Muhammad in Islam

Main article: Muhammad

Muhammad Prophet of Islam
Common calligraphic representation of Muhammad's name
Born	Muḥammad ibn `Abd Allāh c. 570 Mecca (Makkah), Arabia (now Saudi Arabia)
Died	8 June 632(632-06-08) (aged 62) Yathrib, Arabia (present-day Medina, Hejaz, Saudi Arabia)
Resting place	Tomb under the Green Dome of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Hejaz, Saudi Arabia
Other names	Abu al-Qasim (Kunya), Also see Names of Muhammad
Ethnicity	Arab
Religion	Islam
Spouse(s)	Wives: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (595–619) Sawda bint Zamʿa (619–632) Aisha bint Abi Bakr (619–632) Hafsa bint Umar (624–632) Zaynab bint Khuzayma (625–627) Hind bint Abi Umayya (629–632) Zaynab bint Jahsh (627–632) Juwayriya bint al-Harith (628–632) Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan (628–632) Rayhana bint Zayd (629–631) Safiyya bint Huyayy (629–632) Maymuna bint al-Harith (630–632) Maria al-Qibtiyya (630–632)
Children	Sons: al-Qasim, `Abd-Allah, Ibrahim Daughters: Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthoom, Fatimah Zahra
Parents	Father: `Abd Allah ibn `Abd al-Muttalib Mother: Aminah bint Wahb
Relatives	Ahl al-Bayt

Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim (Arabic: محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد المطلب‎) (c. 570 – 632), shortly as Muhammad, is considered in Islam to be a messenger (Quran 48:29) and prophet sent by God to guide the mankind to the right way (Quran 7:157). Almost all Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last in a series of prophets sent by God. The Quran, which is the central religious text of Islam, is believed by Muslims to have been revealed to Muhammad from God; and the religious, social, and political tenets that Muhammad established in the light of Quran became the foundation of Islam and Islamic civilization.

Known as Prophet Muhammad to the Muslims, Muhammad is regarded by them as the greatest of all the prophets, and his established religion as the only accepted religion to God (Quran 3:19). He is seen by the Muslims as a possessor of all virtues. Muslims associate great respect and veneration with the life and name of Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Whenever his name is pronounced, it is followed by the Arabic benediction "sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam" (meaning Peace be upon him), a practice instructed by Quran and Hadith. The deeds and sayings in the life of Muhammad – known as Sunnah – serve as a model of life-style that the Muslims are obliged to follow. Thus, the whole gamut of Islamic Prophet Muhammad’s life is sacred to the Muslims. Recognizing Muhammad as God's true messenger is one of the central requirements in Islam which is clearly laid down in the second part of Shahadah – the proclamation of Islamic faith. The Shahadah reads "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah". The Quran chiefly addresses Islamic Prophet Muhammad as "Messenger" and "Messenger of Allah" (Quran 48:29), and asks people to follow him so as to become successful in afterlife (Quran 3:132).

Born in about 570 CE into a respected Quraysh family of Mecca, Muhammad grew up with fair and upright character and earned the nickname "al-Amin" (Arabic: الامين), meaning "the Faithful". At the age of 40 in 610 CE, Muhammad received his first verbal revelation in a cave named Mount Hira. This was the beginning of the descent of the Quran that continued upto the end of his life; and Muhammad was asked by God, as the Muslims hold, to preach the "oneness of God" in order to stamp out idolatry, a practice overtly present in the then Arab society. Because of persecution on the newly-converted Muslims, and upon the invitation of a delegation from Medina (then known as Yathrib), Muhammad and his followers migrated to Medina in 622 CE, an event known as Hijra (in Latin: Hegira). A turning point in Muhammad’s life, this Hijra also marks the beginning of Islamic calendar. In Medina, Muhammad sketched out the Constitution of Medina specifying the rights of and relations among the various existing communities there, formed an independent Muslim community (Ummah), and managed to established the first Islamic state. Despite the ongoing hostilities of the Meccans, Muhammad, along with his followers, took the control of Mecca in 630 CE., treated its citizens with generosity, and ordered to destroy all the pagan idols. In later years in Medina, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad unified the different Arab tribes under Islam, carried out social and religious reforms, and made administrative developments that further consolidated the Islamic community. Before he passed away in 632, his teachings won him the acceptance of Islam of almost all the tribes of Arabian Peninsula.

Muhammad in the Quran

The Quran enumerates little about Muhammad’s early life or other biographic details, but it conspicuously sheds much light on his prophetic mission, his moral excellence, and the theological issues regarding Muhammad. According to the Quran, Muhammad is the last in a chain of prophets sent by God (33:40). Throughout the Quran, Muhammad has been addressed as "Messenger", "Messenger of God", and "Prophet". Some of such verses are 2:101, 2:143, 2:151, 3:32, 3:81, 3:144, 3:164, 4:79-80, 5:15, 5:41, 7:157, 8:01, 9:3, 33:40, 48:29, and 66:09. The Quran uses these terms to emphasize Muhammad’s prophetic duty which the Muslims believe was assigned on him by God. To further emphasize Muhammad’s role to humanity, other epithets have been employed. Notable among them are "Warner", "bearer of glad tidings", and the "one who invites people to a Single God" (Quran 12:108, and 33:45-46). As a matter of fact, the Quran asserts that Muhammad was a man who possessed the highest moral excellence, and that God has endowed him with a good example or a "goodly model" for the Muslims to follow (Quran 68:4, and 33:21). It is important to note that the Quran disclaims any superhuman characteristics for Muhammad, and rather describes him in terms of positive human qualities. In several verses, the Quran crystallizes Muhammad’s relation to whole humanity. According to the Quran, God sent Muhammad with truth (God’s message to humanity), and He sent him as a blessing to the whole world (Quran 39:33, and 21:107). In Islamic tradition, this means that God sent Muhammad with His message to the humanity the following of which will give people salvation in the afterlife, and it is Muhammad’s teachings and the purity of his personal life alone which keep alive the worship of God on this world.

The Quran also categorizes some theological issues regarding Muhammad. The most important among them is the edict to follow the teachings of Muhammad. The Quran, which the Muslims believe to be the Word of God, repeatedly commands the people to "follow Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad)" in verses like 3:31-32, 3:132, 4:59, and 4:69.

Traditional Muslim account of Muhammad

Early years

Muhammad, the son of Abdullah and his young wife Amina, was born in 570 CE in the Arabian city of Mecca. He belonged to Banu Hashim family. Banu Hashim clan was a respected branch of the then prestigious and influential Quraysh tribe. It is generally said that Abd al-Muttalib named the child "Muhammad".

Orphanhood: a divine plan

Muhammad was orphaned at a very tender age. Some months before the birth of Muhammad, his father Abdullah died near Medina when he was on a mercantile expedition to Syria. Back to his mother at the sixth year of his life, Muhammad accompanied his mother Amina when she planned a visit to Medina, probably to visit her late husband's tomb. On her return journey to Mecca, Amina died at a desolate place called Abwa, about half-way to Mecca, and was buried there. The charge of young Muhammad was now taken by his paternal grandfather Abd al-Muttalib whose guardianship lasted but two years, as he died when Muhammad was eight, leaving Muhammad in the care of Abu Talib, his uncle. In Islamic tradition, Muhammad's being orphan at an early age has been seen as a part of divine plan to enable him to "develop early the qualities of self-reliance, reflection, and steadfastness". Muslim scholar Muhammad Ali sees the tale of Moses as a spiritual parallel to the life of Muhammad, considering many aspects of their lives to be shared. In the Quran, it has been said about Moses: "I cast (the garment of love) over thee from Me, so that thou might be reared under My eye. ... We saved thee from all grief, although We tried thee with various trials. ... O Moses, I have chosen thee for Mine Own service" (20:39-41). Taking into account the idea of this spiritual parallelism, together with other aspects of Muhammad's early life, it has been suggested that it was God under Whose direct care Muhammad was raised and prepared for the responsibility that was to be conferred upon him. Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan argues that Muhammad's orphan state made him dependent on God and close to the destitute – an "initiatory state for the future Messenger of God".

God's protection

According to Arab custom, After his birth, infant Muhammad was sent to Banu Sa'ad clan, a neighboring Bedouin tribe, so that he could acquire the pure speech and free manners of the desert. There, Muhammad spent the first five years of his life with his foster-mother Halima. Islamic tradition holds that during this period, God sent two angels who opened his chest, took out the heart, and removed a blood-clot from it. It was then washed with Zamzam water. In Islamic tradition, this incident signifies the idea that God purified His prophet and protected him from sin. Biographers and historians agree to credit young Muhammad with the modesty of deportment and purity of manners. Islamic belief holds that God protected Muhammad from involving in any disrespectful and coarse practice. Even when he verged on any such activity, God intervened. Prophetic tradition narrates one such incident in which it is said on the authority of Ibn Al-Atheer that while working as herdsman at early period of his life, young Muhammad once told his fellow-shepherd to take care of his sheep so that the former could go to the town for some recreation as the other youths used to do. But on the way, his attention was diverted to a wedding party, and he sat down to listen to the sound of music only to fall asleep soon. He was awakened by the heat of the sun. Muhammad reported that he never tried such things again.

Early sign of Prophethood

Around the age of twelve, Muhammad accompanied his uncle Abu Talib in a mercantile journey to Syria and gained experience in commercial enterprise. It is on this journey that Muhammad is said to had been recognized by a Christian monk Bahira who prophesied about Muhammad's future career as a prophet of God.

Social welfare

Between 580 CE and 590 CE, Mecca experienced a bloody feud, known as Sacrilegious War, between Quraysh and Bani Hawazin that lasted for four years, and a truce was reached at last. After the truce, an alliance named Hilf al-Fudul (The Pact of the Virtuous) was formed to check further violence and injustice; and to stand on the side of the oppressed, an oath was taken by the descendants of Banu Hashim and the kindred families, where Muhammad was also a member. In later days of his life, Muhammad is reported to have said about this pact, "I witnessed a confederacy in the house of ‘Abdullah bin Jada‘an. It was more appealing to me than herds of cattle. Even now in the period of Islam I would respond positively to attending such a meeting if I were invited." Islamic tradition credits Muhammad with settling a dispute peacefully, regarding setting the sacred Blake stone on the wall of Kaaba, where the clan leaders could not decide on which clan should have the honor of doing that. The Blake stone was removed to facilitate the rebuilding of Kaaba because of its dilapidated condition. The disagreement grew tense, and bloodshed became likely. The clan leaders agreed to wait for the next man to come through the gate of Kaaba and ask him to choose. The 35-year-old Muhammad entered through that gate first, asked for a mantle which he spread on the ground, and placed the stone at its center. Muhammad had the clans’ leaders lift a corner of it until the mantle reached the appropriate height, and then himself placed the stone on the proper place. Thus, an ensuing bloodshed was averted by the wisdom of Muhammad.

Prophethood

Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last and final messenger and prophet of God who began receiving direct verbal revelations in 610 CE. This incident was preceded by Muhammad's dreams replete with spiritual significance which were fulfilled according to their true import; and this was the commencement of his divine revelation. According to sources, the first revealed verses were the first five ayah of sura Al-Alaq that the archangel Gabriel brought from God to Muhammad in the cave Mount Hira. Perplexed by this new experience, Muhammad made his way to home where he was consoled by his wife Khadijah, who also took him to her Christian cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal. Waraqah was familiar with scriptures of Torah and Gospel. Islamic tradition holds that Waraka, upon hearing the description, testified to Muhammad’s prophethood. It is also reported by Aisha that Waraqah ibn Nawfal later told Muhammad that Muhammad's own people would turn him out, to which Muhammad inquired "Will they really drive me out?" Waraka replied in the affirmative and said "Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should be alive till that day, then I would support you strongly." Some Islamic scholars argue that Muhammad was foretold in the Bible, Jewish scriptures and Hindu scriptures.

Although Western scholars regard Muhammad as the founder of Islam, Muslims believe that monotheistic faith was not created by a human but was revealed by God.

Divine revelation

In Islamic belief, revelations are God's word delivered by His chosen individuals – known as Messengers—to the mankind. According to Islamic scholar Muhammad Shafi Usmani, God has created three media through which humans receive knowledge: men’s senses, the faculty of reason, and the divine revelation; and it is the third one that addresses the liturgical and eschatological issues, answers the questions regarding God's purpose behind creating mankind, and acts as a guidance for the mankind as to choosing the correct way. In Islamic belief, the sequence of divine revelation came to an end with Muhammad.

Muslims believe these revelations to be the verbatim word of God, which were later collected together, and came to be known as Quran, the central religious text of Islam.

Early preaching and teachings

During the first three years of his ministry, Muhammad preached Islam privately, mainly among his near relatives and close acquaintances. The first to believe him was his wife Khadijah, who was followed by Ali and Zayd ibn Harithah, his other family members. Notable among the early converts were Abu Bakr, Uthman ibn Affan, Sa`ad ibn Abi Waqqas, Abdullah ibn Masud, Arqam, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, and Bilal ibn Rabah. In the fourth year of his prophethood, according to Islamic belief, he was ordered by God to make public his propagation of this monotheistic faith (Quran 15:94).

Muhammad’s earliest teachings were marked by his insistence on the oneness of God (Quran 112:1), the denunciation of polytheism (Quran 6:19), belief in the Last judgment and its recompense (Quran 84:1–15), and social and economic justice (Quran 89:17–20). In a broader sense, Muhammad preached that he had been sent as God’s messenger; that God is One who is all-powerful, creator and controller of this universe (Quran 85:8–9, Quran 6:2), and merciful towards His creations (Quran 85:14); that worship should be made only to Allah (Islamic name for God); that ascribing partnership to God is a major sin (Quran 4:48); that men would be accountable, for their deeds, to God on Last Judgment Day, and would be assigned to Heaven or Hell (Quran 85:10–13); and that God expects man to be generous with their wealth and not miserly (Quran 107 :1–7).

Opposition

Muhammad’s early teachings invited vehement opposition from the wealthy and leading clans of Mecca who feared the loss not only of their ancestral paganism, but also of the lucrative pilgrimage business. At first, the opposition was confined to ridicule and sarcasm but later morphed into active persecution. that forces a section of newly-converts to migrate to neighboring Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia). In Mecca, as Muhammad was gaining new followers, including notable figures like Umar ibn Al-Khattāb, and Hamza, the Quraysh became much perturbed. Unable to deal with this status quo, the Quraysh then proposed to adopt a common form of worship, which was denounced by the Quran in a stern voice. Because of bright prospect of success in Medina, Muhammad and his followers migrated there around September 622 CE.

Persistent hostility of Quraysh

Before the arrival of Muhammad in Medina, the clans of Medina had suffered a lot from internal feuds and had planned to nominate Abd-Allah ibn Ubaiy as their common leader with a view to restoring peace. The arrival of Muhammad in Medina rendered this design unlikely, and from then, Abd-Allah ibn Ubaiy began entertaining hostility towards Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Soon after Muhammad’s settlement in Medina, Abd-Allah ibn Ubaiy received an ultimatum letter from Quraysh directing him to fight or expel the Muslims from Medina, and accordingly took preparation to that effect, but was convinced by Muhammad to abandon that. Around this time, Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh, chief of Aws, went to Mecca to perform Umrah. Because of mutual friendship, he was hosted and escorted by one of Meccan leader Umayyah ibn Khalaf, but the two could not escape the notice of Abu Jahl, an archenemy of Islam. At the sight of Sa’ad, Abu Jahl became angry and threatened to stop their visit to Kaaba as his clan had sheltered the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Sa'ad ibn Mua'dh also threatened to hinder their trading caravans.

Thus, there remained a persistent enmity between the Muslims and the Quraysh. As the Muslims were still low in number and without any substantial material resources, they used to pass their days in great anxiety, and were not able to sleep much at night because of the fear of attacks. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Aisha narrated that one night the Prophet was on vigilant himself. He then asked if there was anyone to guard him that night so that he could sleep. One of his companions Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas came forth to be on guard, and the Prophet slept (that night).

Causes of and preparation for fighting

Following the emigration, the Meccans seized the properties of the Muslim emigrants in Mecca. Moreover, it was the Quraysh leaders of Mecca who persecuted the newly converted Muslims there, and the latter was compelled to migrate to Medina to avoid persecution, leaving their properties in Mecca. As opposed to the general belief, Muhammad and the Muslims in Medina found themselves in a more precarious situation than in Mecca. Mecca offered them the opposition and persecution of the Quraysh while in Medina, apart from the ultimatum of the Quraysh, they had to confront the designs of the hypocrits, and had to be wary of the pagans and Jews also. The trading caravans of Quraysh, whose usual route was from Mecca to Syria, used to set the neighboring tribes of Medina against the Muslims which posed a great danger to the security of Muslims of Medina given that war was a common affair at that time.

In view of all this, the Quran granted the permission to the persecuted Muslims to take measures in their defense: "Permission to fight is granted to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged, and God indeed has the power to help them. They are those who have been driven out of their homes unjustly only because they affirmed: "Our Lord is God"" (Quran 22:39-40). The Quran further justifies taking defensive measures by stating that "And if Allah had not repelled some men by others, the earth would have been corrupted. But Allah is a Lord of Kindness to (His) creatures" (Quran 2:251). According to Quranic description, war is an abnormal and unenviable way which, when inevitable, should be limited to minimal casualty, and free from any kind of transgression on the part of the believers:

Fight in the cause of Allah with those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.

—Quran , Sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayah 190

... tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith. But if they cease, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

—Quran , Sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayah 191-2

And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression.

—Quran , Sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayah 193

Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah doth extinguish it; but they (ever) strive to do mischief on earth. And Allah loveth not those who do mischief.

—Quran , Sura 5 (Al-Ma’ida), ayah 64

Thus, to ensure the security of the Ansars and Muhajirun of Medina, Muhammad resorted to the following measures:

1. Visiting the neighboring tribes to enter into non-aggression treaty with them to secure Medina from their attacks.
2. Blocking or intercepting the trading caravans of the Quraysh to compel them into a compromise with the Muslims. As these trading enterprises were the main strength of the Quraysh, the Islamic Prophet Muhammad employed this strategy to reduce their strength.
3. Sending small scouting parties to gather intelligence about Quraysh movement, and also to facilitate the evacuation of those Muslims who were still suffering in Mecca and could not migrate to Medina because of their poverty or any other reason. It is in this connection that the following verse of the Quran was revealed: "And why should you not fight in the cause of Allah and for those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from Thee one who will protect; and raise for us from Thee one who will help!"" (Quran 4:75).

The Battle of Badr

A key battle in the early days of Islam, the Battle of Badr was the first large-scale engagement between the nascent Islamic community of Medina and their opponent Quraysh of Mecca where the Muslims won a decisive victory. Upon receiving intelligence of a richly-laden trading caravan of the Quraysh returning from Syria to Mecca, Muhammad took it as a good opportunity to strike a heavy blow on Meccan power by taking down the caravan in which almost all the Meccan people had invested. With full liberty to join or stay back, Muhammad amassed some 313 inadequately-prepared men furnished with only two horses and seventy camels, and headed for a place called Badr. Meanwhile, Abu Sufyan, the leader of the caravan, got the information of Muslim march, changed his route towards south-west along Red sea, and sent out a messenger to Mecca asking for immediate help. The messenger exaggerated the news in a frenzy style of old Arab custom, and misinterpreted the call for protecting the caravan as a call for war. Soon the Quraysh with all its leading personalities except Abu Lahab marched an heavily-equipped army of more than one thousand men with ostentatious opulence of food supply and war materials, and advanced to confront the Muslim force. Abu Sufyan’s second message that the trading caravan successfully had escaped the Muslim interception, when reached the Quraish force, did not stop them from entering into a major offensive with the Muslim force, mainly because of the belligerent Quraysh leader Abu Jahl.

The news of a strong Quraysh army and its intention reaching Muhammad, he held a council of war where the followers advised him to go forward. The battle occurred on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH) and resulted in a heavy loss on the Quraysh side: around seventy men, including chief leaders, were killed and a similar number were taken prisoner. Islamic tradition attributes the Muslim victory to the direct intervention of God: He sent down angels who emboldened the Muslims and wrecked damage on the enemy force.

In Islamic thought

Muslim veneration for Muhammad

All the Muslims across the world unite together in their respect and veneration for Muhammad. Muslin understanding and reverence for Muhammad can largely be traced to the teachings of Quran which emphatically describes Muhammad’s exalted status among the totality of human race. To begin with, the Quran describes Muhammad as al-nabi al-ummi or unlettered prophet (Quran 7:158), meaning that he "received his religious knowledge only from God". As a result, Muhammad’s examples have been understood by the Muslims to represent the highest ideal for human conduct, and to reflect what God wants the mankind to do. The Quran places Muhammad at a higher rank than his previous prophets in terms of his moral excellence and the universal message he brought from God for the mankind. The Quran calls him the "beautiful model" (al-uswa al-hasana) for those who hope for God and the last day (Quran 33:21). Muslims believe that Islamic prophet Muhammad has been sent not for any specific people or region, but for the total mankind.

Muslims show their love and reverence to Muhammad in various ways:

• In proclamation of Islamic faith, the attestation to oneness of God is always followed by the declaration "verily, I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God".
• In speaking or writing, Muslims attach the title "Prophet" with Muhammad's name. His name is always followed by the Arabic benediction sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, meaning Peace be upon him.
• Muhammad's tomb in Medina is considered the second most holy place for Muslims, and is visited by most pilgrims who go to Mecca for Hajj.
• Muslims often use various titles of praise and appellations to express Muhammad's exalted status.

Sunnah: A model for Muslims

“	For more than thirteen hundred years Muslims have modeled their lives after their prophet Muhammad. They awaken every morning as he awakened; they eat as he ate; they wash as he washed; and they behave even in the minutest acts of daily life as he behaved.	”
—S. A. Nigosian

In Muslim legal and religious thought, Muhammad, inspired by God to act wisely and in accordance with His will, provides an example that complements God's revelation as expressed in the Quran; and his actions and sayings – known as Sunnah – are a model for Muslim conduct. The Sunnah can be defined as "the actions, decisions, and practices that Muhammad approved, allowed, or condoned". It also includes Muhammad's confirmation to someone's particular action or manner (during Muhammad's lifetime) which, when communicated to Muhammad, was generally approved by him. The Sunnah, as recorded in the Hadith literature, encompasses everyday activities related to men's domestic, social, economic, political life. It addresses a broad array of activities and Islamic beliefs ranging from the simple practices like, for example, the proper way of entering into a mosque, and private cleanliness to the most sublime questions involving the love between God and humans. The Sunnah of Islamic prophet Muhammad serves as a model for the Muslims to shape their life in that light. The Quran tells the believers to offer prayer, to fast, to perform pilgrimage, to pay Zakat, but it was Muhammad who practically taught the believers how to perform all these. Here lies the importance of Sunnah. In Islamic theology, the necessity to follow the examples (the Sunnah) of Muhammad comes from the ruling of the Quran which it describes in its numerous verses. One such typical verse is "And obey Allah and the Messenger so that you may be blessed" (Quran 3:132). The Quran uses two different terms to denote this: ita’ah (to obey) and ittiba (to follow). The former refers to the orders of Muhammad, and the latter to his acts and practices.

Muhammad as lawgiver

In Islamic Sharia, the Sunnah of Muhammad is regarded a vital source for Islamic law, next in importance only to the Quran. Additionally, the Quran in its several verses authorizes Muhammad, in his capacity as a prophet, to promulgate new laws. The 7:157 verse of the Quran says, "those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet whom they find written down in the Torah and the Injil, and who (Muhammad) bids them to the Fair and forbids them the Unfair, and makes lawful for them the good things, and makes unlawful for them the impure things,... So, those who believe in him, and honor him, and help him, and follow the light that has been sent down with him (Muhammad) – they are the ones who acquire success." Commenting on this verse, Islamic scholar Muhammad Taqi Usmani says, "one of the functions of the Holy Prophet (saaw) is to make lawful the good things and make unlawful the impure things. This function has been separated from bidding the fair and forbidding the unfair, because the latter relates to the preaching of what has already been established as fair, and warning against what is established as unfair, while the former embodies the making of lawful and unlawful". Taqi Usmani recognizes two kinds of revelations – the "recited" one which is collectively known as Quran, and the "unrecited" one that Muhammad received from time to time to let him know God's will regarding how human affairs should be – and concludes that Muhammad's prophetic authority to promulgate new laws had its base on the later type. Therefore, in Islamic theology, the difference between God's authority and that of His messenger is of great significance: the former is wholly independent, intrinsic and self-existent, while the authority of the latter is derived from and dependent on the revelation from God.

Muhammad as intercessor

Muslims see Muhammad as primary intercessor and believe that he will intercede on behalf of the believers on Last Judgment day. Islamic tradition narrates that after resurrection when mankind will be gathered together and they will face distress due to heat and fear, they will come to Muhammad. Then he will intercede for them with God and the judgment will start. Hadith narrates that Muhammad will also intercede for the believers who for their sins have been taken to Hell. Muhammad’s intercession will be granted and a lot of believers will come out of hell. In Islamic belief, intercession will be granted on conditions: the permission of God, God's being pleased with the intercessor, and His being pleased with the person for whom intercession is made. In Islamic tradition, the facility of getting Islamic Prophet Muhammad's intercession has been linked, to some extent, to Darood – sending blessing upon Muhammad that generally reads "May God give him blessing and peace".

Muhammad and the Quran

To the Muslims, the Quran is the verbatim word of God which was revealed, through Gabriel, to Muhammad who delivered it to people without any change (Quran 26:192-195, 53:2-5). Thus, there exists a deep relationship between Muhammad and the Quran. Muslims believe that as a recipient of the Quran, Muhammad was the man who best understood the meaning of the Quran, was its chief interpreter, and was granted by God "the understanding of all levels of Quran's meaning". In Islamic theology, if a report of Muhammad’s Quranic interpretation is held to be authentic, then no other interpretative statement has higher theoretical value or importance than that.

In Islamic belief, though the inner message of all the divine revelations given to the Prophets and Messengers is essentially the same, there has been a "gradual evolution toward a final, perfect revelation". It is in this case that Muhammad's revelation excels the previous ones as Muhammad’s revelation is considered by the Muslims to be "the completion, culmination, and perfection of all the previous revelations". Consequently, when the Quran declares that Muhammad is the final prophet after which there will be no future prophet (33:40), it is also meant that the Quran is the last revealed book after which there will be no divine book.

Muhammad and the first Muslim state

In Medina, Muhammad’s first focus was on the construction of a Mosque, which, when completed, was of an austere nature. Apart from being the center of prayer service, the mosque also served as a headquarter of administrative activities. Adjacent to the mosque was built the quarters for Muhammad’s family. As there was no definite arrangement for calling people to prayer, Bilal ibn Ribah was appointed to call people in a loud voice at each prayer time, a system later replaced by Adhan believed to be informed to Abdullah ibn Zayd in his dream, and liked and introduced by Muhammad.

The Emigrants of Mecca, known as Muhajirun, had left almost everything there and came to Medina empty hand. They were cordially welcomed and helped by the Muslims of Medina, known as Ansar (the helpers). Muhammad made a formal bond of fraternity among them that went a long way in eliminating long-established enmity among various tribes, particularly Aws and Khazraj.

After the arrival of Muhammad in Medina, its people could be divided in four groups:

1. The Muslims, consisting of emigrants of Mecca and Ansars of Medina.
2. The hypocrites; they nominally embraced Islam, but actually were against it.
3. Those from Aws and Khazraj who were still pagans, but were inclined to embrace Islam.
4. The Jews; they were huge in number and formed an important community there.

In order to establish peaceful coexistence among this heterogeneous population, Muhammad invited the leading personalities of all the communities to reach a formal agreement which would provide a harmony among the communities and security to the city of Medina, and finally drew up the Constitution of Medina. Also known as Medina Charter, this document formed "a kind of alliance or federation" among the prevailing communities. It specified the mutual rights and obligations of the Muslims and Jews of Medina, and prohibited any alliance with the outside enemies. It also declared that any dispute would be referred to Muhammad for settlement.

Miracles

A 16th century Persian miniature painting celebrating Muhammad's ascent into the Heavens, a journey known as the Miraj.

Main articles: Miracles of Muhammad and Isra and Mi'raj

The Quran does not overtly describe Muhammad performing miracles, and the supreme miracle of Muhammad is finally identified with the Qur'an itself. However, Muslim tradition credits Muhammad with several supernatural events. For example, many Muslim commentators and some western scholars have interpreted the Sura 54:1-2 to refer to Muhammad splitting the Moon in view of the Quraysh when they had begun to persecute his followers.

The Isra and Mi'raj are the two parts of a "Night Journey" that, according to Islamic tradition, Muhammad took during a single night around the year 621. It has been described as both a physical and spiritual journey. A brief sketch of the story is in Sura (chapter) 17 Al-Isra of the Qur'an, and other details come from the hadith. In the journey, Muhammad travels on Buraq to "the farthest mosque" where he leads other prophets in prayer. He then ascends to heaven where he speaks to God, who gives Muhammad instructions to take back to the faithful regarding the details of prayer.

According to traditions, the Journey is associated with the Lailat al Miraj, as one of the most significant events in the Islamic calendar.

Bodily blessings and fluids

Generally in Islam, Muhammad is the only person who Muslims can seek blessings from, whether through his body, what touches his body or bodily fluids.. Examples include: rubing the skin with his spittle, collecting his sweat and hair. Several others are mentioned in these hadiths:

• Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith #452, Book 43, Chapter 161
• Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith #54, Book 4, Chapter 40
• Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith #62, Book 61, Chapter 23
• Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith #135, Book 63, Chapter 45

Here are some hadiths that mention some of his blessings:

• Narrated Usayd ibn Hudayr:

AbdurRahman ibn AbuLayla, quoting Usayd ibn Hudayr, a man of the Ansar, said that while he was given to jesting and was talking to the people and making them laugh, the Prophet poked him under the ribs with a stick. He said: Let me take retaliation. He said: Take retaliation. He said: You are wearing a shirt but I am not. The Prophet then raised his shirt and the man embraced him and began to kiss his side. Then he said: This is what I wanted, Messenger of Allah!

—Sunan Abi Dawud.

• Abu Musa said:

The Prophet asked for a tumbler containing water and washed both his hands and face in it and then threw a mouthful of water in the tumbler and said to both of us (Abu Musa and Bilal), "Drink from the tumbler and pour some of its water on your faces and chests."

—Sahih al-Bukhari.

• Narrated Al-Miswar bin Makhrama and Marwan (an excerpt from a long hadith):

...`Urwa then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet. By Allah, whenever Allah's Messenger spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e. the Prophet's companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them they would carry his orders immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water;...

—Sahih al-Bukhari.

• Narrated Abu Juhaifa:

Once Allah's Messenger went to Al-Batha' at noon, performed the ablution and offered' a two rak`at Zuhr prayer and a two-rak`at `Asr prayer while a spearheaded stick was planted before him and the passersby were passing in front of it. (After the prayer), the people got up and held the hands of the Prophet and passed them on their faces. I also took his hand and kept it on my face and noticed that it was colder than ice, and its smell was nicer than musk.

—Sahih al-Bukhari.

• Anas b. Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reported:

When Allah's Messenger had thrown pebbles at the Jamra and had sacrificed the animal, he turned (the right side) of his head towards the barber, and i. e shaved it. He then called Abu Talha al-Ansari and gave it to him. He then turned his left side and asked him (the barber) to shave. And he (the barber) shaved. and gave it to Abu Talha and told him to distribute it amongst the people.

—Sahih Muslim.

• Narrated Asma:

That she conceived `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair. She added, "I migrated to Medina while I was at full term of pregnancy and alighted at Quba where I gave birth to him. Then I brought him to the Prophet and put him in his lap. The Prophet asked for a date, chewed it, then he spat in his mouth. So, the first thing that entered the child's stomach was the saliva of Allah's Messenger. Then the Prophet rubbed the child's palate with a date and invoked for Allah's Blessings on him, and he was the first child born amongst the Emigrants in the Islamic Land (i.e. Medina).

—Sahih al-Bukhari.

• Anas b. Malik reported:

That Allah's Apostle came to the house of Umm Sulaim and slept in her bed while she was away from her house. On the other day too he slept in her bed. She came and it was said to her: It is Allah's Apostle who is having siesta in your house, lying in your bed. She came and found him sweating and his sweat falling on the leather cloth spread on her bed. She opened her scent-bag and began to fill the bottles with it. Allah's Apostle was startled and woke up and said: Umm Sulaim, what are you doing? She said: Allah's Messenger, we seek blessings for our children through it. Thereupon he said: You have done something right.

—Sahih Muslim.

Names and titles of praise

See also: Names and Titles of Muhammad, Islamic honorifics, Durood, Mawlid, Naat, Madih nabawi, Haḍra, and Dala'il al-Khayrat

Muhammad is often referenced with these titles of praise or epithet: an-Nâbî, "the Prophet"; ar-Rasûl, "the Messenger"; al-Habeeb, "the beloved"; al-Muṣṭafā, "the chosen one"; al-Amîn, "the trustworthy"; as-Sadîq, "the honest"; al-Haq, "the truthful"; ar-Rauf, "the kind"; al-Uswa-e-Hasana, "the model of conduct"; al-Insān al-Kāmil, "the perfect man"; al-Khairul Bashar, "the best of mankind"; al-Khātim an-Nâbîyīn, "the seal of the prophets"; ar-Rahmatul lil 'alameen, "the beneficent and mercy of all the worlds personified"; as-Shaheed, "the witness"; al-Mubashir, "the bearer of good tidings"; an-Nathir, "the warner"; al-Mudhakkir, "the reminder"; ad-Dā‘ī, "the one who calls [unto God]"; al-Bashir, "the announcer"; an-Noor, "the light personified"; as-Siraj-un-Munir, "the light-giving lamp"; al-Kareem, "the noble"; an-Nimatullah, "the divine favour"; al-Muzzammil, "the wrapped"; al-Muddathir, "the shrouded"; al-'Aqib, "the last [prophet]"; al-Mutawakkil, "the one who puts his trust [in God]"; al-Kuthâm, "the generous one"al-Mahi, "the eraser [of disbelief]"; al-Muqaffi, "the one who followed [all other prophets]"; an-Nâbîyyu at-Tawbah, "the prophet of penitence"al-Fatih, "the opener"; al-Hashir, "the gatherer (the first to be resurrected) on the day of judgement"; as-Shafe'e, "the intercessor"; al-Mushaffaun, "the one whose intercession shall be granted". He also has these names: Abu'l-Qasim, "father of Qasim"; Ahmad, "the chosen one"; Hamid, "praiser"; Mahmood, "praiseworthy"; `Abd-Allah, "servant of Allah".

In Turkey, he is often called Hz. Muhammed or "Peygamber Efendimiz".

Views of different Madhhabs

Sufi views

Sufis believe that Muhammad is alive with the power of invisibility; his spirit pervades the world and can be reached by true seekers.

Shia beliefs

In Shia Islam, Muhammad is believed to be free from sins as the doctrine of sinlessness called "ismah" (Arabic: عِصْمَة, Persian: ِعصمت) states. This doctrine literally means 'protection' and is generally translated as "sinlessness". Protection is believed to be of three types of "Protection from mistake in receiving the revelation from Allah", "Protection from mistake in conveying the revelation of Allah" and "Protection from sins." It is believed that all the prophets in Islam, as well as Fatima and the twelve descendants of Muhammad through Fatima are sinless.

The Twelver branch, calling them The Fourteen Infallibles teaches that they were purified by God in the Event of the Cloak. Although Satan tempted them to sin, it is believed that they were helped by God to overcome the temptations.

Punishment of criticism

See also: Islam and blasphemy

Criticism of Muhammad is often equated with blasphemy, which is punishable by death in some Muslim-majority Countries.

Pakistan is frequently in the news for prosecutions under its blasphemy law. If the courts decline to act, angry crowds have been known to lynch the suspected blasphemer.

In 2005 a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, printed some controversial cartoons, a few of which were interpreted as insulting Muhammad and Islam. Some countries -- Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iraq protested against the Danish government for not taking action against the newspaper. The Danish government responded by asserting that it does not control the media.

Visual representation

Main articles: Depictions of Muhammad, Depictions of Muhammad in film, and List of films about Muhammad

While much of Islam was aniconistic during most of its history, there are rich traditions of visual representation of Muhammad, mainly in the form of paintings and illustrations in religious or hagiographical texts. Religious figures rarely have their face shown. Such figures are often shown with their head veiled in sheets embroidered with Quranic text.

See also

• Relics of Muhammad
• Stories of The Prophets