A Note for the Reader
Welcome. If you are learning about Islam for the first time, you may have heard the name Muhammad but know very little about the man behind the name.
Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was the final Messenger of God, sent to call humanity back to the worship of the One Creator. But what kind of man was he, and why have people followed him for more than fourteen centuries?
Muslims do not worship Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. They worship the One God who created him and, according to Islamic belief, sent him with a message for humanity.
Notes
The symbol صلى الله عليه وسلم or ﷺ means “May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.” Muslims say these words out of love and respect whenever the Prophet Muhammad is mentioned.
Allah: The Arabic word for God. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also use the word Allah when referring to God.
Seerah: The study of the life and biography of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Qur'an: The final revelation Muslims believe was revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Hadith: Reports describing the words, actions and teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Contents
- Introduction — Who Was This Remarkable Messenger?
- 1. The Beginning of a Blessed Life
- 2. The Young Man Everyone Trusted
- 3. His Marriage to Khadijah: Love, Trust and Support
- 4. The Night That Changed the World
- 5. A Message That Changed Everything
- 6. When the World Turned Against Him
- What About the Wars?
- 7. When He Had Every Reason to Seek Revenge
- 8. The Prophet Who Never Stopped Caring
- 9. A Prophet Who Honoured Women
- 10. A Leader Who Never Forgot His Purpose
- 11. His Final Message to Humanity
- Conclusion — So, Who Was He?
Who Was This Remarkable Messenger?
Many people have left their mark on history, but few have influenced the hearts and lives of people across the world like Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Muslims believe he was the final Messenger of God and the Prophet through whom the message of Islam was delivered to humanity. His call was centred on worshipping the One Creator, while his teachings also emphasised honesty, kindness, justice, mercy and responsibility.
Yet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم did not simply speak about these qualities. He demonstrated them in the way he lived.
He was known for truthfulness, patience and beautiful character. He showed affection to children, kindness to his family, care for the vulnerable and mercy even towards people who had caused him great harm.
His life also contained immense hardship. He experienced rejection, persecution, loss and opposition, but continued to call people towards God without allowing hatred to destroy his character.
To understand Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, we begin in Makkah more than 1,400 years ago.
At the heart of Makkah stood the Ka'bah, the sacred house associated with Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Prophet Isma'il (Ishmael), peace be upon them.
Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was born around 570 CE into the noble family of Hashim. His father was Abdullah and his mother was Aminah.
His father passed away before his birth. During his early childhood he was cared for by Halimah, as was customary among families of Makkah. He later returned to his mother, but she also passed away while he was still young.
His grandfather Abdul-Muttalib cared for him next, and following his grandfather's death, his uncle Abu Talib became his guardian.
Although his childhood contained great loss, he grew into a young man known for gentleness, truthfulness and trustworthiness.
Long before receiving revelation, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم had already developed a remarkable reputation in Makkah.
People trusted him with their belongings, their business and their personal affairs. His honesty and reliability became part of how the people knew him.
Those who later lived closely with him described the same qualities. Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه, who spent ten years serving him, recalled that the Prophet never even spoke to him with a word of irritation or harshly questioned him about something he had done or left undone.
Ten years of living closely with another person often reveals their true character. Yet Anas remembered gentleness, patience and kindness.
His Companions also remembered the warmth of his smile and the beautiful way he made people feel in his presence.
One person who came to know of Muhammad's صلى الله عليه وسلم trustworthy character was Khadijah رضي الله عنها, a respected woman of Makkah.
She entrusted him with business responsibilities and saw the honesty with which he conducted himself. Their lives were later joined in marriage.
Their marriage was built on companionship, loyalty and trust. Khadijah became one of the greatest sources of comfort and support in his life.
Years later, when Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم returned from the first revelation shaken by what he had experienced, Khadijah comforted him.
She reminded him that he cared for his relatives, helped those in need, honoured guests and supported people through hardship.
His character therefore was not simply a public image. The person who knew him within his own home recognised the same goodness.
As the years passed, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم would spend periods away from the busy streets of Makkah in the Cave of Hira, reflecting and worshipping God.
When he was forty years old, the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to him with revelation from God.
— Qur'an 96:1
These words marked the beginning of the Qur'anic revelation, which continued over approximately twenty-three years.
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم had now been entrusted with the responsibility of conveying God's final message to humanity.
The central message of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was clear: worship the One God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and do not worship created things alongside Him.
But his mission was not only about acts of worship. He taught people how belief in God should transform the way they lived.
He taught people to speak truthfully, fulfil promises, honour parents, care for the poor, show kindness, stand for justice and remember that every human being will return to God and answer for how they lived.
— Qur'an 21:107
His message was not restricted to one tribe or one generation. Islam presents him as a Messenger for humanity.
He did not call people to worship himself. He called them to worship God.
The same society that had recognised Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as trustworthy began to oppose him after he publicly called people away from idol worship.
He was mocked and insulted. Attempts were made to prevent others from listening to him, while some of his followers suffered severe persecution because of their faith.
Yet he did not abandon his mission.
He continued to call people towards God with patience and refused to allow the hostility of others to erase his mercy and beautiful character.
The Qur'an reminds believers that Messengers before Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم were also rejected and harmed, yet remained patient until God's help came.
What About the Wars?
A fair account of Prophet Muhammad's صلى الله عليه وسلم life should not avoid the fact that he became a political and military leader in Madinah. He commanded armies, authorised expeditions, negotiated treaties and personally took part in military campaigns. However, describing him simply as a “warlord” leaves out the wider circumstances in which these conflicts took place and the limits he placed upon warfare.
Before the Muslims ever fought, they had endured years of persecution in Makkah. Many were abused because of their faith, and eventually the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his followers were forced to leave their homes and migrate to Madinah. The conflict with the Quraysh did not end there. The new Muslim community continued to face threats, political pressure and military confrontation.
— Qur'an 22:39
The Qur'an then placed limits on how fighting was to be conducted:
— Qur'an 2:190
This did not mean that every later campaign was purely defensive in the narrow sense of waiting for an army to attack Madinah first. Some expeditions were proactive military actions connected to wider security threats, alliances and ongoing conflict. The important point is that proactive warfare was not the same as unrestricted or indiscriminate violence.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prohibited the killing of women and children during battle. (Sahih Muslim, 1744) The Qur'an also instructed Muslims to accept peace when the opposing side genuinely inclined towards it. (Qur'an 8:61)
His willingness to avoid unnecessary conflict can also be seen in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, where he accepted a peace agreement with Quraysh even though some of its terms appeared unfavourable to the Muslims. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2731–2732)
Perhaps one of the clearest examples came at the Conquest of Makkah. The people who had persecuted the Muslims, driven them from their homes and fought against them were now under the Prophet's authority. Yet instead of ordering a general slaughter, broad guarantees of safety were announced: those who entered Abu Sufyan's house, remained inside their homes or laid down their weapons were safe. (Sahih Muslim, 1780c)
So Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم should be understood neither by denying that he fought wars nor by reducing his life to them. His military leadership formed part of a much larger life of preaching, worship, diplomacy, community-building, law, courage, restraint and mercy.
One of the most painful events in the Prophet's life occurred when he travelled to Ta'if to invite its people towards God.
Instead of welcoming him, people rejected and mistreated him. He was chased and stones were thrown at him until he was injured.
Later, the Angel Jibril came to him with the Angel of the Mountains, who offered to crush the people who had rejected him between the surrounding mountains.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم could have asked for revenge.
Instead, he expressed hope that from their descendants would come people who worshipped God alone.
Mercy could be seen throughout the everyday life of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.
He openly showed affection to children. On one occasion, a man saw him kissing his grandson Hasan رضي الله عنه and remarked that he himself had ten children but had never kissed any of them.
— Sahih Muslim
For the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, tenderness was not weakness. It was part of good character.
His concern extended beyond his own family. He prayed and wept out of concern for his followers and wanted people to find guidance and goodness.
A common misconception is that Islam does not honour women. To understand the Prophet's teachings on women, one of the best places to begin is with the way he treated the women in his own family and community.
— Jami' al-Tirmidhi
He taught that a person's character is seen not only in public behaviour but also in the way they treat those closest to them.
Aisha رضي الله عنها, who knew his private life closely, reported that he never struck a woman with his hand.
He listened to women, responded to their questions and concerns, taught that they possessed rights and instructed his followers to treat them with kindness and care.
His example provides an important distinction between the teachings of Islam and the behaviour of individual Muslims who may fail to live by them.
In Madinah, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم became the leader of a growing community.
People came to him for guidance and major decisions were placed before him. Yet leadership did not make him distant from ordinary people or from his own family.
Aisha رضي الله عنها explained that at home he would serve his family, and when the time for prayer arrived, he would go to pray.
His leadership was not centred on luxury. He lived simply and remained accessible to people.
Years after being forced to leave Makkah, he returned with a large number of followers. The city that had persecuted him was now under his authority.
Yet he entered Makkah with humility rather than arrogance. The moment became one of the clearest demonstrations of the difference between possessing power and knowing how to use it.
In the final years of his life, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم travelled to Makkah for his final pilgrimage.
Large numbers of Muslims gathered around him and listened as he reminded them of their responsibilities towards God and towards one another.
He emphasised the sacredness of life, property and honour. He warned against returning to the hatred and violence of the past and reminded people of their responsibilities towards their families.
He taught them to treat women with care and reminded them that every person would return to God.
These teachings reflected the life he had already lived: mercy when others showed cruelty, forgiveness when he possessed the power to retaliate, service to his family despite his position, affection towards children and patience towards opponents.
Not long afterwards, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم passed away in Madinah at the age of sixty-three.
His earthly life ended, but his message continued.
So, Who Was Muhammad ﷺ?
Muslims do not worship Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. They worship Allah, the One God who created him, chose him and sent him.
Muslims love him because his life showed them how faith should shape worship, family life, character, leadership, mercy and everyday conduct.
For Muslims, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is therefore not simply an important historical figure. He is the beloved Messenger of God and the greatest human example of a life devoted completely to the Creator.