LIFE OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM B. Hammouda Outline Chapter 1 - BRIEF HISTORY BEFORE ISLAM .......................................................... 4 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 4 Brief History of the Monotheistic Religions ................................................................... 4 Other Religions and Old Civilizations ............................................................................. 6 Chapter 2 - SITUATION JUST BEFORE ISLAM ......................................................... 8 Main Languages and Currencies ..................................................................................... 8 The Two Major Civilizations Just Before Islam ............................................................. 8 The Trade Routes ............................................................................................................. 9 Life in Arabia Before Islam ........................................................................................... 10 Chapter 3 - EARLY LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ......................................... 12 Muhammad’s Family Origin ......................................................................................... 12 The Early Years ............................................................................................................. 12 Muhammad as a Man .................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 4 - PROPHETHOOD AND EARLY MEKKAN PERIOD ........................... 15 Prophethood and Early Muslims ................................................................................... 15 Trouble Begins for the Muslims .................................................................................... 15 Chapter 5 - LATE MEKKAN PERIOD ......................................................................... 17 The Years of Sadness .................................................................................................... 17 Hope Is Back ................................................................................................................. 17 The Hijra ........................................................................................................................ 18 Chapter 6 - EARLY MEDINAN PERIOD .................................................................... 20 The City Of Medina ....................................................................................................... 20 Community Building ..................................................................................................... 20 Early Encounters with Quraish Expeditions .................................................................. 21 Chapter 7 - BATTLE AFTER BATTLE........................................................................ 22 The Battle of Badr ......................................................................................................... 22 After The Battle of Badr ................................................................................................ 22 The Battle of Uhud ........................................................................................................ 24 After The Battle of Uhud ............................................................................................... 24 The Battle of the Trench ................................................................................................ 25 After The Battle of the Trench ...................................................................................... 26 2 Chapter 8 - TURNING POINT IN ISLAM ................................................................... 28 The Treaty of Hudaybiya ............................................................................................... 28 Islam Becomes a Major Power ...................................................................................... 28 The Campaign of Khaybar ............................................................................................ 29 Chapter 9 - MIDDLE MEDINAN PERIOD .................................................................. 30 The First Umra............................................................................................................... 30 The Campaign of Muta .................................................................................................. 30 The Conquest of Mekka ................................................................................................ 31 The Battle of Hunayn .................................................................................................... 32 The Campaign of Taif .................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 10 - LATE MEDINAN PERIOD...................................................................... 33 Medina Becomes a Capital ............................................................................................ 33 The Campaign of Tabuk ................................................................................................ 33 The Year of Deputations ................................................................................................ 34 Chapter 11 - THE END OF THE PROPHET’S LIFE ................................................. 35 The Farewell Pilgrimage ............................................................................................... 35 The Prophet’s Death ...................................................................................................... 35 Legacy of the Prophet .................................................................................................... 36 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 37 MAP OF THE REGION ................................................................................................ 37 3 Chapter 1 - BRIEF HISTORY BEFORE ISLAM Introduction The Islamic civilization started with the message of Prophet Muhammad who lived from 570 AD to 632 AD (AD stands for our common era). It is often referred to as the “middle civilization”. It is middle in its location in the Middle East. It is also middle in time because it bridges a period between the Middle Age and pre-modern times. The Islamic civilization flourished in the world for many centuries. When one thinks of the Middle East, one thinks of the birthplace of the monotheistic religions. Prophet Muhammad brought the message of Islam following up on a long line of prophets starting as far back as Noah. The life of prophets like Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus will be covered briefly. The life of Prophet Muhammad will be covered in much greater detail. He was the last prophet to be sent to mankind. Most religions were named after their founder; Islam was named after a state of personal achievement. Islam means “inner peace” and “surrender to the will of God” in the Arabic language. In order to understand the world into which Islam developed, it is important to go over a brief history of the region including what other civilizations existed and what major powers were dominant at the time. In order to give a feel for what it was like to live in those times, we will touch upon languages spoken, trade routes, and the tribal way of life. Brief History of the Monotheistic Religions The Middle East is the cradle of the monotheistic religions. It is there that the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) were born. Abraham lived around 1900 BC in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) in his early life and then in the valley of the Jordan River. He received revelation in the form of a book referred to as The Scrolls. According to religious tradition, Abraham did not get children until he was very old. He finally got two sons from two different women: his servant Hajar gave birth to Ismael and his old wife Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Sarah was jealous of Hagar and asked Abraham to get rid of her. Abraham took Hagar and baby Ismael down the Red Sea coast to a spot where the present-day city of Mekka (in Saudi Arabia) is. A community was established. Later on, Ismael helped build the first House of God at Mekka (called the Kaaba). Muslims are descendent of the tradition of Ismael. Jews and Christians are descendents of Isaac. They all descend from the same forefather Abraham. Abraham started a long line of prophets. His other son, Isaac who lived in present-day Palestine was also a prophet. Isaac’s son, Jacob too was a prophet. Jacob had twelve children of which Joseph. Joseph’s compelling story in the Bible and the Qur’an tells of his tribulations in life. His other brothers (from the same father but a different mother) 4 were jealous of their father’s affection for Joseph and decided to get rid of him. They left the young boy inside a well and told their father that wild animals ate him. A merchant found him, took him, and traded him for money in Egypt. Young Joseph ended up in the house of an influential Egyptian man. Many years later, the wife of that man coveted his charms and made advances to him. After he refused her advances, she decided to accuse him of immoral conduct and had him put in prison. He stayed in prison for many years. His strong faith sustained him. His gift of being able to interpret dreams saved him. The Egyptian ruler