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Muhammad: Prophet of Islam. Ashli Austin Mr. Mills World History 13 October 2006. The Early Years. By the time Muhammad was 8, he had lost both of his parents and his grandfather. It an uncle, Abd al-Muttalib, who took charge of the boy.
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Muhammad:Prophet of Islam Ashli Austin Mr. Mills World History 13 October 2006
The Early Years • By the time Muhammad was 8, he had lost both of his parents and his grandfather. It an uncle, Abd al-Muttalib, who took charge of the boy. • At the age of 12, while traveling with a merchant caravan, Muhammad was proclaimed a prophet by Monk Bahira of Bostra. • It was in his twenties that Muhammad married Khadijah.
Revelation • It was in 610 C.E. that Muhammad, at the age of 40, saw the angel Gabriel. • The first revelation took place in Hira, a cave outside of Mecca. Three years after this initial message Muhammad began to preach as a prophet. • Muhammad and his family faced severe persecution because his newly found religion threatened the economic (and religious) center of Arabia, Mecca. • Allegedly, Muhammad experienced a “miraculous journey” (Isha and Miraj) with Gabriel ten years later, in 620. Image courtesy Wikipedia
Medina (a.k.a Yathrib) • The situation in Mecca became so intense that Muhammad had to flee the city. His journey is now referred to as, “Hijrah.” • He resolved to continue his teachings in Medina, where he had much more success. This is partially because the Quraysh – Muhammad’s tribe and the designated guardians of religion – didn’t have as much power in Medina.
Conquests of the Prophet • Muhammad’s first battle was an unsuccessful skirmish with a caravan of Meccan traders. Although the fight was a loss for the Muslims, it ultimately resulted in one of their greatest triumphs. This prelude took place in 624 C.E. • Later that year, Meccans released some 1,000 warriors on Medina. Despite the fact that Muhammad’s forces were outnumbered more than 3 to 1, they managed a crushing victory. This is was the Battle of Badr. • Muhammad, allegedly on the orders of angel Gabriel, pursued Jewish sympathizers – specifically, the Bani Qurayzah tribe – that had provided aid to Meccans in the Battle of Badr. Men of the tribe utterly were executed, while women and children were taken as slaves. The siege and resulting surrender of the Bani further reinforced Muhammad’s prowess as a general and emphasized his prophet hood. • Disgruntled by previous defeat, the Meccans made an effort to reclaim military supremacy with a more rewarding encounter. General Sufyan in particular tried to overpower Muhammad. In 627 C.E., a powerful Meccan force attempted to lay siege to Yathrib – but Muhammad had ordered the digging of a trench, and with the help of that feature, was able to defend the city. Thus the fight was known as The Battle of the Trench. • The success of Muhammad’s campaigns was disrupted only by the Battle of Uhud (627 C.E.), in which Muslims suffered a harrowing defeat.
Muhammad Effects • Although the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah set forth a peace between Mecca and Yathrib, Muhammad continued to extend his “rule.” • It was through treaties and agreements that Muhammad governed – he never established a real centralized regime. • By 628 C.E., Muhammad’s military campaigns – “the lesser Jihad,” - had produced his reputation as the most powerful man in Arabia. • After having witnessed the authority of Muhammad and the power of his followers, many surrounding peoples sought to ally themselves with him. • The Juhaynah – a Jewish tribe – allowed for Muhammad’s occupation of northeastern territory, which in turn allowed for the expansion of Islamic influence. • Also, the occupation of trade routes had a devastating effect on Meccans and their economy. The loss of the Red Sea route inflicted a dramatically decreased Meccan trade revenue.
Mecca • Although Muhammad honored the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Khuza’ah, allies of the Muslims, were attacked by the Bakr - a tribe of Mecca. This provocation signaled the beginning of new warfare. • When faced with the overwhelming force of Islamic warriors (as about 900 cavalrymen had joined the ranks of Muhammad by the time he reached Mecca), the Meccans surrendered completely. • Despite the fact that the entire city of Mecca (not to mention its inhabitants) was very much open to attack, Muhammad captured the it without bloodshed and without forced conversion to Islam.
The Beginning of an Era • Muhammad led a “Farewell Pilgrimage” in 632 C.E. It was in this year that Gabriel had twice recited the Quran (instead of once as was his annual custom), which led Muhammad to believe that he was soon to ascend to heaven. Thusly he wanted to leave a final imprint on the minds of his followers. The Hajj came of this. • It seems that Muhammad’s concern was well-founded, as he died on June 8, 632 C.E. – only months after his revelation. • Muhammad’s military operations had united most of Arabia and the religion of Islam reinforced the stability of his “empire.” • Later, the Islamic Caliphate would expand to include much of the Byzantine Empire, as well as the Iberian Peninsula.
