Overview of Muhammad

Islam was founded by a man by the name of Muhammad Ibne Abdullah.

He was born in 570 AD to his mother Amina who was part of the Quraish, the leading tribe at that time in Mecca. A few weeks before his birth, Muhammad’s father (Abd-Allah) died which lead to him being raised by his grandfather until the age of eight when he passed away. Muhammad’s uncle Abu Talib who was a merchant assumed responsibility of the boy, where it is believed that the boy acquired his business skills.

Later when he was 25, Muhammad was hired to manage the business of a wealthy widow by the name of Khadija who was 15 years older than him. They later got married and had two sons who died in infancy and four daughters.

Around the age of 35, Muhammad got into the habit of going to Mt. Hira which is outside Mecca, to meditate. On one of these visits, while meditating in a cave, Muhammad claimed that a angelic being appeared to him, calling him. He at first thought and told his wife that he had been visited by an evil jinn (Quran 81:19-29). Jinn are from Arabic and Muslim mythology, who are intelligent spirits of lower rank than the angels, able to appear in human and animal forms and possess people.

Later in the year 610, again while in a cave on Mt. Hira Muhammad claimed that the angel Gabriel appeared to him, and commanded him to recite (Quran 96:1-19). These recitations, which were received for 23 years until his death, became what we know of today as the Quran (Qur’an / Koran). During these encounters with Gabriel, it is said that sometimes the angel would appear, sometimes he would not, and other times Muhammad would only hear the ringing of a bell through which the words of the angel came.

Originally doubting these revelations, Muhammad had to be convinced by his cousins and wife Khadija to believe and proclaim what the angel was revealing to him. From there on, it became his mission to proclaim the message of Islam, given to him by Allah, through the angel Gabriel. He told people to leave their idolatry and serve the one true god, Allah. He preached that man is Allah’s slave, and that a day of judgement is coming where every man’s deeds would be weighed on scales. Those whose good deeds outweighed their bad would enter paradise which is full of sensual pleasures.

After first converting his wife, adopted son (Zaid ibn Haritha), cousin (Ali), and a man by the name of Abu Bakr, Muhammad had about forty converts within a three year span. Overall his message was not received well by his Quraish brethren in Mecca, who reacted disdainfully to his words and refused to give up their gods. This outraged Muhammad. Even when his uncle refused to accept his words, Muhammad cursed him and his wife, preserving his words in the Quran. “The power of Abu Lahab will perish, and he will perish. His wealth and gains will not exempt him. He will be plunged in flaming Fire, And his wife, the wood-carrier, Will have upon her neck a halter of palm-fibre.” (Quran 111:1-5)

In 620, Khadija, Muhammad’s first wife died. He then sought comfort by marrying a widow named Sawdah. He then later also married the six year old daughter of Abu Bakr named Ayisha whom he took into his home three years later. According to Muslim historians, Muhammad had as many as 12 wives when he died.

In 622, Muhammad fled Mecca for the nearby town of Medina, where he came in contact with a band of tribal warriors who accepted him as a prophet and pledged their loyalty to him. While in Medina, he would pray facing Jerusalem, just like the Jews who were in that city.

Gradually, however, the Jews began to disapprove of him and his movement.  He confronted them and told them they had misread the Scriptures. This estranged the Jews in the region and finally one day while praying, Muhammad suddenly changed direction and began praying facing Mecca. He said the Ka'aba, in Mecca, was the true place of worship since it was built by Abraham. To this day, all Muslims are to face Mecca when praying.

After two years in Medina, the Muslims were not doing too well financially and which, combined with mild persecution, prompted a revelation to come to Muhammad permitting him to raid passing caravans. This he did and the Muslim financial problems were solved. Soon afterward, there was then a significant battle at Badr where Muhammad, with 350 men, defeated an army of 1,000 men. This gave confidence to the Muslims and encouraged more people to convert. When the dividing of the spoils of that battle started arguments, Allah gave Muhammad the eighth surah titled, 'The Spoils of War' in which it says that all that was won in Badr belonged to Muhammad.

At one point in 628, Muhammad took 10,000 men and entered Mecca unchallenged. The leader of the Quraish then converted to Islam.

From there, Muhammad's movement gained further momentum. In 631 two tribes joined Muhammad. They were called the Hijaz and Najd. From this time on, numerous battles occurred.

In 632, Muhammad delivered his last sermon, later fell ill, and died in the presence of his favorite wife, Ayisha, and her father, Abu-Bakr. He was buried in Medina in his own house. His father in law, Abu-Bakr, then became Caliph, the religious leader of Islam.