According to
Muslim belief, Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is the last prophet of Allah. He spent his
whole life spreading the message of Allah. For this purpose, he strived hard and
succeeded in spreading the light of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. After his death, his companions and later Muslims spread Islam to far-flung areas of the world. His
continuous struggle for a noble cause is a guide for the whole of humanity.
Life Before
Prophethood
In 570 AD,
Muhammad (PBUH) was born in Makkah. His
father (Abdullah) died before his birth, and he lost his mother (Aamna) when
he was just six years old. Later, he was brought up by his grandfather (Abdul
Muttalib) and uncle (Abu Talib).
At a
younger age, he started the occupation of trade. At 25 years of age, he married a pious and wealthy woman of
Makkah, Khadijah (RA), who was
impressed with his honesty in business.
Life After
Prophethood
At the age
of 40 years, Allah revealed the Holy Qur’an
to the prophet while he was praying in a cave. He (PBUH) received instructions to call the
ignorant people of Makkah towards the right path (Islam). Initially, he preached
Islam to his close relatives. His wife
(Khadijah), cousin (Ali), close friend (Abu Bakr), slave (Zayd), and a few other
close relatives and friends embraced Islam during the first three years of his
private preaching.
After three
years, he called upon the whole of his tribe (Banu Hashim) to Islam. He asked
them to pray only to Allah and shun polytheism.
He also forbade them from their evil deeds of looting, bloodshed, the killing of
daughters, gambling, alcohol drinking, immorality, etc. Banu Hashim and Quraysh were
aware of the truthfulness and pious life of Muhammad (PBUH) but refused to
accept his teachings as they considered them against the way of their forefathers. Muhammad (PBUH) preached
for 13 years in Makkah, but the stubbornness of the people failed his every
effort for guidance. They harmed him and his followers.
Establishment
of Islamic Society
After 13
years of preaching, the Quraysh remained unmoved towards Islam, and instead, their opposition increased. Then, the prophet (PBUH) decided to migrate towards Medina (then Yathrib), where prominent
people of two main tribes (Aws and Khazraj) accepted Islam and invited the
Muslims. In 622 AD, Muhammad (PBUH) and his followers migrated toward Medina
and established an Islamic Society there. There, Muhammad (PBUH) was accepted
as a leader by the Arab tribes and also by the Jews tribes living
there. Through an agreement, they promised to live in harmony.
Battles against
Quraysh
During the first five years of Hijrah (migration), Muslims fought three battles against Quraysh, including Badr (2 AH), Uhud (3 AH), and Khandaq (5 AH). Quraysh tried to end the mini Islamic
State of Medina but Muslims, under the leadership of Muhammad (PBUH), defended
their state. Muhammad (PBUH) proved himself to be a great military leader
during these battles. His military tactics assisted Muslims in winning the Battle of Badr, where the number of
Muslims was just 1/3 of the enemy. He remained steadfast during the Battle of Uhud when the Muslim army was
close to a decisive defeat. His bravery saved the day for Muslims. During the Battle of Khandaq (trench), he also
worked with other Muslims to dig the trench to motivate them.
Conquest of
Makkah
In 6 AH,
Muslims and Quraysh signed a ten-year no-war agreement. Most of the conditions
of the agreement, the Treaty of Hudaybiyya,
were favoring Quraysh, but later it proved to be more beneficial for Muslims, proving the wisdom of Muhammad (PBUH).
In 8 AH,
Quraysh ended the treaty of Hudaybiyya by breaking a condition of the agreement to remain peaceful. Now, Muslims were enough powerful to attack
Makkah. They did so and captured
Makkah without much bloodshed. At that moment, Muhammad (PBUH) showed great
mercy and declared a general amnesty
for those who tried their best to finish Islam and Muhammad (PBUH). His
merciful behavior encouraged the idol-worshipers to accept the teachings
of Islam. Most of them, including the chief of the Quraysh tribe (Abu Sufyan), accepted Islam. After that, Muhammad (PBUH) purified Ka’aba from idols.
Last Sermon
In 10 AH,
Muhammad (PBUH) performed his sole Hajj (Pilgrimage), where he delivered his
famous Farewell Sermon. He asked Muslims
to obey Allah and change their lives according to Islam. He also advised them to
show mercy on their wives and slaves. A few months after this pilgrimage,
Muhammad (PBUH) died in 11 AH (632 AD).
Last Word
Muhammad’s
(PBUH) life is guidance for all of humanity. His role as a political and military
leader, preacher, tradesman, father, husband, and master is so wonderful that it
should be acted upon by anyone who wants to live peacefully and gain success in
this world and hereafter.
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