, and addressed the people and delivered a sermon.<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 60; Āyatī,  ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 466.</ref>

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 and buildings associated with him as valuable memorials. Among them, mosques have been built in various locations in Mecca and Medina where the Prophet (s) has prayed.<ref>Numayrī, ''Tārīkh al-madīna al-munawwara'', vol. 1, p. 75.</ref>

Even outside the cities of Mecca and Medina, places where the Prophet (s) has 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 are 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>

Reports of the Prophet's pilgrimage serve as one of the sources for understanding the jurisprudence and rituals of Hajj among Muslims.<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 2, p. 605-606.</ref>

It was during the return from this same pilgrimage that the event of [[Ghadir Khumm]] occurred, where the Prophet (s) selected Ali b. Abi Talib (s) as his successor.

Most historians have reported the Prophet's(s) date of passing as the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal, but Shia scholars believe it to be the 28th of Safar. Ali and Abbas conducted the ritual washing of the Prophet's body, and he was buried in the same place where he passed away ([[The Prophet's Chamber|the chamber of the Prophet]]).<ref>Ibn Hishām, ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya'', vol. 2, p. 663; Fayyāz,  ''Tārīkh-i Islām'',p.111-112.</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>

The prophet muhammad(s) had three sons and four daughters. His sons passed away at a young age. Qasim and Abdullah were born in [[Mecca]] and passed away there, while Ibrahim was born in the eighth year after the Hijra in Medina and passed away in the tenth year. His daughters were Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum, and [[Fatima(s)]].<ref>Āyatī, ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām'', p. 60-61.</ref>

*Āyatī, Muḥammad Ibrāhīm. ''Tārīkh-i payāmbar-i Islām''. Edited by Abu l-Qāsim Gurjī. Tehran: Intishārat-i Dānishgāh-i Tehran, 1378 Sh.

*Fayyāz ʿAlī Akbar. Tārīkh-i Islām. Tehran:Intishārat-i Dānishgāh-i Tehran, 1382 Sh.

*Ibn Hishām, ʿAbd al-Malik. ''Al-Sīra al-nabawīyya''. Edited by Muṣṭafā al-Saqā. Beirut: Dār al-Maʿrifa, [n.d].

*Masʿūdī, ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn al-. ''Murūj al-dhahab wa maʿadin al-jawhar''.Beirut: Dār al-Maʿrifa, [n.d].

*Numayrī, Ibn Shubbah. ''Tārīkh al-madīna al-munawwara''. Edited by Fahīm Muḥammad Shaltūt. Beirut: Dār al-Maʿrifa, [n.d].

*Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-. ''Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī''. Fourth edition. Beirut: Muʾassisat al-Aʿlamī li-l-Maṭbūʿāt, 1403 AH.

*Yaʿqūbī, Aḥmad b. Abī Yaʿqūb al-. ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī''. Beirut: Dār Ṣādir, n.p.