Mohammed is the prophet of Islam, one of the greatest religions today. Called by Muslims Muhammad, he claimed to have received a supernatural revelation that prompted him to begin preaching. Born in Mecca, he conquered the Arabian Peninsula with the support of Medina.
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Origins
Muhammad was born in Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. His birth took place in the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabbi al-Awwal, which corresponded to april 570. In the Portuguese language, the prophet of Islam is traditionally known as Mohammed, a term that was translated from the French Mahomet, which, in turn, originated from the Turkish derivation of Mehmet.
You Muslims, in turn, consider the use of the term "Mohammed" disrespectfulThe, preferring that the prophet be called Muhammad. His full name in Arabic is Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim.
Muhammad belonged to the clan of Hashim and he was part of the tribe of Quraysh, a tribe that was traditional in Mecca but was in a declining financial situation. His tribe was responsible for taking care of the Kaaba, a shrine of the religion that existed in pre-Islamic Arabia, and of the pilgrims who went to Mecca.
Muhammad was marked by the loss of parents in childhood. His father, named Abdallah, died even before the prophet was born; Amina bint Wahb, his mother, died when he was 6 years old. Before his mother passed away, Muhammad was handed over to a foster family. This was a common practice in Arabia and, after a while, the child was returned to his original family.
Later, on the death of his mother, Muhammad went to live with his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, but he died when the prophet was just 8 years old. Lastly, he if he moved to his uncle's house, Abu Talib, chief of the Hashim clan. Muhammad grew up against a backdrop of impoverishment for his clan and learned from O uncle to be a caravan driver.
Adulthood
During its creation, Muhammad received military training and, as mentioned, he went on to work as a caravan driver going to Syria and Mesopotamia. The orphan's position hindered him and prevented him from prospering in his profession, but he still had a good reputation and was known as a fairly trustworthy merchant.
This status attracted Khadija bint Khuwaylid, a widow and wealthy merchant, who hired Muhammad so that he could lead her caravan to Syria. After he returned from his trip, Khadija offered her hand in marriage to Muhammad, who accepted the proposal. O Khadija and Muhammad's wedding it happened when he was about 25 years old.
Islamic tradition tells that Khadija was around 40 years old, but modern historians question this information, given the large number of children she had with Muhammad. O couple had a total of six children, but two did not survive childhood. Khadija's relationship with Muhammad was very good and she was very supportive when the prophet began his preaching.
Muhammad as prophet
In Islamic tradition, the revelation of Allah for Muhammad happened in 610. During this period, Muhammad often did some spiritual retreats, in which he went to the desert to meditate. It was on one of these occasions that the prophet received Allah's revelation.
Muhammad was in a cave located on Mount Jabal al-Nour, which is on the outskirts of Mecca. Then the angel Gabriel supposedly appeared to the prophet, commanding him to recite the word of God. After a moment when he didn't know what to say, Muhammad started reciting, which left him stunned.
Islamic tradition says that this supernatural experience was terrifying for Muhammad and he had to rely on his wife to help him calm down and understand what had happened. After this event, Muhammad spent about two years living his life normally, as if he were in denial of what he had witnessed.
From 613 onwards, Muhammad is believed to have come to understand the meaning of the supposed visions he had had since 610 and then began preaching the word of Allah in Mecca. Little by little, Muhammad's preaching brought followers and, consequently, people were converting to Islam.
Muhammad's preaching also brought some conflicts to Mecca. This was because the message that the prophet brought was seen with great suspicion, and all the great personalities of mecca positioned themselves against Is it over there. This enmity was consolidated when he started to say that it was necessary to abandon the cult of ancient deities and worship only Allah.
This was seen as a problem since, in the religious culture of Mecca, belief in the gods was believed to be fundamental to the survival of the community. In addition, Muhammad's message carried a great risk, as it could harm the religious pilgrimage to Mecca, something that brought a lot of profit to the great merchants of the city.
hegira
You Muslims began to be persecuted by the community of Mecca, adherent of the ancient religion. Some of Muhammad's followers decided to leave the Arabian Peninsula and Muhammad himself suffered the consequences, for after his uncle died in 519, the new leader of the Hashim clan decided to expel the prophet.
Without a clan, Muhammad's life was at risk and, in fact, there was a conspiracy to assassinate him. He left looking for a new clan to house him and that was important because if he was murdered without a clan, no one could claim revenge for his death. The end of this search came when he secured support from Yathreb, city we know today as Medina.
Medina's support made Muhammad flee Mecca in 622. This event was named after Hegira and is an important milestone in the life of Islam and the prophet himself. From that event, the counting of the Islamic calendar and the period of greatest influence and power of the prophet began.
He amassed enormous political power in Medina and it expanded that power throughout the Arabian Peninsula by conquering other cities and ensuring the conversion of the population of those places to Islam. The city of Mecca, for example, was conquered in 630, after long years of conflict between Medina and Mecca. In this achievement, Muhammad proceeded with the destruction of the images of the city gods.
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Death
Muhammad's death happened on the day June 8, 632, and the prophet of Islam was at the height of his power. He had taken Islam throughout the Arabian Peninsula and, even though he was a powerful man, reports say that he sought to lead a simple life and help those most in need. After Muhammad's death, the Muslim community was led by Abu Bakr.
Image credits
[1] nikjuzaili and Shutterstock
