Muhammad was born
in Makkah in the year
570. Since his
father died before his
birth and his mother
died shortly
thereafter,
he was raised by his
uncle who was from the
respected tribe of
Quraysh. He was
raised illiterate, unable
to read or write, and
remained so till his
death. His people,
before his mission as a
prophet, were ignorant
of science and most of
them were illiterate.
As he grew up, he
became known to be
truthful, honest,
trustworthy,
generous, and sincere.
He was so trustworthy
that they called
him the Trustworthy.1
Muhammad was very
religious, and he
had long detested the
decadence and idolatry
of his society.
At the age of forty,
Muhammad received
his first revelation
from God through the
Angel Gabriel. The
revelations continued
for twenty-three
years, and they are
collectively known as
the
Qur ’ an
As soon as he began
to recite the Qur
’ an
and to preach the truth
which God had
revealed to him, he
and his small group of
followers
suffered persecution
from unbelievers. The
persecution grew so
fierce that in the year
622 God gave them the
command to emigrate.
This emigration from
Makkah to the city of
Madinah, some 260
miles to the north,
marks the beginning of
the Muslim calendar.
After several years,
Muhammad and his
followers were able
to return to Makkah,
where they forgave
their enemies. Before
Muhammad died, at
the age of sixty-three,
the greater part of the
Arabian Peninsula had
become Muslim, and
within a century of
his death, Islam had
spread to Spain in the
West and as far East
as
China. Among the
reasons for the rapid
and peaceful spread of
Islam was the truth and
clarity of its doctrine.
Islam calls for faith
in only one God, Who
is the only one worthy
of worship.
The Prophet
Muhammad was a
perfect example of an
honest, just, merciful,
compassionate,
truthful, and brave
human
being. Though he was
a man, he was far
removed from all evil
characteristics and
strove solely for the
sake of God and His
reward
in the Hereafter.
Moreover, in all his
actions and dealings,
he was
ever mindful and
fearful of God
