Who is Muhammad?

His name is Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib bin Haashim. His Kunyah is Abul-Qaasim (The father of Qaasim). He was from the Arab tribe of Quraish whose ancestry traces back to ‘Adnaan. ‘Adnaan was from the children of Ishmael (peace be upon him), the Prophet of Allah and son of Abraham (peace be upon him), the most beloved chosen servant of Allah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Indeed Allah chose the tribe of Kinaanah over other tribes from the children of Ishmael He chose the Quraish over other tribes of Kinaanah; He chose Banu Haashim over the other families of the Quraish; and He chose me from Banu Haashim.” [Muslim]

He was born in the year 571 C.E. in the honored city of Mecca. Mecca was the religious center of the Arabian Peninsula, as it housed the Ka’bah, built by Abraham and his son, Ishmael, may Allah praise them and keep them safe from all evil.

His whole life exemplified truth and trustworthiness. He never told a lie, acted treacherously, or deceived anyone. Even before he received revelation, he was known amongst his people as ‘The Trustworthy’, and they would entrust him with their belongings when they intended to travel. He was also known as ‘The Truthful’. He was of excellent character and manners. He was eloquent in speech. He always wished well for others. Allah describes him, saying:

And verily, you are on an exalted standard of character. [68:4]

He received his first revelation from Allah at the age of forty, and he remained in Mecca thereafter for thirteen years calling to the worship of Allah alone. He then migrated to Medina and called its people to Islam, where they accepted it.

There, Allah revealed the remaining legislations. He conquered Mecca eight years after his migration, and he died when he was sixty-three, after having received the entire Qur'an from Allah through divine revelation. All the legislations of the Religion were revealed, completed and perfected, and the majority of Arabs accepted Islam.

The Benefits of Belief in the Messengers

Through belief in the various Messengers that Allah sent, we benefit in the following ways:

1. One realizes the mercy and love Allah has for His slaves; since He sent to them Messengers who conveyed to them His religion. They in themselves were examples whom people emulated.

2. To distinguish the believers who are truthful in their Faith from others; for it is incumbent upon one who believes in his own Messenger to believe in other Messengers who are mentioned in his Book.

3. Those who believe in their Messengers and then believe in Muhammad (peace be upon him) receive double reward.