The
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
enumerates little about the early life of the
Islamic prophet
Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God in Islam, God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. So ...
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
or other biographic details, but it talks about his prophetic mission, his moral excellence, and theological issues regarding him. According to the Quran, Muhammad is the last in a chain of prophets sent by Allah ().
The name "Muhammad" is mentioned four times in the Quran, and the name "Ahmad" (another variant of the name of Muhammad) is mentioned one time. However, Muhammad is also referred to with various titles such as the
Messenger of Allah,
Prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
, unlettered, etc., and many verses about Muhammad refer directly or indirectly to him. Also,
Surah
A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...
(chapter) 47 of the Quran is called
"Muhammad".
Mentions of name, titles, qualities
Mentions of Muhammad or Ahmad
}) , , 144 , , , , ''Muhammad'' is only a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.
, -
,
Al-Ahzab ( ar, سورة الأحزاب) , , 40 , , , , ''Muhammad'' is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.
, -
,
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
(
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
: سورة محمد) , , 2 , , , , But those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and believe in the (Revelation) sent down to ''Muhammad'' - for it is the Truth from their Lord,- He will remove from them their ills and improve their condition.
, -
,
Al-Fath
Al-Fath ( ar, الفتح, ; "Victory" , "Triumph") is the 48th chapter (surah) of the Qur'an with 29 verses ( ayat). The surah was revealed in Madinah in the sixth year of the Hijrah, on the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah between the M ...
( ar, سورة الفتح) , , 29 , , , , ''Muhammad'' is the messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Taurat; and their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the Unbelievers with rage at them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness, and a great Reward.
, -
,
As-Saff
Battle Array ( ar, الصف, ''aṣ-Ṣaff'', aka "The Ranks") is the 61st chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 14 verses ('' āyāt''). This sura is an Al-Musabbihat sura because it begins with the glorification of Allah.
Summary
*1 All things ...
( ar, سورة الصف) , , 6 , , , , And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be ''Ahmad''." But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, "this is evident sorcery!"
Other titles and qualities
There are also references to Muhammad as "Messenger", "Messenger of God", and "Prophet" (such as in Quran , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and ). Other terms are used, including "Warner", "bearer of glad tidings", and the "one who invites people to a Single God" (, and ), "Seal of the Prophets" (''
Khatam an-Nabiyyin
Seal of the Prophets ( ar, خاتم النبيين, translit=khātam an-nabīyīn or khātim an-nabīyīn; or ar, خاتم الأنبياء, translit=khātam al-anbiyā’ or khātim al-anbiyā), is a title used in the Qur'an and by Muslims ...
'') i.e. there will be no more prophets after him), a "Summoner unto Allah" and "a Lamp that gives bright light"
Verse -- "And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Otherwise the falsifiers would have had
ause fordoubt"—is thought to indicate that Muhammad was illiterate and had not read any earlier scriptures.
The Quran disclaims any superhuman characteristics for Muhammad but describes him as a man possessing the highest moral excellence (Quran "And thou dost, surely, possess sublime moral excellences").
God made him a good example or a "goodly model" for Muslims to follow (, and ),
full of sympathy for Muslims ("Grievous to him is what you suffer;
e is
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plur ...
concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful" ).
In Islamic tradition, Muhammad's relation to humanity is as a bringer of truth (God's message to humanity), and as a blessing (, and ) whose message will give people salvation in the
afterlife
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving ess ...
. It is believed by at least one pious commentator that it is Muhammad's teachings and the purity of his personal life alone that keep alive the worship of God.
Involvement in doctrine, mission, life
While the Quran does not tell the story of the Prophet's life, a number of verses of the Quran concerning Muhammad affect Islamic doctrine, or refer to Muhammad's mission or personal life.
Quran
Some verses in the Quran concern a particular role of Muhammad (that is; being the spreader of
''‘the message’'')''.'' These include:
* "If you should love Allah, then follow me
.e. Muhammad ... Say, 'Obey Allah and the Messenger.'"
* "O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you...." (known as the
Obedience Verse
The Verse of Obedience ( ar, آيَة ٱلطَّاعَة) refers to verse 4:59 of the central religious text in Islam, the Quran, which reads
In Sunni Islam, "those in authority" () in this verse variously refers to Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, ...
)
* "And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets ..."
* "Say: Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, ... If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance"
* "In God's messenger you have indeed a good example for everyone who looks forward with hope to God and the Last Day ..."
These verses say to obey the messenger only, referring to the role of the spread of the message. The message in particular is in reference to the Quran itself, in which lies the message of God within the complied verses. The key term 'messenger' is important because the titles used refer to specifically different roles of Muhammad. When 'Muhammad' is used, it is only in reference to his life and not his prophet hood. Whereas with the use of Nabi, it refers to his role and status as prophet only. This is why it's crucial to acknowledge the difference between these different titles, since 'messenger' in these verses refer only to the spreading of the Quran.
Muhammad's mission
Many important events and turning points in the mission of The Prophet were connected with revelations from the Quran, although the verses are not necessarily addressed to Muhammad. (Like many verses in the Quran, they often refer to an event/story/moral without explaining the dispute/issue involved. These are made clear by Quranic commentary, by prophetic biography and/or by
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
.)
;Holy months
After migrating to Medina, the Muslims began raiding Meccan caravans. In their first successful raid, the caravan's merchandise was captured, one caravan guard killed and two captured and later ransomed. However, the raid happened when warfare was banned, i.e. during one of the Arab "
sacred months
In the Islamic religion, the sacred months or inviolable months are four months of the Islamic calendar (Dhu al-Qadah, Dhu'l-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab). Fighting is forbidden during these months except in response to aggression. Al-Shaafa'i and ...
" (the 1st, 7th, 11th and 12th months of the Arab calendar). While his followers were reportedly dismayed at this violation of tradition, Muhammad received a revelation reassuring them raids against unbelievers by Muslims during the four months were now permitted by God.
* "They ask you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great
in but averting
eoplefrom the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and
reventing access toal-Masjid al-Haram and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater
vilin the sight of Allah. And fitnah is greater than killing."
[ Guillaume, ''Islam'', 1954: p.42-3]
;Battle of Badr
The first battle the Muslims fought against their unbeliever enemies at
Badr Badr (Arabic: بدر) as a given name below is an Arabic masculine and feminine name given to the "full moon on its fourteenth night" or the ecclesiastical full moon.
Badr may refer to: .and it is also one of the oldest and rarest names in the Arabi ...
in 624 CE was a victory where Muslims killed several important Meccan leaders. The battle is mentioned in the Quran as an example of how God helped Muslims and who should show gratitude in return.
* "And already had Allah given you victory at
he battle of
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
Badr while you were few in number. Then fear Allah ; perhaps you will be grateful." A verse (apparently addressed to Muhammad) also talks about 3000 angels that helped the believers in battle.
* "
ememberwhen you said to the believers, 'Is it not sufficient for you that your Lord should reinforce you with three thousand angels sent down?'"
;Battle of Uhud
A year later Muslims suffered a setback against a superior force of Meccans at the
Battle of Uhud
The Battle of Uhud ( ar, غَزْوَة أُحُد, ) was fought on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH), in the valley north of Mount Uhud.Watt (1974) p. 136. The Qurayshi Meccans, led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, commanded an army of 3,000 m ...
when several dozen Muslims were killed and Muhammad was wounded.
A verse revealed soon after explained why if Muslims had God's favor they had not won the battle as they had at Badr: they disobeyed the Prophets orders and were hasty in collecting loot before the battle was won.
[Cambridge History of Islam 1A (1977) pp. 47–48][Watt (1974) p. 144]
* "And Allah had certainly fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing the enemy by His permission until
he time
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
when you lost courage and fell to disputing about the order
iven by the Prophet
Iven is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.
Notable residents
*Georg Detlev von Flemming
Georg Detlev von Flemming (Polish: Jerzy Detloff Fleming) (3 March 1699 – 10 December 1771) was a ...
and disobeyed after He had shown you that which you love."
;Battle of the Trench
Verses recalls the doubts and fears of some of inhabitants of Medina in the pivotal
Battle of the Trench
The Battle of the Trench ( ar, غزوة الخندق, Ghazwat al-Khandaq), also known as the Battle of Khandaq ( ar, معركة الخندق, Ma’rakah al-Khandaq) and the Battle of the Confederates ( ar, غزوة الاحزاب, Ghazwat al- ...
where Muhammad led the Muslims in digging a protective trench and overcame a siege by 10,000 Meccan unbelievers. (Some had lost faith and abandoned the city.)
[ afsir ibn Kathir on Quran 33:10 Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman]
Tafsir Ibn Kathir Juz' 21 (Part 21): Al-Ankaboot 46 to Al-Ahzab 30 2nd Edition
p. 122, MSA Publication Limited, 2009, .
online
In response to his followers abandoning of work on the trench without Muhammad's permission (prior to the battle), a verse was revealed telling them not to:
* "Only those are believers, who believe in God and His Messenger. when they are with him on a matter requiring collective action, they do not depart until they have asked for his leave ..."
;''Jizyah''
After the Quraish tribe was vanquished and
Makka conquered, the Muslims' position under Muhammad was much stronger and (according to Western scholar
Alfred Guillaume
Alfred Guillaume (8 November 1888 – 30 November 1965) was a British Christian Arabist, scholar of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament and Islam.
Career
Guillaume was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, the son of Alfred Guillaume. He took up Arabic a ...
),
[ Guillaume, ''Islam'', 1954: p.51-2] the Islamic position towards Arab Christians who had not yet converted to Islam was "modified". A verse was revealed requiring Christians ( and Jews) to pay a special tax (''
jizyah
Jizya ( ar, جِزْيَة / ) is a per capita yearly taxation historically levied in the form of financial charge on dhimmis, that is, permanent Kafir, non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Sharia, Islamic law. The jizya tax has been unde ...
'') and be "humbled".
* "Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture -
ightuntil they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled."
Involvement in Muhammad's personal life
While the Quran's message is eternal and universal, a number of Quranic verses refer to specific issues in the life of the Prophet.
Some verses pertaining to the Prophet's marital relations, these include
* which gave Muhammad the right to marry daughters of his aunts and uncles "a privilege for you only, not for the (rest of) the believers" (who were limited to four wives). Most of the prophet's marriages were for geopolitical reasons or to correct social taboos (e.g. remarriage of widows etc.)
* gave Muhammad the right to "... postpone (the turn in bed of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive whom you will ..." telling his wives they "should be content and not grieve and that they should be satisfied with what you have given them." The prophet was told that he need not observe a strict rotation, although he himself, impelled by an inborn sense of fairness, always endeavored to give them a feeling of absolute equality.
*After Muhammad married
Zaynab bint Jahsh
Zaynab bint Jaḥsh ( ar, زينب بنت جحش; 590–641 CE), was a first cousin and wife of Muhammad and therefore considered by Muslims to be a Mother of the Believers. Abdulmalik ibn Hisham. ''Notes to Ibn Ishaq's "Life of the Prophet"'' ...
, the ex-wife of his adopted son
Zayd ibn Harithah
Zayd ibn Haritha ( ar, زَيْد ٱبْن حَارِثَة, ') (), was an early Muslim, sahabah and the adopted son of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. He is commonly regarded as the fourth person to have accepted Islam, after Muhammad's wife Khad ...
, who had divorced her because they did not get along, causing some consternation in the community, verse was revealed, saying in part "...We gave her
aynab bint Jahshto you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons..." Mohammad has endeavored to save the marriage since it was made on the basis of a slave being equal to a free man.
*During a dispute with his wives where Muhammad boycotted his wives for a month, the following verses were revealed: "O Prophet! Why do you ban (for yourself) that which God has made lawful to you" (), and chastising two wives (
Aisha
Aisha ( ar, , translit=ʿĀʾisha bint Abī Bakr; , also , ; ) was Muhammad's third and youngest wife. In Islamic writings, her name is thus often prefixed by the title "Mother of the Believers" ( ar, links=no, , ʾumm al-mu'min, muʾminīn), ...
and
Hafsa bint Umar
Ḥafṣa bint ʿUmar ( ar, حفصة بنت عمر; 605–665), was a wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and daughter of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, the second caliph of Islam. In Islamic writings, her name is thus often prefixed by the titl ...
) for betraying a confidence (). However the majority of Muslim scholars regard a different
Asbāb al-nuzūl
Occasions or circumstances of revelation ( ''al-nuzūl'', ) names the historical context in which Quranic verses were revealed from the perspective of traditional Islam. Though of some use in reconstructing the Qur'an's historicity, ''asbāb'' is ...
(circumstance of revelation) for Surah 66:1-5, namely the "honey-incident":
*
*
*
*
* includes several regulations for his followers such as entering any of Muhammad's houses "except when you are permitted for a meal, without awaiting its readiness", attempting "to remain for conversation" after the meal, talking to any of his wives except behind a partition, or remarrying any of them "after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity." The prophet's wives are referred to as Mother of the Believers and were given the choice of forsaking him for the life of this world and its charms (Quran 33: 29).
While some have criticized these revelations as "convenient", encouraging Muhammad's "personal indulgences" and suggesting that the verses may actually have been concocted by Muhammad and not revealed by God, Muslims have pointed out various reasons for their wisdom. At that time, it was a common practice for men to have slave concubines and was not considered adultery; "Why must he (or anyone else, for that matter) prohibit something for themselves when God has not prohibited it for them?" The Prophet had special obligations, such as praying at night (''
Tahajjud
Tahajjud, also known as the "night prayer", is a voluntary prayer performed by followers of Islam. It is not one of the five obligatory prayers required of all Muslims, although the Islamic prophet, Muhammad was recorded as performing the ta ...
''), as well as privileges. The wives of the prophet were forbidden from remarrying because they were considered to be the "
mothers of the believers" ().
See also
*
Ahmad the Paraclete
*
''Mahammaddim'' in the Song of Solomon
*
Muhammad and the Bible
*
Verse of Ikmal al-Din
The Verse of Ikmal al-Din ( ar, إِکْمَال الدِّيْن) or the Verse of Ikmal is verse 5:3 of Islam's central religious text, the Quran, which includes the passage
The interpretation of the Verse of Ikmal is disputed between the ...
*
Verse of Loan
The Verse of Loan ( ar, آية ٱلدين, ) is verse 282 in chapter Al-Baqara ( Q2:282). This verse is the longest verse at the longest chapter in Quran. The concept of borrowing was explained in the verse.
Text and meaning
[]
O you who hav ...
* Verse of Wilayah
* Warning Verse
* Verse of Brotherhood
* Verse of Purification
* People of the Ditch
* The verse of evil eye
*
Obedience Verse
The Verse of Obedience ( ar, آيَة ٱلطَّاعَة) refers to verse 4:59 of the central religious text in Islam, the Quran, which reads
In Sunni Islam, "those in authority" () in this verse variously refers to Caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, ...
*
Verse of Mawadda
The Verse of Mawadda (Arabic: آية الْمَوَدَّة, ) refers to verse 42:23 of the Quran, the interpretation of which is disputed. This verse is often cited in Shia sources to support the elevated status of the family of the Islamic prop ...
*
Ali in the Quran
*
List of characters and names mentioned in the Quran
References
*
*{{cite book , author=Watt, W. Montgomery , title=Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman , location=United Kingdom , publisher=Oxford University Press , year=1974 , isbn=0-19-881078-4 , url=https://archive.org/details/muhammadprophets00watt
Quran
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...