THE STORY

OF
PROPHET
MUHAMMAD
LIFE BEFORE
PROPHETHOOD
• Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born during the year 570 according to the Gregorian calendar in the city of Makkah. He was an orphan as his father passed away before
he was born.

• When he was six years old he embarked on a journey with his mother Aminah to a different city called Madinah to visit his maternal uncles. On their way back to Makkah his
mother passed away in a city known as al-Abwaa. Both of his parents were gone before his 7th birthday.

• Soon afterwards his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib became his guardian. However, just a few short years later his grandfather also passed away when Muhammad (peace be
upon him) was eight years old.

• Before reaching the age of 10 his mother, father, and grandfather were no longer in his life. He was deprived of parental love at a very young age.

• After their passing Muhammad (peace be upon him) was raised by his paternal uncle, Abu Talib. His uncle was a respected community leader in Makkah. Abu Talib became
his new guardian, treated him with care, compassion, and helped him grow into a fine young man.

• Well before prophethood he was the best of his people in character and in attitude. He was known for being generous, patient, truthful, and sincere. The people of Makkah
admired his noble character and gave him the title al-Ameen (the trustworthy).

• He later found employment with a successful merchant in Makkah by the name of Khadija. She had a reputation for being a savvy businessperson. He became one of
Khadija’s agents and would travel on behalf of her to do business in Syria. Khadija was very impressed with his good character, honesty, and sincerity.

• Khadija would eventually take an interest in him, and not long after the two would get married. Muhammad (peace be upon him) married Khadija at the age of 25.
BEING CHOSEN AS A
PROPHET OF ALLAH
• Muhammad (peace be upon him) received his first revelation while in a cave called Hira on the outskirts of Makkah. This cave was a place where he used to go to regularly for spiritual retreats and to
perform worship. One day during one of his retreats in the year 610, at the time he was 40 years old, the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) suddenly appeared before him.

• The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “I do not know how to read.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) added, “The angel caught me (forcefully) and
pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second
time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, ‘I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?’ Thereupon he caught me for the third time
and pressed me, and then released me and said,

• 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 GenerousQur'an Chapter 96,
Verses 1-3

• This event was the beginning of revelation, and it was also the moment Muhammad (peace be upon him) became a Prophet of Allah.

• Muhammad (peace be upon him) left the cave and hurried home. His heart was pounding in fear of what he just experienced. He immediately went to his wife Khadija and explained what happened to
him in the cave of Hira saying “I feared for myself”. After hearing this she calmed him down and said:

• “By Allah, Allah will never forsake you, for you uphold the ties of kinship, help the weak, honour your guests, give in charity and help when someone is stricken with calamity.”

• Khadija would become the first person to accept Islam.

• Not long afterwards Khadija took Muhammad (peace be upon him) to go see her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal who was a Christian. When Waraqah was told the news of the incident in the cave of Hira he
gave Muhammad an explanation. Waraqah told him that the angel he met was the same angel who Allah had sent to Musa (Moses) with revelation. Muhammad had now become a Prophet of Allah and
like the Prophets of the past, it was his duty to guide the people to the truth. Waraqah told Muhammad to be patient because some of the people of Makkah would deny the message of Islam and persecute
him.
TIME IN MAKKAH
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) stayed in Makkah for 13 years calling to monotheism: worshiping Allah alone without any partner. He started to call people to the religion in
secret with a small group of people.

• This group of people were very close to him which included relatives from within Quraysh, the clan the Prophet’s family is from. He later started to call large groups of people
to embrace Islam, believe in one God, and believe in him as a Prophet.

• Only a small number of Muslims believed in his message in the early years of Prophethood and those who believed were prosecuted by the people of Makkah. Some were
tortured and others were killed. Many of the people who were plotting to harm the Muslims included members from within the Quraysh.

• To help keep the Muslims away from further prosecution Muhammad (peace be upon him) later commanded some of the Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia (modern day Eritrea
and the northern half of Ethiopia). The King of Abyssinia allowed the migrant Muslims to stay within his lands where they were safe from being harmed.

• In the year 619 the Prophet’s uncle Abu Talib passed away. This was a significant loss for Muhammad (peace be upon him) because this man had raised him after the death of
his parents. He was also a widely respected community leader who defended the Prophet from the persecution of the Quraysh. Now that his protector Abu Talib was no longer
around the persecution in Makkah increased and intensified.

• That same year his beloved wife Khadija passed away as well. This year in the Prophet’s life became known as the Year of Sorrow because of the losses of two beloved
people.

• Despite the hatred shown from some of the people of Makkah during those 13 years, the number of Muslims increased and Islam was growing. Allah continued to send Jibreel
to reveal more verses of the Quran to Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Prophet would then teach these verses to the early Muslims.

• At the end of those 13 years it was time for Muhammad (peace be upon him) to leave Makkah and find a new home for the Muslims.
THANK
YOU

B Y I F R A