The Nature And Role Of Muhamma Essay

, Research Paper

The Nature and Role of Muhammad the Prophet in Islam

Born in about 571 AD, Muhammad is the most of import and influential leader of the Islamic faith. His ability to act upon people into believing his experiences helped the Islamic religion become what it is today. There are 1000000s of people in this universe whose lives have some how been effected by this adult male in one manner or another. He has played a important portion in the development of Islam, and the occurrences throughout his life-time have caused alterations and divisions to this religion.

There is small that is factually known about Muhammad s life prior to the disclosures he received from the Angel Gabriel in 609 AD. His birth name is non even known for certain. However, there are some concrete facts sing his childhood. He grew up as an orphan and was raised by one of his uncles in the Hashim clan1. At the age of 25, he married a affluent adult females, Khadija, who was 15 old ages older than he2. It is said that he was an remarkably honorable adult male, and many narratives in the Hadith Tell of his fate to go a prophet3.

During his matrimony to Khadija, Muhammad often went to chew over at Mount Hira, which was located merely a few stat mis north of Mecca4. On one juncture, Muhammad received the first of many of God s disclosures from Mount Hira. This event would alter the universe forever. These messages Muhammad received from the Angel Gabriel in 609 AD, would finally be written down by some of Muhammad s followings. Muhammad s followings, known as the Companions, are the 1s who were responsible for composing down the message Muhammad had received from God5. They wrote this down because it is believed that Muhammad was illiterate6. These written down disclosures would finally organize the Islamic Bible, the Quran.

After Muhammad had received these messages from God, he began to prophesy to the people of Mecca but with small success. About five old ages after his first disclosure, Muhammad and some Muslim followings immigrated to Abyssinia ( present twenty-four hours Ethiopia ) 7. They moved here to avoid some of the opposition and persecution that they were sing in Mecca. This is believed by some people to be his first Hijra.8 However, this does tag the beginning of the spread of the Islamic religion.

The ground for the opposition to people believing what Muhammad was stating is that he did non execute any miracles. He was the prophesier of Allah, but he was still merely a adult male. He could non mend people, perform miracles, make H2O appear from the land, or any other Acts of the Apostless that a non-human being could non make. Non-believers besides wanted him to state them what Eden and snake pit were similar, but he could non make that either9. This may hold attributed to him go forthing the metropolis of Mecca to travel to Medina to prophesy.

In 622, Muhammad made his historical pilgrim’s journey to the metropolis of Medina. This pilgrim’s journey, known as the Hijra, is important for many grounds. It marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar and a clip when the Islamic religion and Muhammad s popularity grew quickly. This move severed the nexus between the Muslims and the people of the metropolis of Mecca10. After his reaching in Medina, Muhammad shortly became the metropoliss greatest political and spiritual leader.

About a twelvemonth and a half after geting in Medina, the Muslims and the Prophet were non acquiring along with the Hebrews that besides inhabited the metropolis. The Jews did non accept Muhammad as a prophesier, so after several conflicts the Jews left the metropolis of Medina. This is important for the Islamic faith. After these conflicts, the way Muslims faced during supplication changed from confronting the north towards Jerusalem to the east towards Mecca11.

In the twelvemonth 629 AD, after the peaceable resignation of Mecca to Muhammad, he and many of his followings made their first pilgrim’s journey back to Mecca. With the surrendering of Mecca to Muhammad, he so controlled most of the Arabian territory12. He was in bid of mom

ny work forces, and this resulted in the capturing of lands to be converted to the Islam religion. Islam was get downing to quickly distribute throughout the Middle East.

The five pillars of the Islamic faith were a consequence of Muhammad s experiences and disclosures told to him by Allah. His return pilgrim’s journey to Mecca in 629 AD, caused credence of the hadj by all Muslims13. Muhammad prayed on a regular basis and gave to the hapless, which besides led into the development of the salaat and zakat pillars. The five pillars that were told to Muhammad finally became the five pillars of the Islamic religion. All good Moslems follow these five pillars.

In 632 AD, Muhammad died after catching a fatal disease on a return trip from Mecca14. It is said that his prophetic mission to the people of the universe was complete. He was sent as the Seal Prophet of God to get rid of devotion and reconstruct monotheism to the universe. The Muslims believe that he is the lone prophesier of God and there will be no other prophesier or farther disclosures sent from God15. He had started the Islamic faith and it continues to be one of the most dominant faiths in the universe today.

Muhammad did non call a replacement to his most powerful place. Abu Bakr, a close friend and Companion of Muhammad, was the Caliph ( political and spiritual leader ) that took over his place. Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali were the following four persons to keep the place of Caliph after the decease of Muhammad. This is where a contention exists between Muslims, and causes a major division in the Islamic faith. There are two groups that emerge from this dissension of who truly is a Caliph and who is non, they are the Sunni and the Shi ite. The Sunni, which consists of 80 to 85 per centum of all Muslims, believe all four of these work forces are true Caliphs. The Shi ites believe that merely the last adult male, Ali, is the true Caliph to emerge after the decease of Muhammad. This dissension about who are true Caliphates, will take to controversy and wars between the Muslim nation16.

Muhammad, The Supreme Prophet of God, was a adult male that changed the universe. He had a great consequence on the states of the Middle East, and the people of his clip. In merely a short period of clip, he drew these people s attending towards a faith that has survived for 1000s of old ages and will go on on into the hereafter.

End Notes

1. Welch, Alford T. Muhammad: The Life of the Prophet, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Volume 3. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. pg. 153-164.

2. Rahman, Fazlur. Islam. Second Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979. pg. 11-29.

3. Welch, pg.154.

4. Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. pg. 3-19.

5. Lewis, Bernard. The Middle East. New York: Touchstone Book, 1995. pg. 51-84. ( Including Notes from Class ) .

6. Welch, pg. 155.

7. Watt, W. Montgomery. What is Islam? New York: Frederick A Praeger, 1968. pg. 93-112.

8. Welch, pg. 156.

9. Welch, pg. 156.

10. Watt, pg. 101

11. Welch, pg. 157.

12. Welch, pg. 158.

13. Lewis, pg. 52.

14. Lewis, pg. 53.

15. Lewis, pg. 53.

16. Lewis, pg. 82.

Biography

1. Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. pg. 3-19.

2. Lewis, Bernard. The Middle East. New York: Touchstone Book, 1995. pg. 51-84. ( Including Notes from Class ) .

3. Rahman, Fazlur. Islam. Second Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979. pg. 11-29.

4. Watt, W. Montgomery. What is Islam? New York: Frederick A Praeger, 1968. pg. 93-112.

5. Welch, Alford T. Muhammad: The Life of the Prophet, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Volume 3. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. pg. 153-164.