What happened to the prophet muhammed. The story of the prophet Muhammad. Key dates and life events, brief biography

Introduction

Islam is the third and last of the developed monotheistic religions. It originated in the Middle East, had its roots in the same soil, was nourished by the same ideas, and was based on the same cultural traditions as Christianity and Judaism.

This religious system, with its most strict and complete monotheism taken to the limit, developed on the basis of its two predecessors, so borrowings in terms of not only general cultural, but also purely theological, religious-cultural, are noticeable here at every step.

So, Islam arose in Western Arabia (Hejaz region) at the beginning of the 7th century. The founder of this religion is considered to be a resident of Mecca, Muhammad (570-632). At the age of 40 (about 610), Muhammad declared himself the messenger of the one God and Allah, who revealed his will to him through revelations, which, together with the sayings of Muhammad himself, were later written down in the Koran, the main holy book of Muslims. The basis of Islam is the restoration of the faith of Abraham, which Muhammad believed had been corrupted by the Jews. Many questions concerning the life and work of the Prophet Muhammad still remain controversial, and the authors did not consider themselves obliged to strictly follow any of the schools of Islamic studies when covering them. At the same time, in the traditions of Russian culture (V.S. Solovyov, V.V. Bartold), the authors considered Islam as an independent monotheistic religion, no less developed than, say, Christianity.

The purpose of the work is to characterize the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Life and work of the Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) around 570 AD. e., in the Hashim clan of the Quraish tribe. Muhamed's father, Abdallah, died before the birth of his Son, and Muhamed's mother, Amina, died when He was only six years old, leaving the Son an orphan. Muhammad was raised first by His grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, a man of exceptional piety, and then by His uncle, the merchant Abu Talib.

At that time, the Arabs were inveterate pagans, among whom, however, a few adherents of Monotheism stood out, such as, for example, Abd al-Muttalib. Most Arabs lived a nomadic life in their ancestral territories. There were few cities. The main ones among them are Mecca, Yathrib and Taif.

From his youth, the Prophet was distinguished by exceptional piety and piety, believing, like His grandfather, in One God. First He tended the flocks, and then He began to participate in the trading affairs of His uncle Abu Talib. He became famous, people loved Him and, as a sign of respect for his piety, honesty, justice and prudence, they bestowed the honorary nickname al-Amin (Trustworthy).

Later, He conducted the trading affairs of a wealthy widow named Khadija, who, some time later, proposed to Muhammad to marry her. Despite the age difference, they lived a happy married life with six children. And although in those days polygamy among Arabs was common. The Prophet did not take other wives while Khadija was alive.

This newfound position freed up much more time for prayer and reflection. As was his custom, Muhammad retired to the mountains surrounding Mecca and secluded himself there for a long time. Sometimes His seclusion lasted several days. He especially fell in love with the cave of Mount Hira (Jabal Nyr - Mountains of Light), majestically rising above Mecca. On one of these visits, which occurred in the year 610, something happened to Muhammad, who was about forty years old at that time, that completely changed His entire life.

In a sudden vision, the angel Gabriel (Gabriel) appeared before Him and, pointing to the words that appeared from outside, ordered Him to pronounce them. Muhammad objected, declaring that he was illiterate and therefore would not be able to read them, but the angel continued to insist, and the meaning of these words was suddenly revealed to the Prophet. He was ordered to learn them and accurately pass them on to the rest of the people. This is how the first revelation of the sayings of the Book, now known as the Koran (from Arabic “reading”), was marked.

This eventful night fell on the 27th of the month of Ramadan, and was called Laylat al-Qadr. From now on, the life of the Prophet no longer belonged to him, but was given to the care of the One who called him to the prophetic mission, and he spent the rest of his days in the service of God, proclaiming His messages everywhere.

When receiving revelations, the Prophet did not always see the angel Gabriel, and when he did, the angel did not always appear in the same guise. Sometimes the angel appeared before Him in human form, eclipsing the horizon, and sometimes the Prophet only managed to catch his gaze on Himself. At times He heard only a voice speaking to Him. Sometimes He received revelations while deeply immersed in prayer, but at other times they appeared completely “at random,” when Muhammad, for example, was busy worrying about the affairs of everyday life, or went for a walk, or simply enthusiastically listened to a meaningful conversation.

The Quraysh decided to ban all trade, business, military and personal connections with the Hashim clan. Representatives of this clan were strictly forbidden to appear in Mecca. Very difficult times came, and many Muslims were doomed to severe poverty.

In 619, the Prophet's wife Khadija died. She was His most devoted supporter and helper. In the same year, Muhammad’s uncle, Abu Talib, who defended Him from the most violent attacks from his fellow tribesmen, also died. Stricken with grief, the Prophet left Mecca and went to Taif, where he tried to find refuge, but was rejected there too.

The Prophet's friends betrothed a pious widow named Sauda as his wife, who turned out to be a very worthy woman, and also a Muslim.

In 619, Muhammad had the opportunity to experience the second most important night of his life - the Night of Ascension (Laylat al-Miraj). It is known that the Prophet was awakened and carried on a magical animal to Jerusalem. Over the location of the ancient Jewish Temple on Mount Zion, the heavens opened and a path opened that led Muhammad to the throne of God, but neither he nor the angel Gabriel accompanying him was allowed to enter the beyond. That night the rules of Muslim prayer were revealed to the Prophet. They became the focus of faith and the unshakable basis of Muslim life. Muhammad also met and talked with other prophets, including Jesus (Isa), Moses (Musa) and Abraham (Ibrahim). This miraculous event greatly consoled and strengthened the Prophet, adding confidence that Allah did not abandon Him and did not leave Him alone with his sorrows.

From now on, the fate of the Prophet changed in the most decisive way. He was still persecuted and ridiculed in Mecca, but the Prophet's message had already been heard by people far beyond the city's borders. Some of the elders of Yathrib persuaded Him to leave Mecca and move to their city, where He would be received with honor as a leader and judge. Arabs and Jews lived together in this city, constantly at war with each other. They hoped that Muhammad would bring them peace. The Prophet immediately advised many of His Muslim followers to migrate to Yathrib while He remained in Mecca, so as not to arouse unnecessary suspicion. After the death of Abu Talib, the emboldened Quraish could calmly attack Muhammad, even kill him, and he understood perfectly well that this would sooner or later happen.

The Prophet's departure was accompanied by some dramatic events. Muhammad himself miraculously escaped captivity thanks to his exceptional knowledge of the local deserts. Several times the Quraysh almost captured Him, but the Prophet still managed to reach the outskirts of Yathrib. The city was eagerly awaiting him, and when Muhammad arrived in Yasrib, people rushed to meet him with offers of shelter. Confused by their hospitality, Muhammad gave the choice to his camel. The camel stopped at a place where dates were drying, and it was instantly presented to the Prophet for building a house. The city received a new name - Madinat an-Nabi (City of the Prophet), now abbreviated as Medina.

The Prophet immediately began preparing a decree according to which He was proclaimed the supreme head of all the warring tribes and clans of Medina, who were henceforth forced to obey His orders. It established that all citizens were free to practice their religion in peaceful coexistence without fear of persecution or disgrace. He asked them only for one thing - to unite and repel any enemy who dared to attack the city. The former tribal laws of the Arabs and Jews were replaced by the basic principle of "justice for all", regardless of social status, color and religion.

Becoming the ruler of a city-state and gaining untold wealth and influence. The prophet, however, never lived like a king. His dwelling consisted of simple mud houses built for His wives; He never even had his own room. Not far from the houses there was a courtyard with a well - a place that from now on became a mosque where devout Muslims gather.

Almost the entire life of the Prophet Muhammad was spent in constant prayer and in the instruction of believers. In addition to the five obligatory prayers that He conducted in the mosque, the Prophet devoted a lot of time to solitary prayer, and sometimes devoted most of the night to pious reflections. His wives performed night prayer with Him, after which they retired to their chambers, and He continued to pray for many hours, falling asleep briefly towards the end of the night, only to wake up soon for the pre-dawn prayer.

In March 628, the Prophet, who dreamed of returning to Mecca, decided to make His dream come true. He set out with 1,400 followers, completely unarmed, wearing pilgrim attire consisting of two simple white veils. However, the followers of the Prophet were denied entry into the city, despite the fact that many citizens of Mecca practiced Islam. To avoid clashes, the pilgrims made their sacrifices near Mecca, in an area called Hudaibiya.

In 629, the Prophet Muhammad began plans for the peaceful capture of Mecca. The truce concluded in the town of Hudaibiya turned out to be short-lived, and in November 629 the Meccans attacked one of the tribes that was in a friendly alliance with the Muslims. The Prophet marched on Mecca at the head of 10,000 men, the largest army to ever leave Medina. They settled near Mecca, after which the city surrendered without a fight. The Prophet Muhammad entered the city in triumph, immediately went to the Kaaba and performed a ritual circuit around it seven times. Then He entered the shrine and destroyed all the idols.

It was not until March 632 that the Prophet Muhammad made His only full-fledged pilgrimage to the shrine of the Kaaba, known as Hajat al-Wida (The Last Pilgrimage). During this pilgrimage, revelations were sent to Him about the rules of Hajj, which all Muslims follow to this day. When the Prophet reached Mount Arafat to “stand before Allah,” He proclaimed His last sermon. Even then, Muhamed was seriously ill. He continued to lead prayers in the mosque as best he could. There was no improvement in the disease, and He fell ill completely. He was 63 years old. It is known that His last words were: “I am destined for a stay in Paradise among the most worthy.” His followers found it difficult to believe that the Prophet could die like a common man, but Abu Bakr reminded them of the words of revelation spoken after the Battle of Mount Uhud:

“Muhamed is only a messenger. There are no longer any messengers who once were before him; if he dies or is killed, will you really turn back?” (Quran, 3:138).

2. The teachings of Muhammad. Koran

Muhammad was not a deeply original thinker. As the founder of a new religion, he was clearly inferior in this regard to others, such as the semi-legendary Buddha, Jesus, Lao Tzu or the very real Confucius. At first, Muhammad did not insist at all that he was creating a new teaching, advocating the recognition of a single god, somewhat akin to the Christian or Jewish, although at the same time related to the highest divine symbol of the Kaaba. He openly borrowed all the dogma of his teaching, including the prophets from Abraham to Jesus, from the Bible. It is interesting that in the first years of the spread of the young religion, Muhammad even prayed, turning his face to the holy city of Jews and Christians - Jerusalem. Only after the Jews began to openly ridicule the mistakes of the illiterate Muhammad, the prophet ordered to turn the face towards Mecca during prayer.

Having created the cult of one Allah, Muhammad called on his followers to pray to him daily, accompanying the prayer with ablution, as well as to fast and contribute zakat to the common treasury of the faithful in favor of the poor.

From their Bibles, Muhammad borrowed the idea of the Last Judgment, the idea of heaven and hell, Satan (Shaitan), demons (jinn) and much more. At first, he actively spoke out in support of the poor and against oppression by merchants. Muhammad in Medina. The number of Muhammad's followers in Mecca was increasing, and this was met with growing resistance from the wealthy Quraish merchants, the most influential residents of the city. The Quraish, who relied on the sanctuary and gods of the Kaaba, did not see the point in the new religion and even feared the strengthening of its supporters. The death of Khadija and Abutalib deprived Muhammad of internal support in Mecca, and in 622 the prophet, along with his few followers, went to neighboring Medina, which competes with Mecca.

Medina, hostile to the Quraysh, willingly accepted Muhammad (his mother was from Yathrib), and the presence of a large Jewish community in Medina made them more prepared to accept his teachings. Soon after Muhammad's arrival in Medina, almost the majority of the population of this city joined the ranks of the faithful. It was a huge success, almost a triumph, so the year 622, the year of migration, began to be considered the first year of the new Muslim era (Hijra in Arabic).

Muhammad transformed from a simple preacher into a political leader of a community that at first included not only Muslims. His autocracy is gradually established in Medina. The main support of Muhammad were the Muslims who came with him from Mecca - the Muhajirs and the Medina Muslims - the Ansars.

Muhammad also hoped to find religious and political support from the Jews of Yathrib; he even pointedly chose Jerusalem as the qibla. However, they refused to recognize Muhammad as the non-Jewish messiah; moreover, they ridiculed the Prophet of Allah and even came into contact with the enemies of Muhammad - the Meccans. They were joined by some other Yathribs from pagans, Jews and Christians, who initially willingly accepted Islam, but then opposed Muhammad. This internal Medina opposition is repeatedly condemned in the Qur'an under the name of "hypocrites" (munafikun).

In Medina, the first mosque, the house of Muhammad, was built, the foundations of Muslim ritual were established - the rules of prayer, ablution, fasting, the call to prayer, collections for pious needs, etc. In the sermons of Muhammad, the rules of community life began to be recorded - the principles of inheritance, division of property, marriages. Bans are announced on wine, pork and gambling.

The position of Muhammad as the messenger of Allah begins to stand out. In the “revelations” there appear demands for special respect for Muhammad; exceptions from certain prohibitions that are obligatory for others are “sent down” to him. Thus, in Medina, Muhammad formed the basic principles of religious teaching, ritual and community organization.

The Medina Muslim community developed its own charter, its own organizational forms, the first laws and regulations in the field of not only ritual and cult, but also the norms of everyday life. By developing all these laws, Muhammad noticeably deepened the differences between his teachings and the teachings of Christians and Jews, which made it possible to take a significant step towards the formation of a new religion from others, even if related to it.

This step was also facilitated by the prophet’s break with the Jewish colony in Medina, which acted in alliance with Mecca against the Muslims. Soon, almost all of southern and western Arabia submitted to the influence of the Islamic community in Medina.

The basic ideas and principles of Muhammad's doctrine are recorded in the Koran, the holy book of Muslims. According to the accepted tradition in Islam, the text of the Koran was revealed to the prophet by Allah himself through the mediation of Jabrail (the biblical Archangel Gabriel, who served as an intermediary between God and people). Allah has repeatedly conveyed his sacred commandments through various prophets - Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. This is how Islamic theology explains the numerous coincidences between the texts of the Koran and the Bible: the sacred text transmitted through earlier prophets was distorted by Jews and Christians, who did not understand much of it, missed something, distorted it, therefore only in its latest version, authorized by the great prophet Muhammad , the faithful can have the highest and indisputable divine truth.

This legend of the Koran, if purified of divine intervention, is close to the truth. The main content of the Koran is as closely related to the Bible as Islam itself is close to Judeo-Christianity. But everything is explained much more simply than Muslim theology tries to do. Muhammad himself did not read books, including the Bible. However, having entered the path of the prophet, through intermediaries he very diligently became acquainted with the content of the sacred Judeo-Christian texts, which told about the same one and omnipotent god, whom Muhammad began to worship under the name of Allah.

Processing them in his mind and skillfully combining them with the Arab national-cultural tradition, Muhammad built his first sermons on this basis, which, being then written down by his secretaries-scribes, formed the basis of the Koran. Muhammad's nervous psyche greatly contributed to the fact that in the eyes of his followers, the prophet really looked like a kind of heavenly messenger, speaking on behalf of the highest deity. His sayings, most often in the form of rhymed prose, were perceived as divine truth and it was in this capacity that they were then included in the consolidated text of the Koran.

According to one of the best experts on Arab culture, Academician I. A. Krachkovsky, who specially studied and translated the Qur'an into Russian, in the text of the Qur'an, despite the differences in the language and style of its individual chapters, one can feel a certain unity of the main content, the main idea, going back to preachings of Muhammad. Experts distinguish two main groups among the chapters (surahs) of the Koran - the Meccan one, dating back to the sermons of Muhammad, who began his prophetic journey before the Hijra, when few people recognized him as a teacher of faith, and the Medina one, based on the sayings of the already widely recognized and revered founder of Islam. The text of the Koran is abrupt and often contradictory, although within a single chapter one can feel the desire to preserve the unity of theme and plot.

Conclusion

There is a general consensus in modern scholarship that Muhammad actually lived and acted, uttered a significant part of the words that make up the Koran, and founded the Muslim community, first in Mecca, then in Yathrib. In the biography of Muhammad (sira), in legends about his words and deeds (hadith), in commentaries to the Koran (tafsir), etc. Along with historically reliable information, there are many later additions, speculations and legends. All together they make up the biography of the Prophet known to all Muslims. Islam, in principle, does not endow Muhammad with any supernatural traits. The Koran repeatedly emphasizes that he is a person like everyone else.

However, a cycle of legends about miracles gradually arose around his figure. Some of them develop allusions from the Qur'an, such as the legend that angels cut the young Muhammad's chest and washed his heart, or the legend of his night journey on the magical animal al-Buraq to Jerusalem and subsequent ascension to heaven. A number of legends have developed about the miracles performed by Muhammad - in his presence a milking sheep gives milk, a small amount of food is enough for many people, etc. In general, however, there is relatively little such material in the legends about Muhammad.

List of used literature

Vasiliev S. History of Eastern religions. - M.: Higher School, 2002. - 304 p.
Grundman V., Ellert G. Jesus of Nazareth, Muhammad - the prophet of Allah. - M.: Phoenix, 2004. - 743 p.
Fundamentals of Religious Studies. / Edited by I. N. Yakovlev. - M.: Higher School, 2004. P. 302..

Mawlid al-Nabi, which in Arabic means the birth of the Prophet, is celebrated by the main movements in Islam on different days - Sunnis celebrate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad on the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal, and Shiites on the 17th.

The month of Rabi al-Awwal, which means the beginning of spring, occupies a special place in the Muslim calendar, in which the Prophet Muhammad was born and then died.

The birth of the Prophet Muhammad began to be celebrated only 300 years after the advent of Islam.

Where and when was the Prophet born?

The Prophet Muhammad, according to tradition, was born around 570 (according to other sources in 571) AD according to the Gregorian calendar in the holy city of Mecca (Saudi Arabia) - interpreters of the Koran say that this event occurred on the 12th of the third month of the lunar calendar, in the year of the elephant , on Monday.

The exact date of birth of the Prophet Muhammad remained unknown, so in Islam the birthday celebration is actually timed to coincide with the date of his death - according to Islam, death is nothing more than birth to eternal life.

The Prophet Muhammad's father died a few months before his birth, and his mother, Amina, saw an angel in a dream who said that she was carrying a special child under her heart.

The very birth of the Prophet was accompanied by extraordinary events. He was born already circumcised and was immediately able to lean on his arms and raise his head.

The Prophet’s aunt Safiya told about his birth as follows: “At the birth of Muhammad, the whole world was flooded with light. As he appeared, he immediately made a soot (bow). And, raising his head, he clearly said: “There is no Deity but Allah, I am the Messenger of Allah.”

Orphan's share

Muhammad was orphaned when he was about six and his grandfather Abdul Mutalib, the head of the Hashemite clan, became his guardian. Two years later, after the death of his grandfather, the boy ended up in the house of his uncle Abu Talib, who began to teach him the art of trade.

The future prophet became a merchant, but questions of faith did not leave him. As a teenager, he became acquainted with the religious movements of Christianity, Judaism and other beliefs.

Among the rich people of Mecca was the twice-widowed Khadija, who, fascinated by Muhammad, despite the fact that she was 15 years older than him, invited the 25-year-old boy to marry her.

The marriage turned out to be happy, Muhammad loved and respected Khadija. Marriage brought prosperity to Muhammad - he devoted his free time to spiritual quests, to which he was drawn from a young age. Thus began the biography of the Prophet and preacher.

Prophetic mission

Muhammad turned 40 when his prophetic mission began.

The biography of the founder of the Islamic religion says that Muhammad often loved to retire from the bustle and world in the cave of Mount Hira, where he plunged into contemplation and thought.

The first sura of the Quran was revealed to the Prophet in the cave of Mount Hira on the Night of Power and Predestination or Laylat al-Qadr, in 610.

By order of Allah, one of the angels, Jebrail (Gabriel), appeared to the Prophet Muhammad and said to Him: “Read.” The word "read" means "Koran". With these words, the revelation of the Koran began - that night the angel Jebrail conveyed the first five verses (revelations) from Surah Clot.

But the mission lasted until the death of Muhammad, since the Great Quran was revealed to the Prophet over a period of 23 years.

After meeting the angel Jebrail, Muhammad began to preach and the number of his followers constantly grew. The Prophet said that Almighty Allah created man, and with him everything living and inanimate on earth, and called on his fellow tribesmen to live a righteous life, keep the commandments, and prepare for the coming divine judgment.

In Muhammad's sermons, influential residents of Mecca saw a threat to power and planned a conspiracy against him, and the Prophet's followers were subjected to bullying, violence and even torture.

Companions persuaded the Prophet to leave the dangerous region and move from Mecca to Yathrib (later called Medina). The migration took place gradually and the last to migrate was the Prophet Muhammad, who left Mecca on the day corresponding to July 16 and arrived in Medina on September 22, 622.

It is from this great event that the Muslim calendar begins its countdown. The New Year 1439 according to the Hijri - Ras al-Sana (Hijri Day), came on the first day of the holy month of Muharram - according to the Gregorian calendar, this day in 2017 fell on September 21.

The resettlement made it possible to save many believers from the oppression of the pagans, to establish a safe life, and from that moment on, the spread of Islam began not only within the Arabian Peninsula, but throughout the world.

The Prophet Muhammad returned to Mecca in 630, triumphantly entering the holy city 8 years after his exile, where the Prophet was greeted by crowds of admirers from all over Arabia.

After bloody wars, the surrounding tribes recognized the Prophet Muhammad and accepted the Koran. And soon he became the ruler of Arabia and created a powerful Arab state.

Death of the Prophet

The preacher's health was undermined by the sudden death of his son - he set off again to see the holy city and pray in the Kaaba before his death.

10 thousand pilgrims gathered in Mecca wanting to pray with the Prophet Muhammad - he rode around the Kaaba on a camel and sacrificed animals. With heavy hearts, the pilgrims listened to the words of Muhammad, realizing that they were listening to him for the last time.

Returning to Medina, he said goodbye to the people around him and asked for their forgiveness, set his slaves free, and ordered his money to be given to the poor. Prophet Muhammad died on the night of June 8, 632

The Prophet Muhammad was buried where he died, in the house of his wife Aisha. Subsequently, a beautiful mosque was erected over the ashes of the Prophet, which became one of the shrines of the Muslim world. For Muslims, bowing to the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad is the same godly act as the pilgrimage to Mecca.

How to celebrate

The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad is the third most important date for Muslims. The first two places are occupied by the holidays that the Prophet celebrated during his lifetime - Eid al-Adha and Kurban Bayram.

On the days of celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, the most pious thing can be to visit the grave of the Messenger of Allah in Medina and perform prayer in his mosque. Not everyone succeeds, but everyone should recite prayers dedicated to Muhammad, both in the mosque and at home.

On the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, Islamic countries traditionally hold mawlids - solemn events where Muslims praise the Prophet, talk about his life, his family and everything connected with him.

In some Muslim countries, the holiday is celebrated quite magnificently - posters with verses from the Holy Quran are hung in cities, people gather in mosques and sing religious chants (nasheeds).

There is disagreement among Islamic theologians regarding the permissibility of a holiday in honor of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. For example, Salafis consider Mawlid al-Nabi to be an innovation and note that the Prophet called “every innovation” an error, without making a distinction between “good” and “bad” innovations.

The material was prepared based on open sources

Question answer

Why do the Arabs, especially the Quraysh, deserve more love from Muslims than other peoples?

The Arabs were chosen by the Almighty to spread Islam. Allah sent down to humanity the last Holy Scripture - the Koran - in Arabic. And from the Arabs He singled out the Quraish, choosing Muhammad (ﷺ) as Prophet from this family. This is also stated in the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). And since the Prophet (ﷺ) was an Arab, the Quran was revealed in Arabic and the language of the inhabitants of Paradise is Arabic.

What significant events preceded the birth of the Prophet (ﷺ )?

On the night our Prophet (ﷺ) was born, a new star appeared in the sky. All the idols that were in the Kaaba crumbled; the fire which the unbelievers worshiped and which had not been extinguished for a thousand years went out; Lake Sava, which the unbelievers worshiped, dried up. From that night, the priests stopped receiving messages from heaven that the genies brought them; the walls of the palace of the Persian Shah (Kisra) cracked and 14 balconies fell; the troops of the ruler of Yemen, Abraha, who was going to destroy the Kaaba, taking war elephants with him, were destroyed by the Almighty, etc.

List some of the signs and wonders that happened during the time when the Prophet's mother (ﷺ) was pregnant with him.

On the night when Amina, having become pregnant, was chosen by Allah to become the mother of the Lord of all people and communities, the animals of the Quraysh began to speak, testifying that Amina was carrying in her womb the future Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The thrones of many kings and rulers turned over, their idols crumbled.

After long droughts and crop failures, the land flourished again. Amina was informed in a dream that she was pregnant and was carrying under her heart the Lord of all worlds and the best Creation of the Almighty. She did not feel any pain or heaviness during childbirth.

During her pregnancy, Amina noticed how birds surrounded her respectfully out of respect for the one she carried in her womb. And when she approached the well to draw water, the water itself rose to the top as a sign of respect for the greatness of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When she told her husband Abdullah about all this, he said that the reason for this was the greatness of their unborn child. Amina recalled that she heard the praise (tasbih) of the angels in his honor.

Where did the angels take the Prophet (ﷺ ) immediately after his birth?

Immediately after the birth of Muhammad (ﷺ), the angel Gabriel, at the command of Allah, raised him above the earth from east to west and conveyed to all people and jinn on earth and in heaven the news of the birth of the Prophet (ﷺ). The entire Universe was shown to him. All this lasted no more than an hour, and Muhammad (ﷺ) was returned to his home (Said-afandi, “Kisasul anbiya”, vol. 2, p. 111).

What did they do with the Prophet (ﷺ ) three angels immediately after his birth?

When the Prophet (ﷺ) was born, three angels appeared to prepare him before ascending to heaven. One angel had a silver jug with the scent of musk, another had a golden cup, and the third had folded silk, white as snow.

First, the angels, pouring water from a jug, washed the body of the Prophet (ﷺ) seven times. They placed him in a bowl and washed his head and feet, after which he was perfumed with beautiful incense, and his eyes were outlined with antimony. Then the angel Rizvan placed the seal of the prophecy, which was wrapped in silk, between the shoulder blades of the Prophet (ﷺ) (Said Afandi, “Kisasul anbiya”, vol. 2, pp. 113–114).

What is the wisdom of cutting the chest of the Prophet by angels (ﷺ )?

The heart of the Prophet (ﷺ) was washed several times. As a child, the heart of the Prophet (ﷺ) was washed in order to protect it from Satan. Before being entrusted with the messenger mission, his heart was washed again so that he could accept the revelation (vahyu) in its most perfect, pure form. On the night of his ascension, he was washed in preparation for dialogue with Allah. (Read more about this in Muhammad al-Alawi’s book “Muhammad al-insanul-kamil”.)

Who gave it to the Prophet and why (ﷺ) name Muhammad?

Immediately after giving birth, the mother of the Prophet (ﷺ) sent news of the birth of the child to his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. He was very happy and named the newborn Muhammad (ﷺ). This name was not widely known among the Arabs. But it was mentioned in the heavenly scriptures (in the Torah, in the Gospel, etc.), and Allah Almighty inspired Abdulmuttalib to name the child the name Muhammad (ﷺ), fulfilling His predestination (“Nurul-Yakin”, p. 10).

At first, the Prophet avoided public sermons, preferring personal conversations with interested people and with those who noticed extraordinary changes in Him. A special path of Muslim prayer was revealed to him, and He immediately began daily pious exercises, which invariably caused a wave of criticism from those who saw him. Having received the highest order to begin a public sermon, Muhammad was ridiculed and cursed by the people, who thoroughly mocked His statements and actions. Meanwhile, many Quraysh became seriously alarmed, realizing that Muhammad's insistence on establishing faith in the One True God could not only undermine the prestige of polytheism, but also lead to the complete decline of idolatry if people suddenly began to convert to the faith of the Prophet. Some relatives of Muhammad turned into His main opponents: humiliating and ridiculing the Prophet himself, they did not forget to do evil against converts. There are many examples of mockery and abuse of those who accepted a new faith. Two large groups of early Muslims, seeking refuge, moved to Abyssinia, where the Christian negus (king), very impressed by their teachings and way of life, agreed to provide them with protection. The Quraysh decided to ban all trade, business, military and personal connections with the Hashim clan. Representatives of this clan were strictly forbidden to appear in Mecca. Very difficult times came, and many Muslims were doomed to severe poverty.

The Prophet's friends betrothed a pious widow named Sauda as his wife, who turned out to be a very worthy woman, and also a Muslim. Aisha, the young daughter of his friend Abu Bakr, knew and loved the Prophet all her life. And although she was too young for marriage, however, according to the customs of that time, she nevertheless entered the Muhamed family as a sister-in-law. It is necessary, however, to dispel the misconception that exists among people who completely do not understand the reasons for Muslim polygamy. In those days, a Muslim who took several women as wives did so out of compassion, graciously providing them with his protection and shelter. Muslim men were encouraged to help the wives of their friends killed in battle, to provide them with separate houses and treat them as if they were their closest relatives (of course, everything could be different in the case of mutual love).

Due to the fact that the Prophet Muhammad is a man - as one of the lines of the Holy Quran says, “one of us” - he has many actions that are worth thinking about and trying to put into practice. Only now, such an excellent personality as the Prophet Muhammad has such actions and words that have no analogues in the history of mankind. In other words, humanity still has nothing similar. In this article I will try to give examples of these incomparable actions. Having selected up to ten examples from the life of the Prophet, we will consider this topic together.

Ability to appreciate people

Everyone is aware of the importance that the Qur'an attaches to man and human life. How deep and broad is the meaning of the universal message in the form of the concept " killing one person is tantamount to killing all of humanity, giving life to one person is tantamount to giving life to all of humanity.". The Prophet Muhammad has examples of the need to express respect not only to living people or only to the faithful, but also to representatives of other religions and even to the dead. One day, during a funeral procession, the Prophet Muhammad rose to his feet. The ashabs surrounding him said that this was the funeral of a non-Christian, a Jew. In response to this, the Prophet of Islam explained to them that death always makes one think, that no matter who the deceased is, first of all, he is a person and it is necessary to show respect to him.

This act of the Prophet Muhammad is one of the acts that has no analogue in history. For there is no other example of a prophet of one of the religions showing such respect for a deceased person of a different faith only because the deceased was a human being.

The Prophet Muhammad did not want anyone, no matter who the person was, for a man to die without faith in his soul or as a mush. The Prophet did not want even his most evil opponents, who insulted him in every possible way and never missed an opportunity to mock him, to leave this world as unbelievers. In order to avoid humiliation of human honor, the Prophet Muhammad orders to bury the bodies of the Mushniks who died in the Battle of Badr and, in addition, addresses the dead with a speech: in contrast to the expectations of those present, he addresses the bodies of the deceased Mushniks - among whom is the most avid opponent of Islam and the Prophet of Islam, the Mushrik named Abu Jahl - with words that have no analogues in the history of all mankind, “Didn’t I warn you? It would be better if you listened to my words. Now you have died as mushriks and torment has a right over you.” As can be seen from the text, the Prophet Muhammad did not want a person - even if it was his enemy - to die without faith or as a mushrik. His speech addressed to the dead Mushnikaya is the only example in world history.

Attitude towards the mother and the entire female gender

Prophet Muhammad treated women with great respect and subtlety. Meanwhile, the society in which he lived buried girls alive in the ground, did not bother to allocate them shares of the inheritance, etc. Or rather, a society that did not accept a woman as a person. The Prophet's respect for women comes from the Quran's respectful attitude towards the female sex - firstly, a woman is the same person as everyone else, and equality with men - and from his incomparable personality.

Despite the presence of hadiths in some books that humiliate women, they have nothing to do with the Prophet. This is all evidence of the existence in our days of the views of the Mushrik Arabs regarding women, which since the time of the Emevians has again come to the fore; this is the exclusion of representatives of the fairer sex from society, social life, and equality with men. The Prophet Muhammad does not have a single word or deed against women. Not knowing the basics of Islam and the Koran, not understanding the Prophet Muhammad and reflecting the Arab traditions as a religion, such people constantly instilled hatred of the female sex and blamed all responsibility for this on the Prophet Muhammad, inventing all sorts of fables in the name of the Prophet of Islam. The greatest proof of the Prophet Muhammad's respect for women is his words " The gates of heaven are under the feet of mothers.". If you carefully delve into the meaning of these words, it will become clear what heaven, mother and woman mean. Paradise, where every true believer strives, is under the feet of a mother - a woman. This sign encourages us to always be respectful and affectionate, to show kindness and patience towards the woman - the mother who gave birth, raised and raised us. Only in this case will Allah Almighty reward us with a place of endless happiness - paradise, laid by Him under the feet of a woman-mother. Allah orders us not to look for paradise somewhere far away, in an inaccessible place, but only to know that paradise is very close, under the footsteps of a woman - a mother. Or rather, in our attitude towards them. In other words, the concepts of woman, mother and heaven within the framework of public morality are concentrated into a single center. This is an indicator of the greatness of a woman - a mother and components of one of the examples of the incomparable words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad.

One example of the attitude of the Prophet Muhammad towards a woman is the following event: One day, cleaning was started in the house of the Prophet. The cleaning was done by the wife of the Prophet Muhammad, the venerable Khadija, and the Prophet helped her. At that moment, the sister of the Venerable Khadija Khale came. There was no suitable place in the house to seat the guest. The venerable Khadija will want to sit her on the floor, but the Prophet Muhammad resists this and immediately throws off his jubba and places her under the guest. The blessed Haleh hesitates in indecision, but the Prophet Muhammad, insisting on his own, will seat the guest on the jubba. This act has no analogues in relation to women and the history of all mankind. For one prophet takes off his jubba and sits the guest - a woman - not on the bare floor, but on his jubba.

Attitude towards children

Prophet Muhammad loved children very much, never offended them and attached great importance to raising children. The religion he propagated, Islam, prioritized forbearance, love and justice. Children are best suited to apply these concepts. And therefore, for the Prophet Muhammad, children were very important. Actually, we all love children and children are very dear to all of us. There are many examples of love for children. But the following example is the best example of love for children:

Once the Prophet Muhammad performed namaz at Masjid an-Nabi. The grandson of the Prophet, the venerable Hussein, then two and a half years old, played there, in the mosque. Hussein will approach his grandfather and when the Prophet Muhammad is at sajd, he will suddenly jump on his neck and sit on his head. Prophet Muhammad will not rise from sajda, which, according to the rules of prayer, cannot be ignored. How long? Of course, until the grandson gets off of him himself. The Prophet Muhammad remained at the sajd for so long that the Sahaba who were behind began to be afraid that the Prophet had not given his soul to the Almighty. In the end, the venerable Hussein jumped from his grandfather’s neck, the great Prophet straightened up with the words “Allahu Akbar” and finished his prayer. After the prayer, the Sahabah surrounded the Prophet Muhammad and expressed their concern - that the sajda was too long, that they were afraid that the Prophet had died during the sajda, etc. The Prophet Muhammad responded with an incomparable joke to this example of incredible leniency, love and justice: " I delayed sajda because Hussein made a camel out of me.".

There are no analogues to this example of the Prophet Muhammad. For, being before Allah and devoting himself completely to prayer, the Prophet did not want to offend the child who sat on his head at that time and tightened the sajda to warn the child from the danger of falling if he unexpectedly stood up.

Importance given to science

Everyone knows the importance Islam, and especially the Koran, places on knowledge and science. The importance of science and a learned person is understood from the verses: " Will they really be on an equal footing with those who know before Allah?(az-Zumar, 39/9) and " My Lord, increase my knowledge."(Ta-Ha, 20/114). There are many hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad about science, scientists and hadiths praising education. As with all his wonderful actions and relative to this topic, there are actions that are the only examples in world history. There are many examples in history of the importance of scientists and science, but the example below has no analogues.

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula, there were certain rules regarding prisoners of war. The prisoners were either killed, or given into slavery, or after paying the required amount, they were ransomed, or they made an exchange. Apart from these cases there was no other possibility. Those who wished to pay the ransom were obliged to collect an amount equivalent to the price of one person’s life. Human life was made dependent on money. The Prophet Muhammad established a ransom standard for the Meccan mushriks captured in the Battle of Badr: those who are unable to pay the ransom with money must pay with their own knowledge. Each of the prisoners who can read and write obliged to teach ten Muslim children to read and write. Whoever does this will be considered to have paid the ransom and he will be given life. Using education and science as a ransom for life the first and last case in history. There are many examples in history when people cut off their heads for science, sentenced them to the gallows, sent them into exile, burned them alive, etc. But giving life to a prisoner doomed to death only because he passed on his knowledge to others is the only example in history. has no analogues.

The meaning attached to things left in care

The Koran commands that things left in care (amanate) must be returned to their owners. Whoever does not fulfill this command, the Prophet Muhammad declared him a munafiq. One of the hadiths says: “there is a sign of a munafiq - he speaks a lie, does not stand by his word, treats things left in his care with treachery and treachery.” Therefore, the return of things left in care is one of the foundations of the public morality of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad, neither in peacetime nor during war, never deviated from the principle of amanat, justice and sincerity. In the following example, we will witness the attitude of the Prophet Muhammad towards the amanat:

During the time in Khaybar, one black slave engaged in shepherding will go over to the camp of the followers of Islam and bring the whole herd with him. Prophet Muhammad will ask who is the owner of the flock. “One Jew,” answered the shepherd. Following this, the Prophet Muhammad: “immediately take the flock back to the Jewish owner. The Islamic faith commands to treat the farmer with dignity.” However, the shepherd said that if he appeared before the owner’s eyes, he would immediately kill him and therefore he would not be able to take the flock back to the owner. In this case, the Prophet Muhammad orders the herd to be taken to a pen and left there. After this, the shepherd took the flock back and hid the animals near the paddock. The animals immediately rushed to their usual place. Thus, the shepherd will deliver the amanat to its place and, upon returning, will take a place in the ranks of the followers of the Prophet Muhammad.

There is no example in history similar to the act of the Prophet of Islam. Because, in a situation of war, where much is accepted as spoils of war and, moreover, during the war with the Jews, the Prophet Muhammad respects individual rights, distinguishes amanat from booty and promotes the return of amanat to the Jewish owner.

Meaning of leniency

The forbearance of the Prophet Muhammad has no analogues in human history. One day, a group of Sahabah along with the Prophet Muhammad were in the same mosque. At this time, one Bedouin came there and began to urinate right in the mosque. The Sahabah immediately became alarmed, “stop it, don’t do it, stop,” screams filled the mosque. Some of the Sahabah wanted to immediately punish the Bedouin, but the Prophet Muhammad stopped them: " leave him alone and let him finish". After this, the Prophet Muhammad called the Bedouin to him and explained in a language he understood that the mosque was intended for worship and it was not suitable for such actions. Then turning to those present he said: " bring a bucket of water and wash away this dirt".

From this example of the Prophet’s condescension, it is necessary to draw the following conclusion - it is imperative to find out with what intention it was done. For the purpose of insult or out of ignorance? In fact, today the concept of “lenience” has lost its shine and everyone expects leniency only from Muslims. A Muslim who is taught patience and forbearance must whether the act was committed on purpose or out of ignorance. If he understands something out of ignorance, then he is obliged to teach him. If it was done for the purpose of insult or humiliation, then it is pointless to expect leniency from him. Because the offender will not insult and think that he will be treated with leniency. He is fully aware of what he has done and in any case knows that the other side will react to his action. For example, when the British wanted misunderstandings to arise between Muslims and Indians, they forced the Indians to throw stones at a mosque in the Muslim quarter, and to force a Muslim butcher to slaughter a cow in the Indian quarter. Thus, due to the insult of shrines on both sides, clashes between Muslims and Indians became inevitable. As a result of these clashes, many Muslims and Indians died.

Love for animals and respect for their rights

From the text of the Holy Quran it is clear that everything in the universe is arranged to please man. This especially applies to animals and plants that are given at our disposal. Prophet Muhammad always ordered the Sahabah to take into account the rights of animals, not to disturb them needlessly, to be attentive to the care and health of animals and, if necessary, take the necessary measures, and not to leave them without water and food.

In the life of the Prophet Muhammad there are wonderful examples regarding the observance of animal rights and showing respect for animals. Having selected two samples from a large number of these examples, I present them to your attention. The first example is about people and cats living together.

One day an ashab came to the Prophet Muhamad. The Messenger of the Almighty realized that the ashabah had nothing edible in his house and would want to give him food. The Prophet asked how many of them were in the house.

Three, came the answer.

Is there a cat in the house, asked the Prophet.

Yes, said the ashab.

Following this, the Prophet gave him food for four. At first glance it seems, “Well, what’s wrong with this, I gave food for the cat too.” But if you delve into the meaning of this event, the message that the Prophet Muhammad wanted to give to his followers will become clear. We must pay attention to the following fact: after specifying the number of inhabitants of the house, food is given for four people, i.e. A serving of food for a cat is equivalent to a serving for a human. This event clearly indicates that the Prophet Muhammad considers the cat an equal member of the house.

Cats are of great benefit - snakes, scorpions, scolopendras and mice only avoid houses with cats because of the smell of cats, and if they accidentally visit these houses, the cats will immediately fulfill their duties. At the same time, the Prophet’s act emphasizes that a person’s responsibility to cats lies not only in feeding them leftover food, but in constantly being attentive to feeding and caring for them.

The second example is related to another pet - a dog. The Prophet Muhammad, together with an army of twenty-five thousand, was returning from another campaign. Suddenly, on the edge of the road, he noticed a dog feeding its puppies. The Prophet knew that among the warriors, there would be those who would want to drive the dog away from the place, kick it, throw a stone at it, etc. Therefore, he immediately called one warrior to him and said: “ Stay near the dog until the last warrior passes, don’t let anyone bother him. Prevent all attempts to cause disturbance. After this you will catch up with the army"The Prophet Muhammad did not bother to say anything and, in order to stop all attempts to disturb the animal, changed the path of the army.

Humanity has no more excellent example of behavior towards animal rights than the above two examples.