Facts About Muhammad

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When we hear the name “Muhammad”, we immediately relate it to the Prophet who was believed to be the founder of Islam and the author of the Quran. The literal meaning of this word is “highly praised”. And it would come as no surprise that the Prophet is a highly praised, highly regarded, and one of the most talked about person in history. Did you know that this is also the most commonly used name today?

Here are some amazing and interesting facts about Muhammad, whose life history is more of a legend and is entwined with many beliefs and stories.

Fact 1:

Would you believe it, if you were told that Muhammad was branded as a “false prophet” during his lifetime? Yes, but that is the truth! The religious leaders, at that time, could not accept his teachings that proposed monotheism as it was in contradiction to their beliefs.

Fact 2:

Muhammad, born in 570 AD at Mecca, was orphaned at a very young age. He never knew his father, who died just before he was born; and hardly knew his mother who died when he was six. It is believed that he was under the care of his uncle, for whom he was a shepherd boy.

Fact 3:

Polygamy is allowed in Islam and it was a common affair during his lifetime; however, Muhammad who married his first wife, Khadija, at the age of 25 continued to be dedicated to her till her death. They led a happy, monogamous life for 24 years.

 Fact 4:

Muhammad always sought solitude and spent a lot of time in contemplation. It was during one such solitary sojourn at Mount Hira, at the age of 40, that it is believed that the Angel Gabriel appeared to him. And this was the starting of his journey as a Prophet.

Fact 5:

When Muhammad had his first revelation, he thought that Gabriel was an evil spirit and, frightened, fled from there. He almost believed that he was going mad and was reluctant to believe in or follow the words of the angel!

Fact 6:

Abu Talib, Muhammad’s foster uncle, took him along on his caravan journeys and trained him to become a merchant. Muhammad, in fact, was considered a very successful and honest merchant. And the former also became one of his greatest supporters and was an integral part of his life even after Muhammad became the Prophet.

 Fact 7:

Though today Mecca throngs with Muhammad followers and believers, this city was also the first to scorn and deride his teachings. It reached a point where even his life was under threat! It was then that he decided to flee to Medina. Today, this is celebrated as Hijra and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar year.

Fact 8:

After fleeing from Mecca, Muhammad married many women – most of them were the widows of men he had killed during war. His youngest wife was six-year old Aisha; it is believed that she was also his favorite.

Fact 9:

Muhammad started making many additions to Quran soon after he accepted himself to be a prophet. And this continued till a few months before his death in 632 AD. He never claimed to be divine or a miracle worker; just a messenger of God.

Fact 10:

Muhammad was a family man and enjoyed the company of friends and family. He is believed to have helped his many wives in doing household chores including sweeping, laundry, and shopping. He almost always had someone for company during dinner. In fact, in his well-acclaimed ‘Farewell Sermon’, Muhammad stressed on the importance of equality among all men and all races as well as the importance of respecting and protecting women.

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