In Islam, the prophet Mohammad ﷺ is considered very important. He is the last prophet of Allah in a series of prophets. The prophet Jesus (PBUH) had foretold his coming centuries ago. This prophecy is also mentioned in the Old Testament. But who was the prophet Mohammed ﷺ and what does he actually mean for Islam and for the world?
Contents
- 1 Mohammed ﷺ (saw)
- 2 What non-Muslims say about Mohammed ﷺ
- 3 What did Mohammed ﷺ look like?
- 4 hadith about his appearance:
- 5 The childhood of Mohammed ﷺ
- 6 The Life of Muhammad ﷺ
- 7 The Miracles of the Prophet
- 8 Characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
- 9 There is no doubt that he was a prophet
- 10 The Followers of the Prophet
- 11 The message of Muhammad ﷺ (saw)
Mohammed ﷺ (saw)
Let’s start with the name Mohammed ﷺ. His name means ‘the praised one’. And indeed, to his day, this is still the case. Every Muslim prays five times a day and in prayer there are two supplications during every two rakaat (units of prayer) we perform for our beloved prophet (The duas: Allahumme salli and Allahumme barik)
The prophet Muhammad lived from 571 to 632. He first lived in the city of Mecca from 571 to 622, after which he stayed in Medina for another ten years. He was already known – before the advent of Islam – as the Mohammed-ul-Amin (or Mohammed the Reliable). He is the last prophet that Allah has sent to mankind.
In addition to being a prophet, he was also a messenger from God. Mohammed ﷺ has devoted his entire life to worshiping the one and only God. People were never meant to worship Muhammad after his death; After all, Muhammad ﷺ was only a human being and not a god. He, like all other people, was a creature of God and sent by Him as a prophet to mankind. The story and life of Muhammad occupy an important place in the creed of Islam.
What non-Muslims say about Mohammed ﷺ
Michael Hart is a well-known writer. He once gathered all the leading historians and other experts to make a list of the most influential people on Earth of all time. Although he was a Christian and would have liked to have seen Jesus (peace be upon him) at number 1, he chose Mohammed ﷺ.
In the following overview you can read what well-known prominent persons in history have said about the prophet Mohammed ﷺ.
What did Mohammed ﷺ look like?
The appearance of Muhammad ﷺ is not discussed anywhere in the Quran. In Islam it is forbidden to depict prophets. The companions of Muhammad ﷺ have been able to describe him, namely that he:
- was a man of average height who was neither fat nor thin:
- he had a round face;
- he had a black full beard with some gray hair;
- he had broad shoulders;
- he had medium length hair;
- he had dark eyes and long eyelashes;
- he further had a large birthmark between his shoulder blades called the “seal of the prophets”;
- and he was the most charismatic and most beautiful man.
Why is it not allowed to depict him or other prophets? You can read more about this in this article.
hadith about his appearance:
Abu Hurairah – may Allah be pleased with him – said: “The Messenger of Allah was so pure, glowing, beautiful and handsome that it seemed as if his body was covered with silver. His hair was slightly curly.”
Jabir – may Allah be pleased with him – said: “Once I saw the Messenger of Allah during a full moon night. During that night he wore red striped clothes. I sometimes looked at the full moon and sometimes at the Messenger of Allah. In the end I came to the conclusion that the messenger was more handsome and more beautiful and more glittering than the full moon.”
Anas bin Malik – may Allah be pleased with him – reported: “The Messenger of Allah was neither tall nor short. His skin was neither white like lime nor dark. (He looked splendid. He shone more than the full moon on the 14th night).
Baraa bin Aazib – may Allah be pleased with him – reported: “The Messenger of Allah was a man of average height (fairly tall); he had broad shoulders; thick hair that reached to his ears; he was wearing red striped trousers and a scarf. I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful than him.”
Abu Hurairah – may Allah be pleased with him – said: “I have never seen anyone more handsome than the Messenger of Allah . It was as if the sunshine was coming from his pleasant face. I haven’t seen anyone run faster than him. It was as if the earth opened up to him. One moment he was here, the next moment over there. We could hardly keep up with him when we walked next to him when it was his normal speed.”
The childhood of Mohammed ﷺ
Mohammed ﷺ was born in the city of Mecca. His father had already died before he was born. And when he was 6 years old, his mother also died. His grandfather then went to take care of Mohammed , but after a while he also died. Finally, Muhammad ﷺ was raised by his uncle Abu Talib, the leader of the Hashim tribe. During his youth, Mohammed ﷺ went to work first as a shepherd boy and then as a merchant. He married 40-year-old Ghadisha – may Allah be pleased with her – when he was 25 years old and later had six children with her.
The Life of Muhammad ﷺ
As the prophet grew in popularity, the Quraish elite became very concerned. In the year 622 they decided that the prophet Mohammed ﷺ should be killed. The Archangel Gabriel told this to Muhammad and he fled to Madinah with his best friend Abu bakr (As sidiq). This event also marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar, the year of Hijrah.
Mohammed ﷺ then, together with an army, took the city of Mecca in 630 without fighting any battle. The city surrendered. The Prophet lived a peaceful and simple life as a poor man who spent his money on the less fortunate. Muhammad ﷺ was constantly spreading the word of God.
The Miracles of the Prophet
The Quran itself is considered the greatest miracle of the Prophet Muhammad . It is stated in the Quran that Muhammad could split the moon upon request. He also let water flow from his fingers when there was a lack of water. Furthermore, the Night Journey is also considered a separate supernatural event, in which Muhammad ﷺ made a physical journey to heaven.
Characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
The prophet Mohammed ﷺ has meant a lot for the history of Islam. It is therefore important to look at his characteristics as a person. The characteristics associated with the prophet Muhammad are:
- Muhammad ﷺ, despite being illiterate, was a very great reformer who could deal well with complex problems of theology and morality. See also: Michael Hart (Most Influential Persons in History)
- Mohammed ﷺ led a simple and quite poor life and preferred to spend his money on others.
- Muhammad ﷺ had a forgiving and merciful character to all of Allah’s creatures.
- He was kind, never got angry (except when it came to unworldly matters) and he was good with people. He was known for his good manners and good character. His manners and character are exalted and that is what makes him the best human being on earth ever!
- Muhammad ﷺ had a generous nature and shared his possessions with others.
- Characteristic of his character was that he was humble (despite his great successes). He preferred to live a frugal life than a life as king.
- He always did his very best.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Do not exaggerate as the Christians have exaggerated regarding the son of Mary (Jesus peace be upon him). I am only a servant. Therefore say: “The servant of Allah and His Messenger.” (al-Bukhari)
There is no doubt that he was a prophet
All of the above shows that Muhammad ﷺ was a true prophet of Allah. His successes and his character are unprecedented and unparalleled. A man from the middle of the desert, illiterate, who has conquered the hearts of 1.7 billion Muslims.
With his exalted character, he has made people’s hearts turn 180 degrees. Mohammed ﷺ was able to completely transform people in a positive sense. For example, there was a person who was a thief at first, and was appointed by him as treasurer of the state, with the former thief watching every penny.
The Followers of the Prophet
The prophet Mohammad ﷺ had a number of faithful followers, including his first wife Chadidja. She was the very first follower. In addition, his best friend Abu Bakr, his adopted son Zayd, his cousin Ali and Uthman ibn Affan had also become followers of Muhammad .
The message of Muhammad ﷺ (saw)
Muhammad ﷺ did not establish a new religion, regardless of what certain researchers claim. He has only conveyed the message of Allah to mankind. Muhammad ﷺ had to teach mankind that there is only one God, and that is Allah. Muslims should only worship Allah.