Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) the Messenger of Allah

The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was born in Makkah, a town in Arabia, on a Monday morning on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal more than 1,400 years ago. That year was called 'Aamul feel or 'The Year of the Elephant'.
The Prophet's (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) father, Abdullah, belonged to the tribe of 'Quraysh, which descended from Prophet Ibraahim (Alyhis Salaam). The Prophet's (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) grandfather was Abdul Muttalib and his mother's name was Aaminah. It was his grandfather who named him Muhammed, a name that was new to the Arabs.

The Prophet's (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) father had passed away before his birth, and his mother passed away when he was only six years old whilst they were returning from Madeenah. His grandfather, who loved him very much, then brought him up. However, when the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was only eight years old, he too passed away. After the death of his grandfather, Muhammed (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was taken care of by his uncle, Abu Taalib.

One day when his uncle Abu Taalib was about to set off on a business trip to Syria, Muhammed (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) asked him if he too could join him on this journey. The Prophet's uncle took him along and on the way they stopped at a place called Basra where a Christian monk called Buhayra lived. When Buhayra saw the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) he said, "Muhammed is the Chief of the messengers of Allah." People there asked him why he said this. He replied that when Muhammed (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) came down from the nearby mountain, he saw all the trees and rocks kneeling down before him

As a young man, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was respected throughout the land. People used to call him Saadiq, the truthful and Ameen, the trustworthy.

As the years passed by, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) pondered and began to think about his Creator, Allah. He spent his time remembering Him in the cave of Hira, a mountain outside Makkah. On the 17th day of Ramadhan, when the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was forty years old, the angel Jibra’eel (Alayhis Salaam) appeared before him and asked him to read, and the first verses of the Qur’aan were revealed.

Two years later, Allah commanded the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) to call the people of his tribe to the message of Islaam. But when told, his tribesman became angry and many of them carried on their worship of idols and turned against the Prophet(Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and accused him of being a sorceerer and poet.

From that day, the lives of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and the handful of people who had embraced Islaam were made very miserable. The disbelievers placed thorns in their path, pelted them with stones and dirt from rooftops, and beat them. Once when the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) went to the Ka'bah to offer prayers, the non believers tortured him, they tied a thick rope around his neck, and while the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was praying, choked him. On another occasion they put a camel’s messy intestines on his back while the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) was in sajdah. The non muslims tried all means to extinguish the flame of Islaam kindled by the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) but not a single Muslim left Islaam.

When the tortures and persecutions became unbearable, Allah Ta’ala ordered His Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and the Companions to migrate to Madeenah. After the migration to Madeenah, the muslims continued to strive for Islaam. They would sacrifice everything for Allah Ta’ala and His Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). After many battles, finally, Makkah was also conquered and people from all over the world began to embrace Islaam.

When the tortures and persecutions became unbearable, Allah Ta’ala ordered His Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and the Companions to migrate to Madeenah. After the migration to Madeenah, the muslims continued to strive for Islaam. They would sacrifice everything for Allah Ta’ala and His Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). After many battles, finally, Makkah was also conquered and people from all over the world began to embrace Islaam.

Our Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) had a very beautiful character and excellent manners. People would come in to the fold of Islaam just by seeing the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). The Companions of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) obeyed every command of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and copied his beautiful character. This obedience gave them success not only in the hereafter, but they became the rulers of the world.It is necessary for us to read the seerah of our beloved Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and adopt his ways just like his Companions did. When we will obey Allah and His Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), then Allah will also make us successful. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and his Companions bore all kinds of hardships so that this religion reaches me and you. It is only fair that we realise this favour and follow in the footsteps of our beloved messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam).


Riyadul Jannah
May 2002