In `Arabic, the word muhammad means "the praised." People talk about some people living up to the meaning of their names. Well, Muhammad certainly is praised by more than a billion people a day. Every time his name comes up, most Muslims around the world murmur the words; Salallahu `Allayhi wa Sallam or May the Peace and Salutations of God be upon him.

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MECCA,

Suffering Beginnings,

Muhammad Ibn `Abdullah Ibn `Abd ul Muttalib was born to a woman by the name of Aminah. His birth date is still not agreed on, but generally accepted as 570 CE. He was born in Mecca. A few weeks before his birth, Muhammad's father, `Abdullah Ibn `Abd ul Muttalib, died during a visit to Medina. His grandfather, `Abd ul Muttalib Ibn Hashem, took care of Aminah and her newborn. He is the one who had named him Muhammad. As a custom, Muhammad was taken by a Beduin foster mother. He spent with her the first few years of his life. Traditional biographers agree that the woman had a son of her own, thus Muhammad had a foster brother(in Islam, a foster family are same as biological family and all family rights are due to them just as if they were biological.)

When he was six years old, his mother took him to Medina, to visit his father's tomb and also some family there. On the way back from Medina, Aminah came down with some illness and quickly died. The place where she died is said to be Abwa, a region between Mecca and Medina. He would to remain the custody of his caretaker, his grandfather `Abd ul Muttalib, until the age of eight when the `Abd ul Muttalib died. Then the child went into the custody of his uncle, Abu Talib, the father of the later Islamic caliph `Ali Ibn Abu Talib.

Strengthened by Suffering,

Thus, under the age of ten, Muhammad had suffered the loss of his father, mother, and beloved grandfather. This made Muhammad a strong man, but also very aware of human loss. Being aware of death like that usually confronts one with its reality and Muhammad was hence a humble man because of that. It was because of this that he became a unique individual in his community. With a family of rich history as a Hashemite, and the absence of long-term guardian, it would be easy for him to become a bad boy. Instead, Muhammad became the best example in his community. He earned people's trust that they gave him the nickname Al Amiin or The Trustworthy.

During teenage years, Muhammad became a herdsman. This gave him the quiet times to reflect on life. It was during this time that Muhammad came to understand that his community was severely corrupted. The worshipping of many gods, the dishonesty in the community, the intolerance for others and many of the things that his community did were not pleasing to him. For this, he always felt an outsider. And for this, they desired him.

The Soul Mate,

At the age of twenty-five, Abu Talib persuaded a local rich widow business woman, Khadija Ibn Haratha, to give Muhammad a job. She sent him on a trade to Syria. Upon return, Khadija profited greatly from the task. With the impressive profit and his honesty and dedication to her, Khadija fell in love with Muhammad. Khadija, 40, proposed marriage to Muhammad. He accepted. Khadija was on her way to menopause, but she gave birth to six children; four girls and two boys. Both boys died at a young age. Their names were Qasim and Abdullah. The name of the daughters were Fatumah, Zainab, Ruqqiyah, and Umm Kalthum.

Approached by Divine,

Khadija has become an important part of Muhammad. He was now finally with someone whom he could trust with everything. When, at the age of forty during a retreat in a cave in the Mount of Light(Jabal ul Nur) 610 CE, he met Gabriel, Muhammad was terrified. The Archangel told him to recite. He didn't know what to recite. The Angel then recited the first revelation to mankind's last Prophet;

Recite in the Name of your LORD who created. Created man fom a clot. Recite, and your LORD is Honorable. Who taught with the pen. Taught man what he did not know. Surrat ul `Allaq, 96: 1-5.

Gabriel informed Muhammad that he was a Messenger of God, long ago promised to his people through their forefathers, Abraham, Ishmael, and Kedar. The traditions tell a lot of supernatural things the Archangel did to the Arab prophet. Such things include the Archangel almost snapping the life out of Muhammad, playing hide and seek in the sky, terrifying him with loud heavenly bangs, so on and so forth. Who wouldn't be terrified?

After more spooky things happened with the creature that identified itself as being an Angel of God, Muhammad came straight home. Khadija comforted him. She did an investigation of her own, and found out that there was an expected prophet. Khadija became the first Believer.

Truth and Consequences,

In a world full of ignorance, even in people you love, how do you approach them with the truth? He came out to them with the message. They ridiculed him. His message was the most ridiculous; it spoke of one God, justice for all, being required to help the poor, and many things which his community thought were for the less weak folks like Jews and Christians. Then, once they realized he was serious, they wanted to bribe him and persuade him to abandon it. He refused all of their offers and promised them for a hell to come. They were beyond angry.

In the mean time, his message was appealing to those who had any kind of knowledge. Soon, there was a visible community all created by this "madman" and his invisible God. It got to a point where his message was threatening their existence. That they couldn't let happen. So, they started to do things they knew would get to him. They boycotted his clan, they oppressed his believers, they bad mouthed him in all their gatherings and made life almost a living hell for him and his believers.

Five years of oppression later, Muhammad told his fellow believers to go to neighboring Abyssinia(modern day Ethiopia, Eritrea, and parts of Somalia.) Seventy adult Muslims emigrated to the land, where a Christian rule was in place. Qureish, the ruling Tribe in Mecca, tried to have them returned, to no avail. The Christian ruler favored these believers after he discovered they were the only people, outside of Christianity, who believed Jesus was the Messiah and that Mary did not conceive the child in sin.

The Idecent Proposal,

When the Qureish saw that this man was not budging, they came to the conclusion to compromise. They approached him and asked him if he would be satisfied having his Islam incorporated in their faith. In the proposal, the Muslims would continue to have Islam half of the year, and the rest of the year they would have to bow before many gods. Muhammad knew he could never agree to that. However, God intervened;

Say, "O You Unbelievers, I do not serve what you serve, Nor do you serve Him whom I serve; Nor am I going to serve that which you serve, Nor are you going to serve Him whom I serve; To you, your faith and to me, my religion." Surrat ul Kafirun, 109: 1-6.

The proposal came after three devastating years of total ban on Muhammad, his fellow believers, and all of his clan. In the same year, the ban was lifted.

In Loss and Gain,

Not too long after the ban was lifted, Muhammad lost his soul mate and best friend, Khadija, and his most loyal uncle, Abu Talib. Two people who, through thick and thin, stood by him were not going to be with him anymore. Even though he was a grown man, the devastated prophet was experiencing great suffering again. To not have Khadija there to support him must have been a great suffering, to say the least.

A woman by the name of Saudah came back from the Abyssinia, short after her husband died. She came to live with the prophet. In her 50s, Muhammad realized she was still young and needed a husband. Muhammad married her. Saudah was no Khadija, but she was definitely a woman whose strong belief Muhammad adored. Not too long after, Muhammad also married a young beautiful girl named `Aishah, who was the daughter of his best friend, Abu Bakr. Saudah approved the marriage. While `Aishah's marriage has brought a lot of insults from others, it had its purpose. And, later, `Aishah became a gem to Islam. She gained the widespread special nickname of "The Mother of the Believers." Though the title was to all of the wives of the Prophet, `Aishah is the only one who you can use the title without mentioning her name and everyone knows who you are talking about.

A Time to Kill,

After the death of his uncle, Muhammad was defenseless. Qureish found the opportunity they have been looking for. Now they wanted to kill him. They formed a plan to kill him. In order one tribe not to be blamed for his death, the leaders chose one man from each tribe. The men would attack him at once. They would ALL be responsible for it. While they plotted, so did God. God sent Gabriel to the Prophet and informed him of their future plans. Muhammad left town to Medina.

In a time to kill, Muhammad gained a time to remember; the Islamic calendar is based on Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina, known as Hijriyyah. The year was 622 CE and Hijriyyah One. Today, 2001, Hijriyyah is on its 1422nd year. Within that year, most Muslims have joined Muhammad in Medina. A total migration took place. Anyone and everyone who could travel did.

MEDINA,

New Town, New Enemies,

The new city was a wonderful breeze of air compared to that hostile city of Mecca. Muhammad made a good relationship with all of the city's inhabitants, which included a large communities of Jews. Not long after their settlement, Muslims were confronted with hostility similar to that they left in Mecca. They wanted to fight back, but the prophet kept restraining them, because there was no "go ahead" from God. Finally, the word came. Muslims now could fight. In doing so, Muslims lost a lot of men, which meant a lot of widows and orphans.

The Muslims started marrying more than one wife, but God intervened and ask the number to be limited to four, which strict rules;

And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry) only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course. Surrat ul Nissa', 4:3.

This allowed the Muslims to father and husband Muslim women and children who otherwise would become lost. To this day, in the Muslim world, if a woman is widowed with children, she receives an automatic marriage from the man's closest male relative, unless she doesn't want it. Throughout centuries, this has created a sense of family for many children who otherwise would feel family-less.

Multiplied Believers Find Strength,

After years of oppression, the Muslim world was getting bigger and bigger. Thanks to a treaty signed at Hudaybiyah, during a failed Hajj, the whole region of what is now Middle East was now able to go from one place to the other to examine faiths without oppression. People have heard of Islam and were coming from all over to examine it. As far as Persia, people traveled to join Islam.

Because the number of communities were getting out of hand, Muhammad sent around some of his companions to teach the faith to those who were far away. In the mean time, Muhammad contacted the leaders of those lands and one by one invited them into Islam. Many of them joined, the best case being Negus of Abyssinia, the man who saved Muslims not that long before.

A few years after that, Qureish of Mecca grossly violated the treaty. Oppression was now once again reappearing. Only this time the Muslims were stronger than ever before. And, not only this, but they were allowed to fight back! With a ten thousand army on his command, Muhammad marched back to Mecca.

MECCA,

Returning to Mecca,

Before entering the city, Muhammad sent a word to the Meccans, telling them that they will be safe as long as they stay in the Ka`bah, his house, or Ibn Sufyan's house. He entered the city without fighting. This was a pure miracle, as the Muslims expected at least there would be some sort of fight. That didn't happen, Mecca submitted.

In Ka`bah, Muhammad finally had the opportunity to restore the first House appointed for mankind. He cleaned up the temple of all idols and engraved images. Once done with his priority task, Muhammad came back to the social events that awaited him. The Meccans expected oppression since they oppressed Muslims decades before. But to their surprise, the Prophet forgave them and told them that they were free; free to live their life and to worship as freely.

Nearly all of them accepted Islam right there and then. Many who escaped before the entry had come back after the prophet's reassurance that they would be free. When they came back, most of them converted right away and others gradually slipped into Islam. Within the same year, nearly all of Arabia accepted to Islam. This included Jews and Christians. Very powerful and influential Jewish Rabbis and Christian Monks accepted Islam, opening the door to multitudes of their fellow believers. Jews were arriving from Palestine to join Islam. And Muslims were coming as far as Rome.

A Pleasing Farewell,

By 632 CE, when the Prophet does his first and last pilgrimage to Mecca, the Muslims were more than they ever dreamed they would be. At the Hajj of that year, hundred and twenty-thousand Muslims showed up to do the pilgrimage. Imagine the sight of that big crowd, knowing they have all met through the One God through you. What could be more of a pleasing sight?

In that same year, the month of June, Muhammad got sick and quickly died within days. He was 63 year-old and had completed twenty-three years of revelation. The Quran was complete. His nation would become one of the strongest nations on earth. And history would judge him as one of the best leaders in history. But to Muslims, the last prophet in the line of many prophets went home, as did all of those before him.

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Life After Muhammad Next, life after Muhammad glorifies him and disgraces him. His followers become the strongest people on earth and the weakest. His faith becomes the best example and the worst. The contradictions of life after Muhammad deserved its own part.

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