Islam & Muhammad

Muhammad ﷺ, the son of Abdullah, was the final prophet and messenger of God.

While Muhammad ﷺ is often described as the “founder of Islam,” Islam did not begin with his prophethood. It is more accurate to say he was sent to restore the core messages of previous prophets, and that of the original, uncorrupted scriptures revealed by God. The prophets and messengers of God, from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses to Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them), and many more between them, all conveyed the same fundamental message of monotheism and good works.

Despite facing extreme challenges, rejection, and persecution during his lifetime and prophetic mission, Muhammad ﷺ unfailingly exhibited beautiful character, rose above hatred and insults, and accomplished a stunning array of achievements. He is the greatest of God’s creation, and the most beloved of them all to God.

Check out the Meeting Muhammad video series with Dr. Omar Suleiman.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born in 570 CE in Mecca, where he eventually received the final revealed book sent to humanity, the Qur’an, and began calling people to the religion of Islam.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed away in 632 CE, in the city of Medina, eleven years after his hijrah (migration) there. While historians differ on the exact date of his passing, many held that it was on the 12th of Rabi‘ al-Awwal, which would correspond to the 8th of June in 632 CE.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ remains buried in his house, in Medina, exactly where he had passed away. The Sahabah—the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ—initially disagreed about where to bury the Prophet ﷺ. Some suggested taking him back for burial in his birthplace of Mecca, but others remembered that the Prophet ﷺ had said to them, “A prophet should not be buried except where he died.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi, #1018]

Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ impact on the world was extraordinary and unique in terms of his global political achievements, him being a demonstrably greater influence on spirituality than any other founder of the major faiths, and him advancing social wellbeing in unparalleled ways.

Many non-Muslim historians in the west acknowledge this, such as Michael Hart who famously ranked him atop the list of the “100 Greatest” influencers of human history. Similarly, Alphonso de Lamartine writes, “If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad?”

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received the Qur’an, the miraculous literal Word of God, gradually over the span of his prophethood. It was communicated to him from the Divine, at times directly and often through an angel. Revelation of the Qur’an began when he was 40 years old, when the archangel Gabriel came to Muhammad ﷺ and recited to him the following verses:

Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists),

He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood),

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,

Who has taught (the writing) by the pen.

He has taught man that which he knew not.

[Qur’an, 96:1-5]

This revelation continued descending upon the heart of Muhammad ﷺ for 23 years until he passed away. Thereafter, while the Qur’an was primarily committed to memory, it was compiled into a single undisputed manuscript by the Prophet’s Companions.

Other, non-literal secondary revelations called Hadith, were also inspired to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to supplement the Qur’an and ensure its proper understanding.

The Prophet ﷺ had 11 wives over the course of his life. They were:

1. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
2. Sawdah bint Zam‘ah
3. A’ishah bint Abi Bakr
4. Hafsah bint Umar
5. Zaynab bint Khuzaymah
6. Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah
7. Juwayriyah bint al-Harith
8. Zaynab bint Jahsh
9. Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan
10. Maymunah bint al-Harith
11. Safiyyah bint Huyayy

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ first married Khadijah (may God be pleased with her) when he was 25 years old, and she remained his only wife until her death, when he was 50. For several years thereafter, Muhammad ﷺ remained unmarried, living with his daughters and sharing the message of Islam. Then, between the ages of 53 and 60, he married his remaining wives. All except A’ishah (may God be pleased with her) were either widows or divorcees. Each had the title of “Umm al-Mumineen,” or “Mother of the Believers,” and they were widely respected during and after the Prophet’s life.

Some of the obvious wisdoms behind the Prophet ﷺ having numerous wives include:

• He supported the widows and divorcees of his community and normalized the practice of marrying them, removing the stigma against both within early Arabian society.
• His wives would go on to narrate the Prophetic tradition to the world. Many of them became respected scholars in their own right, and taught Islamic knowledge to the scholars of the next generation.
• His wives narrated tender, daily moments within their households, revealing greater insight into his and each other’s beautiful character.
• Each marriage was a practical example of how to deal with many different scenarios within home and family life.

There are several reasons the Prophet ﷺ married A’ishah. The first is that he was instructed to by divine revelation. He ﷺ said to A’ishah: “You were shown to me twice in a dream. I saw that you were wrapped in a piece of silk, and it was said, ‘This is your wife.’ I unwrapped her and saw that it was you. I said, ‘If this is from Allah, it will come to pass’” [Sahih al-Bukhari #3682].

Secondly, some narrations mention that the Prophet ﷺ was impressed with A’ishah’s intelligence and understanding. Later scholars note how A’ishah’s unique intelligence and vast knowledge was pivotal in transmitting Islam to future generations.

Finally, the Prophet ﷺ had a great love and respect for A’ishah’s father, Abu Bakr (may God be pleased with him). Abu Bakr was the first man to accept Islam, and he was harshly persecuted for his steadfastness. Their homes were forever connected through this blessed marriage.

The age of A’ishah (may God be pleased with her) at the time she married the Prophet ﷺ is disputed. Most scholars rely on the related testimony of A’ishah, who stated that she married the Prophet ﷺ at the age of 9. (It must be noted that current conceptions of age vary greatly from those of premodern times, and that marriage at younger ages was common throughout history.) Other scholars claim that A’ishah would have been older, closer to 17 years old, based on inferences from historical reports which arguably support that view.

No, Christians generally do not believe in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or the Qur’an as authoritative sources of religious guidance. However, unique emphasis on the oneness of God, and how the Qur’an engages Christian literature, and particularly how it celebrates Jesus & Mary (peace be upon them), make it no surprise that more people convert to Islam—the world’s fastest growing religion—from a Christian background than any other faith.

No, Jews generally do not believe in Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or the Qur’an, nor Jesus (peace be upon him) and the Bible, as authoritative sources of religious guidance. However, during the Prophet’s ﷺ life and until today, many followers of Judaism and ethnic Jews have been inspired to become Islam due to the pure monotheism of the Qur’an, and its veneration of Moses (peace be upon him).

There is no explicit mention of Muhammad in today’s Bible, although the Qur’an does affirm that Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) gave the world glad tidings of Muhammad being the final messenger of God (Quran, 61:6).

Some biblical scholars today also identify passages of the Torah and Gospels as allusions to Muhammad, theorizing that no better candidate fits the descriptions prophesied in the Bible about the final anticipated bearer of divine truths to humanity.

See: An Ethical and Historical Necessity for more on Muhammad in the Bible.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was consistently described as the most handsome of all people, and as always beaming with a radiant smile despite his difficult circumstances and unmatched concern for everyone. While the texts of Islam consider it part of honoring the legacy of Muhammad ﷺ to never draw an image of him, both his physical appearance and ethical qualities remain preserved and documented in finer detail than any other person in history.

Yes, Muhammad ﷺ performed many miracles. The Qurʾan mentions several that were witnessed by his Companions. These included the splitting of the moon in half, the night journey and ascension, the weeping tree, the great victory at Badr, and the Qurʾan itself. The Qurʾan and Hadith also mention several more miracles, including the sending of rain at his request, the healing of the sick, and increasing supplies of water and food. All of these miracles were divinely bestowed upon the Prophet ﷺ as a sign of his truthfulness.

You can read more about the miracles of Muhammad ﷺ in our e-book: The Final Prophet: Proofs for the Prophethood of Muhammad.

The Prophet ﷺ left Mecca to establish a new community of believers, as the religious persecution in Mecca had made that impossible. He settled in Yathrib, which later became known as Medina, or the City of the Prophet. This relocation, called the hijrah, was a significant milestone in the history of Islam, and hence the year of the hijrah marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

The Qur’an is very clear: “Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood” (2:256). Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Muslims after him spread Islam through da‘wah, or inviting people to engage with Islam’s persuasive message and appealing way of life. While justified and ethically constrained violence was at times necessary to establish justice, non-Muslims were not forced or pressured to accept Islam. Rare instances of forced conversion later in Islamic history must be properly contextualized. The spread of Islam across the world is clearly attributable to conversion out of conviction, and has been a complex process facilitated by trade, social influencers, marriage, migration, and other factors.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received the Qur’an, the miraculous literal Word of God, gradually over the span of his prophethood. It was communicated to him from the Divine, at times directly and often through the archangel Gabriel. Beginning at 40 years old, revelation continued descending upon the heart of Muhammad ﷺ for 23 years until he passed away.

Yes, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is a descendent of Prophet Abraham through his son Ishmael. Kedar was the son of Ishmael, to whom the Arabian tribe of Qurasyh all trace back their ancestry. Banu Hashim was a subtribe of Quraysh, and the immediate family into which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the earliest Muslims faced incredible brutality and humiliation for choosing Islam. Yet, this ocean of cruelty was never able to drown the compassion, goodwill, and protective concern the Prophet’s ﷺ heart contained for friend and foe alike. He consistently exhibited graceful, magnanimous character in the face of enmity and insult.

Even at the height of his power, instead of pursuing vengeful retribution which was normal in his society, he opted to abolish such practices and instead declared to his former persecutors, “There will be no blame on you today.”

Read more about how the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) responded to insults in our paper: How the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Rose above Enmity and Insult.