Life of Muhammad (founder of Islam)

By Khmer Democrat, Phnom Penh
Expanding our Mind Series

During this time of reflection, family and religious festivities, it's good to be reminded of the fundamental principles, beliefs, philosophies underpinning our times. Here's a biographical sketch of the life of the Prophet Muhammad, founder of the Islam (Cham) religion.

Biographical Sketch:

Life of Muhammad

Muhammad was born in 570 A.D in Mecca, a city in Western Saudi Arabia. He was an orphan, having lost both parents by the age of 6. After age 8 the young Muhammad was raised by his uncle, Abu Talib. In time he joined the trading caravans as a merchant.

At age 25 Muhammad married a wealthy widow by the name of Khadijah, 15 years his senior. The couple had four daughters and two sons who died in infancy. During Muhammad’s life he had a total of eleven wives. He was described as gentle and humble by nature. He loved children and animals.

At age 40, Muhammad fell into a trance in a cave on Mount Hira near Mecca where he claimed to have heard the angel Gabriel speak to him. Muhammad reportedly ran home crying out, “O, Kadijah! I have either become a soothsayer or else I am possessed of the Djin [demon] and gone mad.”

Khadijah and her Christian cousin Waraqah consoled Muhammad, assuring him his vision must be real, and that he was truly God’s prophet. Muhammad had additional revelations of Gabriel speaking to him, but he still had agonizing doubts about their reality. He was even more troubled when the revelations ceased, becoming dejected and entertaining suicide.

It wasn’t until later when his revelations resumed, that Muhammad finally began proclaiming himself as a prophet, and preaching “in the one sovereign God, resurrection, and the last judgment, and the practicing of charity to the poor and the orphans.”

Muhammad was illiterate and recited his revelations orally. It wasn’t until after his death that they were compiled and written down in the Qur’an. Muslims accept the Qur’an as a miracle, believing it is 100% inspired with no human error. Much of what we know as Islam — the lives and sayings of the Prophet — is based on texts from between 130 and 300 years after Muhammad's death.

In the face of rampant idolatry, Muhammad became zealous for Allah. It was his zeal that led Muhammad to take up the sword for Allah. He would spread Islam by conquering the “infidel” (unbelieving) peoples, including Christians and Jews.

Prior to taking up the sword, Muhammad had co-existed peacefully with the many Jewish inhabitants of Medina. But when he realized the Jews rejected his prophetic calling and radical ideas, he became angry, and began treating them cruelly. As a result, some Jews were driven into exile by his militia, while others were executed with their widows and children being sold as slaves.

Prior to his death, Muhammad led several military campaigns. He proved to be a courageous and capable military leader. By the time of his death in 632, Muslims ruled only in Arabia. But within ten years the Arab Muslims conquered Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and then Persia (Iran). In one generation Muhammad and his followers had changed the political landscape of the Eastern world. Today Muslims around the world honor Muhammad as Allah’s one “True Prophet.”