Messenger and Message
Tracing its roots to a small trading town in the middle of the Arabian dessert with the revelation of the Qur’an by Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century C.E., the Islamic community today spans to many corners of the world from Mali to Afghanistan to Indonesia and in smaller pockets in China, Russia, Europe and the Americas. A monotheistic tradition that preaches the oneness of God, Prophet Muhammad as His messenger, ethical responsibility, accountability and the Day of Judgment, Islam stems from a long line prophetic religious traditions sharing its roots with Judaism and Christianity. Islam transformed the warring tribes of 7th century Arabia into a unified force, changing their belief towards a more universalistic approach …show more content…
Orphaned at an early age he was raised by his paternal uncle Abu Talib. A member of the Banu Hashim clan, which was part of the larger Quraysh tribe and the most prominent in Mecca, Mohammad was employed in the city’s thriving caravan trade. He soon became a business manger for the caravans of a wealthy widow, Khadija, whom he subsequently married and who also became the first Muslim woman and one of his first and staunchest followers. Khadija and Muhammad enjoyed a close relationship during their fifteen years of marriage and bore numerous children, the most famous being Fatima. As a merchant and member of the community he quickly rose in Meccan society and was respected for his judgment and trustworthiness, as reflected by his nickname al-Amin (the trusted one). Muhammad lived at a time where great social changes were taking place in Mecca. As a trading hotspot Mecca was at crossroads of cultures and ideas and as the city grew Mecca gradually transitioned from a semi-Bedouin to a commercial society producing serious social and economic ills that allegedly deeply affected …show more content…
Hira, spending long periods in solitude contemplating his life and the evils of society. It was here, at forty years and during the month of Ramadan, on the night Muslims call “The Night of Power and Excellence”, that he received the first of many revelations from God. Muhammad had become the Prophet, the messenger of God, and this came a whole lot of roles and responsibilities. Apart from conveying the message of God, Muhammad’s mission was be the interpreter of that message, be an exemplar of Muslim life and piety and reform the customs that went counter to the message, such as the denouncing the neglect and exploitation of orphans and widows and defending the rights of the poor and asserting the rich have an obligation to the poor and dispossessed. In the early years prominent Meccan leaders began to see him as a threat as he was denouncing their polytheistic belief, as such he had to be a politician and military leader to foster and raise the small and fragile ummah (Islamic community). The concrete establishment and consolidation of the Islamic community however only progressed when Muhammad was exiled from Mecca following the death of his protector uncle, and also his invitation to Medina as an arbitrator between the warring Jewish and Arab tribes. Medina provided Muhammad with the “opportunity to implement God’s governance and message” and hence made
Tracing its roots to a small trading town in the middle of the Arabian dessert with the revelation of the Qur’an by Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century C.E., the Islamic community today spans to many corners of the world from Mali to Afghanistan to Indonesia and in smaller pockets in China, Russia, Europe and the Americas. A monotheistic tradition that preaches the oneness of God, Prophet Muhammad as His messenger, ethical responsibility, accountability and the Day of Judgment, Islam stems from a long line prophetic religious traditions sharing its roots with Judaism and Christianity. Islam transformed the warring tribes of 7th century Arabia into a unified force, changing their belief towards a more universalistic approach …show more content…
Orphaned at an early age he was raised by his paternal uncle Abu Talib. A member of the Banu Hashim clan, which was part of the larger Quraysh tribe and the most prominent in Mecca, Mohammad was employed in the city’s thriving caravan trade. He soon became a business manger for the caravans of a wealthy widow, Khadija, whom he subsequently married and who also became the first Muslim woman and one of his first and staunchest followers. Khadija and Muhammad enjoyed a close relationship during their fifteen years of marriage and bore numerous children, the most famous being Fatima. As a merchant and member of the community he quickly rose in Meccan society and was respected for his judgment and trustworthiness, as reflected by his nickname al-Amin (the trusted one). Muhammad lived at a time where great social changes were taking place in Mecca. As a trading hotspot Mecca was at crossroads of cultures and ideas and as the city grew Mecca gradually transitioned from a semi-Bedouin to a commercial society producing serious social and economic ills that allegedly deeply affected …show more content…
Hira, spending long periods in solitude contemplating his life and the evils of society. It was here, at forty years and during the month of Ramadan, on the night Muslims call “The Night of Power and Excellence”, that he received the first of many revelations from God. Muhammad had become the Prophet, the messenger of God, and this came a whole lot of roles and responsibilities. Apart from conveying the message of God, Muhammad’s mission was be the interpreter of that message, be an exemplar of Muslim life and piety and reform the customs that went counter to the message, such as the denouncing the neglect and exploitation of orphans and widows and defending the rights of the poor and asserting the rich have an obligation to the poor and dispossessed. In the early years prominent Meccan leaders began to see him as a threat as he was denouncing their polytheistic belief, as such he had to be a politician and military leader to foster and raise the small and fragile ummah (Islamic community). The concrete establishment and consolidation of the Islamic community however only progressed when Muhammad was exiled from Mecca following the death of his protector uncle, and also his invitation to Medina as an arbitrator between the warring Jewish and Arab tribes. Medina provided Muhammad with the “opportunity to implement God’s governance and message” and hence made