Some Notes On Muhammad's Life

Posted: 9/5/2016

Trigger

I watched this very recommendable BBC documentary The Life of Muhammad. “The Life of Muhammad is a 2011 British three-part documentary miniseries examining the life of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and the origins of Islam. The documentary was directed by Faris Kermani, written by Ziauddin Sardar, and presented by Rageh Omaar.”

I have previously blogged here about Muhammad Was Saved From Persecution By Christians

The First Wife

She (Khadija bint Khuwaylid) was about 40 years old, daughter of a merchant, twice a widow, and a successful and prosperous business woman in her own right.  Khadija was Muhammad’s employer, he was 25 and poor when they married. It has been said that she was proposing and Mohammad accepted. All of this appears highly unusual for the time and in retrospect. They lived together for 25 years in a monogamous marriage until she died.

Khadija was the first believer in Muhammad and his enduring, steadfast supporter. Without her, perhaps there would have been no Islam, which is perhaps expressed in that she is considered to be The Mother of The Believers.

Following is being reported about Khadija:

1. She fed and clothed the poor, assisted her relatives financially and provided marriage portions or dowry for poor relations (charity)
2. She had turned down several serious marriage proposals from prominent men before she married Muhammad.
3. She used her own money to ransom Muslim slaves and feed the Muslim community.

After her death, Muhammad married at least one other widow (or widows of killed soldiers), a divorcee, possibly an Egyptian Coptic Christian, and a Jewish woman. He also married other older women.

The way, Muhammad cleverly used marriage after the death of his first wife for political purposes would be another blog subject. It reminds me a bit of the Habsburg monarchy.

Ascent Into Heaven From Jerusalem To Meet God

This about the famous Night Journey of Muhammad (Isra). The similarity to Jesus could not be more striking. It appears the Ascension is only briefly mentioned in the Quran, but was only later, after Muhammad’s death, really developed.

Why was Jerusalem according to Muhammad a “further place of worship ” (there was no mosque in Jerusalem back then)? Was it the Jewish or the Christian connection to Jerusalem?

Then there is the direction of Muslim prayer (Qiblah). It is reported and disputed that the Qiblah was towards Jerusalem from 610 AD to 623 AD when Muhammad reoriented the Qiblah towards Mecca. The Jews had a long tradition of orienting their prayers towards Jerusalem.

Constitution Of Medina Of 622 AD

Medina at the time of Muhammad is considered to be the first Muslim ummah.

The Constitution of Medina is remarkable for several reasons:

1. Redefined the ties between Arabs from kinship ties (clan and tribal) to religious ties
2. Defined the relationships to non-Muslims (Jews, pagans)
3. Established peace between hostile tribes and banned intertribal warfare in Medina
4. The first ummah consisted of several Arab tribes, Jewish tribes, and pagans
5. Reportedly, there was great equality and religious freedom among the members of the ummah

Here is the text of this Constitution, but it is difficult to read and understand. Otherwise, I found the information available on the Internet about this Constitution very disappointing and lacking.

The First Muezzin

The First Muezzin, Bilal ibn Rabah, was chosen by Muhammad himself. He was born 680 AD and died 740 AD. Bilal was the son of an Arab slave and a princess of Abyssinia, who herself was also a slave. Bilal was born into slavery, became a slave and he was of partial African descent.

Bilal, as a slave, was one of the early converts to Islam and was brutally and repeatedly tortured for that by his slave owner. Muhammad had Bilal freed in exchange for money and other slaves.

Later, he became the first treasure of Medina appointed by Muhammad.

Treaty Of Hudaybiyyah

The treaty was signed in 628 AD between Muhammad and the then ruling and hostile tribe of Mecca. Muhammad and his followers were on the first pilgrimage to Mecca, when they were stopped by the ruling tribe near Mecca. Negotiations ensued and the treaty was signed.

This treaty is remarkable for several reasons:

1. The treaty represents perhaps the first public or legal recognition of the new religion of Islam as equal bargaining partners
2. Muhammad himself crossed out the language from the draft of the treaty that he was the messenger of god, because it was not acceptable to the ruling tribe of Mecca
3. Muhammad accepted that he and his followers were allowed not continue their pilgrimage, but had to wait a year to return to Mecca for pilgrimage. Believed to be a controversial clause among his followers
4. The ruling tribe of Mecca had in previous years attacked Muhammad in Medina multiple times. Despite of it, Muhammad agreed to a 10 year truce.
5. Muhammad also accepted another disadvantageous clause that exclusively benefited the ruling tribe of Mecca. Believed to be a controversial clause among his followers

Some view this treaty as Muhammad’s choice to prefer humiliation, humility, and peace to warfare and further vengeance between Mecca and Medina.

Conquest Of Mecca

(To be added later)

Farewell Sermon

(To be added later)