LEGENDS
Many legends have been created about Muhammad and his life. These legends were created to make Muhammad look greater and more powerful than he was. During his lifetime, Muhammad disapproved of all these myths about him and denied all of them.
One of the legends about Muhammad was that he had his heart removed from his body by two angels. They then weighed his heart against other men but even with the whole community’s hearts weighed against his, his still weighed the most.
Muhammad insisted that he did not and could not perform miracles; he was just a devoted follower of God.
MUHAMMAD’S PERSONALITY
Muhammad grew up to be a thoughtful young man who was kind and decisive. He continuously impressed the merchants that he worked with including Khadijah, a wealthy widow who employed Muhammad to supervise her caravan trade. When Muhammad was just 25 years old, Khadijah asked him to marry her; he accepted. Despite Khadijah being 15 years older than Muhammad, she became the love of his life until her death 25 years later. During her lifetime, Khadijah stood by Muhammad all the way and supported him in every possible means. When she died she left Muhammad with four daughters, Zainab, Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. Muhammad’s two sons, Qasim and Abdullah, unfortunately both died in infancy.
Zaid ibn Haritha, the slave boy of the household, was devoted to Muhammad. When Zaid’s father found him after years of searching, he offered to buy him back. Muhammad left the choice of what to do up to Zaid himself, and he decided to stay with Muhammad. Muhammad was so touched by Zaid ibn Haritha’s decision to stay with him that Muhammad immediately released him and adopted him as his own son.
Ali, son of Muhammad’s uncle, Abu Talib, was another child in the household. Muhammad chose to look after Ali when Abu Talib fell under hard times.
THE NIGHT OF POWER
In the year 610CE, Muhammad was once again meditating during Ramadan when an event happened which changed his life forever. Muhammad was 40 years old at the time and was praying alone in a cave on Mount Hira when he suddenly heard a voice calling his name and commanding him to proclaim or recite. Unfortunately Muhammad was illiterate and could not read the scroll of silk which he saw ahead of him. Suddenly the angel Jibril appeared to him. This was the same angel who had appeared to prophet Ibrahim and to Mary and Jesus in times past.
Now Jibril was near to Muhammad and he ordered him to read the writing on the scroll. Muhammad told the angel that he could not read the writing for he was unlettered, but the angel ordered him again and again to read the scroll and Muhammad began to feel the tension building up within him. Suddenly he felt something seize him, it gripped him so tightly that he could not breathe and he thought he would die. But suddenly Muhammad knew in his heart what the words said, and he whispered them hoarsely:
‘Proclaim! In the name of your Lord and Sustainer who created Man from a clot of congealed blood, speak these words aloud! Your lord is the Most Generous One –
He who has taught the Pen,
Who reveals directly
Things beyond human knowledge.’
Muhammad had been chosen as a messenger of God because he was a devout man who worshipped the Lord. After Muhammad received this message he had to wait 2 years until he received another. This was God’s way of testing Muhammad and seeing whether he would be tempted to tell everyone about what he had seen.
When Muhammad reached home after his shocking revelation, he told his wife, Khadijah, about what had happened. She went to her wise 100-year-old cousin, Waraqa ibn Nufal, for advice and after he was quite sure that Muhammad’s story was truthful, Khadijah became the first person to believe the message Muhammad revealed. The second person to believe Muhammad’s story was Ali, the next was Zaid and the next person to believe him was his close friend Abu Bakr.
Two years later, Muhammad was still fearful and anxious about what the message might mean, when the angel Jibril appeared to him again.
The angel said to him:
‘O you wrapped – arise and warn!
Glorify God! Make your garments pure! Give up all uncleanness. Give, without expecting any return. For the sake of your Lord, endure with patience!’
Now that Muhammad’s time of waiting was over, he could go out and tell everyone about the messages he was receiving.
THE REVELATIONS
Most of the messages that Muhammad received from God after the Night of Power came to him in visions. They all shared the following similarities:
- Muhammad knew when they were about to happen.
- Each revelation was attended by dramatic phenomena, such as shaking or trances.
- Each one made the prophet feel close to death and that he was leaving his body and he might not re-enter it.
- At the end of each revelation Muhammad would appear as usual again and he would repeat what he had been taught.
Sometimes Muhammad would lose consciousness during his visions. Sometimes he would receive the message instantly and sometimes Jibril appeared to Muhammad in the form of a man to transmit messages (not in visions).
ABU TALIB AND KHADIJAH
When Muhammad was 50 years old his uncle Abu Talib died. Abu Talib had looked after Muhammad all his life and had stuck by him even when many hated him. Muhammad had always been very close to his uncle who had protected him when he was vulnerable and his death made him depressed and very unhappy.
At the end of this saddening year his beloved wife Khadijah also died at the age of 64.
Although Muhammad was deeply upset by their deaths, he accepted that everyone dies eventually and he tried to carry on preaching in God’s name.
THE NIGHT JOURNEY
It was probably during this traumatic experience that Muhammad had an experience which changed his life forever. The Night Journey (or Laylat-ul-Mi’raj) was not recorded very accurately in the Qur’an and it is therefore hard to know exactly what happened in this event.
When the prophet was asleep in his home in Makkah he was awoken by the angel Jibril. Muhammad then went with Jibril to Jerusalem riding on some kind of a Pegasus called Lightning.
From Jerusalem, Jibril took Muhammad through the seven heavens and was shown paradise and hell. On his way through the heavens, Muhammad met and spoke to other prophets such as Isa and Musa. With Musa, Muhammad decided and set the number of times a day a Muslim should pray to God. It was finally fixed at 5 times a day although Muhammad originally thought 50 times was a sufficient amount.
Eventually the prophet Muhammad travelled on with Jibril to the highest heaven of all: the throne of God. When he arrived here, neither Muhammad nor the angel could approach any closer and he experienced a sensation which he never again felt or could describe properly. All he could see was pure light and he was aware only of great peace as time stilled and thoughts and feelings disappeared.
The experience soon ended though and Muhammad had to once again travel to Earth. To Muhammad’s astonishment, when he got home, he found that everything had remained exactly as he had left it. The place he had previously lain was still warm and the cup he had knocked over was still emptying.
This experience brought great confidence and strength to Muhammad and it encouraged him to carry on with the knowledge that God was always with him.
Muslims believe that this night was one of great importance, as it showed them what the ascension to Heaven would be like. It showed them that the soul abandons the weak and dishonest nature of the human body and you travel to a place where only pure bliss is possible.
MUHAMMAD’S DEATH
In 632CE, Muhammad fell ill with a fever and violent headaches. He was only 63 but he became weak and tired. He asked his wives if he could be moved into his youngest wife, Aishah’s room. Even though he was feeble he still attempted to reach the praying place outside every day until his death. When he could not lead the prayers anymore, his good friend Abu Bakr took his place.
On his last day on Earth, Muhammad, after leading the dawn prayer, lay in Aishah’s arm and said, “Lord grant me pardon. I have chosen the most exalted company, in paradise”; then he died.
Muhammad was buried where he died, in Aishah’s room, and his tomb is still there even today.
ISLAM
The religion known as Islam was begun by Muhammad and it is still continued today. Since that day when Muhammad went on The Night Journey, Muslims have kept the number of times to pray each day at 5 times.
All Muslims believe that God is responsible for every part of human life and he knows and sees all. Every Muslim tries to lead a peaceful life and pass the test set for all souls on Earth.
