Life of the Prophet Muhammad - Essay Example

Muhammad Early Life Mohammed or Muhammed was born fatherless in the city of Mecca, now in Saudi Arabia, in 570 or 571 C.E. in the lunar month of Rabi-ul-Awwal . He was originally known as Halibi according to the web page ‘Biography of Mohammed.’ His birth was only 55 days after the militant Christian Abrahah had invaded the city. The whole area suffered from a drought at that time. It was also polytheistic. Some women from Banu Bakr traveled to Mecca to seek parents who would pay them to take their babies to a healthier place and nurse them. No one however wanted baby Muhammed. Then Halimah offered to take him back with her to the highlands of Ta’if where she brought him up alongside her own son. He was 4 years old before he was returned to his mother Aminah. Two years later his mother took him to Medina. On the journey back his mother died in the desert and her maid took him to live in the home of his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib. Then, after only two further years his grandfather also died and his uncle Abu-talib took responsibility for him. So he worked as a shepherd and , on occasions traveled with his uncle as far as Syria. His life was simple and good. He neither drank alcohol or gambled and was known as a good mediator in disputes. Adult Life When Muhammed reached the age of 25 his uncle encouraged him to take work for wealthy twice widowed Khadijah, like Muhammed a descendent of Koreish, an important people in Mecca. She owned a caravan chain which traveled to Syria. He proved to be a good business man and made an excellent profit. Khadijah asked him to marry her. She was his only wife until her death at the age of 61. One of his wife’s relatives was Waraka, who had become a Jew. Wareka told his about the Jewish religion and doctrines according to the web page ‘ Biography of Mohammed’. Muhammed liked to meditate upon the oneness of God. He often did this in the Hira cave in the mountain later called Jabel An-nu or the Mountain of Light. It was there, when he was 40 years old that an angel is said to have appeared to him. Three times the angel told him to read, but Muhammed had to admit that he could not do so. At first he told no one what had happened except his immediate household, but when 4 years had passed he had 40 followers. Then the angel instructed him to preach the message more widely. For many years after this the angel continued to appear and gave Muhammed many revelations which were written down by others and which make up the Qu’ran. Through his own thoughts and actions the Prophet was able to interpret many of the verse. These teachings were gathered together to become the Sunnah. The hadiths are similar collections, used in many cases as representing legal ideas in Islam. Gradually the Prophet gathered followers. At first these were his own family and poor people, but later some Meccan nobles also joined his cause. Others however saw him as being not in his right mind or perhaps a liar. Either way he was seen as a threat and some followers were persecuted because of their adherence to him. Muhammed asked the king of Ethiopia for permission for himself and his followers to migrate. In Ethiopia they were welcomed and protected. After the death of Khadijah, Muhammed took another wife when he was 53 years old. A’isha was only 9 years old. This would be frowned upon by many in modern times, but would have been quite common practice at the time in many societies. The fact that they went through a marriage ceremony does not necessarily mean that the marriage was not consummated until later. At least one source however says they married when the girl was 6 and the marriage was consummated when she reached 9. On Muslim Hope .com, July 2009 the situation is discussed. It is pointed out how this has affected modern legislation – in Iran in 2009 it was still legal for girls to marry as early as 9, and the Taliban in Afghanistan positively encourages marriages for girls at the age of 8 upwards. Meanwhile in Mecca it had long been the custom of local tribes people to bring, each year, their gods, which they would worship alongside Abraham’s God. At these gatherings Muhammed would take his chance to teach the people about the one true God and won many followers in this way. He was invited by the Yatrib people to come to Medina in order to live their lives without persecution. The unbelievers in Mecca tried to prevent them leaving , but after 2 months Muhammed managed to escape with a few of his close followers to join the many other Muslims who had already settled in that city. Muslims date the Islamic era from about this time. There would be many battles between the Muslims in Median and the unbelievers in Mecca. The battle of Badr, mention in the Qu’ran, is considered to be the decisive battle for Muslims. It took place in 624 C.E. with large forces on both sides. Muhammed, depending either upon superior skill, or upon the intervention of Allah, depending upon your point of view, won a decisive victory over his main opponents. There were also battles with the people of Byzantium and Persia. Treaties were established with the people in the area around Medina. Muhammed also tried to make a treaty with the Jews , but eventually they did not keep their word and they were expelled from the area. It was while living in Medina that Muhammed introduced the pillars of Islam to his followers – prayer, the giving of alms, fasting and traveling to Mecca on holy pilgrimage – the Haji. . 8 years after he had fled the city Muhammed returned to Mecca which he and his army conquered. The Death of Muhammed Just under 3 months before his death Muhammed preached his last sermon. This took place at Mount Arafat during the Haji season. On his return to Mecca he fell into his final illness. He was still praying and directing his people, but eventually he asked Abu Bakr to lead the prayers and he died in 633/4 C.E. at the age of 63. Some of his followers had come to believe that the Prophet would live forever, but as Abu Bakr explained, it was Allah whom they should worship and it was he who would live for all eternity. Muhammed was just one of his messengers like the prophets who came before him. Muhammed had no sons, and arguments about who should be leader resulted in splits within the Islamic community that continue to this day. However there is still much that is consistent especially belief in Allah as the one true God. The Religion founded by Muhammed At its most basic Islam is belief in two doctrines as contained in the Qu’ran :- The fundamental doctrine of the Koran is contained in the two articles of belief: There is no God but Allah; and Mohammed is his prophet.’ Muslims believe that there were many prophets before Muhammed, but often believe that their teachings were either incomplete or have been corrupted over time. Islam is of course a very important religion in the modern world with may be 700 million followers according to Moustapha Akkad. Like Judaism and Christianity it is based upon belief in the God of Abraham. Today of course it also has political implications. Yet, despite all the problems caused in the modern world by religious fanaticism and xenophobia, American President Barack Obama was able to say :- America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings. Mahatma Ghandi, known for his belief in passive resistance, learned from Islam :- It was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to this friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. Irish writer George Bernard Shaw was able to relate Muhammed to the modern 20th century world :- I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today. So its seems that there are many non-Muslims who believe in our modern age, far removed from the time of Mohammed, that he , and Islam , can make a positive contribution in the modern age. British Statesman Winston Churchill however had other views:- How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays upon its votaries (1899). He went on to describe how, in his opinion, wherever Muslims live, agriculture and commerce stagnate. Rather a blanket statement, but in the 21st century people are just as likely to make negative and blanket statements about Islam,, without really taking into account the facts. Whether one is for or against Muhammed, one thing is sure, this one life has had tremendous, world changing influence and well deserves his place as on eof the 100 most influential people of all time , as described in Michael Hart’s 1992 book.’ The 100.’ References Akkad, M. quoted on Islam Quotes, Brainy Quotes, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/islam.html Ali, A.L. ( translator) The Holy Qu’ran, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://www.sacred-texts.com/isl/quran/index.htm A’isha: Mohammed’s Nine-Year Old Wife, Welcome to Muslim Hope.com, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://www.muslimhope.com/AishaNine.htm Biography of Mohammed, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://www.sacklunch.net/biography/M/Mohammed.html Churchill. W., Winston Churchill on Islam – in 1899, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://www.danielpipes.org/comments/27711 Ghandi on Islam, 26th September 2009, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://trueislam.tribe.net/thread/e9b6838f-4d83-44ce-9ed2-1c8dc6f783d0 Hart , M., ( 1992) , The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, Revised and Updated for the Nineties, New York, Citadel Press Books. Obama, B. , quoted on Islam Quotes, Brainy Quotes, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/islam.html Shaw, G.B.,Speech in Singapore in 1936, quoted in ‘Heaven’s Lights’, 30th April 2006, retrieved 22nd December 2010 from http://heavenslights.blogspot.com/2006/04/george-bernard-shaw-and-genuine-islam.html Read More