Selasa, 09 Oktober 2012

A Brief Biography of Prophet Muhammad

     The Prophet Muhammad was the son of Abdullah, who was the son of Abdul-Muttalib, who was the son of Hashim; whose ancestry reaches the Prophet Ismael son of the Prophet Abraham, peace be upon them.
Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca , in Arabia , on a Friday, the 17th day of the lunar month of Rabi‘-I, in the year 570CE into a noble family whose fathers and ancestors were amongst the chiefs of the Quraysh tribe, and the Bani-Hashim clan.
His Prophetic mission began in the year 610CE on the 27th day of the month of Rajab, when he first received the divine revelation.  Then the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet progressively according to the circumstances of the time over a period of 23 years.
The Prophet Muhammad was killed by poisoning on the 28th day of the month of Safar in the 11th year of the Hijrah, 630CE.

His Childhood

           Muhammad's father Abdullah son of Abdul-Muttalib was the best and most pious among the sons of Abdul-Muttalib and his most beloved. Abdullah died while Muhammad was still in his mother's womb. All that he left behind were five camels and a servant girl named Barakah, also known as Omm Ayman, who was Muhammad's nanny. Abdullah was a true believer and a monotheist.
After Abdullah's death, Muhammad's grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, became his guardian. Abdul-Muttalib was one of the chieftains of the tribe of Quraysh, and a believer in Allah [in the way of Prophet Abraham], as was Abu Talib, a brother of Abdullah. Abdul-Muttalib always respected and honoured treaties and adopted the finest of morals. He loved the poor and helped pilgrims. He would even feed the wild beasts and the birds of the mountaintops. He would feed people in times of famine and would restrain wrongdoers.
Muhammad's mother was Aamenah daughter of Wahab son of Abd Manaf son of Kilab. She was also a believer in Allah.
When Muhammad was born his mother said: ‘As soon as I put my child on the ground he leaned with his hands on the ground, raised his head to the skies and looked at the horizons all the while speaking in phrases of monotheism. Then a voice called out to me saying: ‘The best of mankind has been born so name him Muhammad.'
Then Aamenah sent for Abdul-Muttalib. He came to her and she said: ‘A wondrous boy has been born to you.' Then she brought baby Muhammad to him. Abdul-Muttalib looked at him then took him and entered the Ka‘bah and prayed to Allah. Then he left the Ka‘bah and returned him to his mother and named him Muhammad.
Muhammad was not yet seven years old when his mother died. After his mother's death, his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib assumed guardianship of him. Because of his knowledge of the status of the child and his faith in him he treated Muhammad with more care and attention than his other children. A group of the Medlaj Clan came to Mecca and when they saw Muhammad they said to his grandfather: ‘Take good care of him for we have never seen another of his station.'
Abdul-Muttalib said to Abu Talib in his will to heed what they say and take care of him.  Muhammad was eight when his grandfather died, and he was taken into the care of his uncle Abu Talib.
Abu Talib, chief of the Bani-Hashim clan within the Quraysh, then became the guardian of Muhammad from his eighth year. Abu Talib went on to protect and serve the Messenger of Allah, defending him and honouring him throughout the testing times of his Prophethood, until the last breath of his life.

His Adulthood

           Muhammad grew up to become a fine young man.  He became known for his excellent manners, and because of the honesty in his conduct and dealings he was referred to as al-Saadiq (The Truthful One) and al-Amin (The Trustworthy One).
As a youngster Muhammad used to accompany his uncle on his business trips to Syria .  When the Messenger of Allah reached the age of twelve he journeyed with his uncle Abu Talib as far as Busra. There he was seen by a Christian monk named Georges who recognised him by his description. He took his hand and said: ‘This is the chief of the Worlds, God will send him as a mercy to the Worlds.' Abu Talib said: ‘How do you know this?' He said: ‘We find mention of him in our books.' He asked Abu Talib to take him back fearing for his safety.
As an adult, Muhammad worked as a trader between the cities of Mecca and Damascus , and earned a great reputation in the process.  Having heard of the reputation of Muhammad, Lady Khadijah, one of the noblest of the Quraysh, on one occasion commissioned him to take charge of some of her trading business between the two cities.  Lady Khadijah sent one of her servants, Maysarah, along with him to keep an eye on him and report back to her.  Having seen his performance in the business, and the returns he had produced as well as his honesty, Lady Khadijah put Muhammad in charge of her business.  Although she had many proposals of marriage from various dignitaries of the Quraysh, Lady Khadijah declined them all. It is reported that it was Lady Khadijah who, albeit indirectly and discreetly, made the marriage proposal to Muhammad. Some historians have reported that when they married in 595CE they were both 25.
            Lady Khadijah gave birth to three children. All of the Prophet's children were from Khadijah except Ibrahim who was from Mary the Copt, who was born in Medina and lived for a year and ten months. The male children who were all born in Mecca were; al-Qasim which is where Muhammad's epithet (Abul-Qasim; meaning Qasim's father) comes from, and Abdullah.   The boys all died young during the lifetime of the Prophet.  His only daughter was Fatimah, who married Imam Ali son of Abu Talib, and bore him Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, Zaynab and Omm Kolthuom, and another son who was named Mohassen by the Prophet before his birth. Fatimah was the only one of the siblings to survive the Messenger of Allah.  The Prophet Muhammad used to say Hasan and Husayn are two Imams (leaders) whether they rise up (against tyranny) or not.
             Ali was born to Abu Talib and his wife Fatimah bint Assad in 600CE.  Ali's birth was associated with a particularly significant phenomenon.  When Fatimah bint Assad was in labour she came to the Ka‘bah pleading to God for help with her labour.  It is reported by various narrators and recorded by many chroniclers that as she was engaged in her prayers by the southern wall of the Ka‘bah, the wall split open and she entered the House, whereby the wall returned to its normal state.  Having observed this extraordinary phenomenon, people who were present tried to follow her into the House through the opening but did not succeed.  They then tried to go inside the House through its door but could not unlock the door.  Reports indicate that she was inside the House for three days, and when she left the House with her newborn she did so in the same manner as she entered the House.
The Prophet Muhammad took particular interest in baby Ali, and he played a major role in Ali's upbringing and education.  Ali would be the most ardent supporter of the Prophet throughout the difficult years of the Prophet Muhammad's mission to convey the divine message and the teachings of Islam to the masses.

Start of His Mission

              The Prophet Muhammad used to spend much time in prayer and worship of the one God.  This he used to do in a cave, known as Hira, in the al-Noor mountain near the city of Mecca .
In 610CE, at the age of forty, Muhammad received the first of the divine revelations when he was engaged in devotion and prayer inside the cave of Hira :
In the name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate;
Read in the name of thy Lord who created,
Created man from a clot,
Read and thy lord is the most noble,
Who taught by pen,
Taught man what he knew not . . .
The Prophet Muhammad conveyed the news and the Message to Ali and Lady Khadijah.  Ali and Lady Khadijah both embraced the new revelation instantly and without any hesitation.
             Khadijah was thus the first woman to believe in the Messenger of Allah and the first woman to pray with him. She supported him wholeheartedly and spent all her wealth in the way of Allah. She was the first woman that the Prophet married and he married no other during her lifetime. She was immensely loyal to the Prophet. The Angel Gabriel ordered him to convey a special greeting and a blessing from God as well as ordering that he give the land of Fadak to Fatimah as an appreciation for what her mother had spent in the way of Allah.
The Prophet Muhammad begins to invite individuals to the new revelation but in secret.  There were very few supporters and believers.  When the Prophet used to perform a congregational prayer, those who were with him were Lady Khadijah and Ali.  This low-key approach continued for three years.
            Afterwards, on instructions from the Almighty, the Prophet's invitation to Islam started to became more and more public.  The Almighty instructs His messenger to begin with his clan, And warn your nearest kinsmen.  For this purpose the Prophet Muhammad prepared a banquet and invited the elders and chiefs of the Bani-Hashim, who totalled forty.  After they were served with a good feast, the Prophet invited them to Islam, called upon them to support him in his mission, and promised them that whoever does so would be appointed as his successor, but none took up the offer dismissing the Prophet and his mission as nonsense, with the sole exception of Ali.  Ridiculing the whole thing, they turned to Abu Talib saying, “Your son will be your commander, you should obey him!”  Nevertheless the mission continues unabated albeit with very few supporters.

Resonance of His Call

              The followers of the new religion start to grow, and so does the concern of the Quraysh towards them.  The elders of Quraysh send Abu Talib, the trusted uncle of the Prophet to him, asking him to stop his call for this new religion, and in return they would give him whatever he would want. “If you want wealth, we will give you as much as you want, if you want women we will marry you the most beautiful women of Arabia, and if you want position and status we will make you the owner-king over us.”  When Abu Talib conveys the message of the elders of Quraysh to his nephew-prophet, the Messenger of Allah replies, “I swear by the Almighty that if they put the Sun in my right hand and the Moon in my left on condition that I desist from this affair I would not leave it until Allah causes it to prevail or I die in the process.” Then the Messenger of Allah began to weep and rose and made to leave, but Abu Talib called him and said: ‘Come back my nephew. Say what you like my nephew, for by Allah I will never hand you over to them ever.'
The Quraysh realised that it is dealing with a true and determined prophet.  From then on, open hostility towards this new religion, its prophet, and its followers started to increase.  Lady Khadijah dedicates all her wealth and resources for the cause of her prophet-husband's mission.  The extent of this hostility reaches blatant persecution of the followers of the new religion and its prophet.

‘Neutralise the Messenger and his Message'

          Then the Quraysh plotted amongst themselves about the companions of the Messenger of Allah who had entered Islam with him from amongst the tribes. Each tribe pounced upon any of its own who were Muslims by tormenting them and forcing them from their religion. Abu Talib protected the Messenger of Allah, and seeing what the Quraysh were doing to the sons of Hashim and Abdul-Muttalib, he called for them to protect the Messenger of Allah just as he was protecting him. So they gathered with him and stood up with him, except for Abu Talib's brother Abu Lahab and his sons who had assisted the Quraysh against the Prophet.
Then the Quraysh openly decided to kill the Messenger of Allah. When this news reached Abu Talib he gathered the sons of Hashim and Abdul-Muttalib and took the Messenger of Allah to his quarter and protected him from those who sought to kill him.
The Quraysh imposes total and complete embargo against the Prophet and his followers in all its forms; social, economic, political, etc.  No citizen of Mecca is allowed to buy from or sell to them, no one is allowed to marry anyone of them, or even befriend or socialise with them, not even help them.  Nor should a peace settlement be accepted from them ever, nor should they be shown mercy until they hand over the Messenger of Allah to be killed.
The Quraysh agreed to draw up a document to this effect, and one of them wrote this document in his own hand, which subsequently was afflicted by paralysis, and then they hung the document inside the Ka‘bah.
          The Prophet and many of his followers, and members of the Hashim clan withdrew to Abu Talib and entered the Abu Talib Quarter known as She'b Abu Talib, which had become their virtual open-top prison.  Their condition deteriorated as time went by, and although some friends of sympathisers managed to smuggle in some help to the Muslims, but this was few and far between.  There they remained in the quarter for three years until they were exhausted.  The voices of the children could be heard from the quarter crying of hunger. They also increased the pressure on those who had entered Islam but had not entered the quarter. The trials became grave and the Muslims were severely shaken.  It is reported that Ali son of Abu Talib used to secretly leave the quarter in disguise and fetch foodstuff to the besieged, carrying it on his back, into the quarter.
            On one of the divine revelations made to him, the Messenger of Allah informed his uncle Abu Talib that Allah had sent woodworms to their document that had eaten every word except the name of Allah.  Having heard this Abu Talib said: ‘No by the falling stars, you have not lied to me.'
Abu Talib set out with a group of the clan of Abdul-Muttalib until he reached the vicinity of the Ka‘bah, which was full of the people of Quraysh. He spoke and said to them: ‘Something has occurred which may be a cause for a settlement between you and us so bring out your document. 
They said: ‘The time has come for you to accept and recant. Only one man has caused the split between us and you, and you have put your people in jeopardy because of him.'
Abu Talib said: ‘I propose a matter for you in which there is fairness. My nephew has told me and he has not lied to me, that Allah distances Himself from this document and has erased all your treachery and enmity and all that remains written is His name. If it is as he has said then by Allah, we will never hand him over to you until the last of us dies. If what he has said is false then we will hand him over to you so that you may kill him or spare him as you wish.'
They said: ‘We agree.'  Then they opened the document and found it as they had been told but some of them clung to their falsehood and obstinacy and said: ‘This is sorcery from your companion.'
Then some of those who had made the pact spoke and tore up the document.

Facing the Torments

               The clan of Hashim then felt safe enough to emerge from their quarter and once more mingle with the people. This was in the tenth year of the noble prophethood, circa 620CE.
It was less than six months after the end of this trial when Abu Talib passed away. Then the Prophet's wife Lady Khadijah also died only three days after Abu Talib according to some accounts. The Messenger of Allah was very saddened and named this year the ‘Year of Sorrow'.
                The loss of Abu Talib and Lady Khadijah dealt a severe blow to the Prophet at a time when he needed these two most.  The death of Abu Talib cleared the last hurdle for the Quraysh, and if the presence of Abu Talib imposed certain limits and drew some red lines for the Quraysh that they could not cross, now his death leaves them free to do what was the unthinkable to the Prophet while Abu Talib was alive.
With the death of Abu Talib, the trials meted out by his tribe to the Messenger of Allah grew more naked and audacious.
When the Prophet was praying by the Ka‘bah, one of the idolaters approached and violently tried to strangle him.
The Quraysh encouraged the foolish ones to throw dirt on the Prophet's face and head. They used to throw filth and blood and thorns at his door. Ommayah ibn Khalaf used to insult the Prophet until his face became red but still the Prophet would not say anything to him.
               When a fool threw the dirt in the face of the Messenger of Allah, he entered his house with the dirt still on his head. Fatimah began to clean the dirt from his head and crying and the Messenger of Allah saying: ‘Do not cry my daughter, for Allah will protect your father.'
He also said: ‘The Quraysh could not harm me until Abu Talib died.'
It is related from Khabab who said: ‘I approached the Prophet when he was reclining in the shade of the Ka‘bah. This when we had received some harm from the Polytheists. I said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, will you not invoke Allah?' He sat up red of face and said: ‘Among those who came before you there were those whose skins would be scraped off with combs of iron down to the bone and this did not divert them from their religion. Allah will complete this matter until a rider may travel from San'a to Hadramaut with nothing to fear but the wolf getting to his sheep.'

Migration of the Messenger of Allah

The Quraysh and their allies make the decision that Muhammad must be physically eliminated in order to finish with him and his religion once and for all.  But whoever does this would have to deal with the consequences and face the wrath of the respectable Bani-Hashim clan.  In order to divide the guilt between as many clans and tribes as possible, forty clans are made to be involved in the task.  The best warrior from each clan is chosen for the task.  They are instructed to storm the house of Muhammad and every single one of them is to ensure to strike Muhammad with his sword at least once.  This is so that if Bani-Hashim, Muhammad's clan, were to seek revenge for his blood, they would be confronted with forty clans, and thus making it impossible for them to seek any retribution.
The Almighty instructs the Prophet Muhammad to leave for the city of Yathreb, which later became known as Medinat al-Rasul or the City of the Messenger, or Medina for short.
In 622CE, after some thirteen years of calling the people to Islam, the Messenger of Allah left Mecca for Medina.  The Prophet Muhammad asked Ali son of Abu Talib to stay behind to deal with a number of issues, and Ali volunteered to sleep in the Prophet's bed acting as a decoy.  The Messenger of Allah manages to slip through those who were surrounding his house just before they stormed it.  When they stormed the house to kill him they found Ali instead in the Prophet's bed with no sign of their target. 
On his way out of Mecca, Abu Bakr came across the Prophet as he was leaving the city, and asked the Prophet where he was going at that time.  The Prophet Muhammad could not tell him other than the truth, and thereafter the Messenger of Allah asked him to join him on his migration to Medina, in order to keep the news of this mission secret until he is out of danger.
      With first daylight, the forty brave warriors set off in pursuit of the Prophet by following his track.  They used an expert guide to help them track him, and the guide led the warriors to the cave of Thawr, some five miles outside Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad and his companion were actually inside, but the pursuers did not enter the cave.  It is reported that the pursuers did not enter the cave since by the time they had arrived, through divine intervention, a spider had spun its web across the opening of the cave, and a pigeon had placed its nest near there, after the two had entered the cave.  The chasers did not attempt to enter the cave on the presumption that had anyone entered the cave, the spider web and the pigeon nest would have been disturbed.
Having failed to capture the Prophet, the Quraysh announced a reward of 100 camels for anyone capturing him or giving information leading to his capture.
The Prophet Muhammad left Mecca on the eve of the first day of the lunar month of Rabi‘-I, and arrived at the outskirts of Medina, some 400 km north of the city of Mecca, on Monday the 12th day of the same month.
       Another task that Ali ibn Abu Talib had to do when the Prophet had left Mecca was to return any goods and valuables that people had given to the Prophet for safekeeping.  Many of those who were the Prophet opponents also used to give their valuables to the Prophet for safekeeping every time they went on a long journey and such like.  This is because the Prophet was recognised for his trustworthiness even towards his foes; they could not trust their best friends for safekeeping of their valuables, but they trusted Muhammad al-Amin (the trustworthy one).  Ali returned all the goods and valuables that were given to the Prophet for safekeeping, including those of the Prophet's foes.
      When Ali had returned all the goods he was given by the Prophet Muhammad to their rightful owners, he went to the roof of the Ka‘bah and yelled at the top of his voice, “if anyone has any claim against Muhammad, or had entrusted him with anything that he has not got back yet, then they should come forward.”  It is reported that nobody did.
Having discharged all his tasks in Mecca, Ali set off for Yathreb together with the 'Fatimahs', namely: his mother Fatimah bint Assad, Fatimah the daughter of the Prophet, Fatimah the daughter of Zubair ibn Abdul-Muttalib, and Fatimah duaghter of Hamzah.

Messenger of Allah Arrives at Medina

          When the news of the Messenger's exodus from Mecca to Medina reached the Muslims in Medina, they began to go every morning to the lava fields and wait there until the heat of noon drove them back. Many days they waited until one day when they had returned to their houses it so happened that a Jewish man was looking out from his fortress when he saw the Prophet shimmering in the haze. No sooner had he sighted him than he hailed the Muslims at the top of his voice saying: ‘O Muslims, here is your Master whom you await!'
           The Muslims immediately rushed to meet the Messenger of Allah on the crest of the lava fields. He then kept going until they had reached Qubaa where he stopped with the clan of Amr ibn Awf. The Muslims hailed ‘Allahu Akbar' (God is Greatest) with joy at his arrival. The Prophet stopped at Qubaa for three days awaiting the arrival of Ali.  He did not want to enter the Medina without Ali.
The Prophet remained with Ali with the clan of Amr ibn Awf for a day or two. During his stay in Qubaa he established the mosque of Qubaa, and thus it was the first ever established in Muslim era.
           And on the Friday, the Prophet entered the Qubaa mosque and led the Muslims in the Friday prayers and gave a sermon. And this was the first Friday sermon ever given. The Prophet prayed in the direction of Jerusalem and one hundred men prayed behind him. After performing the prayers, the Prophet mounted his camel, along with Ali who never left his side, and the rest of Muslims and headed towards Medina.
Once in Medina, Muslim families invited the Messenger of Allah to stay with them. In order not to turn down the request of any one of them, the Prophet decided that he would stay with the family that his she-camel would stop by their house.  He said: ‘Let her be for she is being ordered.' The camel kept on walking until she reached the door of the house of Abu Ayyub, who happened to be amongst the poorest in Medina. Then Abu Ayyub hurried to the Prophet's baggage and took it into his house.
Abu Ayyub's mother, who was blind, said: ‘O if only I had sight so that I could see my master the Messenger of Allah!' The Prophet Muhammad then called to Allah for her and her eyes opened. This was the first of his miracles in Medina.
It is said that when the Messenger of Allah entered Medina, it was the most joyous occasion ever witnessed by the people.  One eyewitness said: ‘I saw the day when he entered Medina and I have never seen a brighter or better day than that day. And I saw the day he died and I have never seen a worse or darker day than the day on which he died.'

First Muslim Community

         With a significant number of those who embraced Islam migrating from Mecca to Medina, as well as the majority of the native Medinans, it could be said that the first Muslim community began to take shape in the city of Medina, under the guidance of the Prophet. Through his teachings, the Messenger of Allah brought about harmony and peace between the different rivalries and warring groups and tribes of the city and its surroundings.  Whereas prior to his arrival, greed, enmity and wars prevailed between the inhabitants, in a short space of time the Prophet managed to sow the seeds of a peaceful cohesive order to the extent that they shared everything they had amongst themselves and with the Muslim migrants from Mecca despite their poverty.  With the city of Medina being some 400 km north of Mecca, some of the Muslims considered it to be a reasonably safe distance from the Quraysh who were mostly in Mecca.
However, the Quraysh and their allies did not relent, and they forced the Muslims of Medina into a number of battles and skirmishes.  These were usually unequal, especially at the early days, with the Quraysh and their allies being superior in number and armour.  For example at the battle of Badr, which was one of the early clashes between the two sides, the Muslims combatants were 313 men, who had seventy camels and two horses, while their opponents were about one thousand, had seven hundred camels and one hundred horses.
Peace between the two sides was eventually brought about through the peace treaty of Hodaybiyah – signed in the eleventh month of the sixth year after Hijrah – which was highly biased in favour of the Quraysh and their allies, to the extent that some of the companions of the Prophet protested to him for agreeing and signing a treaty that was ‘unfair and unacceptable'.  However, subsequent events after the Hodaybiyah were pointedly in the interest of the Muslims, which in turn exonerated the Prophet's judgement and decision, and proved his wisdom and farsightedness.

Mecca Liberated

Less than two years after the treaty of Hodaybiyah, Quraysh grew impatient with the environment of peace and security that reigned in the land.  Muslim losses in the battle of Mu'tah in north Arabia – in today's Jordan – encouraged the Quraysh to stir up unrest in the land and break the treaty that they had signed with the Messenger of Allah at Hodaybiyah. They began to distribute weapons to their allies and urged them to attack the allies of the Muslims at night, in breach of the peace treaty they had with the Muslims.
The Messenger of Allah left Medina on a Friday in the month of Ramadan in the eighth year of the Hijrah. He took with him all the Muslim troops which numbered ten thousand and nearly four hundred horsemen.
Then the Messenger of Allah proceeded until he arrived at Marr al-Dhahran, the heights of Mecca, in the evening. He ordered his companions to light more than ten thousand fires. News of his progress had been kept hidden from the Quraysh who were concerned and feared that he might attack them.
It is reported that Abu Sufyan, the Prophet's archenemy, was saying: ‘I have never seen such fires as last night nor such a camp.'  He said: ‘What is the news and what are all these fires?'
The narrator responded to him: ‘The news is that the Messenger of Allah has arrived here.  He has come with a force you cannot resist; with ten thousand of the Muslims.'
Abu Sufyan said: ‘What is to be done?'
I said: ‘By Allah, if he defeats you he will surely strike your head off so ride this donkey with me so that I can take you to the Messenger of Allah and I will ask him for an amnesty for you.'  So he rode behind me.
It is related that Ali ibn Abu Talib said to Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith: ‘Go to the Messenger of Allah and say to him what Joseph's brothers said to Joseph:  By Allah, Allah has preferred you over us and we have certainly been sinful Then the Messenger of Allah said in answer to him and seeking to best him in speech:  He said: Let there be no reproach upon you this day. Allah will forgive you and he is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy
The banner of the Muslims was with Sa'ad ibn ‘Ibadah and when he passed by Abu Sufyan he said to him: ‘Today is the day of slaughter, today the women will be captured'. Abu Sufyan heard him and kept it to himself until the Messenger of Allah passed by him when he said: ‘Do you know what Sa'ad ibn ‘Ibadah has said?'
The Messenger of Allah said: ‘What he has said is of no consequence.' Then he sent someone to Sa'ad and took the banner from him and passed it to Ali and said: ‘Enter with kindness.' Ali took the banner and began to proclaim: ‘Today is the day of mercy, today honour will be protected.'
Then the Messenger of Allah turned to Abu Sufyan and said to him: ‘O Abu Sufyan, proceed to Mecca and let them know of the sanctuary.'
When the Messenger of Allah entered Mecca, a tent was pitched for him by the grave of his uncle Abu Talib. He refused to enter his house or the houses of his companions in Mecca that had been confiscated by the Polytheists.
Then the Messenger of Allah, after having rested a little in his tent, bathed and mounted his camel and set out for the sacred mosque. The Muslims were before him and behind him and all around him and they were repeating along with the Messenger of Allah the words of Allah Almighty:  The truth has come and falsehood has perished, indeed falsehood is (by nature) perishing
Mecca resounded with the sound of their voices until he entered the sacred mosque and approached the black stone at the corner of the Ka‘bah, and kissed it. Then he circled the House upon his camel and with a bow in his hand. Around the House there were some three-hundred and sixty idols and he began to stab at them with his bow saying:  The truth has come and falsehood has perished, indeed falsehood is perishing  and  The truth has come and falsehood will not revive again and will not return while the idols fell upon their faces.  Then he raised Ali upon his shoulders so that he could bring down the rest of the idols which were upon the Ka‘bah.
And thus a whole era of idol worshipping in Arabia was brought to an irreversible end, and Mecca was liberated.  The conquest of the Capital City of the idolaters and the liberation of the holy city of Mecca at the hands of Prophet Muhammad took place without bloodshed.
But the Prophet never again took his birth city, Mecca, as his abode. The Prophet only stayed in the city for fifteen days to manage its affairs. When he left the city of Mecca for Medina, he appointed Etab ibn Osayd, 21 years of age, as the city's governor.

Ideal Islamic Order

From early days, the Prophet gradually established an Islamic system of governance and a way of life.  In its first years, the nascent Muslim community in Medina had to contend with a number of attacks and onslaughts by the Quraysh and their allies.  The Prophet used every opportunity to teach the Muslims the right code of conduct for a Muslim in times of war and peace; from personal and ethical qualities they must aspire to, to social, political and fiscal policies. 
On the political front, the Prophet enjoined the community to avoid wars and violence as far as possible, and it should only be the absolute last resort, when all other avenues have been exhausted.  The Prophet Muhammad went out of his way to avoid conflict and violence, and it is recorded that in the ten years that the Prophet was in Medina and despite the many battles that the Muslims were drawn into, a total of some 800 were killed on both sides throughout the period.  The Prophet instructed his army against destroying houses or pillaging or cutting down fruiting trees.  He ordered them not to draw their swords except in dire need.  He used to rebuke some of his generals and physically put right their mistakes.
Another social-political principle instilled by the Prophet Muhammad was that “Land belongs to Allah and whoever develops it” .  This had a very significant impact on the development of the country both socially and politically, not to mention the economic progress and revival it entailed. 
Another socio-economic policy was established by the Prophet's declaration “I am responsible for them” .  He who dies and leaves family who do not have enough to make ends meet, then the Prophet would be responsible for them and they should go to him.  On the other hand, “he who dies and leaves a wealth behind, it is for his heirs” [12]. All that wealth is for the family he leaves behind, i.e. no inheritance tax in Islam.  But this policy did not stop there, and it went further when the Prophet announced that if a person dies and leaves a debt behind, then he [Muhammad, and subsequently the leader of the Islamic state in general] is responsible for paying it
The Prophetic legislation also addressed the interest of the non-Muslims living under the Islamic state, referred to as dhimmy; literally means “the responsibility of” [the Islamic state]: “He who hurts a dhimmy, then indeed he has hurt me” .
Such laws, and the peaceful liberation of Mecca, encouraged many to come and live under the Islamic State, for there was at least economic and security guarantees for them and their families, present and future.  People started to embrace Islam as a way of life en masse. Thus came the divine revelation:
By the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful,
When came Allah's succour and the conquest,
And thou saw the peoples entering into the religion of Allah in troops -
So glorify the praise of thy Lord and seek His forgiveness, indeed He is relenting.

The Two Momentous Things

           In the holy city of Medina, Messenger of Allah ensured that he addresses the two most vital issues during his lifetime, for these should be the sanctuary, guide and leader for the Muslims after his departure from this life.  These were the compilation of the Holy Qur'an as a bound copy, and the appointment of his successors to lead the nation after him, both of which he did on direct instructions from the Almighty.

The Holy Qur'an

            The Prophet ensured arrangements be made to compile a ‘bound' copy of the Holy Qur'an – known at the time of the holy Prophet, and also today, as the mus}h}af.  The Messenger of Allah commissioned Ali son of Abu-Talib to gather and compile the entire Qur'an, which Imam Ali did during the lifetime of the holy Prophet and under his supervision.  The Messenger of Allah validated and authenticated the end result – the mus}h}af – even verifying the order and position of the individual verses within a given chapter or surah, as instructed by the Almighty.  According to traditions, when archangel Gabriel used to reveal a particular ayah or verse to the Prophet, the former would also indicate its position within the surah or chapter of the Qur'an and the surah it belonged to.
            Reports state that during the lifetime of the Prophet, when the entire text of the Holy Qur'an was committed to writing and it had been compiled as mus}h}af, people used to come to the mosque of the Prophet, where the compiled Qur'an – the mushaf – was kept by the pulpit, to make their copies of the Holy Scripture.
It is sometimes stated, through a minor misunderstanding, that the Holy Qur'an was first compiled during the reign of the third ruler Othman ibn Affaan, some twenty years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad.  The root of this misunderstanding stems from the incorrect assumption of the meaning of the Arabic word jamc that means ‘to collect', but instead it is taken to mean ‘to compile'. What was in fact commissioned at that time was to collect the incomplete documents holding some verses or chapters of the Holy Qur'an and to complete them as copies of the entire Qur'an. Any compilation that took place during this time was to reproduce the authentic copy of the Holy Qur'an as per the version compiled by Imam Ali during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad and under his supervision.

The Ahl al-Bayt

         The other fundamental and vital task that the Prophet had to secure during his lifetime was to address the question of his successorship.  On instructions from the Almighty, the Messenger of Allah named and appointed the successors who must lead the Muslim community after him according to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and the Messenger of Allah.  The Prophet Muhammad used numerous occasions to instruct the people to follow and adhere to his twelve appointed successors, ‘Caliphs' or ‘Imams', the first of whom was Imam Ali son of Abu Talib, and the twelfth is the living Imam Mahdi, who is hidden from public view until such a time when the Almighty instructs him to reappear in public “to lead the nations of this world from tyranny and oppression to tranquillity and bliss”.  [The Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah, his cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali and the eleven impeccable Imams descendents of Ali and Fatimah form Ahl al-Bayt as referred to in the holy Qur'an 33:33.]
In 630CE, seventy days before his death, and just after performing the farewell Hajj pilgrimage, on instructions from the Almighty, at the location of Ghadir Khum, the Prophet appointed Ali as his successor and ordered the Muslims who were present there to pay Ali homage of allegiance as The Commander of the Faithful, and their leader after the Prophet.  The revelation from the Almighty on this day in this particular respect was:
O Messenger! Convey that that has been revealed to thee from thy Lord, and if thee do not, then thee would have not conveyed His Message; and Allah will protect thee from the people. Surely Allah guides not the disbelieving people.
After the revelation of the above instruction, the Messenger of Allah declared:
“Whoever I am his master and leader, then Ali is his master and leader too.  O Lord support whoever supports Ali, and oppose whoever opposes him.”
“Ali is my caliph and successor upon ye after me.”
Some chroniclers put the number of those present at Ghadir Khum who gave the homage of allegiance to Imam Ali as the Commander of the Faithful and the successor of the Prophet Muhammad at up to 120,000 men and women. 
To confirm and conclude this momentous event, the Almighty then revealed:
Today I have perfected your religion for ye, completed My favour upon ye and have sanctioned Islam for ye as a religion.
In order to reveal the station of his successors present and future, the Prophet frequently used to refer the Muslims to the Ahl al-Bayt – at the time notably Ali – for they were the most knowledgeable about the teachings of the Qur'an and the Prophet himself.  To clarify any possible doubt about his immediate successor, in the famous tradition of “City of Knowledge”, the final Messenger of Allah states:
“I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate, so whosoever wishes to access this City, then let him do so through its Gate.”
According to many Prophetic teachings and traditions the Holy Qur'an and the Ahl al-Bayt are considered as the two inseparable and complementary components of the divine message.  Towards the end of his life, the Messenger of Allah often used to say:
“I leave with ye the two momentous things – the book of Allah and my kin the people of my Ahl al-Bayt.  As long as ye adhere to them both ye will never go astray after me.”
However, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the people did not honour their pledge of allegiance that they had given at the time of the Prophet to the successor he appointed on instructions from the Almighty.
After several failed attempts on his life, and by various means, the culprits eventually succeeded in assassinating the Prophet Muhammad - this time through poisoning. The final Messenger of Allah to humanity died on the 28th day of the lunar month of Safar in the 11th year of the Hijrah, circa 630CE.
              The Prophet Muhammad brought about a nation and a civilisation that in a relatively very short space of time won the prime position amongst all other nations.  The Muslims attained such achievement so long as they adhered to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Today although the Muslims are numerous, they do not occupy the eminent station amongst the nations anymore, for they did not adhere to “the two momentous things” that the Prophet Muhammad left behind for them.  The Muslim nation may still be a candidate to lead mankind to bliss and prosperity if they ensure to adhere to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his appointed successors.

BIOGRAPHY OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD

Prophet Muhammad (s) was born in 570 CE in Makkah (Bakka, Baca, Mecca). His father, Abdullah, died several weeks before his birth in Yathrib (Medinah) where he went to visit his father's maternal relatives. His mother died while on the return journey from Medinah at a place called ‘Abwa’ when he was six years old. He was raised by his paternal grandfather 'Abd al Muttalib (Shaybah) until the age of eight, and after his grandfather’s death by Abu Talib, his paternal uncle. 'Abd al Muttalib's mother, Salma, was a native of Medinah and he was born and raised as a young boy in Medinah before his uncle Muttalib brought him to Makkah to succeed him. Many years before Muhammad's birth, 'Abd al Muttalib had established himself as an influential leader of the Arab tribe ‘Quraish’ in Makkah and took care of the Holy sanctuary ‘Ka’bah’. Makkah was a city state well connected to the caravan routes to Syria and Egypt in the north and northwest and Yemen in the south. Muhammad was a descendant of Prophet Ismail through the lineage of his second son Kedar.
Ka'bah is the first house of worship built on earth for the worship of Allah, the One True God. It was re-built (raised from the existing foundation) by Prophets Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ismail (Ishmael). Allah is the proper name of the One True God, creator and sustainer of the universe, who does not have a partner or associate, and He did not beget nor was He begotten. Unlike the word god, the word Allah does not have a plural or gender.
Under the guardianship of Abu Talib, Muhammad (s) began to earn a living as a businessman and a trader. At the age of twelve, he accompanied Abu Talib with a merchant caravan as far as Bostra in Syria. Muhammad was popularly known as ‘al-Ameen’ for his unimpeachable character by the Makkans and visitors alike. The title Al-Ameen means the Honest, the Reliable and the Trustworthy, and it signified the highest standard of moral and public life.
Upon hearing of Muhammad’s impressive credentials, Khadijah, a rich merchant widow, asked Muhammad (s) to take some merchandise for trade to Syria. Soon after this trip when he was twenty-five, Khadijah proposed marriage to Muhammad through a relative. Muhammad accepted the proposal. At that time, Khadijah was twice widowed and forty years old. Khadijah (ra) and Muhammad (s) were the parents of six children - four daughters and two sons. His first son Qasim died at the age of two. He was nicknamed Abul Qasim, meaning the father of Qasim. His second son Abdullah died in infancy. Abdullah was also called affectionately as ‘Tayyab’ and ‘Tahir’ because he was born after Muhammad’s prophethood. The four daughters were: Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah (ra).
The Holy sanctuary Ka’bah was now filled with three hundred sixty idols. The original, pristine message of Prophet Ibrahim was lost, and it was mixed with superstitions and traditions of pilgrims and visitors from distant places, who were used to idol worship and myths. In every generation, a small group of men and women detested the pollution of Ka’bah and kept pure their practice of the religion taught by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail. They used to spend some of their time away from this polluted environment in retreats to nearby hills.
Muhammad (s) was forty when, during his one of many retreats to Mount Hira for meditation during the month of Ramadan, he received the first revelation from the Archangel Jibril (Gabriel). On this first appearance, Gabriel (as) said to Muhammad: "Iqraa," meaning Read or Recite. Muhammad replied, "I cannot read," as he had not received any formal education and did not know how to read or write. The Angel Gabriel then embraced him until he reached the limit of his endurance and after releasing said: "Iqraa." Muhammad’s answer was the same as before. Gabriel repeated the embrace for the third time, asked him to repeat after him and said:
"Recite in the name of your Lord who created! He created man from that which clings. Recite; and thy Lord is most Bountiful, He who has taught by the pen, taught man what he knew not."
These revelations are the first five verses of Surah (chapter) 96 of the Qur’an. Thus it was in the year 610 CE the revelation began.
Muhammad (s) was terrified by the whole experience of the revelation and fled the cave of Mt. Hira [Qur'an 81:19-29]. When he reached his home, tired and frightened, he asked his wife: ‘cover me, cover me,’ in a blanket. After his awe had somewhat abated, his wife Khadijah asked him about the reason of his great anxiety and fear. She then assured him by saying: "Allah (The One God) will not let you down because you are kind to relatives, you speak only the truth, you help the poor, the orphan and the needy, and you are an honest man. Khadijah then consulted with her cousin Waraqa who was an old, saintly man possessing knowledge of previous revelations and scriptures. Waraqa confirmed to her that the visitor was none other than the Angel Gabriel who had come to Moses. He then added that Muhammad is the expected Prophet. Khadijah accepted the revelation as truth and was the first person to accept Islam. She supported her husband in every hardship, most notably during the three-year ‘boycott’ of the Prophet’s clan by the pagan Quraish. She died at the age of sixty-five in the month of Ramadan soon after the lifting of the boycott in 620 CE.
Gabriel (as) visited the Prophet as commanded by Allah revealing Ayat (meaning signs, loosely referred to as verses) in Arabic over a period of twenty-three years. The revelations that he received were sometimes a few verses, a part of a chapter or the whole chapter. Some revelations came down in response to an inquiry by the nonbelievers. The revealed verses were recorded on a variety of available materials (leather, palm leaves, bark, shoulder bones of animals), memorized as soon as they were revealed, and were recited in daily prayers by Muslims [Qur'an 80:13-16]. Angel Gabriel taught the order and arrangement of verses, and the Prophet instructed his several scribes to record verses in that order [Qur'an 75:16-19 and 41:41-42]. Once a year, the Prophet used to recite all the verses revealed to him up to that time to Gabriel to authenticate the accuracy of recitation and the order of verses [Qur'an 17:106]. All the revealed verses (over a period of 23 years and ending in 632 CE) were compiled in the book known as Qur’an. The name Qur’an appears in the revealed verses. The Qur’an does not contain even a word from the Prophet. The Qur'an speaks in the first person, i.e., Allah's commandments to His creation. Gabriel also visited the Prophet throughout his mission informing and teaching him of events and strategy as needed to help in the completion of the prophetic mission. The Prophet’s sayings, actions, and approvals are recorded separately in collections known as Hadith.
The mission of Prophet Muhammad (s) was to restore the worship of the One True God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, as taught by Prophet Ibrahim and all Prophets of God, and to demonstrate and complete the laws of moral, ethical, legal, and social conduct and all other matters of significance for the humanity at large.
The first few people who followed this message were: his cousin Ali, his servant Zayd ibn Harithah, his friend Abu Bakr and his wife and daughters. They accepted Islam by testifying that:
"There is no Deity (worthy of worship) except Allah (The One True God) and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
Islam means peace by submission and obedience to the Will and Commandments of God and those who accept Islam are called Muslims, meaning those who have accepted the message of peace by submission to God.
In the first three years of his mission forty people (men and women) accepted Islam. This small group comprised of youth as well as older people from a wide range of economic and social background. The Prophet was directed by a recent revelation to start preaching Islam to everyone. He then began to recite revelations to people in public and invite them to Islam. The Quraish, leaders of Makkah, took his preaching with hostility. The most hostile and closest to the prophet was his uncle Abu Lahab and his wife. Initially, they and other leaders of Quraish tried to bribe him with money and power including an offer to make him king if he were to abandon his message. When this did not work, they tried to convince his uncle Abu Talib to accept the best young man of Makkah in place of Muhammad and to allow them to kill Muhammad. His uncle tried to persuade the Prophet to stop preaching but the Prophet said: "O uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to stop me from preaching Islam, I would never stop. I will keep preaching until Allah makes Islam prevail or I die."
The Quraish began to persecute Muslims by beating, torture and boycott of their businesses. Those who were weak, poor or slaves were publicly tortured. The first person to die by this means was a Muslim women by the name Umm Ammar (the mother of Ammar Ibn Yasir). The Muslims from well-to-do families were physically restrained in their homes with the condition that if they recant they will be allowed freedom of movement. The Prophet was publicly ridiculed and humiliated including frequent throwing of filth on him in the street and while he prayed in the Ka’bah. In spite of great hardships and no apparent support, the message of Islam kept all Muslims firm in their belief. The Prophet was asked by God to be patient and to preach the message of Qur’an. He advised Muslims to remain patient because he did not receive any revelation yet to retaliate against their persecutors. [Persecution]
When the persecution became unbearable for most Muslims, the Prophet advised them in the fifth year of his mission (615 CE) to emigrate to Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia) where Ashabah (Negus, a Christian) was the ruler. Eighty people, not counting the small children, emigrated in small groups to avoid detection. No sooner had they left the Arabian coastline, the leaders of Quraish discovered their flight. They decided to not leave these Muslims in peace, and immediately sent two of their envoys to Negus to bring all of them back. However, Negus allowed them to stay under his protection after he investigated Muslim belief and heard the revelations about Jesus and Mary (peace be upon them both), which appears in Chapter 19, entitled Mary, of the Qur’an. The emigrants were allowed freedom of worship in Abyssinia.
The Quraish then made life even more difficult for the Prophet by implementing total ban on contact with the Prophet’s family (Bani Hashim and Muttalib). The ban lasted for three years without the desired effect. Just before the ban was lifted, the Prophet was contacted by the leaders of Quraish to agree to a compromise under which they should all practice both religions (i.e., Islam and Idolatry). Upon hearing this, the Prophet recited a revelation (Chapter 109) he had just received and which ends with the words: "... For you your religion and for me mine." The ban was lifted when leaders of Quraish discovered that their secret document on the terms of ban, which they had stored in Ka’bah, was eaten by worms and all that was left were the opening words ‘In Your name, O Allah.’ The effects of the three-year boycott left the Prophet with more personal sorrow when he lost his beloved wife Khadijah (ra) and uncle Abu Talib soon after the ban was lifted.
After Khadijah's death in 620 CE, the Prophet married a widowed Muslim woman, Sawdah (ra) who was fifty years old. She and her husband had emigrated to Abyssinia in the early years of persecution. After her husband died, she came back to Makkah and sought Prophet’s shelter. The Prophet, recognizing her sacrifices for Islam, extended his shelter by marrying her. Later in the same year, the Prophet upon receiving the divine command in a dream, after approval of Sawdah, contracted marriage to A’ishah, the daughter of his dear companion Abu Bakr. She joined the Prophet in Medinah, completing the marriage contract. Sawdah and A’ishah (ra) were the only wives until he was fifty-six years old.
After the death of his uncle Abu Talib, the Prophet went to Taif (about 50 miles east, southeast of Makkah) to seek their protection. They flatly refused and mocked at him, and severely injured him by inciting their children to throw stones at him. Gabriel (as) visited the Prophet here suggesting that the angels were ready to destroy the town if he were to ask Allah for the punishment. Nevertheless, the Prophet declined and prayed for future generations of Taif to accept Islam [Taif]. It was on the return journey from Taif that the verses from Surah Al Jinn (Chapter 72) were revealed. It indicated that the Qur’an is a book of guidance to both the Jinns and Humankind.
Soon after the terrible disappointment at Ta’if, the prophet experienced the events of al-Israa and al-Miraaj (621 CE). In the Al-Israa, Gabriel (as) took the Prophet from the sacred Mosque near Ka’bah to the furthest (al-Aqsa) mosque in Jerusalem in a very short time in the latter part of a night. Here, Prophet Muhammad met with previous Prophets (Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others) and he led them in prayer. After this, in Al-Miraj, the Prophet was taken up to heavens to show the signs of God [More... The Dome of the Rock]. It was on this journey that five daily prayers were prescribed. He was then taken back to Ka’bah, the whole experience lasting a few hours of a night. Upon hearing this, the people of Makkah mocked at him. However, when his specific description of Jerusalem, other things on the way, and the caravan that he saw on this journey including its expected arrival in Makkah turned out to be true, the ridicule of the nonbelievers stopped. The event of Israa and Miraaj is mentioned in the Qur’an - the first verse of Chapter 17 entitled ‘The Children of Israel.’
In 622 CE, the leaders of the Quraish decided to kill the Prophet and they developed a plan in which one man was chosen from each of the Quraish tribes and they were to attack the Prophet simultaneously. Gabriel informed the Prophet of the plan and instructed him to leave Makkah immediately. The Prophet, after making arrangements to return the properties entrusted to him by several nonbelievers, left with Abu Bakr in the night he was to be assassinated. They went south of Makkah to a mountain cave of Thawr [see Qur'an 9:40], and after staying three nights they traveled north to Yathrib (Medinah) about two hundred fifty miles from Makkah. Upon discovery of his escape, the leaders of Quraish put up a reward of one hundred camels on him, dead or alive. In spite of all their best scouts and search parties, Allah protected the Prophet and he arrived safely in Quba, a suburb of Medinah [Qur'an 28:85]. This event is known as the ‘Hijra’ (migration) and the Islamic calendar begins with this event. The people of Aws and Khazraj in Medinah greeted him with great enthusiasm in accordance with their pledge made at Aqaba less than a year ago during the annual pilgrimage. One by one those Muslims (men and women) of Makkah who were not physically restrained, and who could make a secret exit, left for Medinah leaving behind their properties and homes.
To insure the peace and tranquility, the Prophet proposed a treaty defining terms of conduct for all inhabitants of Medinah. It was ratified by all - Muslims, non-Muslim Arabs and Jews. After his emigration to Medinah, the enemies of Islam increased their assault from all sides. The Battles of Badr, Uhud and Allies (Trench) were fought near or around Medinah. In these battles until the year 627 CE, the nonbelievers with encouragement from Jews and other Arabian tribes attacked the Prophet and Muslim community. The Muslims while defending their city and religion lost many men, which resulted in many widowed Muslim women and numerous orphaned children. In these circumstances, Prophet Muhammad (s) married several women during fifty-sixth year up to the sixtieth year of his life. He did not contract any marriage in the last three years of his life, following the revelation limiting the number of wives up to a maximum of four. This is the first time in the history of revealed scriptures that a limit on the number of wives was imposed and the terms of conduct were specified. The Prophet was instructed not to divorce any of his wives after this revelation [Qur'an 33:52]. All of the ladies he took as wives were either widowed or divorced, except A’ishah.
The Prophet married Umm Salamah (ra) in 626 CE. Her husband had died of wounds inflicted in the Battle of Uhud (625 CE). When the Prophet asked her for marriage, she replied: "O Messenger of God, I suffer from three shortcomings. I am a very jealous woman, and I am afraid this might cause me to do things that you dislike. Secondly, I am an old woman. Finally, I have many children." The Prophet answered: "Regarding your jealousy, I pray to God to remove it from you. As for your age, we are similar in age. As for the children, your children are mine." Thus it was that she agreed to marry the Prophet. The Prophet’s marriage contract with Umm Habibah (ra) was solemnized, by proxy, by Negus, King of Abyssinia, in 628 CE.
Two of his wives, Juwayriah and Safiyah, were prisoners of war. Both belonged to the family of the chief of their tribes and were set free by the Prophet; they then gladly accepted Islam and were pleased to become the Prophet’s wives. The Prophet’s marriages provided security to women who would have otherwise remained unmarried, unprotected, or felt humiliated. His marriages were also a means of transmitting important teachings of Islam. The Prophet's wives, called the "Mothers of the Believers,"[Qur'an Surah 33, Verse 6 and the last part of Verse 53] showed themselves as examples of proper Muslim womanhood. All his wives, especially 'Aishah, transmitted many ahadith (sayings, deeds, and actions) from Prophet Muhammad (s).
A year after the Battle of Allies (Trench), the Prophet and fifteen hundred of his companions left for Makkah to perform the annual pilgrimage (628 CE). They were barred from approaching the city at Hudaybiyah, where after some negotiations a treaty was signed allowing for them to come next year. This treaty facilitated exchange of ideas among the people of the whole region without interference. Many delegations from all regions of Arabia came to the Prophet to investigate the teachings of Islam, and a large number of people accepted Islam within a couple of years. The Prophet sent many of his companions (who memorized the Qur'an by heart) to new communities to instruct them about the practice of Islam. More than fifty of them were murdered by non-believers.
A few weeks after Hudaybiyah the Prophet sent letters to several kings and rulers (including the two superpowers - Byzantines and Persians) inviting them to Islam. Negus, the king of Abyssinia, and the Ruler of Bahrain accepted Islam, and Emperor Heraclius acknowledged Muhammad’s Prophethood. Among rulers who accepted Islam but without any initiative from the Prophet was Chakrawati Farmas, a Hindu King of Malabar (located on the southwest coast of India).
About two years later at the end of 629 CE, the Quraish violated the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah by helping Banu Bakr in the surprise attack on Bani Khuza’ah who were allied with the Prophet. Some of Bani Khuzah’s men escaped and took shelter in Makkah and they sought redress. However, the leaders of Quraish did nothing. They then sent a message to the Prophet for help.
The Prophet, after confirming all the reports of the attack and subsequent events, marched to Makkah with an army consisting of three thousand Muslims of Medinah and Muslims from other Arab communities that joined him on the way totaling ten thousand Muslims. Before entering the city he sent word to citizens of Makkah that anyone who remained in his home, or in Abu Sufyan’s home, or in the Ka’bah would be safe. The army entered Makkah without fighting and the Prophet went directly to the Ka’bah. He magnified Allah for the triumphant entry in the Holy city. The Prophet pointed at each idol with a stick he had in his hand and said, "Truth has come and Falsehood will neither start nor will it reappear" [Qur'an 17:81]. And one by one the idols fell down. The Ka’bah was then cleansed by the removal of all three hundred sixty idols, and it was restored to its pristine status for the worship of One True God (as built by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail).
The people of the city expected general slaughter in view of their persecution and torture of Muslims for the past twenty years. While standing by the Ka'bah, the Prophet (s) promised clemency for the Makkans, stating: "O Quraish, what do you think that I am about to do with you?" They replied, "Good. You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother." The Prophet forgave them all saying:
"I will treat you as Prophet Yousuf (Joseph) treated his brothers. There is no reproach against you. Go to your homes, and you are all free."
The Prophet also declared:
Allah made Makkah holy the day He created heavens and earth, and it is the holy of holies until the Resurrection Day. It is not lawful for anyone who believes in Allah and the last day to shed blood therein, nor to cut down trees therein. It was not lawful to anyone before me and it will not be lawful to anyone after me.
The people of Makkah then accepted Islam including the staunch enemies of the Prophet. A few of the staunchest enemies and military commanders had fled Makkah after his entry. However, when they received the Prophet’s assurance of no retaliation and no compulsion in religion, they came back and gradually the message of Islam won their hearts. Within a year (630 CE), almost all Arabia accepted Islam. Among the Prophet’s close companions were Muslims from such diverse background as Persia, Abyssinia, Syria and Rome. Several prominent Jewish Rabbis, Christian bishop and clergymen accepted Islam after discussions with the Prophet.
One night in March 630 CE, Angel Gabriel visited the Prophet and addressed him as: "O father of Ibrahim." A few hours later, the Prophet received the news of the birth of his son from his wife Mariah, and the Prophet named him Ibrahim. He was the only child born after the six children from Prophet’s first wife Khadijah. Ibrahim died when he was ten months old. On the day of Ibrahim's death, there was an eclipse of the sun. When some people began to attribute it to the Prophet's bereavement, he said: "The sun and the moon are two signs of the signs of God. Their light is not dimmed for any man's death. If you see them eclipsed, you should pray until they be clear."
The great change in Arabia alarmed the two superpowers, Byzantines and Persians. Their Governors, particularly the Byzantines, reacted with threats to attack Medinah. Instead of waiting, the prophet sent a small army to defend the northmost border of Arabia. In the remaining life of the Prophet, all of the major battles were fought on the northern front. The Prophet did not have a standing army. Whenever he received a threat, he called the Muslims and discussed with them the situation and gathered volunteers to fight any aggression.
The Prophet performed his first and last pilgrimage in 632 CE. One hundred twenty-thousand men and women performed pilgrimage that year with him. The Prophet received the last revelation during this pilgrimage. Two months later, Prophet Muhammad (s) fell ill and after several days died on Monday, 12 Rabi al-Awwal, the eleventh year after Hijra (June 8, 632 CE) in Medinah. He is buried in the same place where he died.
Prophet Muhammad lived a most simple, austere and modest life. He and his family used to go without cooked meal several days at a time, relying only on dates, dried bread and water. During the day he was the busiest man, as he performed his duties in many roles all at once as head of state, chief justice, commander-in-chief, arbitrator, instructor and family man. He was the most devoted man at night. He used to spend one- to two-thirds of every night in prayer and meditation. The Prophet's possession consisted of mats, blankets, jugs and other simple things even when he was the virtual ruler of Arabia. He left nothing to be inherited except a white mule (a gift from Muqawqis), few ammunition and a piece of land that he had made a gift during his life time. Among his last words were: "We the community of Prophets are not inherited. Whatever we leave is for charity."
Muhammad (s) was a man and a messenger of Allah (The One God). He is the last of the prophets [Qur'an 33:40] sent by Allah to guide man to the right path; Adam was the first Prophet. The Qur’an mentions twenty-five Prophets by name and provides a great insight of their mission, struggle and their communities. The Qur’an exonerates prophets from charges leveled against them in previous Scriptures. The Qur’an also mentions four previously revealed Scriptures: Suhoof (Pages) of Ibrahim (Abraham), Taurat ('Torah') as revealed to Prophet Moses, Zuboor ('Psalms') as revealed to Prophet David, and Injeel ('Evangel') as revealed to Prophet Jesus (pbuh). Islam requires belief in all prophets and revealed scriptures (original, non-corrupted) as part of the Articles of Faith. Muhammad (s) is greatly respected as the model of Qur’anic behavior. Muslims mention his name by adding "peace be upon him," a phrase used with the name of all prophets [e.g., Qur'an Surah 37: verses 79, 109, 120 and 130; also 33:56]. All sincere Muslims try to follow the Qur’an and the Prophet’s example to minute details. The account of every aspect of his life has been preserved (numerous daily accounts including his family life). Prophet Muhammad (s) has served as an example for all Muslims in all periods to modern times. He will remain a model example for all of humanity.
At the end of his mission, the Prophet was blessed with several hundred thousand followers (men and women) of Islam. Thousands prayed with him at the mosque and listened to his sermon. Hundreds of sincere Muslims would find every opportunity to be with him following five daily prayers and at other times. They used to seek his advice for their everyday problems, and listened attentively to the interpretation and application of revealed verses to their situation. They followed the message of the Qur’an and the Messenger of Allah with utmost sincerity, and supported him with every thing they had. The most excellent among them are Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, Ali, Talha, Zubair, 'Abdur Rahman ibn Auf, S'ad bin Abi Waqqas, S'ad bin Zaid, Abu 'Ubeidah, Hasan, Hussain, and several dozen others. They faithfully carried the message of Islam after the Prophet, and within ninety years the light of Islam reached Spain, North Africa, the Caucasus, northwest China and India.