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One of the most influential figures throughout history, Muhammad is the founder of the religion of Islam and considered to be one of the last prophets sent by God. The life of the prophet Muhammad was predominantly dedicated to spreading the teachings of God, which was presented to him through a revelation from the archangel Gabriel (Corrigan, Denny, Eire, and Jaffee 43). The task of Muhammad to spread the word of God provided to be a heavy burden as he was constantly persecuted and endured an immense amount of adversity. The teachings of Muhammad were written in the Quran, which is widely accepted as the holy book of Islam (Corrigan et al. 43). Through the writings of the Quran the remarkable life of Muhammad was put on display for his followers and people around the world.
Muhammad was born in 570 C.E. in the caravan city of Mecca located in Arabia (Corrigan et al. 43). The name Muhammad is derived from the Arabic word, hamada, which means “highly praised and glorified” (Corrigan et al. 44-45). The father of Muhammad, Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib passed away weeks before Muhammad was born leaving his mother Aminah bint Wahb to care for him. When Muhammad was around five years old he embarked on a journey with his mother to the town of Yathrib to visit his father’s grave and to stay with his relatives (Ahmad 1-11). After their stay in Yathrib, Muhammad’s mother Aminah passed away due to illness on their journey back to Mecca, which left Muhammad as an orphan.
Muhammad was put into the care of his grandfather, Abdul Al-Muttalib and then into the care of his uncle, Abu Talib after the death of his grandfather when he was eight years old (Ahmad 13-17). Under the care of Abu Talib, Muhammad was trained to be a merchant and accompan...
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...rmed the Kaaba for a site of worship to God (Corrigan et al. 43). The religion of Islam quickly spread through the land after Muhammad’s control of Mecca and became one of the most renowned figures throughout Arabia.
On June 8th, 632 C.E., Muhammad died after suffering from illness in the city of Medina (Corrigan et al. 43). After the death of Muhammad, the Islamic empire continued to spread the teachings of Muhammad through Arabia and eventually through Central Asia, India, and even to the nations of France and Spain (Ahmad 100-108). Muhammad is often viewed as a controversial figure by opposing religions; however, his life and teachings have transformed Islam to a religion of a few followers to over a million followers. Muhammad’s life and teachings continues to influence people throughout the world and is one of the most captivating figures throughout history.
The first man, named Abu Bakr, many people believed he was a good candidate because he was an old friend and was one of the first ones to convert to Islam. Yet others believed that Ali Talib was the best choice because he was a cousin and a son-in-law to the prophet. The disputes between the two groups of people would lead to a split; the followers of Abu Bark became the Sunnis and the followers of Ali became the Shia. In the end, the majority of people decided to choose Abu Bark and he became Islam’s first caliph. Abu Bark was Muhammad’s caliph for only two years until he died; even though it was a short period of time, he accomplished big things.
In the late 1980’s Muhammad changed his life around. He and his wife had separated, he converted to Islam, and he joined the U.S. Army (Biography, par 4). He later changed his name to Muhammad (Death, par 2). He was stationed in Washington State. There he married Mildred Green. They ended up having three children. Being in the army was good for Muhammad. He served in Germany and the Middle East and was skilled in marksman (Biography, par 4, 5).
Elijah Muhammad, son of a sharecropper, was born into poverty in Sandersville, Georgia, on October 7, 1897 (biography.com). After moving to Detroit in 1923, he met W. D. Fard, founder of the black separatist movement Nation of Islam (biography.com). Muhammad became Fard’s successor from 1934-75 and was known for his controversial preaching (biography.com). Muhammad faced many challenges during his life span. He declared that Fard had been an incarnation of Allah and that he himself was now Allah’s messenger (biography.com). For forty-one year’s Muhammad spread the word of the Nation of Islam, slowly but steadily attracting new members (biography.com). Muhammad built the religion from a small fringe group into a large and complex organization that attracted controversy along with its new prominence (biography.com).
There are two declarations of faith in Islam: That there is only one God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. In Memories of Muhammad, Omid Safi explores the ways in which Muhammad – both the historical and spiritual Muhammad – is remembered, commemorated, and contested by Muslims throughout the centuries. Safi focuses on the movements and moments in Muhammad’s life and after his death that for many Muslims best exemplify the teachings of Islam. He succeeds in opening up the dialogue to correct the negative portrayals of Muhammad and the religion of Islam, calling it a “Muhammad problem” in his introduction. Furthermore, he provides a book that is accessible and intelligible to both Muslims and non-Muslims, drawing from historical and spiritual sources, and addresses relevant issues contested between Muslims in relation to other religions, presenting Muhammad as a historical figure and one who is beloved by the Umma.
Muhammad He grew up in the American South during a time of segregation between races. Many of the facilities in the town he lived in were racially separated ("Muhammad Ali." St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture). Growing up, Cassius lived with his mother, Odessa Grady Clay, his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay, Sr., and his brother named Rudolph. Cassius Sr. supported their family of five by painting billboards and signs.
Al Ghazali a significant person in Islam has helped shape Islam to be what it is today - a living religious tradition for the lives of its adherents. His contribution to Islam though his theories, knowledge and works have left a positive impact upon the Islamic world that continues into the present. An everlasting impact upon the faith, Muslims and the expansion of Islam to be one of the most popular religious traditions in the present world for the lives of its adherents is seen as Al Ghazali’s
Muhammad was born in AD 570 in the town of Mecca – a mountain town in the high desert plateau of western Arabia. His name comes from the Arabic verb hamada, meaning "to praise, to glorify." Muhammad's father died before he was born, and Muhammad was the only child born to his mother, Amenah.
Mohammed’s life, ministry and death started when the Prophet of Islam was born in the year 570 B.C. Born into an affluent family he would lose both of his parents by the age of six. Mohammed became a camel driver traveling between Syria and Arabia, later he would become a caravan manager for wealthy merchants, which lead him to meet his wife Khadija, 15 years his senior, and she was his only wife until her death 24 years later.
Throughout his life, the Prophet Muhammad proved to be exceptionally adept at uniting diverse groups, negotiating a series of alliances and loyalty arrangements that spanned religious, tribal, ethnic, and familial lines (Berggren 2009). Among other things, this ability enabled Muhammad to forge a shared identity and found a nascent Islamic state from a diverse and even heterogeneous community (Rahman 1982; Ernst 2003, pp. 87-93). This diversity proved to be both a source of strength and conflict for Islam, and following the death of Muhammad early Islamic communities engaged in extensive debates not only about the nature of his teachings or how to carry his legacy forward, but also about the terms that should be used to define his authority. Although this debate produced a colorful array of movements within the tapestry of early Islamic civilization, this essay offers a critical examination of two particularly distinct perspectives on the nature of prophetic authority: namely, those articulated
The two largest religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, were implemented by two of religions most powerful leaders, Jesus and Muhammad. Without question, both Jesus and Muhammad have affected humanity powerfully. As religious leaders both men laid down the principles upon which Christianity and Islam are founded yet today. However, while Jesus performed miracles and arose from the dead, thus proving to his followers he was God, Muhammad performed no such feats, and made no such claims. In fact, Muhammad’s only claim was that he was the last prophet sent from God.
Muslims believe that the absolute deity is Allah. However, they also believe that there was a string of prophets sent by God to teach his word. The last of these prophets was Muhammad. His life is used as a foundation for Muslims to see how they are supposed to live and to help explain the teachings of the holy book of Islam, which is called Holy Qur’an. These teachings are said to have been revelations that Muhammad received that confirmed the God’s unity and the direct life in the world.
The prophet Muhammad had a significant impact on the rise and spread of the religion Islam. According to World Civilizations, Muhammad “began receiving revelations transmitted from Allah,” and later these revelations became holy scripts in the Quran. Muhammad started off with very few followers but as the faith of Allah started to spread, he gained more followers and he became a threat to Mecca’s rulers. As mentioned in World Civilization, “in 622 Muhammad left Mecca for Medina where his skilled leadership brought new followers.” In Medina, Muhammad became the religious authority in the area and he used this power to conquer Mecca, a holy place for Islamic believers. By the time of his death, he was able to have created a religious empire that controlled all of the Arabian Peninsula.
After ‘The Year of Sorrow’ in which both Muhammad’s uncle- Abu Talib and wife- Kadijah died Muhammad is warned by the angel Gabriel that the situation is getting too dangerous for him in Mecca. “Muhammad knew the faith must find expression in a community which would insure its external force and the opportunity to prevail against opposition” (Cragg). It is at this point that Muhammad is invited to become a leader in Medina (622ce).
Prophet Isa (AS) was born in a place, six miles south of Jerusalem. This place was called Bethlehem. Isa's mother, Maryam, went through the pains of child birth with the help of no one. She only had the help of Allah (swt). For Isa, her son, was a miracle given to her from Allah, he was born without a father. While going through the pains of labor, she cried to Allah for help. He told her to shake the tree and dates started to fall from the tops of the tree. Allah allowed for a stream to flow from beneath her feet.
The beginning of Islam all started in Arabia around 570 C.E. when a prophet was born. This prophet was known as Muhammad, although it is said that he has multiple names, which was born in a city called Makkah, or Mecca. This man lived a normal life by getting married and having children. He would venture out into the desert every now and then to pray and fast. It was during one time in the desert within a cave that an archangel known as Gabriel approached him. It is at this time that Gabriel gave Muhammad the first verses of the revelation. This would continue on for years up until Muhammad’s death. All of the verses that he was provided would eventually end up into the sacred text known as the Qur’an, or Koran. During Muhammad’s time of receiving the messages from God, his tribe wanted him dead as they did not want to change their way of living. Before his own tribe killed him, he was invited to travel to a city known as Yathrib to be their ruler, which this city would later be called Madinah. Muhammad and his followers set out for this particular city around June 622, which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.