The final of the messengers, the founder of Islam, and the prophet of Muslims. Born in Mecca, passed away in Medina, and everything in between was considered as a lesson in humanity, morality, submission, love, and common courtesy for the entire world.
Enjoy reading this article from Tabarak Academy about our glorious prophet, and the lessons we can learn from his life.
Who is Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)?
Muhammad (PBUH) was the prophet sent by Allah to establish Islam’s religion. For the bulk of his childhood, he worked as a merchant. He began receiving revelations from Allah at the age of 40, which constituted the cornerstone of the Quran and Islam. Prophet Muhammad was unable to read or write. His illiteracy just added to the awe of his revelation.
By the year 630, he had united much of Arabia under one religion: Islam. As of 2020, there are more than 1.907 billion Muslims worldwide who believe that “there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”
Muhammad’s life
Muhammad (PBUH) is descended from the same ancestors as all Christians and Jews. His ancestors include Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH), the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ibrahim’s first son, Ismail, whom he had with Hagar, is the patriarch of Islam, and Muhammad is a great-grandson of him.
He was born in Mecca about the year 570 AD. His father died before he was born, thus he was raised first by his grandfather, then by his uncle. He was born into a humble yet honorable Quraysh family.
He lived his life in a dignified manner. A hard worker who was honest, polite, successful, attractive, humorous, and kind.
Long before he became a prophet, he was known for being genuine and honest, earning him the nickname “al-Amin,” which means “trustworthy.” His family was likewise well-known for their involvement in Meccan politics and trade.
He was 25 years old when he started working for a wealthy, widowed businesswoman who was fifteen years his senior and was lured to his honorable qualities. She saw something wonderful about him. Muhammad married Khadijah, who became his first wife and, according to all accounts, his greatest love even after her death.
Over the years, the happy couple had numerous children. With the exception of Fatima, also known as Fatimah al-Zahra, none of them have grown old. Khadijah was the first person to accept Muhammad’s message of Islam. She was eventually called “Mother of the Believers.”
Throughout his life, Muhammad established a habit of prayer and meditation. He would frequently go to Mount Jabal aI-Nour in Mecca to pray and meditate. One day, angel Jibreel spoke to him during one of these prayer and meditation sessions.
Muhammad, 40, was cautious and apprehensive about being picked to divulge what was being revealed. During this time, Khadijah was a pillar of support, and the result was the start of the revelation of the Holy Quran.
Despite all of the battles and attempts to kill it in its cradle, his message continued to spread. His own life was an example of how we should live our own lives. The Prophet Muhammad delivered his farewell sermon at the Plain of Arafat in the final year of his life. He ended his moving sermon by telling the crowd that he was leaving them two things: the Quran and his example.
You can learn more about what did Muhammad look like in his life by reading the Quran. You can learn Quran online with Tabarak Academy and know everything you want to know.
What Can We Learn From The Prophets?
Allah, The Almighty, chose His prophets to spread His message and ask people to believe in their creator. We, in return, must pay attention to the qualities upon which Allah chose his prophets and learn from them.
All prophets had special qualities, including Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but there are specific common lessons we can learn from all of them.
- Allah’s obedience
All prophets were chosen from Allah to spread His divine message to their people. Most of the prophets found it hard to do that task, however, they obeyed Allah SWT and delivered His message in a perfect way.
- Patience
Most prophets struggled for years asking people to join them in the path of Allah SWT with no use. Noah (PBUH) tried to convince his people to believe in Allah SWT for 950 years before Allah has ordered him to leave them for torture.
- Advising people to be better
The main message of prophets was to guide people to Allah’s path, which results in them being better versions of themselves. Besides guiding them to believe in Allah, prophets worked hard to stop people from doing harm to themselves or others by doing wrong things.
- Living life for Allah
All prophets dedicated their lives to Allah SWT and put all their efforts into obeying His orders. This tells us how we should do the same, even the littlest things should be done with an intention to please Allah.
- Thinking carefully before speaking
Regardless of their people’s sins, prophets never spoke badly to them. They thought too long before speaking and were concerned with expressing words in the most modest, compassionate, and forgiving manner possible.
- Responding with forgiveness
Asking people to believe in Allah SWT was never easy. Some people needed proof, some refused to believe just for the sake of it. But it didn’t stop there, many people attempted to hurt prophets physically and mentally to stop them from believing in Allah or asking other people to do so.
Prophets always responded with forgiveness, never with violence. Prophet Muhammad was fought back in Mecca before being ordered to leave to Madinah, and when he returned a few years later to the same people who had hurt and belittled him, he forgave them in an instant.
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Prophet Muhammad’s Life Lessons
Some lessons were taught by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that was never taught by any other prophet since he (PBUH) was the last of them who is supposed to complete Allah’s message. These lessons included:
- Engaging with Quran
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once said:
“When matters become obscure for you like the darkness of the night, then turn to the Quran, for it is the mediating intercessor and the trustworthy deviser. Whoever puts it in front of them, it will lead them to Heaven, and whoever puts it behind them, it may take him to Hell.”
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- Always keep learning
Learning holds a great position in Islam, declared in prophet Muhammad’s Hadith:
“One hour of contemplation is superior to an entire year’s worship.”
(Tadhkerah al-Haqaiq)
- Remaining humble
Said in his Hadith:
“Blessed be he who humbles himself before Allah without having any deficiency, and who humiliates himself without poverty.”
- Never hold anger
As a golden piece of advice:
“When one of you becomes angry while standing, he should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should lie down.”
(Abi Dawud)
- Giving out charity (Zakat)
“Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.”
- Treat your neighbors well
Muslims always say that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) cared for his seventh neighbor, which indicates that we are not only required to treat our next-door neighbor properly but all of our neighbors up to and including our seventh.
“Anyone who believes in God and the day of judgment should not harm his neighbor. Anyone who believes in God and the day of judgment should entertain his guest generously and should say what is good, or keep quiet.”
(Bukhari)
- Taking care of our health and body
He (PBUH) didn’t only care about the spiritual level, he also cared about the physical one of any Muslim:
“Don’t indulge in overeating because it would quench the light of faith within your hearts.”
(Al-Mustadrak
