Who was Muhammad?History records that a person by the name Muhammad was born into the tribe of Qurayshin the city of Makkah in 570 C.E. His father, Abdullah, died before his birth. WhenMuhammad was six years old, his mother, Amina became ill and died. Thus, at a veryyoung age Muhammad experienced the loss of his parents and became an orphan.For the next few years Muhammad was entrusted to his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib.When Muhammad was eight years old, his grandfather also passed away. His uncle AbuTalib, a well-respected member of the Quraysh tribe, took responsibility for him.Muhammad grew up to become an honest and trustworthy businessman. Indeed,Muhammad's upright and dependable reputation earned him the designation al-Amin("the Trustworthy One") among his fellow Makkans, and even invited a marriageproposal from Khadijah, a businesswoman in Makkah for whom Muhammad worked.At the age of twenty-five, Muhammad married Khadijah, a widow who was his elder byfifteen years. Their marriage lasted twenty-five years, until Khadijah's death. Muhammadand Khadijah had six children: two sons died in early childhood, and four daughters livedto bless their household.While most of his fellow Makkans were polytheists, Muhammad refused to worship thetraditional tribal deities and often retreated to meditate and worship the One God of hisancestor, Abraham. At the age of forty, while meditating in the cave of Hira in themountains above Makkah, Muhammad received the first of many revelations, beginningwith the Arabic word Iqra, meaning "Read" or "Recite." Soon afterwards, he wascommanded to convey the Divine message and thus became the last messenger of God,according to the Qur'an."Read, in the name of thy Lord, Who Created-Created man, out of a clot (embryo).Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,He Who taught the use of the pen-Taught man that which he knew not." (Qur'an, 96: 1-5)Muhammad spent the remaining twenty-three years of his life receiving revelations fromGod and advocating the message of Islam among the peoples of the Arabian peninsulaand working to implement the principles and teachings of Islam in human society. Aftersuffering severe persecution from the polytheistic Makkans for 11 years, he and hisfellow Muslims emigrated to Yathrib, a city 200 miles north of Makkah, where heestablished Islamic rule. The city was renamed Madinah (short for Madinat an-Nabi, Cityof the Prophet). In the following years, the message of Islam brought more and moretribes in the Arabian peninsula into the fold, creating a new community based oncommon religious principles, rather than tribal or other affiliations. Muhammad died in632 C.E. at the age of 63. His tomb is located adjacent to the Masjid an-NabawiHANDOUT 8HANDOUT 8, pg. 1(Prophet's Masjid) in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, in what used to be his quarters next to theoriginal masjid of the city.What was Muhammad's role as the last prophet?Islam teaches that Muhammad's role as the final prophet of God was to confirm theauthentic teachings of previous prophets and to rectify mistakes or innovations thatfollowers of previous monotheistic faith traditions had introduced into the originalreligion of humankind. Muhammad is also viewed as the conduit for the completion ofGod's guidance to humanity; the scope of his mission is seen as encompassing all people,rather than a specific region, group or community. Furthermore, his life serves as aperfect model of how to practice Islam fully."We have sent you forth to all humankind, so that you may give them good news andwarn them." (Qur'an, 34: 28)Muslims believe that the original revelations or scriptures given by God to prophets suchas Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus had been lost or modified over time. Moreover, theethno-religious concept of a "chosen people" found in Judaism and the doctrines ofTrinity and Original Sin found in Christianity are believed to be later developments thatgrew away from the original practices and scriptures of previous prophets.Essentially, Muslims view Islam not as a "new" religion, since it embodies the samemessage and guidance that God revealed to all His messengers, but rather areestablishment of the "primordial" religion of humankind, centered around recognizingGod's Oneness and adhering to His commands. The view of Islam as having achieved itsfinal form through the scripture given to Muhammad and his own teachings is animportant aspect of faith. Consequently, Muhammad is considered the final messenger ofGod, the "Seal" of the Prophets. Any claimants to prophethood after Muhammad, whodied in 632 C.E., are not accepted by Muslims."Muhammad is the father of no man among you.He is the Apostle of Allah and the seal of the Prophets.Allah has knowledge of all things." (Qur'an, 33: 40)What is the "Sunnah" of Muhammad? What are "Hadith"?The term Sunnah refers to the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad, as distinctfrom the revelations that comprise the Qur'an. It is the second source of Islam after theQur'an, for in the Prophet there is a "beautiful pattern of conduct for any whose hope is inGod and the Last Day"(Qur'an, 33:21).HANDOUT 8, pg. 2When the Prophet's wife Aisha was asked about her husband's character, she statedsimply, "It was the Qur'an," meaning that his life was the Qur'an in application. Based onthis premise, the Prophet is considered by all Muslims a guide and role model for living asuccessful life-one who emulates the Prophet receives God's mercy and forgiveness.Following Muhammad's example contributes to a Muslim's efforts fulfill obligations toGod and gain entrance into Paradise.One form in which Muhammad's Sunnah has been recorded and preserved is the Hadith(traditions of the Prophet). Hadith are records of the doings and personal sayings of theProphet. Hadith were painstakingly verified and compiled by scholars in various books inthe centuries following the Prophet's death. Six collections of hadith are considered themost authentic, the most commonly used ones being the volumes titled Sahih Bukhariand Sahih Muslim.HANDOUT 8, pg. 31995 Council on Islamic Education HANDOUT 8, pg. 2HANDOUT 8, pg. 41995 Council on Islamic