In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Salam Alikum Dear Believers,

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The Prophet Muhammad (saws) was born in Mecca on 17th Rabi'ul-awwal, 570 AD. Prophet Muhammad (saws) lost both of his parents and his grandfather by the age 10, leaving him in the care of his uncle Abu Talib.

Muhammad, as a young, gentle, inquisitive youth, accompanied the trading caravans of Abu Talib across the deserts, giving him deep insight into nature and the human being. These were the beginning stages of what would become the greatest intellectual, spiritual, social and political movement ever witnessed by mankind.

A quiet lover of nature, constantly worried about human sufferings, Muhammad very often retired to Mount Hira' for meditation. One night, namely that of laylatul-qadr (the Night of Majesty) the Divine voice addressed him, commanding "Recite in the Name of thy Lord." (Surah al-'Alaq 96:1). Thus began the magnificent journey of the Final Messenger (s) to guide humanity towards perfection.

The first years of Islam were extremely difficult for its followers, as the leaders of Mecca used any means of persecution and harassment necessary to keep the Muslims from becoming a threat to their authority. They even offered wealth and power to the Prophet (s), to which he uttered his famous response, "if they place the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left, to force me to renounce my mission, I will not desist until God manifests His cause or I perish in the attempt." Following the example of the Prophet (s), the Muslims remained firm and persevered throughout the struggle, knowing in their hearts that God would soon deliver them from their tribulations and lead them to success.

After the further hardships of losing his beloved wife Khadija and his uncle Abu Talib, the polytheists planned stronger than ever to assassinate the Prophet (s). Because of this, he and the Muslims were forced to migrate to Medina, which is remembered as the event of Hijra.

During the years in Medina, the Muslims were forced to fight many battles, including those of Badr, Uhud, and Khaybar. In all of these battles, the Muslims were forced to fight and did not ever play the role of aggressor. The Treaty of Hudaybiyah, concluded with the non-Muslims of the area of Medina, also highlights the peaceful and humanitarian nature of the Islamic movement in Medina. It was through this nature the Prophet (s) was able to peacefully return to Mecca and establish Islamic rule without any battle or fighting.

Though a Prophet, Muhammad was the man of the common people. He sat and ate with them, shared their joys and sorrows, helped the weak, widows and orphans and sympathized with the distressed. He found the world sunk deep in degrading ignorance, superstition, vice and cruelty. He saw people disunited and engaged in perpetual wars, practising most revolting cruelties; daughters were buried alive and the widows of their fathers were inherited or sold by the eldest son. Among all this chaos, Muhammad (s) established order and inspired in them the belief of One God; prohibited idolatry and made them think, not only of this world, but beyond the grave on a higher, purer and diviner plain, asking them to practise charity, goodness, justice, reasonableness and universal love. The whole mission was achieved in his lifetime.

Source: A Brief History of the Fourteen Infallibles (Ansariyan Publications)