A brief History of Muhammad

Jew men in the world have so affected the human race historically and contemporarily as has the prophet of the desert. To Muslims, Muhammad’s words and deeds are as fresh, vital, and binding in the present as they were when first spoken more than thirteen hundred years ago. At times, it seems as though Muhammad is almost deified by his followers.

Conversely, this apostle of the ages is cursed, maligned, and contradicted by multiplied thousands. His legacy is declared to comparisons between Jesus, who is presented in the Bible as without sin, and Muhammad, whom they hold personally responsible for all the sins of modern-day Muslims. Seldom in history has there been such long-standing and deep antagonism between two religious systems as that which we see outworking today within Christian-Muslim relationships.

Muhammad is the point man. What do we do with him? Is it possible to strip him of myth and romantic legend? Can we trace and authoritatively identify the historical Muhammad? Many have tried. Thousands of books have been written about the messenger of Allah. However, it my considered opinion that the academic approach to unveiling the real Muhammad results in an admixture of truth and fiction.

What really affects the world today is a Muhammad shrouded in a mystical fog. The ethereal presence of Muhammad hovers over Islam and powerfully elicits a dynamic, emotional response. A Bangladeshi poet maligns the prophet and is thrown into prison in the Philippines a Christian young man openly denigrates Muhammad before an audience of Muslims. Soon thereafter, a grenade is thrown into the midst of a public meeting sponsored by the man’s organization. Two young women are killed and thirty-eight other Christians are injured. One dares to criticize Muhammad only at the risk of personal harm.

Though a Hadith-centered study of Muhammad has inbuilt inadequacies, it is still probably the best and most authoritative insight into the words and actions of the prophet. This chapter highlights a selection of descriptions of Muhammad as he lived and functioned in the seventh century.

Who Was Muhammad?

Muhammad is the prophet and founder of Islam. Born in Mecca in 570, most of his early life was spent as a merchant. At age 40, he began to have revelations from Allah that became the basis for the Koran and the foundation of Islam. By 630 he had unified most of Arabia under a single religion. As of 2015, there are over 1.8 billion Muslims in the world who profess, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”

The Life of Muhammad

Muhammad was born around 570, AD in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia). His father died before he was born and he was raised first by his grandfather and then his uncle. He belonged to a poor but respectable family of the Quraysh tribe. The family was active in Meccan politics and trade.

Many of the tribes living in the Arabian Peninsula at the time were nomadic, trading goods as they crisscrossed the desert. Most tribes were polytheistic, worshipping their own set of gods. The town of Mecca was an important trading and religious center, home to many temples and worship sites where the devoted prayed to the idols of these gods. The most famous site was the Kaaba (meaning cube in Arabic). It is believed to have been built by Abraham (Ibrahim to Muslims) and his son Ismail. Gradually the people of Mecca turned to polytheism and idolatry. Of all the gods worshipped, it is believed that Allah was considered the greatest and the only one without an idol.

In his early teens, Muhammad worked in a camel caravan, following in the footsteps of many people his age, born of meager wealth. Working for his uncle, he gained experience in commercial trade traveling to Syria and eventually from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. In time, Muhammad earned a reputation as honest and sincere, acquiring the nickname “al-Amin” meaning faithful or trustworthy.

In his early 20s, Muhammad began working for a wealthy merchant woman named Khadihah, 15 years his senior. She soon became attracted to this young, accomplished man and proposed marriage. He accepted and over the years the happy union brought several children. Not all lived to adulthood, but one, Fatima, would marry Muhammad’s cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom Shi’ite Muslims regard as Muhammad’s successor.

The Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad was also very religious, occasionally taking journeys of devotion to sacred sites near Mecca. On one of his pilgrimages in 610, he was meditating in a cave on Mount Jabal aI-Nour. The Angel Gabriel appeared and relayed the word of God: “Recite in the name of your Lord who creates, creates man from a clot! Recite for your lord is most generous….” These words became the opening verses of sūrah (chapter) 96 of the Qur'an. Most Islamic historians believe Muhammad was initially disturbed by the revelations and that he didn’t reveal them publicly for several years. However, Shi’a tradition states he welcomed the message from the Angel Gabriel and was deeply inspired to share his experience with other potential believers.

Islamic tradition holds that the first persons to believe were his wife, Khadija and his close friend Abu Bakr (regarded as the successor to Muhammad by Sunni Muslims). Soon, Muhammad began to gather a small following, initially encountering no opposition. Most people in Mecca either ignored him or mocked him as just another prophet. However, when his message condemned idol worship and polytheism, many of Mecca’s tribal leaders began to see Muhammad and his message as a threat. Besides going against long standing beliefs, the condemnation of idol worship had economic consequences for merchants who catered to the thousands of pilgrims who came to Mecca every year. This was especially true for members of Muhammad’s own tribe, the Quraysh, who were the guardians of the Kaaba. Sensing a threat, Mecca’s merchants and leaders offered Muhammad incentives to abandon his preaching, but he refused.

Increasingly, the resistance to Muhammad and his followers grew and they were eventually forced to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, a city 260 miles to the north in 622. This event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. There Muhammad was instrumental in bringing an end to a civil war raging amongst several of the city’s tribes. Muhammad settled in Medina, building his Muslim community and gradually gathering acceptance and more followers.

Between 624 and 628, the Muslims were involved in a series of battles for their survival. In the final major confrontation, The Battle of the Trench and Siege of Medina, Muhammad and his followers prevailed and a treaty was signed. The treaty was broken by the Meccan allies a year later. By now, Muhammad had plenty of forces and the balance of power had shifted away from the Meccan leaders to him. In 630, the Muslim army marched into Mecca, taking the city with minimum casualties. Muhammad gave amnesty to many of the Meccan leaders who had opposed him and pardoned many others. Most of the Meccan population converted to Islam. Muhammad and his followers then proceeded to destroy all of the statues of pagan gods in and around the Kaaba.

Character

          Muhammad was initially overwhelmed when the revelations from Allah commenced. There were moments when he doubted his sanity. The Prophet’s faithful wife, Khadija, became concerned and took him to Waraqa, her Christian cousin. A pivotal moment in Islamic history occurred as this Arab believer in Christ affirmed Muhammad’s communication as being from God.

It would appear that Muhammad received courage to press on from this prophetical word of Waraqa. Along with this timely confirmation came the startling announcement that persecution would soon follow nonetheless Muhammad did not flinch from that which he considered to be his calling from Allah. Muslim theologians point to hostility and suffering as forces that helped form the tenacious character of the Prophet.

In earlier times the Prophet’s suffering sprang from persecution, as he aged, his suffering was physical. Aisha was in a position to closely observe his struggles with a weakened body.

Unfortunately, Muhammad misunderstood the Christian practice as unduely exalting a mere man. Never in the Quran or the Al-Bukhari Hadith do we see Jesus presented as divine. Conversely, Christ is consistently set forth as a prophet without claim to dity. Therefore, Muhammad felt justified in criticizing the followers of Christ for engaging in a type of idolatry. Muhammad, by contrast, referred to himself as a slave. This was done in a culture in which slaves were commonly found and such a reference was well understood.

An indication of the Prophet’s sensitively to others is found in this Hadith.

Various images of Muhammad have been presented by non-Muslim historians and Islamists. These portraits tend toward presenting an arrogant, sensual, and militaristic leader. In contrast to their profile is this Tradition.

Muslim have considered their Prophet to have had an impeccable character. They continue to look to the Hadith for authentication of their claim.

Negative Characteristics of Muhammad

At the outset it should be noted that definitions of character imperfections will vary from culture. Lying, stealing, and fornication, to name but a few sins that are fairly well defined in the West, will not be so clearly labeled as transgression among certain peoples. (even within a culture the definitions may vary; a number of states have laws against adultery by consenting adults, but many Americans scoff at such “obsolete” legislation.)

As we look at the life of Muhammad we are confronted with a clash of perspective. What I present next from the Hadith will not be regarded by Muslims as sin in the life of the Prophet. They will interpret it as a contextual problem, a historical variation, or an obscurity yet to be resolved. So it is with an acknowledgement of my cultural and theological bias that I set forth the following Traditions accompanied by my interpretative comments.

Some Hadith indicate Muhammad had a healthy self-image. To many students of Islam, these citations seem to point to an overactive ego. Muslims would say these statements of Muhammad only set forth the facts.

Narrated Jabir Abdullah. The Prophet said, “I have been given five things which were not given to anyone else before me.

1.     Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month’s journey.

2.     The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum, therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due.

3.     The booty has been made Hala (lawful) for me yet it was not lawful for anyone else before me.

4.     I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Ressurrection).

5.     Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have been sent to all mankind” (1 199-200; 7.1.331).

A careful reading of these five declarations helps me to understand the absolute dogmatism of most Muslims worldwide. They cannot countenance the thought that they might be wrong or that another ereligion may have claim to universal truth. Recently, I was talking to an intelligent and dedicated follower of the Prophet. I sought ot convince him of the need to compare the conflicting claims of Islam and Christianity. He, politely but with emphasis, told me there is absolutely no need to investigate Christianity. Truth, he said, is in Islam, reading counterclaims may just be used of Satan to bring about cognitive confusion. But, before we become too critical, would not many  Christians respond in a similar manner if a Muslim sought to persuade them to seriously consider Islam as a viable alternative to their faith in Christ?

Apart from the issue of truth, we still observe Muhammad’s projective himself in a unique manner. He states that his enemies hold him in awe; the earth has been made for him, he alone has the right to interceded for Muslims on judgement day; and he, unlike other prophets (including Jesus), has been sent as a messenger of Allah to all the human race. That is quite a menu of distinctions.

Another Hadith has Muhammad urging his followers to love him supremely.

Narrated Anas: The Prophet said: “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his faith, his children and all mankind” (1:20; 2.8.14)

More people throughout the world have the name Muhammad than any other name. This phenomenom did not occur accidentally. The Prophet command the practice.

Narrated Abu Huraira. The Prophet said, “Name yourselves after me and whoever sees me in a dream, he surely sees me, for Satan cannot impersonate me. And whoever intentionally ascribes something to me falsely, he will surely take his place in the (Hell) Fire” (8:139-40; 72.109.217).

Is it not an extreme position for Muhammad to sentence someone to hell for a verbal sin?

Another example of the Prophet’s self-exaltation is his declaration that he will be chief among all people in paradise.

Narrated Abu Huraira. We were in the company of the Prophet at a banquet and a cooked (mutton) forearm was set before him, and he used to like it. He ate a morsel of it and said, “I will be the chief (i.e. best) of all the people on the Day of Resurrection” (4:350; 55.3.556).

Muhammad lived in an age of warfare. In large measure it was a day of the “survival of the fittest.” Thus, the Prophet evidently desired to make a show of his physical strength.

          Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet hastened in going around the ka’ba and between the Safa and Marwa in order to show the pagans his strength (5:391, 59.42.558).

This seems a stark contrast to Christ and the cross. Jesus could have called for divine intervention but instead opted for ignominious suffering and death.

Anger was not unknown to the Prophet.

Narrated Aisha. The Prophet entered while there was a curtain having pictures (of animals) in the house. His face got red with anger. And then he got hold of the curtain and tore it into pieces. The Prophet said, “Such people as paint these pictures will receive the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection”(8:83-84; 72.75.130).

This Hadith is widely known among the Muslims, and  the more orthodox resolutely refuse to have any pictures in their homes. Some confine the prohibition to depictions of animals; others extend it to include even photos of family members. Shiite Muslims generally disregard such strictures and even allow pictorial representations of Muhammad. This practice is strictly prohibited among Sunnis. I well recall watching a large and boisterous procession making its way past our village home in Bangladesh. The participants’ anger was being directed toward an American publication that had the audacity to reproduce a paintings of Muhammad. These Muslims would justify their wrath as being allied with the anger of their Prophet.

It is possible that Muhammad, living as he did in an idolatrous society, was expressing concern over the danger that his followers would worship pictorial representations. This concern, however, is not stated.

It would appear that the Prophet had killed the persons:

Narrate Abu Qilaba.  Allah’s Apostle never killed anyone except in one of the following three situations: (1) A Person who killed somebody unjustly, was killed in (in Qisas) (2) a married person who committed illegal sexual intercourse and (3) a man who fought against Allah and His Apostle and deserted Islam and became an apostate (9:26; 83.22.37).

From this and other Traditions comes the authorization to execute adulterers. The law of apostasy is also well defined in this passage (this will be discussed further in chapter 9).

The Demise of Muhammad

Prior to his death the Prophet expressed a number of concerns:

Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah’s Prophet said, “O Allah! I seek refuge with you from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and geriatric old age, and seek  refuge with you from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with you from the afflictions of life and death” (98:252; 75.39.378)

Like most of us who are aging, the Prophet was concerned for his health. Interestingly, he also sought Allah’s protection from laziness and cowardice. There is no indication he succumbed to these fleshy temptations.

In a Hadith filled with biblical parallels, we see Muhammad focusing on his eternal state as he approached death.

Narrated Aisha. The Prophet said, “O Allah! Wash away my sins with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart from sins as a white garment is cleansed of filth, and let there be a far distance between me and my sins as You have set far away the East and the West from each other” (8:257, 75.45.386).

Yet more amazing is another statement:

Narrated Abu Huraira. I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “By Allah! I ask for Allah’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day” (8:213; 75.3.319)

And another Hadith suggest he was compulsive about asking for God’s forgiveness.

Narrated Um al-Ala. The Prophet said, “By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me.”

(Translator’s Note: No doubt, the Prophet knew that he would go to Paradise but he felt that the knowledge of the unseen should be referred to Allah) (5:183; 58.45.266)

The note following the Hadith highlights a conflict between Muhammad’s self-evaluation and that which was strongly affirmed by his followers. The Prophet humbly doubted his worthiness to enter heaven while his disciples expressed no doubt about where Muhammad would spend eternity.

During the Prophet’s life he made clear his opinion of worship at the shrine of a deceased person.

Narrated Aisha. Um Salma and Um Habiba had been to Ethiopia, and both of them narrated the Church’s beauty and the pictures it contained. The Prophet raised his head and said, “Those are the people who, whenever a pious man dies amongst them, make a place of worship at his grave and then they place those pictures on it. They are the worst creatures in the sight of Allah” (2:238; 23.69.425).

This denouncement contradicts the practice of shrine worship that I have observed all over the Muslim world. Thousands of followers of Islamic “saints” regularly visit their graves to pray or to ask them to intercede to Allah in some area of felt need. There is little protest from orthodox Muslims concerning this decidedly unorthodox practice.

Today, the Prophet’s gravesite in Medina, Saudi Arabia, is an intergral part of the annual Hajj Ceremoney. Muslims from all over the world go to the tomb of Muhammad to pray, to ask for his intercession, and to give respect to the “latest and greatest” of all the prophets. These practices are in opposition to the Hadith.

Aisha said, “The prophet in his fatal illness said, ‘Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because they took the graves of their Prophets as place for praying.” Aisha added, “Had it not been for that, the grave of the Prophet would have been made prominent but I am  afraid it still might be taken as place for praying’ (2:232; 23.60.414).

Aisha’s fears have been realized.

There was great trauma among the disciples of Muhammad as word of his death spread. This Tradition highlights both the hesitation to accept the Prophet’s demise as well as a challenge to follow the living Allah.

Narrated Aisha. The Prophet Allah’s Apostle died while Abu Bakr was at a place called As-Sunah (Al-Aliya). Umar stood up and said, “By Allah! Allah’s Apostle is not dead!” Abu Bakr praised and glorified Allah and said, “No doubt! Whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshiped Allah, then Allah, then Allah is alive and shall never die” (5.13; 57.6.19).

what do we make of  life and ministry of the Prophet? Are there bridges we can utilize between Muhammad and Christ?

Muhammad is presented as a dead sinner who is not to be worshiped. Christ is proclaimed biblically to be God-Man who is sinless and worthy of worship. The grave of Muhammad is in Medina. Christ’s body ascended and is at the right hand of the Father.

We should avoid any type of attack on the character of the Prophet. Every reservation we may have will quickly be explained away by the devout Muslim. But the issues of Muhammad’s humanness and ordinary death can be suggested to be in distinct contrast to Christ, who neither sinned nor remained in an earthly grave. Both of these facts are accepted  by orthodox Muslims. I do not believe they give proper weight to these truths.

But, as history attests, these are extremely sensitive areas. Walk carefully and humbly!

The Death of Muhammad

After the conflict with Mecca was finally settled, Muhammad took his first true Islamic pilgrimage to that city and in March, 632, he delivered his last sermon at Mount Arafat. Upon his return to Medina to his wife’s home, he fell ill for several days. He died on June 8, 632, at the age of 62, and was buried at al-Masjid an-Nabawi (the Mosque of the Prophet) one of the first mosques built by Muhammad in Medina.