Life of Prophet Muhammad ‫ ﷺ‬Series

ْ َّ ِ ِ‫م‬
ِ‫يم‬ َّ ِ ِ ِ ‫ِ ِب ْس‬
ِ ‫للاِالرحمنِِالر ِح‬
ِ‫ِسيدنِاِونبينِاِمحم ِدِوعىلِآلهِوصحبهِأجمعي‬،‫الحم ِدِهللِربِالعالميِِوالصال ِةِوالسالمِعىلِ رأشفِاألنبياءِوالمرسلي‬

InِtheِnameِofِAllāh,ِAr-Raḥmāniِ(theِMostِMerciful),ِAr-Raḥeemِ(theِEspeciallyِMerciful)
PraiseِbeِtoِAllah,ِtheِLordِofِtheِWorlds;ِandِmayِHisِblessingsِandِpeaceِbeِuponِourِProphetِMuhammadِandِuponِallِ
hisِFamilyِandِCompanions.

Prerequisites

TheِstudyِofِtheِlifeِofِMuhammadِ‫ِﷺ‬isِaِveryِimportantِtopicِinِIslam.ِItِisِknownِbyِtheِ
Arabicِwordِ‘seerah’,ِmeaningِbiography.ِTheِbenefitsِofِstudyingِitِincludeِgettingِtoِknowِ
whoِexactlyِwasِthisِgreatِindividualِ‫ﷺ‬,ِwhatِwereِhisِachievements,ِchallengesِandِ
characteristics.ِMuslimsِbelieveِheِisِtheِperfectِhuman,ِtheِonlyِroleِmodelِyouِwouldِ
everِneedِandِaِperfectِexampleِtoِemulate.ِSimplyِbyِreadingِaboutِhisِlifeِandِactions,ِ
thisِbeliefِbecomesِanِundeniableِfact.

TheِsourcesِwhichِMuslimsِrelyِuponِforِthisِareaِare,ِfirstly,ِtheِQur’an,ِsinceِitِgivesِ
detailsِaboutِsignificantِmomentsِofِtheِProphet’sِlifeِ‫ِﷺ‬.ِSecondly,ِtheِhadithِ(sayings,ِ
teachingsِ&ِtraditions)ِofِtheِProphetِ‫ِﷺ‬haveِbeenِcompiledِandِrecordedِinِmanyِbooksِ
andِtheyِserveِasِaِmajorِsourceِofِinformationِaboutِMuhammadِ‫ِﷺ‬.ِThirdly,ِbiographiesِ
writtenِbyِtheِearlyِgenerationsِofِMuslims.ِManyِchildrenِofِtheِcompanionsِofِtheِ
Messengerِ‫ِﷺ‬wroteِaboutِvariousِIslamicِtopics,ِincludingِseerah.ِFourthly,ِbooksِ
describingِtheِcharacteristicsِandِmiraclesِofِMuhammadِ‫ِﷺ‬.ِLastly,ِotherِhistoricalِsourcesِ
whichِtalkِaboutِtheِregionِofِArabiaِduringِtheِProphet’sِtimeِ‫ِﷺ‬.

Part. 1 & 2 – Birth & Childhood

Introduction

ItِisِimportantِtoِrememberِIslamِdidِnotِstartِwithِMuhammad,ِbutِratherِitِhasِalwaysِ
existed.ِMessengersِandِProphetsِhaveِbeenِsentِtoِhumanityِthroughoutِhistory.ِTheirِ
messageِwasِtheِsame:ِLaِillahaِilِAllahِ-ِthereِisِnoِdeityِworthyِofِworshipِinِtruthِexceptِ
Allah.ِ

TheِKaabaِisِlocatedِinِtheِcityِofِMeccaِinِArabia,ِwhereِMuhammadِwasِborn.ِThisِ
buildingِwasِtheِveryِfirstِMasjid,ِhouseِofِworshipِdevotedِtoِAllah,ِtheِonlyِdeityِworthyِ
َ َ
ofِworship.ِTheِProphetِIbrahimِ(Abraham)ِ‫السالم‬ ِِ ‫ِ َعل‬alongِwithِhisِsonِIshmaelِ‫السالم‬
َّ ‫یه‬ ِِ ‫ِ َعل‬
َّ ‫یه‬
builtِtheِKaaba.ِTheِMuslimsِatِtheِtimeِofِIbrahimِandِIshmaelِwouldِprayِthereِandِ
performِpilgrimageِtoِtheِholyِsite.ِAlthough,ِasِtheِcenturiesِpassed,ِtrueِIslamِwasِ
neglected,ِandِpolytheisticِreligionsِbecameِwidespread.ِTheِKaabaِbecameِaِplaceِriddledِ
withِstatuesِandِfalseِgods,ِandِtheِpilgrimageِwasِhijackedِbyِnon-Muslimِpolytheists.ِ

Birth

Atِtheِtimeِofِhisِbirth,ِMecca,ِwasِaِcityِdominatedِbyِsuperstitionsِandِidolِworshipِi.e.,ِ
polytheismِandِworshipِofِstatues.ِAlthoughِtheِexistenceِofِAllahِwasِacknowledgedِbyِ
theِMeccans,ِtheyِconcoctedِmanyِfalseِgodsِandِdevotedِtheirِattentionِtoِthemِratherِ
thanِtheِOneِTrueِGod.ِPracticesِandِritualsِofِthoseِpeopleِincludedِmanyِhorribleِthingsِ
suchِasِburyingِfemaleِchildrenِalive,ِsinceِhavingِdaughtersِwasِviewedِasِshameful.ِ

Muhammadِ‫ِﷺ‬wasِbornِonِMonday,ِ9thِRabi'ِAl-Awalِ(22ndِAprilِ571ِC.E).ِHisِmotherِ
immediatelyِsentِsomeoneِtoِinformِhisِgrandfatherِ‘Abdul-Muttalibِofِtheِhappyِevent.ِ
Happilyِheِcameِtoِher,ِcarriedِhimِtoِtheِKaaba,ِprayedِtoِAllahِandِthankedِHim.ِ‘Abdul-
MuttalibِcalledِtheِbabyِMuhammad,ِaِnameِnotِthenِcommonِamongِtheِArabs.ِHeِ
circumcisedِhimِonِhisِseventhِdayِasِwasِtheِcustomِofِtheِArabs.ِ[IbnِHishamِ1/159,160;ِ
ZadِAl-Ma'adِ1/18;ِMuhadaratِTareekhِAl-UmamِAl-Islamiyahِ1/62]ِCircumcisionِmayِhaveِ
beenِaِtraditionِwhichِwasِaِremnantِfromِtheِtimesِIslamِwasِpracticedِamongِthoseِ
Arabs.ِEvidently,ِtheyِkeptِsomeِtraditions,ِbutِcorruptedِmany.

Hisِmother,ِAminah,ِwasِtheِdaughterِofِWahbِIbnِAbduِManafِofِtheِZahrahِfamily.ِHisِ
father,ِ'Abdullah,ِwasِtheِsonِofِAbdulِMuttalib.ِHisِgenealogyِhasِbeenِtracedِtoِtheِnobleِ
َ
houseِofِIshmael,ِtheِsonِofِProphetِAbrahamِ‫السالم‬ ِِ ‫ِ َعل‬inِaboutِtheِfortiethِdescend.ِ
َّ ‫یه‬
Muhammad'sِfatherِdiedِbeforeِhisِbirth.

Childhood

Beforeِheِwasِsixِyearsِoldِhisِmotherِdied,ِandِtheِorphanedِMuhammadِwasِputِunderِ
theِchargeِofِhisِgrandfatherِAbdulِMuttalibِwhoِtookِtheِmostِtenderِcareِofِhim.ِButِtheِ
oldِchiefِdiedِtwoِyearsِafterwards.ِOnِhisِdeathbedِheِconfidedِtoِhisِsonِAbuِTalibِtheِ
chargeِofِtheِlittleِorphan.

WhenِtheِMessengerِofِAllahِ‫ِﷺ‬wasِtwelveِyearsِold,ِheِwentِwithِhisِuncleِAbuِTalibِonِaِ
businessِjourneyِtoِSyria.ِWhenِtheyِreachedِBusraِ(whichِwasِaِpartِofِSyria,ِinِtheِvicinityِ
ofِHowranِunderِtheِRomanِdomain)ِtheyِmetِaِmonkِcalledِBahiraِ(hisِrealِnameِwasِ
Georges),ِwhoِshowedِgreatِkindness,ِandِentertainedِthemِlavishly.ِHeِhadِneverِbeenِinِ
theِhabitِofِreceivingِorِentertainingِthemِbefore.ِHeِreadilyِenoughِrecognizedِtheِ
Prophetِ‫ِﷺ‬andِsaidِwhileِtakingِhisِhand:ِ"Thisِisِtheِmasterِofِallِhumans.ِAllahِwillِsendِ
himِwithِaِMessageِwhichِwillِbeِaِmercyِtoِallِbeings."ِAbuِTalibِasked:ِ"Howِdoِyouِknowِ
that?"ِHeِreplied:ِ"Whenِyouِappearedِfromِtheِdirectionِofِ‘Aqabah,ِallِstonesِandِtreesِ
prostratedِthemselves,ِwhichِtheyِneverِdoِexceptِforِaِProphet.ِIِcanِrecognizeِhimِalsoِbyِ
theِsealِofِProphethoodِwhichِisِbelowِhisِshoulder,ِlikeِanِapple.ِWeِhaveِgotِtoِlearnِthisِ
fromِourِbooks."ِHeِalsoِaskedِAbuِTalibِtoِsendِtheِboyِbackِtoِMeccaِandِnotِtoِtakeِhimِ
toِSyriaِforِfearِofِtheِJews.ِAbuِTalibِobeyedِandِsentِhimِbackِtoِMeccaِwithِsomeِofِhisِ
menِservants.ِ[IbnِHishamِ1/180-183;ِZa'dِAl-Ma'adِ1/17]

AnِimportantِtakeawayِfromِthisِeventِisِthatِtheِPeopleِofِtheِBookِi.e.,ِChristiansِandِ
Jewsِhadِinformationِaboutِtheِcharacteristicsِofِprophetsِwithinِtheirِbooks.ِMoreِ
importantly,ِtheyِalsoِknewِaboutِtheِcomingِofِMuhammad,ِwhichِisِalsoِmentionedِinِ
therein.ِSomeِofِthemِacceptedِthisِfact,ِothersِrejectedِit.ِHereِyouِcanِseeِBahiraِ
acknowledgingِthisِfactِandِcorrectlyِassumingِthatِMuhmmadِisِtheِawaitedِProphetِ
describedِinِtheِbooksِofِChristiansِandِJews.ِHisِcautionِaboutِtheِJewsِisِdueِtoِtheِ
historyِofِthemِrejectingِorِkillingِprophets.ِAlthough,ِtimeِhasِshownِthatِevenِtheِ
ChristiansِhaveِrejectedِtheِProphetِ‫ِﷺ‬.
Afterِthisِjourney,ِtheِyouthِofِMuhammadِseemsِtoِhaveِbeenِpassedِuneventfully,ِbutِallِ
authoritiesِagreeِinِascribingِtoِhimِsuchِcorrectnessِofِmannersِandِpurityِofِmoralsِasِ
wereِrareِamongِtheِpeopleِofِMecca.ِTheِfairِcharacterِandِtheِhonourableِbearingِofِtheِ
unobtrusiveِyouthِwonِtheِapprobationِofِtheِcitizensِofِMecca,ِandِbyِcommonِconsentِ
heِreceivedِtheِtitleِofِ"AlِAmeen,"ِTheِTrustworthy.

Inِhisِearlyِyears,ِMuhammadِwasِnotِfreeِfromِtheِcaresِofِlife.ِHeِhadِtoِwatchِtheِflocksِ
ofِhisِuncle.ِFromِyouthِtoِmanhood,ِheِledِanِalmostِsolitaryِlife.ِTheِlawlessnessِrifeِ
amongِtheِMeccans,ِtheِsuddenِoutburstsِofِcauselessِandِbloodyِquarrelsِamongِtheِ
tribesِfrequentingِtheِFairِofِOkadhِ(TheِArabianِOlympia),ِandِtheِimmoralityِandِ
scepticismِofِtheِQuraish,ِnaturallyِcausedِfeelingsِofِpityِandِsorrowِinِtheِheartِofِtheِ
sensitiveِyouth.ِSuchِscenesِofِsocialِmiseryِandِreligiousِdegradationِwereِcharacteristicِ
ofِaِdepravedِtimeِandِplace.

Sources & Further Reading:

• TheِSealedِNectarِbyِSaifurِRahmanِAlِMubarakpuri

• ProvisionsِofِtheِHereafterِbyِImamِIbnِAl-QayyimِAl-Jawziyyahِ(SummarizedِbyِImamِ
MuhammadِIbnِAbdul-Wahhab)

Lectures & Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2dRQaGGWZOBTruan5Ca44q9qQzp-ne0T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0reCmOZBRZE&ab_channel=MohammedHijab

ِ‫ِسيدنِاِونبينِاِمحم ِدِوعىلِآلهِوصحبهِأجمعي‬،‫الحم ِدِهللِربِالعالميِِوالصال ِةِوالسالمِعىلِ رأشفِاألنبياءِوالمرسلي‬

PraiseِbeِtoِAllah,ِtheِLordِofِtheِWorlds;ِandِmayِHisِblessingsِandِpeaceِbeِuponِourِProphetِMuhammadِandِuponِallِ
hisِFamilyِandِCompanions.