Muhammad

Muhammad ibn Abdullah is recognized in Islam as the final prophet. He was born in Mecca, a city in western Arabia, around the year 570 CE. He came from the Quraysh tribe, specifically the clan of Banu Hashim. His historical significance can be understood in two dimensions: the establishment of a new religious system, and the creation of social and political structures that unified previously separate tribes.

Knowledge of his life comes from multiple sources: the Quran, later collections of hadith (recorded sayings and practices), and sirah (biographical narratives) written centuries after his death. Modern historians differ in how they evaluate the reliability of particular details, but they agree on major events: the beginning of his prophetic mission in Mecca, the migration to Medina, and the formation of a new community.

Early life

His father Abdullah is said to have died before his birth, and his mother Amina died when he was young. He was raised first by his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, then by his uncle Abu Talib. As a young man he participated in the merchant trade that connected Mecca; the city served as both a commercial hub and a place of pilgrimage centered on the Kaaba. He married Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, a merchant woman whose wealth and support shaped his early years.

Beginning of the prophetic mission

According to Islamic sources, he began receiving revelation (messages from God) while in a cave on Mount Hira near Mecca, around 610 CE. The revelations he received emphasized monotheism, rejection of idols, accountability on the Day of Judgment, and social obligations including justice and care for the vulnerable. Some Quraysh leaders saw this as a threat to both the religious practices and the economic interests centered on the city; those who followed him faced persecution, and some emigrated to Abyssinia.

The migration and Medina

In 622 CE, he and his followers migrated to Yathrib, a city whose name was subsequently changed to Medina. This migration (Hijra) marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In Medina he established a community composed of the emigrants from Mecca and the inhabitants of the city, and negotiated agreements among the local tribes and Jewish communities. During this period a system of law and religious practice emerged that differed from purely tribal organization.

The following years saw conflict between Medina and the Quraysh, marked by battles named Badr, Uhud, and the Trench, and treaties such as Hudaybiyyah. Mecca was eventually taken by force, and the idols in the Kaaba were removed. He died in Medina in 632 CE, at a time when much of Arabia had accepted the new faith. After his death, leadership of the community became known as the Caliphate.

Legacy

Muslims regard Muhammad as an exemplar (sunnah) for daily conduct; his words and actions were collected in hadith, which forms the basis of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) alongside the Quran. The system of governance and administration he established through the unification of tribes became the foundation for the rapid expansion of Islamic power in the centuries that followed.