Muhammad (PBUH) is undoubtedly the most controversial figure in world history. No other personality over time has conjured up such an overwhelming emotion of the masses. The Muslim side is absolutely the most revered and beloved man ever sent a mercy to the world of God and the prophet end to all mankind. The Western opinion, however, has been anything but charitable. By contrast, there has been a continuous “smear campaign” caused havoc against this man since the beginning of the revelations and throughout the Middle Ages, perhaps especially in times of the Crusades. Accusations abound, some saying that copy the Bible, some saying that he had hallucinations in the shooting of an epileptic fit, and others saying he was receiving false revelations of Satan himself.
So was this man who now has over 1.6 million followers? Who was this man named Michael Hart as the “most influential person in history” in his 1978 book, The 100: a ranking of the most influential people in history? What is it that continues to inspire so many people today in western and distance, causing Islam to be the fastest growing religion in the world? Why the name Muhammad is more common in today’s world?
Of course, the answer is too large to treat in this short article, but perhaps we can have a brief introduction to this great prophet of God. His name was Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, which means Muhammad, the son of Abd Allah, the son of Abd al-Muttalib. He was born in the Quraysh tribe and family Banu Hashim in Mecca around 570 CE, a family standard that could be described as “upper middle class”. His father died before he was born and his mother died when she was about six years. The young orphan was then sent to live with her paternal grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib. When he was just eight years, his grandfather also died and Muhammad (PBUH) was cared for by his uncle Abu Talib, who continued to support and protect him for the next 40 years.
Mecca was a thriving commercial center and home of Ka’an que se cree which was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Even at that time of the pre-Islam Ka’an was a sacred place of pilgrimage for all of Arabia, but at that time was full of idols that were considered intermediaries between the worshipper and Allah. In pre-Islamic Arabia Allah was recognized as the Supreme Being, but paganism and idolatry had corrupted the true religion that was brought to the Arabs Ishmael.
It is known that Muhammad (PBUH) never took part in idol worship and is very concerned about him. He was known to withdraw for weeks at a time to a cave where they pray to God and seek guidance. At some point in his teens began to accompany his uncle to Syria with trade caravans, giving the necessary knowledge to become a successful businessman. Among the people of Mecca was nicknamed “Al-Amin” which means “confidence” because of their honesty and integrity in every aspect of your life. That reputation attracted 40-year-old widow named Khadija proposed marriage to Muhammad (PBUH) while he was in his mid-twenties. They were happily married for over twenty years and had 6 children together, though their children died in their infancy.
Tags: islam, islao, pilgramage-to-mecca
