The Prophet of Islam - His Biography

Birthday of the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) - Mawlid An Nabi, the Arabic script means ''Elmawled Ennabawi'' the birthday of Muhammed the prophet (banner: iStock by Getty Images).


Concept of God | Arabia | Religion | Society  | Birth of the Prophet | An Order of Chivalry
Beginning of Religious Consciousness

Prelude

In the annals of men, individuals have not been lacking who conspicuously devoted their lives to the socio-religious reform of their connected peoples. We find them in every epoch and in all lands. In India, there lived those who transmitted to the world the Vedas, and there was also the great Gautama Buddha; China had its Confucius; the Avesta was produced in Iran. Babylonia gave to the world one of the greatest reformers, the Prophet Abraham (not to speak of such of his ancestors as Enoch and Noah about whom we have very scanty information). The Jewish people may rightly be proud of a long series of reformers: Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, and Jesus among others.

Two points to be note: Firstly these reformers claimed in general to be the bearers each of a Divine mission, and they left behind them sacred books incorporating codes of life for the guidance of their peoples. Secondly there followed fratricidal wars, and massacres and genocides became the order of the day, causing more or less a complete loss of these Divine messages. As to the books of Abraham, we know them only by the name; and as for the books of Moses, records tell us how they were repeatedly destroyed and only partly restored.

Concept of God

If one should judge from the relics of the past already brought to light of the homo sapiens, one finds that man has always been conscious of the existence of a Supreme Being, the Master and Creator of all. Methods and approaches may have differed, but the people of every epoch have left proofs of their attempts to obey God. Communication with the Omnipresent yet invisible God has also been recognized as possible in connection with a small fraction of men with noble and exalted spirits. Whether this communication assumed the nature of an incarnation of the Divinity or simply resolved itself into a medium of reception of Divine messages (through inspiration or revelation), the purpose in each case was the guidance of the people. It was but natural that the interpretations and explanations of certain systems should have proved more vital and convincing than others.

Every system of metaphysical thought develops its own terminology. In the course of time terms acquire a significance hardly contained in the word and translations fall short of their purpose. Yet there is no other method to make people of one group understand the thoughts of another. Non-Muslim readers in particular are requested to bear in mind this aspect which is a real yet unavoidable handicap.

By the end of the 6th century, after the birth of Jesus Christ, men had already made great progress in diverse walks of life. At that time there were some religions which openly proclaimed that they were reserved for definite races and groups of men only, of course they bore no remedy for the ills of humanity at large. There were also a few which claimed universality, but declared that the salvation of man lay in the renunciation of the world. These were the religions for the elite, and catered for an extremely limited number of men. We need not speak of regions where there existed no religion at all, where atheism and materialism reigned supreme, where the thought was solely of occupying one self with one's own pleasures, without any regard or consideration for the rights of others.

Arabia

A perusal of the map of the major hemisphere (from the point of view of the proportion of land to sea), shows the Arabian Peninsula lying at the confluence of the three great continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. At the time in question. this extensive Arabian subcontinent composed mostly of desert areas was inhabited by people of settled habitations as well as nomads. Often it was found that members of the same tribe were divided into these two groups, and that they preserved a relationship although following different modes of life. The means of subsistence in Arabia were meager. The desert had its handicaps, and trade caravans were features of greater importance than either agriculture or industry. This entailed much travel, and men had to proceed beyond the peninsula to Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, Iraq, Sind, India and other lands.

We do not know much about the Libyanites of Central Arabia, but Yemen was rightly called Arabia Felix. Having once been the seat of the flourishing civilizations of Sheba and Ma'in even before the foundation of the city of Rome had been laid, and having later snatched from the Byzantians and Persians several provinces, greater Yemen which had passed through the hey-day of its existence, was however at this time broken up into innumerable principalities, and even occupied in part by foreign invaders. The Sassanians of Iran, who had penetrated into Yemen had already obtained possession of Eastern Arabia. There was politico-social chaos at the capital (Mada'in = Ctesiphon), and this found reflection in all her territories. Northern Arabia had succumbed to Byzantine influences, and was faced with its own particular problems. Only Central Arabia remained immune from the demoralizing effects of foreign occupation.

In this limited area of Central Arabia, the existence of the triangle of Mecca-Ta'if-Madinah seemed something providential. Mecca, desertic, deprived of water and the amenities of agriculture in physical features represented Africa and the burning Sahara. Scarcely fifty miles from there, Ta'if presented a picture of Europe and its frost. Madinah in the North was not less fertile than even the most temperate of Asiatic countries like Syria. If climate has any influence on human character, this triangle standing in the middle of the major hemisphere was, more than any other region of the earth, a miniature reproduction of the entire world. And here was born a descendant of the Babylonian Abraham, and the Egyptian Hagar, Muhammad the Prophet of Islam, a Meccan by origin and yet with stock related, both to Madinah and Ta'if.

Religion

From the point of view of religion, Arabia was idolatrous; only a few individuals had embraced religions like Christianity, Mazdaism, etc. The Meccans did possess the notion of the One God, but they believed also that idols had the power to intercede with Him. Curiously enough, they did not believe in the Resurrection and Afterlife. They had preserved the rite of the pilgrimage to the House of the One God, the Ka'bah, an institution set up under divine inspiration by their ancestor Abraham, yet the two thousand years that separated them from Abraham had caused to degenerate this pilgrimage into the spectacle of a commercial fair and an occasion of senseless idolatry which far from producing any good, only served to ruin their individual behavior, both social and spiritual.

Society

In spite of the comparative poverty in natural resources, Mecca was the most developed of the three points of the triangle. Of the three, Mecca alone had a city-state, governed by a council of ten hereditary chiefs who enjoyed a clear division of power. (There was a minister of foreign relations, a minister guardian of the temple, a minister of oracles, a minister guardian of offerings to the temple, one to determine the torts and the damages payable, another in charge of the municipal council or parliament to enforce the decisions of the ministries. There were also ministers in charge of military affairs like custodianship of the flag, leadership of the cavalry etc.). As well reputed caravan-leaders, the Meccans were able to obtain permission from neighbouring empires like Iran, Byzantium and Abyssinia - and to enter into agreements with the tribes that lined the routes traversed by the caravans - to visit their countries and transact import and export business. They also provided escorts to foreigners when they passed through their country as well as the territory of allied tribes, in Arabia (cf. Ibn Habib, Muhabbar). Although not interested much in the preservation of ideas and records in writing, they passionately cultivated arts and letters like poetry, oratory discourses and folk tales. Women were generally well treated, they enjoyed the privilege of possessing property in their own right, they gave their consent to marriage contracts, in which they could even add the condition of reserving their right to divorce their husbands. They could remarry when widowed or divorced. Burying girls alive did exist in certain classes, but that was rare.

Birth of the Prophet

It was in the midst of such conditions and environments that Muhammad was born in 569 after Christ. His father, 'Abdullah had died some weeks earlier, and it was his grandfather who took him in charge. According to the prevailing custom, the child was entrusted to a Bedouin foster-mother, with whom he passed several years in the desert. All biographers state that the infant prophet sucked only one breast of his foster-mother, leaving the other for the sustenance of his foster-brother. When the child was brought back home, his mother, Aminah, took him to his maternal uncles at Madinah to visit the tomb of 'Abdullah. During the return journey, he lost his mother who died a sudden death. At Mecca, another bereavement awaited him, in the death of his affectionate grandfather. Subjected to such privations, he was at the age of eight, consigned at last to the care of his uncle, Abu-Talib, a man who was generous of nature but always short of resources and hardly able to provide for his family.

Young Muhammad had therefore to start immediately to earn his livelihood; he served as a shepherd boy to some neighbors. At the age of ten he accompanied his uncle to Syria when he was leading a caravan there. No other travels of Abu-Talib are mentioned, but there are references to his having set up a shop in Mecca. (Ibn Qutaibah, Ma'arif). It is possible that Muhammad helped him in this enterprise also.

By the time he was twenty-five, Muhammad had become well known in the city for the integrity of his disposition and the honesty of his character. A rich widow, Khadijah, took him in her employ and consigned to him her goods to be taken for sale to Syria. Delighted with the unusual profits she obtained as also by the personal charms of her agent, she offered him her hand. According to divergent reports, she was either 28 or 40 years of age at that time, (medical reasons prefer the age of 28 since she gave birth to five more children). The union proved happy. Later, we see him sometimes in the fair of Hubashah (Yemen), and at least once in the country of the 'Abd al-Qais (Bahrain-Oman), as mentioned by Ibn Hanbal. There is every reason to believe that this refers to the great fair of Daba (Oman), where, according to Ibn al-Kalbi (cf. Ibn Habib, Muhabbar), the traders of China, of Hind and Sind (India, Pakistan), of Persia, of the East and the West assembled every year, traveling both by land and sea. There is also mention of a commercial partner of Muhammad at Mecca. This person, Sa'ib by name reports: "We relayed each other; if Muhammad led the caravan, he did not enter his house on his return to Mecca without clearing accounts with me; and if I led the caravan, he would on my return enquire about my welfare and speak nothing about his own capital entrusted to me."

An Order of Chivalry

Foreign traders often brought their goods to Mecca for sale. One day a certain Yemenite (of the tribe of Zubaid) improvised a satirical poem against some Meccans who bad refused to pay him the price of what he had sold, and others who had not supported his claim or had failed to come to his help when he was victimized. Zuhair, uncle and chief of the tribe of the Prophet, felt great remorse on hearing this just satire. He called for a meeting of certain chieftains in the city, and organized an order of chivalry, called Hilf al-fudul, with the aim and object of aiding the oppressed in Mecca, irrespective of their being dwellers of the city or aliens. Young Muhammad became an enthusiastic member of the organization. Later in life he used to say: "I have participated in it, and I am not prepared to give up that privilege even against a herd of camels; if somebody should appeal to me even today, by virtue of that pledge, I shall hurry to his help."

Beginning of Religious Consciousness

Not much is known about the religious practices of Muhammad until he was thirty-five years old, except that he had never worshipped idols. This is substantiated by all his biographers. It may be stated that there were a few others in Mecca, who had likewise revolted against the senseless practice of paganism, although conserving their fidelity to the Ka'bah as the house dedicated to the One God by its builder Abraham.

About the year 605 of the Christian era, the draperies on the outer wall of the Ka'bah took fire. The building was affected and could not bear the brunt of the torrential rains that followed. The reconstruction of the Ka'bah was thereupon undertaken. Each citizen contributed according to his means; and only the gifts of honest gains were accepted. Everybody participated in the work of construction, and Muhammad's shoulders were injured in the course of transporting stones. To identify the place whence the ritual of circumambulation began, there had been set a black stone in the wall of the Ka'bah, dating probably from the time of Abraham himself. There was rivalry among the citizens for obtaining the honor of transposing this stone in its place. When there was danger of blood being shed, somebody suggested leaving the matter to Providence, and accepting the arbitration of him who should happen to arrive there first. It chanced that Muhammad just then turned up there for work as usual. He was popularly known by the appellation of al-Amin (the honest), and everyone accepted his arbitration without hesitation. Muhammad placed a sheet of cloth on the ground, put the stone on it and asked the chiefs of all the tribes in the city to lift together the cloth. Then he himself placed the stone in its proper place, in one of the angles of the building, and everybody was satisfied.

It is from this moment that we find Muhammad becoming more and more absorbed in spiritual meditations. Like his grandfather, he used to retire during the whole month of Ramadan to a cave in Jabal-an-Nur (mountain of light). The cave is called 'Ghar-i-Hira' or the cave of research. There he prayed, meditated, and shared his meager provisions with the travelers who happened to pass by.

Revelation | The Mission | Social Boycott | The Ascension | Migration to Madinah | Reorganization of the Community | Struggle Against Intolerance and Unbelief | The Reconciliation

Revelation

He was forty years old, and it was the fifth consecutive year since his annual retreats, when one night towards the end of the month of Ramadan, an angel came to visit him, and announced that God had chosen him as His messenger to all mankind. The angel taught him the mode of ablutions, the way of worshipping God and the conduct of prayer. He communicated to him the following Divine message:

With the name of God, the Most Merciful, the All-Merciful.
Read: with the name of thy Lord Who created,
Created man from what clings,
Read: and thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
Who taught by the pen,
Taught man what he knew not. (Quran 96:1-5)

Deeply affected, he returned home and related to his wife what had happened, expressing his fears that it might have been something diabolic or the action of evil spirits. She consoled him, saying that he had always been a man of charity and generosity, helping the poor, the orphans, the widows and the needy, and assured him that God would protect him against all evil.

Then came a pause in revelation, extending over three years. The Prophet must have felt at first a shock, then a calm, an ardent desire, and after a period of waiting, a growing impatience or nostalgia. The news of the first vision had spread and at the pause the skeptics in the city had begun to mock at him and cut bitter jokes. They went so far as to say that God had forsaken him.

During the three years of waiting. the Prophet had given himself up more and more to prayers and to spiritual practices. The revelations were then resumed and God assured him that He had not at all forsaken him: on the contrary it was He Who had guided him to the right path: therefore he should take care of the orphans and the destitute, and proclaim the bounty of God on him (cf. Q. 93:3-11). This was in reality an order to preach. Another revelation directed him to warn people against evil practices, to exhort them to worship none but the One God, and to abandon everything that would displease God (Q. 74:2-7). Yet another revelation commanded him to warn his own near relatives (Q. 26:214); and: "Proclaim openly that which thou art commanded, and withdraw from the Associators (idolaters). Lo! we defend thee from the scoffers" (15:94-5). According to Ibn Ishaq, the first revelation (n. 17) had come to the Prophet during his sleep, evidently to reduce the shock. Later revelations came in full wakefulness.

The Mission

The Prophet began by preaching his mission secretly first among his intimate friends, then among the members of his own tribe and thereafter publicly in the city and suburbs. He insisted on the belief in One Transcendent God, in Resurrection and the Last Judgment. He invited men to charity and beneficence. He took necessary steps to preserve through writing the revelations he was receiving, and ordered his adherents also to learn them by heart. This continued all through his life, since the Quran was not revealed all at once, but in fragments as occasions arose.

The number of his adherents increased gradually, but with the denunciation of paganism, the opposition also grew intense on the part of those who were firmly attached to their ancestral beliefs. This opposition degenerated in the course of time into physical torture of the Prophet and of those who had embraced his religion. These were stretched on burning sands, cauterized with red hot iron and imprisoned with chains on their feet. Some of them died of the effects of torture, but none would renounce his religion. In despair, the Prophet Muhammad advised his companions to quit their native town and take refuge abroad, in Abyssinia, "where governs a just ruler, in whose realm nobody is oppressed" (Ibn Hisham). Dozens of Muslims profited by his advice, though not all. These secret flights led to further persecution of those who remained behind.

The Prophet Muhammad [was instructed to call this] religion "Islam," i.e. submission to the will of God. Its distinctive features are two:

1. A harmonious equilibrium between the temporal and the spiritual (the body and the soul), permitting a full enjoyment of all the good that God has created, (Quran 7:32), enjoining at the same time on everybody duties towards God, such as worship, fasting, charity, etc. Islam was to be the religion of the masses and not merely of the elect.

2. A universality of the call - all the believers becoming brothers and equals without any distinction of class or race or tongue. The only superiority which it recognizes is a personal one, based on the greater fear of God and greater piety (Quran 49:13).

Social Boycott

When a large number of the Meccan Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, the leaders of paganism sent an ultimatum to the tribe of the Prophet, demanding that he should be excommunicated and outlawed and delivered to the pagans for being put to death. Every member of the tribe, Muslim and non-Muslim rejected the demand. (cf. Ibn Hisham). Thereupon the city decided on a complete boycott of the tribe: Nobody was to talk to them or have commercial or matrimonial relations with them. The group of Arab tribes called Ahabish, inhabiting the suburbs, who were allies of the Meccans, also joined in the boycott, causing stark misery among the innocent victims consisting of children, men and women, the old and the sick and the feeble. Some of them succumbed yet nobody would hand over the Prophet to his persecutors. An uncle of the Prophet, Abu Lahab, however left his tribesmen and participated in the boycott along with the pagans. After three dire years, during which the victims were obliged to devour even crushed hides, four or five non-Muslims, more humane than the rest and belonging to different clans proclaimed publicly their denunciation of the unjust boycott. At the same time, the document promulgating the pact of boycott which had been hung in the temple, was found, as Muhammad had predicted, eaten by white ants, that spared nothing but the words God and Muhammad. The boycott was lifted, yet owing to the privations that were undergone the wife and Abu Talib, the chief of the tribe and uncle of the Prophet died soon after. Another uncle of the Prophet, Abu-Lahab, who was an inveterate enemy of Islam, now succeeded to the headship of the tribe. (cf. lbn Hisham, Sirah).

The Ascension

It was at this time that the Prophet Muhammad was granted the mi'raj (ascension): He saw in a vision that he was received on heaven by God, and was witness of the marvels of the celestial regions. Returning, he brought for his community, as a Divine gift, the [ritual prayer of Islam, the salaat], which constitutes a sort of communion between man and God. It may be recalled that in the last part of Muslim service of worship, the faithful employ as a symbol of their being in the very presence of God, not concrete objects as others do at the time of communion, but the very words of greeting exchanged between the Prophet Muhammad and God on the occasion of the formers mi'raj: "The blessed and pure greetings for God! - Peace be with thee, O Prophet, as well as the mercy and blessing of God! - Peace be with us and with all the [righteous] servants of God!" The Christian term "communion" implies participation in the Divinity. Finding it pretentious, Muslims use the term "ascension" towards God and reception in His presence, God remaining God and man remaining man and no confusion between the twain.

The news of this celestial meeting led to an increase in the hostility of the pagans of Mecca; and the Prophet was obliged to quit his native town in search of an asylum elsewhere. He went to his maternal uncles in Ta'if, but returned immediately to Mecca, as the wicked people of that town chased the Prophet out of their city by pelting stones on him and wounding him.

Migration to Madinah

The annual pilgrimage of the Ka'bah brought to Mecca people from all parts of Arabia. The Prophet Muhammad tried to persuade one tribe after another to afford him shelter and allow him to carry on his mission of reform. The contingents of fifteen tribes, whom he approached in succession, refused to do so more or less brutally, but he did not despair. Finally he met half a dozen inhabitants of Madinah who being neighbor of the Jews and the Christians, had some notion of prophets and Divine messages. They knew also that these "people of the Books" were awaiting the arrival of a prophet - a last comforter. So these Madinans decided not to lose the opportunity of obtaining an advance over others, and forthwith embraced Islam, promising further to provide additional adherents and necessary help from Madinah. The following year a dozen new Madinans took the oath of allegiance to him and requested him to provide with a missionary teacher. The work of the missionary, Mus'ab, proved very successful and he led a contingent of seventy-three new converts to Mecca, at the time of the pilgrimage. These invited the Prophet and his Meccan companions to migrate to their town, and promised to shelter the Prophet and to treat him and his companions as their own kith and kin. Secretly and in small groups, the greater part of the Muslims emigrated to Madinah. Upon this the pagans of Mecca not only confiscated the property of the evacuees, but devised a plot to assassinate the Prophet. It became now impossible for him to remain at home. It is worthy of mention, that in spite of their hostility to his mission, the pagans had unbounded confidence in his probity, so much so that many of them used to deposit their savings with him. The Prophet Muhammad now entrusted all these deposits to 'Ali, a cousin of his, with instructions to return in due course to the rightful owners. He then left the town secretly in the company of his faithful friend, Abu-Bakr. After several adventures, they succeeded in reaching Madinah in safety. This happened in 622, whence starts the Hijrah calendar.

Reorganization of the Community

For the better rehabilitation of the displaced immigrants, the Prophet created a fraternization between them and an equal number of well-to-do Madinans. The families of each pair of the contractual brothers worked together to earn their livelihood, and aided one another in the business of life.

Further he thought that the development of the man as a whole would be better achieved if he coordinated religion and politics as two constituent parts of one whole. To this end he invited the representatives of the Muslims as well as the non-Muslim inhabitants of the region: Arabs, Jews, Christians and others, and suggested the establishment of a City-State in Madinah. With their assent, he endowed the city with a written constitution - the first of its kind in the world - in which he defined the duties and rights both of the citizens and the head of the State - the Prophet Muhammad was unanimously hailed as such - and abolished the customary private justice. The administration of justice became henceforward the concern of the central organization of the community of the citizens. The document laid down principles of defense and foreign policy: it organized a system of social insurance, called ma'aqil, in cases of too heavy obligations. It recognized that the Prophet Muhammad would have the final word in all differences, and that there was no limit to his power of legislation. It recognized also explicitly liberty of religion, particularly for the Jews, to whom the constitutional act afforded equality with Muslims in all that concerned life in this world (cf. infra n. 303).

Muhammad journeyed several times with a view to win the neighboring tribes and to conclude with them treaties of alliance and mutual help. With their help, he decided to bring to bear economic pressure on the Meccan pagans, who had confiscated the property of the Muslim evacuees and also caused innumerable damage. Obstruction in the way of the Meccan caravans and their passage through the Madinan region exasperated the pagans, and a bloody struggle ensued.

In the concern for the material interests of the community, the spiritual aspect was never neglected. Hardly a year had passed after the migration to Madinah, when the most rigorous of spiritual disciplines, the fasting for the whole month of Ramadan every year, was imposed on every adult Muslim, man and woman.

Struggle Against Intolerance and Unbelief

Not content with the expulsion of the Muslim compatriots, the Meccans sent an ultimatum to the Madinans, demanding the surrender or at least the expulsion of Muhammad and his companions but evidently all such efforts proved in vain. A few months later, in the year 2 A. H., they sent a powerful army against the Prophet, who opposed them at Badr; and the pagans thrice as numerous as the Muslims, were routed. After a year of preparation, the Meccans again invaded Madinah to avenge the defeat of Badr. They were now four times as numerous as the Muslims. After a bloody encounter at Uhud, the enemy retired, the issue being indecisive. The mercenaries in the Meccan army did not want to take too much risk, or endanger their safety.

In the meanwhile the Jewish citizens of Madinah began to foment trouble. About the time of the victory of Badr, one of their leaders, Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, proceeded to Mecca to give assurance of his alliance with the pagans, and to incite them to a war of revenge. After the battle of Uhud, the tribe of the same chieftain plotted to assassinate the Prophet by throwing on him a mill-stone from above a tower, when he had gone to visit their locality. In spite of all this, the only demand the Prophet made of the men of this tribe was to quit the Madinan region, taking with them all their properties, after selling their immovable items and recovering their debts from the Muslims. The clemency thus extended had an effect contrary to what was hoped. The exiled not only contacted the Meccans, but also the tribes of the North, South and East of Madinah, mobilized military aid, and planned from Khaibar an invasion of Madinah, with forces four times more numerous than those employed at Uhud. The Muslims prepared for a siege, and dug a ditch to defend themselves against this hardest of all trials. Although the defection of the Jews still remaining inside Madinah at a later stage upset all strategy, yet with a sagacious diplomacy, the Prophet succeeded in breaking up the alliance, and the different enemy groups retired one after the other.

Alcoholic drinks, gambling and games of chance were at this time declared forbidden for the Muslims.

The Reconciliation

The Prophet tried once more to reconcile the Meccans and proceeded to Mecca. The barring of the route of their Northern caravans had ruined their economy. The Prophet promised them transit security, extradition of their fugitives and the fulfillment of every condition they desired, agreeing even to return to Madinah without accomplishing the pilgrimage of the Ka'bah. Thereupon the two contracting parties promised at Hudaibiyah in the suburbs of Mecca, not only the maintenance of peace, but also the observance of neutrality in their conflicts with third parties.

Profiting by the peace, the Prophet launched an intensive program for the propagation of his religion. He addressed missionary letters to the foreign rulers of Byzantium, Iran, Abyssinia and other lands. The Byzantine autocrat priest - Daughter of the Arabs - embraced Islam, but for this, was lynched by the Christian mob; the prefect of Ma'an (Palestine) suffered the same fate, and was decapitated and crucified by order of the emperor. A Muslim ambassador was assassinated in Syria-Palestine; and instead of punishing the culprit, the emperor Heraclius rushed with his armies to protect him against the punitive expedition sent by the Prophet (battle of Mu'tah).

The pagans of Mecca hoping to profit by the Muslim difficulties, violated the terms of their treaty. Upon this, the Prophet himself led an army, ten thousand strong, and surprised Mecca which he occupied in a bloodless manner. As a benevolent conqueror, he caused the vanquished people to assemble, reminded them of their ill deeds, their religious persecution, unjust confiscation of the evacuee property, ceaseless invasions and senseless hostilities for twenty years continuously. He asked them: "Now what do you expect of me?" When everybody lowered his head with shame, the Prophet proclaimed: "May God pardon you; go in peace; there shall be no responsibility on you today; you are free!" He even renounced the claim for the Muslim property confiscated by the pagans. This produced a great psychological change of hearts instantaneously. When a Meccan chief advanced with a fulsome heart towards the Prophet, after hearing this general amnesty, in order to declare his acceptance of Islam, the Prophet told him: "And in my turn, I appoint you the governor of Mecca!" Without leaving a single soldier in the conquered city, the Prophet retired to Madinah. The Islamization of Mecca, which was accomplished in a few hours, was complete.

Immediately after the occupation of Mecca, the city of Ta'if mobilized to fight against the Prophet. With some difficulty the enemy was dispersed in the valley of Hunain, but the Muslims preferred to raise the siege of nearby Ta'if and use pacific means to break the resistance of this region. Less than a year later, a delegation from Ta'if came to Madinah offering submission. But it requested exemption from prayer, taxes and military service, and the continuance of the liberty to adultery and fornication and alcoholic drinks. It demanded even the conservation of the temple of the idol al-Lat at Ta'if. But Islam was not a materialist immoral movement; and soon the delegation itself felt ashamed of its demands regarding prayer, adultery and wine. The Prophet consented to concede exemption from payment of taxes and rendering of military service; and added: You need not demolish the temple with your own hands: we shall send agents from here to do the job, and if there should be any consequences, which you are afraid of on account of your superstitions, it will be they who would suffer. This act of the Prophet shows what concessions could be given to new converts. The conversion of the Ta'ifites was so whole hearted that in a short while, they themselves renounced the contracted exemptions, and we find the Prophet nominating a tax collector in their locality as in other Islamic regions.

In all these "wars," extending over a period of ten years, the non-Muslims lost on the battlefield only about 250 persons killed, and the Muslim losses were even less. With these few incisions, the whole continent of Arabia. with its million and more of square miles, was cured of the abscess of anarchy and immorality. During these ten years of disinterested struggle, all the peoples of the Arabian Peninsula and the southern regions of Iraq and Palestine had voluntarily embraced Islam. Some Christian, Jewish and Parsi groups remained attached to their creeds, and they were granted liberty of conscience as well as judicial and juridical autonomy.

In the year 10 H., when the Prophet went to Mecca for Hajj (pilgrimage), he met 140,000 Muslims there, who had come from different parts of Arabia to fulfill their religious obligation. He addressed to them his celebrated sermon, in which he gave a resume of his teachings: "Belief in One God without images or symbols, equality of all the Believers without distinction of race or class, the superiority of individuals being based solely on piety; sanctity of life, property and honor; abolition of interest, and of vendettas and private justice; better treatment of women; obligatory inheritance and distribution of the property of deceased persons among near relatives of both sexes, and removal of the possibility of the accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few." The Quran and the conduct of the Prophet were to serve as the bases of law and a healthy criterion in every aspect of human life.

On his return to Madinah, he fell ill; and a few weeks later, when he breathed his last, he had the satisfaction that he had well accomplished the task which he had undertaken - to preach to the world the Divine message.

He bequeathed to posterity, a religion of pure monotheism; he created a well-disciplined State out of the existent chaos and gave peace in place of the war of everybody against everybody else; he established a harmonious equilibrium between the spiritual and the temporal, between the mosque and the citadel; he left a new system of law, which dispensed impartial justice, in which even the head of the State was as much a subject to it as any commoner, and in which religious tolerance was so great that non-Muslim inhabitants of Muslim countries equally enjoyed complete juridical, judicial and cultural autonomy. In the matter of the revenues of the State, the Quran fixed the principles of budgeting, and paid more thought to the poor than to anybody else. The revenues were declared to be in no wise the private property of the head of the State. Above all, the Prophet Muhammad set a noble example and fully practiced all that he taught to others.


Taken from Introduction to Islam by Muhammad Hamidullah (Centre Culturel Islamique, Paris, 1969), with some changes to make it more readable. The changes are marked by pairs of brackets like around this paragraph.


Related Suggestions

 
COMMENTS DISCLAIMER & RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
The opinions expressed herein, through this post or comments, contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of IslamiCity. These are offered as a means for IslamiCity to stimulate dialogue and discussion in our continuing mission of being an educational organization. The IslamiCity site may occasionally contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. IslamiCity is making such material available in its effort to advance understanding of humanitarian, education, democracy, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.


In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and such (and all) material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.


Older Comments:
ABDULREHMAN said:
MashaAllah great way of explanation
2019-11-19

DESERTRAIN said:
This is kind of random but I have a question about the Sunna in general which no one can answer so far and I thought you might know. I have just started studying Islam and I want to know. Is the Sunnah a book? Is it a set of books? Or is it religious practice? Any help would be great. Thanks. :)
2016-01-05

AHMEDFARHAN said:
What a great way of explanation and thoughtful of Islam. Powerfully recommendable to all to recite and gain information on our Prophet (P.B.U.H). It improved my knowledge and modified my understanding towards Islam and our Prophet (P.B.U.H).
2015-10-21

ELIAS ANTONIO FROM MOZAMBIQUE said:
ALLAH AKBAR
2014-06-13

JABEEN KHAN FROM INDIA said:
I happened to be brouzing for the seerat-u-Nabi for my husbands
official speech which was to be deliverd weekly bayan where he was
short of time. This particular post could help me jot down few
points from THE ISLAMIC CITY.iTS A good job by posting this and in
turn we could impart the authentic news to fellow- humanbeing who
never knew all about our Nabi atall. somewhere at some place Allah
choses a pesonal link to his loving creatures to interchain and
impart the rights to islamic education.This was a great help.
may Allah reward u in many folds.

jabeen khan
2013-11-27

FAISAL FROM PAKISTAN said:
Great article.
islamic apps
2013-09-23

BROTHER (YAHYA) NIX, III FROM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA said:
I am at peace with Allah as my God the one true God. Everyone should convert to Islam if they haven't before it's too late. I am happy to be a muslim and belive in the Holy Quran and Allah and the Prophet Muhammmed!
2012-11-21

SALISU AYYUB FROM NIGERIA said:
Alhamdulil-lahi i really appreciated with this web,may Allah help the inventor ameen.
2012-05-08

ASIF FROM USA said:
bentehawwa:
Wrt your first question if prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had a shadow and you wanted proofs.

In the Qur'an Allah (swt) says that prophet Muhammad was no more than a man and a prophet like many prophets before him. Allah (swt) also asks Muslims if you will leave Islam once he (prophet) dies.

All men have shadows- since prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was no more than a man, he also had shadows; unless it was night when men don't have shadows.

As for women praying differently, I don't know. I have seen my wife praying and have not seen any visible difference. But I could well be wrong
2012-01-29

HASSAN SULAIMAN FROM NIGERIA said:
Alhamdulilhah, may the almighty Allah reward all the peaple who bring the possibility of this wave. I'm greatful.
2011-09-30

FATIMAHJIBRIL FROM NIGERIA said:
Alhamdu lillah,i have added more knowledged on islam today and my faith insha Allah has increased more reading what Rasul saw went through for Islam the only appreciation to him and Allah saw is to strictly according to my ability follow his teachings...may Allah be our guide uplipt islam and muslim ummah...masha Allah.for the inventors may Aljannat firdaus be our meeting point.alhamdu lillah.
2011-09-26

NARASIMHARAO PASUMARTI FROM INDIA said:
The article refers to areas-Hind and Sind,meaning India and Pakisthan.There was no pakisthan; the word Hind evolved from Sind; and so it is more appropriate to refer to the entire region as Hind; or India.
2010-12-17

QANIYA FROM INDIA said:
Alhamdulilah this website is too good to get detailed infor abt islam
2010-06-06

IBRAHIM MUKHTAR GABARI. FROM NIGERIA said:
Alhamdulillah. This website is of great important to all muslim ummah. May ALLAH reward the inventors of this website abundantly.
2010-05-03

BENTEHAWWA FROM PAKISTAN said:
I have two question. Is there anybody who can answere me with proove. First one is that is it true that Hazrat Mohammad [ peace be upon him] did not have a shadow? The second one is that muslim ladies have different method of namaz than the muslim men?
2010-04-25

SALMANKHAN FROM INDIA said:
masha allah al hamdulillah this is wonderfull knowledge me about MUHAMMED S V M
2010-04-20

SHOAIB FROM HONG KONG said:
mashaallah Jazzakallah this website is very good for all muslim ?
2010-03-18

MAJID ALI SAYED FROM UAE said:
SubhanAllah-Alhamdulilah. What a wonderful way of explanation and understanding of Islam. Strongly recommendable to all to read and gain knowledge on our Prophet (S.A.W.S). It enriched my knowledge and corrected my understanding towards Islam and our Prophet (S.A.W.S).
2009-05-07

NAIDAH BHATTI FROM UNITED KINGDOM said:
SubhanAllah & JazakAllah, this was beautiful reading. May Almighty Allah SWT be very content with grant our Blessed Prophet (SAWS), his family,his companions and their families jaanat firdoos, ASA. May Almighty Forgive us all for our sins, ASA.

Allah Hafiz..
2009-02-21

MUHAMMAD BASHIR ALIYU FROM NIGERIA said:
ALHAMDULILLAH-MAY ALLAH BLESS THIS WEBSITE AND ITS ARTICLES. THIS WEBSITE IS VERY IMPOTANT TO ALL MUSLIMS. MAY ALLAH BLESS US ALL AND MAY HE PUT US IN JANNAH AMEEN.
2008-11-07

KHAN NAZIA FROM INDIA said:
alhamdulillah!! Aftr readin dis i hv enrichd my kn abt our blovd mohd (s.a.w.s). Gud site 4 those who wnt 2 refresh their kn abt islam.jst in a few min.
2008-07-01

ALEISHA HELMY FROM MALAYSIA said:
Alhamdulillah......... It teaches me more about the Prophets life.
2008-04-26

AL MUKHTAR MIN BOLIVIA FROM BOLIVIA,S. AMERICA said:
??? ???? ?????? ??????



As salamu alaikum wa rahmatulil lahee wa barakatu huu to all the true believers,



Over two yrs. ago we made a general invitation to all the Muslims to come and help with the Dawah here in La Paz, Bolivia, where the population is almost 10 million and 80% or more have never heard not even what is Islam. We wanted the Muslims to see for themselves what we are really doing to establish this deen in this country; we were offering a place to stay, so that our guests would not have to spend in hotels.

However do to time, finances and other responsibilities of the Muslims abroad, no one was able to come. May Allah (T) bless those Muslims and their love ones, for helping us with books, pamphlets, a good advice and encouragements to continue with this cause, the list is too long to mention them all. However, Allah (t) knows who they are that helped us and will receive their blessings in this life and the hereafter, amen!!!

Once again, we seek the assistance of our brothers and sisters in the deen, but before hand PLEASE LETS HAVE THIS VERY CLEAR WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY FINANCIAL AID NOR ARE WE ASKING FOR ANY HAND OUTS. Nevertheless like any movement this too requires finances to reach our goals and for this reason we have decided to ask you all to help us get the WORD OUT about this Dawah movement that, not only we want to reach the people of the cities, but also the villages and jungles of Bolivia inshal lah.

About the finances we know that the majority of the Muslims at one time or another has bought a Muslim garment for themselves or as a gift and here is how you all can help us, that is by buying your garments from us, keep in mind that not only will you be helping in the Dawah movement, but you are also helping to give work, feed, clothe and educate many muslims here.
To lear more about this movement plz contact us at; Email: [email protected]

www.geocities.c
2008-04-04

ABDUL MOMIN FROM INDIA said:
Beautiful MashaAllah!

Indeed the correct way of understanding the real Islam is to refer to the Holy Quran as the basis for all knowledge and then understanding the Sunnah and Hadith in its light. Anything that cannot be linked back to the Quran cannot be declared an integral part of Islam. We must be very careful when we assume that something is or is not part of Islam. Allah has protected the Holy Book for this very purpose that no matter how much time passes the word of Allah remains pure and provides guidance to those who truly want to submit to his will and stay on course to becoming true Muslims.
The values, injunctions, and the principles enshrined in the Book form the corner stone of the Islamic polity and the limits laid down by it provide the framework within which the laws of the Islamic State may be formulated. These principles, or limits, or framework, are immutable, but the statutes made by the State within these four corners are open to modification and change according to the needs of the times.

The Qur'an is the last of the Divine Books, because Messenger-hood ended with Muhammad. No subsequent human opinion or pronouncement in matters of deen, therefore, can be recognized as authoritative; nor can any man-made law repugnant to the Qur'an be regarded as binding upon the Muslims. The Qur'an is a book of guidance for all mankind and transcends the barriers of time and space. The Islamic State is an instrument for the enforcement of the Laws and Injunctions embodied in the Qur'an.
May Allah guide us and have mercy on us. Ameen.
http://www.quransunnat.com
2008-04-03

ABDUL HAFEEZ SIDDIQUI FROM PAKISTAN said:
Islam is the religion of peace solidarity which provide us oppertunity to stamp out various social and economic disorders from the society but it is conditional with the AMAL [ Act ] so theoriticaly we can not bring any change in our society or country we only can do so through mutal trust and solidarity . I pray to my Allah He shall creat an oppertunity which could lead us to one plateform where we can listen to each other and tolerate each other.
2007-05-18

ATIREHAMN AWAN FROM PAKISTAN said:
it is very good site please continue specially fr european people like me frm this i take too much help
2007-01-26

HASSAN FROM SAUDI ARABIA said:
To : hasina sayed
Dear Hasina,
In your note, you requested to add 'SAW' to the name of our Prophet (peace and blessing be up on him).
It is not right. We have to say clearly "Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam", at the time we say our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)'s name. If we write "SAW", no one read it as we understood!!.
JazaakAllah Kheir..

2006-09-20

HASINA SAYED FROM CANADA said:
Dear Sir/madam,

Could you please add the three letters ' SAW' to the name of our Prophet (peace and blessing be up on him)

Thank you very much

2006-09-11

SAMIRA YOUSFI FROM USA said:
response to the article # Ref: 37312, Posted By:mohamed 4/20/2006 - 11:02:10 PM :
yes, the coran is the main source for anyone seeking islam, but its explanation is little harder for a person with small knowledge in arabic meaning, that's why referring to scholars work is always helpful to understand the right meaning of the verses, in the other hand, the prophet(pbuh)is the perfect example for a good muslim behaviour,he didn't have to be mentioned in the whole coran to follow him, he only had to bring us the coran and islam, isn't that an immense miracle, that after 15 centuries, his message is still alive, he taught us how to live, if we follow his path, islam would raise higher, his compagions, too, are not to be neglected, just remember without our prophet(pbuh) and his companions, we would never be muslim.
2006-06-07

FATIMA IBRAHIM FROM UNITED KINGDOM said:
There is no doubt we have a rich faith and we muslim we need to count ourselves lucky to be bless with both in the world & hereafter.However our world today is in a mess and full of blood shed, so why can't we organize one day ALL OF US MUSLIM IN THE WORLD to pray sunnah at the same time for GOD TO GUIDE US AND TO ELIMINATED THE BAD SEED WITHIN US AND TO PROTECT US FROM OUR ENEMIES.I hope we can do this and InshaAllah with GOd mercy our kids and grow up in a peaceful world.
2006-05-09

ZAKARIYA FROM USA said:
i believe in one God the name of allah and his massge of prophet muhamadou and his book and his comm until the day of last day
2006-04-23

MOHAMED FROM USA said:
i still dont understand why the muslims dont realize that they didnt live up to the covenant of allah, and what ever is happeing to them ,its happeing because of it. by praying five times a day going to mekka to make arab rich and go around a box ,, all of these are shirk .. Allah never mention any of these things in the quran . its got to a point muslims starting to worship muhammad. allah only mention his name 4 times through out the whole quran,, he is just a another messenger. so muslims leave off the hadiths it will lead you astray stick with quran its enough to become success,, get use to the things that allah didnt mention in the quran,, if its not there you are not obligated to do it.
salaam
2006-04-21

HALIM said:
Dear Pia Johansohn,

1400 years ago the Quran in al-hadid stated that iron has great energy in it, when you refer to modern physic,nuclear binding energy for Fe (ferrum/iron) is 8.79 MeV the the highest in periodic table.1 MeV in internal combustion chamber can generate a temperature of 10,000 degree centigrade, 4,000 hotter than the sun!
Time slows down at the speed of light (Einstein Theory of Relativity) is also in the Quran.
My brother, may Allah SWT lead you Islam.

http://www.chemicool.com/, http://www.matter-antimatter.com/iron-antiiron.htm


2006-04-18

KHALIFA FROM EARTH said:
And ONLY the gifts of honest gains were accepted.

How Allah SWT will accept the world bank $ theft!!!!
2006-04-17

KHAN FROM US said:
EXCELLENT ARTICLES on .....
I think we(muslims and non Muslims) like to see such articles on other prophets of Islam like JESUS,MOSES,ABRAHAM (pbut) as they all are sent by the same one GOD and they all worshipped the same one GOD.

I like to see some articles on the history of Islam,Christianity, Judaism and Idoltors,when did these faiths start and how they came.. when ADAM: the first man/prophet and ABRAHAM (father of all main religions came from same one GOD and worshipped the same one GOD i.e., ALLAH.

I think we muslims and muslim countries must unite and do dawa and real Tableegh in the light and guidance of Quran,Hadith and Islamic history thru the Media - our own TV channels, radio stations, News bulletins, Newspapers,
missionaries, and so on...

It is our duty as a muslim (advocates) to send the real message of Islam to other people and we will be questioned about this.Let us start from our family > Friends > neigbors > thru above methods.

This is the real time that non-Muslims and even some muslims must know what is real ISLAM (thru Quran,Hadith and Islamic history) and what it means for all in this WORLD.

May ALLAH bless all of us. Aameen...
2006-04-17

LADY LUCK FROM SINGAPORE, INDONESIA. MIAMI FLORIDA said:
i cry more then 6 x wen i read the history of the great muhamad, so im not happy wen u say" NOT MUCH IS KNOW ABT THE RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF MUHAMAD WEN HIS 35" PLS BROTHER if u dun know don ever sell islam in the internet, i read the history abt muhamad 3x so i know inshalla, the arab guy who write history of muhamad is dr muhamad hussain haekal 15 feb 1935 transalate in indonesian language n inshalla i will trans it in english so people of the world knows, he 1st wahyu at cave hira year 610 so u calculate since his born till he 1st wahyu how old! i hv seen the light, i hv dreams of muhamad s.a.w i will help u to understan the great man, i even knows he favourate food. pls don sell islam.. anyway this world has forgoten the reminder of the great man muhamad, ALLAH WILL SEND SOME ON TO GV WARNING that the ends is near, muhamad cums on earth to gv reminders.. yet after 1400 yrs d ignorence had dare to insult the great prophet, so ALLAH will send someone to gv warning.. no more chances for the ignorence human race, there for im willing to shared u my book of the great legendary prophet muhamad alai hi wasalam.its the 25 print since 1935 pls if i can cry more then 6 x im sure anyone who has a heart will! regarless their race n religion.. help me to make everyone knows. before u know islam u hv to know the history of the man that bring islam. im not gng to saved this world n its people.. but if u knows the history of muhamd s.a.w it will help. the end os near. wasalam
2006-02-09

NAZIA HASSAN FROM ENGLAND said:
salaam,

I am a converted muslim and have been for 20 yrs. I would just like to let you know that I find your site very interesting and informative. Please keep up this good work.......allah hafiz
2005-03-27

SYED KASHIF MEHDI FROM FROM INDIA BUT WORKING IN DUBAI said:
Thanks a million for such a wonderful information which i was always wanted to know, I would like to read books also on Islam and Prophet Mohoammed. My Address is Syed Kashif P.O.Box 9400 Dubai U.A.E
Once again thanks and would like to receive the books and Inshallah i will share it with my frineds
2004-11-16

SUHAIL FROM INDIA said:
Asslamvalikum

This is by far the best article I have read in my life.

Allah hafiz
2004-08-02

YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
I mispelled your name in my previous comment, Phillip. I apologize. Peace be unto you.
2004-07-21

YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
Peace be unto you, Philip. Obviously terror can be employed either by the state or by the enemies of a state. (Please bear with me.) I would imagine that Germany's application of Clausewitz's advice to use terror for controlling conquered populations actually cost Germany a sustainable victory in both world wars. Reflecting on your last name, I think I should also acknowledge the Holocaust. I would consider the Holocaust to have certainly been an aspect of Nazi terrorism although the crime itself seems more akin to murdering a population for profit than to attempting to intimidate them. In regard perhaps to enemies of a state's authorities, chivalrous conduct seems less likely to bring disaster upon the chivalrous combatant's supporters. For another thing, chivalry also seems more likely to win something of the hearts and minds of the adversaries (even if the battle itself was lost).

Thanks for bearing with me. From my own reading of certain verses in the Qur'an which address the use of violence it seems that initiating violence could be justified if one was opposing oppression or possibly also if one was attempting to prevent anarchy. There are of course numerous restrictions on use of violence - but I myself would personally imagine that continued violence by either a state or a state's enemies which introduces or increases oppression or possibly incites anarchy would be ill-advised. Here is a brief listing of verses in the Qur'an which describe violence in the context of oppression, the Muslim responsibility to victims, a reconciliation (and limits to reconciliation) with adversaries, and so on.

2:190-194, 2:216-218, 4:75, 4:92, 22:39-41, 60:7-9

IslamiCity has a wonderful set of tools for researching the Qur'an. Also, the Muslims Students Association (www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran) offers three different English translations for each verse displayed.

Whoever helps a good cause becomes a partner therein (Quran 4:85).
2004-07-20

UMM MUHAMMAD FROM USA said:
To:Philip Tobias, to me as a devout Muslim, anything that goes outside of the Holy Quran and Sunnah is extreme. So if the prophet never did it then I think that is extreme.

I have never seen any incident where the prophet killed an innocent person therefore I think that is extreme.
However I do not condemn my brothers and sisters defending their country in Iraq.
This is an illegal war that the USA has waged, they are not terrorist or going to the extreme if they fight the American soldiers.

THE REAL TERRORIST ARE THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION WHO HAVE WAGED A MODERN DAY CRUSADE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY AGAINST ISLAM.

No I don't hate America, I hate injustice, oppression and torture.
2004-07-20

PHILLIP ALNSWICK-TOBIAS FROM USA said:
I have been taught about Islam from the time I was 9 yrs. of age. I know it is a wonderful religion of knowledge, peace, prosperity and culture. I once tried to ask a teacher of mine in High School, who is of Arab decent about the 'T' word commonly associated with the Islamic faith and was cut off before I could even finish. What I would like to know is are people who go to "exteme" measures condoned or condemned by the faith? I only ask this because the Quran is continuously cited by those who submit to God and claim that their acts are in the name of the faith. As with other religions, there seems to be an area of contradiction somewhere. Is this simply just a misinterpretation or something more?
2004-07-20

IMRAN SHAH FROM PAKISTAN said:
there is no one in the universe that can compare any one with holy prophet (S.A.W).we can see all the charecteristic of Allah in the life of holy prophet (s.a.w).And no one can describe the real position of holy prophet (s.a.w)but thoes how knowed by the Allah.
2004-06-03

AKHTAR HUSAIN SHAIKH FROM INDIA said:
Ass salamoalaykum oll in one&only one our mohmmed (s.A) in another prophets
2004-05-18

YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
Peace be unto you, Pia Johansohn. Yes it really is amazing how much information is found in the Qoran. (And peace be unto Prophet Muhammad.)
2004-05-05

PIA JOHANSOHN FROM SWEDEN said:
Initially i did not care for Islam. After the US tragedy, I really thought I did not like Islam. But now I have been studying Islam for more than a year. I am very amazed at the scientific information contained in the Qoran. At a time when the scholars in Europe still thought that the world was flat God in teh Qoran talks about planets and space and gravity. I am just spellbound. How can this happen. This information coul dnever come from ordinary person- no way- only God. So I hope I will soon join Islam. Prophet Mohammed's on him be peace, life was certainly very fantastic just as the prophet was. He was the man for all seasons.
2004-05-03

SOFIA SHUMS FROM USA said:
As a Muslim, my response to this article is:
Prophet Mohammed Pease be upon him, was a Prophet and Messanger chosen by Allah, Almighty Lord and Creator just as were all other Prophets in the past. He fulfilled his mission humbly, sincerely, and in a thoroughly unblemished manner.
My sole objection to this article, and to the underlying, intellectually ignored stance is this: The Prophet was passing on the Message of the Almighty for all of Humankind. All that he said and did throughout his years of Prophethood was to convey God's Message to us. They were not his own words or actions but as the Lord Willed it. Glorifying the Prophet (may Allah's blessings be upon him) in this manner, and ignoring this fact is a grave error for it seems to imply that the Prophet's life and words came from himself and not from A HIGHER POWER. In other words, it is demeaning the Revelations of Allah SWT.
2004-05-02

MOHAMMED LAWAL TORO FROM NIGERIA said:
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,wa barkatuhu.It is most exciting to come along this website.May ALLAH(S.W.T)reward the person or people who came up with this initiative,and may ALLAH(S.W.T)uplift our religion and protect us against EVIL(S).Lastly,may we die as true muslims and may we be amongst those in the Al-janna (Firdausi)Amin summa Amin
2004-03-23

MOHAMMAD ASGHAR FROM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA said:
The following remarks of the author have confused me: "It was at this time that the Prophet Muhammad was granted the mi'raj (ascension): He saw in a vision that he was received on heaven by God, and was witness of the marvels of the celestial regions."

Does the above mean that the Prophet Muhammad had not ascended corporeally to heaven to meet Allah there? Was what he saw in a vision a dream, as the Holy Quran alludes to in Surah 17, ayat 1?

A detailed response would be hihgly appreciated.
2004-02-29

IBRAHIM FROM PHILIPPINES said:
Assallamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu. Good thing that I have searched this slot. I'm very much interested with all the topics most especially the significance of the events per se.May the Blessings and Guidance of Allah be on your way always.And may the lights of Islam will spread in the heart and soul of those who go for a journey of true facts and sincerity. Allahuakbar!!!
2003-07-07

EWI FROM HOLLAND said:
Alsalaamalaikum my sisters and brothers, i feel so much more rest in my hart by reading about Muhammad (pbuh) his biografy and i'm still searching for more about our last prophet (pbuh)and i think many should read this to know more and to try to take his example because he is The Perfect Soul...may Allah bestow his blessings on the person who made this for the readers
2003-05-18

SAQIB FROM USA said:
May Allah give you the courage to express his religion like this article.
2003-05-15

MOHAMMAD SESTH BIN ABDUL RAHMAN FROM SINGAPORE said:
Thank you Dr Muhammad Hamidullah for your kind contributions. May God reward you for your efforts.
There is no God but only Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.
2003-05-13

MIKEL ABDUR-AZEEZ FROM CAMDEN said:
salam alakiam. allah akbar this web site is great
ive learned alot i been muslium 4 6 years now just keep up the good word.subhana allah
2003-05-12

ALIA MOHAMED FROM USA said:
This is a great general biography on prophet Mohamed (pbuh). I think that it provokes people to do some more research on the topic.. Kudos to the writer!! you are truly gifted, allah yihdiyk wi yahdiy al jamieh inshallah..may u have a blessed day and life, allah ma3kum
2003-05-03

A.ANWAR FROM KENYA said:
very precise pse.send it to others.
2003-04-29

AWAIS NURANI SAID FROM NORTH AMERICA said:
asalamu alaykum
as i see in "khalasatu nuru al yakin" (siratu sayidina al mursalin)in volume number one. say's that sayidina khadija was 40 yrs old at the time of her marriage , and sayidina mohamed was 25 yrs old. please if you think any different e-mail me back. "wabilahi towfiq"







wwabila
2003-03-01

NASRA FROM USA said:
I just want to say that I have enjoy this web-site. I was writing a paper for by English class about the prophet Mohamed (Peaceuphim). I found lots of information I needed in this web-site.

Again Thanks
2003-02-03

TAUQEER SIDDIQUI FROM INDIA said:
dear friends who ever it may be
i loved the way you have written the biography of our prophed mohammed(may peace be upon him)if any comments on my comment please please write me on my email adress
thanking yours faithfully
tauqeer siddiqui
2003-01-20

BASHEER ABDULKAREEM FROM NIGERIA said:
as-salamualaikum waramotulah
it is my pleasure to request for an assistance from your organization to pls send me an hard copy of this magazine i found it very intresting and educating and i would love to have copies to help my fellow brothers in islam who does not have assess to computer or financially hadicape ,of course i should have decide to print them print out but by Allah things are difficult for we muslims of nigerian.
pls i should be gratefull if my request is consider and a possitive response taking.
wasalamualaikum.
2003-01-17

MAJOR MUHAMMAD AMIN NASIR FROM PAKISTAN said:
The article is graded as the best on the subject. It is detailed,comprehensive study, arranged logically. Well done keep it up.
2003-01-11

MD.ABDUL RAHMAN FROM INDIA (SOUTH INDIA- CHENNAI) said:
The site is really very good and please update me with latest news and also keep me inform about the HAJ details of this year
Wassalam
2003-01-11

ZEESHAN,ALI FROM PAKISTAN said:
as salam walaqum yahi ke namaz paroo aur namaz paroo aur namaz paroo bas
2003-01-10

AMMAR HASAN FROM PAKISTAN said:
Information is available eleborately

2003-01-09

JIA FROM US said:
i think it is a very nice short, yet detailed story. it informs people of things they didn't know about the life of the prophet. i recommend it to others. it gves you knowlegde both spirtually and mentally.
2003-01-09

ABDOUL AGNE FROM SENEGAL said:
Thanks be to Almighty Allah that enabled his faithful servants to write so lofty books for the education of the followers of the GREATEST Prophet of mankind,Mohammad bn Abdullah (Aleyhi Salaatu wa Salaam).
May allah continue to bless your initiatives and grant you all the greatest rewards!Aamiin!

From your brother in Islam:Abdoul
2003-01-02

ABDULLAH FROM USA said:
asalam alaykum ya muslims. i want to tell every
muslim how important these times are. ad dajjal
(the antichrist) could be upon us any day, and as
we know he will suck muslims in and have them
follow him. i highly suggest all muslims to think
and research about this. hadith says that those
who memorized the first 10 verses of sura
(chapter) 18 of the quran will be guarded. so be
careful. sala
2003-01-02

YAYA FATY FROM SENEGAL said:
I WISH YOU A VERY LONG LIFE AND THE GUIDANCE OF THE ALMIGHTY!!!!!
2002-12-31

.F.RAHIM FROM PAKISTAN said:
While admiring your efforts, it was shockingly distressing to note a serious distortion, perhaps occurred inadvertently, under the caption"Revelation". Following Quaranic Verse, 2nd part of the sentence is read," expressing his fears that it might have been something diabolic or the action of evil spirits."
I could not recollect the source of this negative commentary. Let me comment. In the life of any prophet, "revelation", is the most crucial and turning point.Before the actual revelation, he is made to go through various experiences, to visualize diffrent phenomena in dreams, so on and so forth until his orientation is complete and he is fully prepared to absorb the shocking and bone-breaking load of responsibility. All the diabolic forces or evil spirits are definitely and firmly kept away from himand his surroundings when actual revelation is made to him. He is never in doubt, even for a fleeting moment, about what is revealed to him and by whom and from Whom. He perceives and receives the revelation with complete clarity, consciousness, clear vision and thorough understanding. It never occurs to him,nor it could, that such an experience could be the play up of diabolic forces. Revelation remains, throughout, a highly guarded secret.Regarding the physical phenomena or disorientation obtaining on the person of Prophet, upon receiving the 1st revelation, as narrated in various Hadiths, that is something diffrent. However, even this phenomenon or a part of it, has also received criticism from Islamic scholars. We all should be extra careful when discussing and even more cautious when making some written commentary on religious matters. Let us seek forgiveness of Al-Mighty Allah
2002-12-28

SUHANA ABU BAKAR FROM MALAYSIA said:
A very interesting biography indeed!The well written detail increased the level of interest while reading it. May Allah bless the soul of Professor Muhammad Hamidullah and his family.
2002-12-27

GAIL FROM USA said:
Very interesting article! However, I thought that Khadijah and the prophet had only one daughter (Fatima)- not five children! Which is correct? Thank You! Keep up the good work!
2002-12-26