Who was the Prophet Muhammad (saw)?

A: Muhammad (saw) was the prophet of Islam and the one to whom the final religion was revealed by God. He was born in a noble family in 570CE in Makkah, Arabia and he was a descendant of Prophet Abraham(as). The word ‘Muhammad’ literally means ‘praiseworthy’.
Life before Prophethood
His father, Abdullah, died a few months before his birth and his mother, Amena, died when he was just six years old. He was then cared for by his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, who also died two years later. Muhammad(saw) was then looked after by his uncle Abu-Talib.Despite these hardships, Muhammad(saw) grew up to be an honest, dignified, truthful, and intelligent person. He also helped his uncle with his trade, sometimes accompanying him on his travels to other lands. Muhammad(saw) led a pious and simple life. He was well-known for his willingness to help others and his conduct earned him the titles of As-Siddique (meaning the most truthful) and Al-Amin (meaning the most trustworthy).When he was twenty-five years old Muhammad(saw) married a respectable widow named Khadija who was fifteen years his senior. She was so impressed by the noble character of Muhammad(saw) that she placed at his disposal her wealth and slaves – whom he set free. Muhammad(saw) also distributed much of the property among the poor.
Revelation
Prophet Muhammad(saw) used to spend his time in the remembrance of Allah. Often he would meditate in a cave called Hir’a that lay a few miles away from Makkah. When he was forty years old he had a vision in which Angel Gabriel appeared and conveyed to him the first revelation from Allah in the following words:
‘Recite in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from an adhesive clot. Recite, and your Lord is the Noblest, Who taught by the pen, taught man what he knew not.’
(Holy Qur’an Ch.96: vs. 2-6)
Muhammad(saw) was so overawed by this experience that he rushed home and related it to his wife Khadija(ra), who then took Muhammad(saw) to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal who was a Christian hermit. On hearing what had happened Waraqa said, ‘The angel who has descended on you is, I am sure, the same angel who previously descended on Moses.’ He was evidently referring to the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:18 (‘I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.’) foretelling the arrival of a great prophet. This, in fact, marked the beginning of the mission of Muhammad(saw) as an apostle of Allah. The verses noted above are the first verses of the Holy Qur’an that was revealed to Muhammad(saw). Over the next twenty three years the entire Holy Qur’an was revealed to him and to this day it remains completely unchanged.
His Mission
Prophet Muhammad(saw) denounced the worship of false deities and preached the Unity of Allah. He said that Allah alone was worthy of worship and nothing else was equal to Him. Muhammad(saw) helped the poor, liberated slaves and established equal rights of women. He told his followers to be patient during hardship and to pray to Allah. His mission was to eradicate evil and iniquity and to establish goodness and piety in the world.
Struggles and Successes
The idolaters of Makkah would not listen to Muhammad(saw) and opposed him tooth and nail. He and his followers were persecuted in every way. They were subjected to all sorts of indignities, and the Muslim slaves were treated particularly badly. After thirteen years of persecution at the hands of the Makkans Muhammad(saw) was directed by Allah to migrate to Madinah, nearly 260 miles north of Makkah.
However, even there the Makkans did not let him live in peace. They fought a number of battles against him, but were defeated. Muhammad(saw) only fought in defence and when victorious he declared a general amnesty to his enemies. When Makkah was finally conquered by Muhammad(saw) it was done peacefully without any battle. Furthermore, Muhammad(saw) was extremely forgiving and magnanimous towards his enemies.
He invited the whole world to Islam but also granted everyone freedom to practice their own faith under the protection of Islam.His life is indeed remarkable for within its span of some sixty two years, the whole gamut of human experiences seems to have been played out, from poverty to riches, from failure to success, from friend-lessness to unquestioned power, from persecution to kingly authority.
He was resigned to being an orphan, was an affectionate adopted child, an honest trader, a kind father, a loving husband, a caring neighbour, a great warrior and general, a just judge and law-giver, an enlightened statesman, a faithful friend and above all a prophet and the preacher of the Word of Allah.
He passed away in 622 CE leaving behind a very pious and righteous community of believers who continued his mission to spread Islam in all parts of the world despite heavy odds. Today there are more than one billion Muslims in the world.

What is Islam?

A: Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. The word Islam literally means ‘Peace and surrender to the will of Allah the Creator’.

It was founded by Prophet Muhammad(saw) over 1400 years ago in Arabia. Prophet Muhammad(saw) received revelation from Allah in which he was told that Islam was the final and most complete religion for mankind. The followers of Islam are called Muslims.

Islam’s holy book is The Holy Qur’an and this was revealed by Allah to Prophet Muhammad(sa). It is a source of complete guidance. Its teachings are in agreement with human nature. Islam is a religion revealed for the whole of mankind for all time to come.

The Founder of Islam

Prophet Muhammad(saw) (570-632 CE) was born in Makkah, Arabia. He was known for his honesty and piety. He was also inspired with a strong love for Allah and mankind.

He married at the age of 25. Fifteen years later he received his first Qur’anic revelation from Allah whilst meditating in a cave called Hir’a near Makkah. This marked the beginning of the mission of Muhammad(saw) as the apostle of Allah. His prime message was the Unity of Allah and he continued to stress this throughout his life.

True to his character Prophet Muhammad(saw) practised what he preached and provided a living example of all that Islam teaches. His humility, truthfulness, tolerance, resolve, courage, kindness and wisdom remain exemplary.

The Holy Book of Islam

The Holy Qur’an is the holy book of Islam. It is the Word of Allah and was revealed to Prophet Muhammad(sa) over a period of 23 years. It is spread over 30 parts and has 114 chapters.

It contains a vast array of teachings and is a comprehensive code of conduct for mankind. It also contains numerous prophecies many of which have been fulfilled and many that remain to be fulfilled.

The Holy Qur’an is written in Arabic – the very language in which it was revealed. The word Qur’an means something that is recited over and over again and indeed Muslims recite the Holy Qur’an many times over in their lives. There are many Muslims who have also memorised the entire Qur’an. Despite being over 1400 years old the Qur’anic text has remained intact – as promised in the Qur’an by Allah Himself. The translation of the Holy Qur’an is now also available in more that 50 languages including English

The Teachings of Islam

Allah taught religion to the world gradually by sending His prophets at different times and to different peoples. This religious guidance was completed and perfected through Islam.
The key teachings of Islam are known as the five pillars of Islam.

The Five Pillars of Islam

Shahadah
This is the declaration of one’s faith in the unity of Allah and acceptance of Prophet Muhammad(saw) as a messenger of Allah.
The meaning of the actual declaration is, “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”
(‘Allah’ is means One Who is free from all defects and possesses all kinds of good attributes.)

Salat
Muslims must offer the five daily prayers to develop and benefit from a personal relationship with Allah.

Saum (Fasting)
Muslims must fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Whilst fasting, Muslims cannot eat or drink between dawn and dusk.
Some people are exempted from fasting including the sick, pregnant or nursing mothers, young children and those on journeys. During Ramadan Muslims make an extra effort to remember Allah and to seek His forgiveness.

Zakat (Almsgiving)
Muslims are required to give a fixed proportion of their wealth for the benefit of the poor and needy. The basic rate is normally 2.5% of one’s annual savings.

Hajj
Muslims should make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in their lifetime if possible. The Pilgrimage is made during the month of Hajj, the twelfth lunar month of the Islamic calendar.

Muslims also believe in all prophets of Allah, His angels, His holy books, life after death, the Day of Judgement and in the Divine Decree of Allah. Islam also emphasises that men and women are equal before Allah and only righteous deeds elevate one person above another.

Islam reinforces the concept of humanity and respect for individual liberty. It also reminds man of his fundamental human right of being free to choose his own religion. It is clearly stated in The Qur’an that there is no compulsion in religion (Holy Qur'an Ch.2 V.257).

Education is so important that Muslim men and women are encouraged to seek knowledge wherever it may be.