Islam: Origins and Their Impact on the Community » Muhammad's Early Life and the First Revelation

Muhammad's early life in Makkah

Muslims believe Prophet Muhammad was born in Makkah (Mecca) in about 570 CE. His family belonged to the Quraysh, the most powerful tribe in the city. Makkah was an important trading town in Arabia, and it was home to the Kaaba, the cube-shaped building at its heart.

Key terms:

• Quraysh: the leading tribe of Makkah, the tribe of Muhammad's family.
• Al-Amin: 'the trustworthy', the name Makkah gave to Muhammad.
• Revelation (wahy): Allah's message sent to a prophet.
• Jibril: the angel who brought Allah's message to the prophets (Gabriel in English).
• Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power): the night on which Muslims believe the first words of the Qur'an were revealed.

Muhammad's childhood was hard. Muslim accounts say he was orphaned young: his father died before or soon after his birth and his mother died when he was about six. His grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, then cared for him. When his grandfather died, his uncle Abu Talib took him in. Muslims often point out that this is one reason Islam teaches such care for orphans.

As a boy Muhammad worked as a shepherd. As a young man he became a trader. Merchants and customers trusted him because he was honest and kept his word, and people began to call him al-Amin. This matters to Muslims today, because honesty is something they try to copy from his sunnah.

In his mid-twenties he married Khadijah, a respected businesswoman who had hired him to trade for her. Muslims remember the marriage as a loving partnership. You will study her own life in a later lesson, Khadijah: The First to Believe.

A man who disliked what he saw

Muhammad would often climb Mount Nur, just outside Makkah, to a small cave called Hira. There he spent time alone, thinking and praying, away from the noise of the city.

The cave of Hira and the Night of Power

Muslims believe that in 610 CE, when Muhammad was about forty, the angel Jibril came to him in the cave. The Muslim tradition calls this the Night of Power, Laylat al-Qadr. A whole sura of the Qur'an, Sura 97, is named after it.

In the traditional account, Jibril said, 'Read!' (or 'Recite!'). Muhammad answered that he could not read. Jibril repeated the command three times. Then Muhammad received the words that Muslims believe are the first revelation of the Qur'an, Qur'an 96:1-5. In summary, they tell him to read in the name of his Lord who created humans, and say that Allah taught people with the pen and taught them what they did not know.

Khadijah also took Muhammad to her cousin Waraqa, who knew earlier scriptures. He told Muhammad that this was the same kind of message that earlier prophets had received.

The revelations continue

Muslims believe the revelations did not stop after that night. They continued, in parts, for about 23 years, until Muhammad died in 632 CE. Each part came when it was needed, such as in answer to a question or a problem facing the community. They were later collected into the Qur'an. You will study the Qur'an itself in a later lesson, The Qur'an: The Revealed Word of Allah.

At first Muhammad told only those closest to him. After about three years he began to preach openly in Makkah. His message was simple: there is only one God, idols should not be worshipped, and the rich must treat the poor fairly.

Persecution in Makkah

Some people accepted the message, especially the poor and the young. But the Quraysh leaders did not. Their power and wealth depended on the idols, because pilgrims came to Makkah to visit them. They also did not like being told to treat the poor fairly. So they:

• mocked and insulted Muhammad and his followers;
• beat and ill-treated Muslims who had no family to protect them, including slaves;
• boycotted Muhammad's clan so that they could not trade or marry, which lasted for about three years.

Abu Talib protected Muhammad as a member of his family. Many Sunni Muslims say he never accepted Islam, while Shi'a Muslims honour him as a believer who protected the Prophet. This opposition is why the Muslims later left Makkah, which you will meet in the next lesson, Madinah, the Spread of Islam and the Last Sermon.

Different Muslim views: who believed first?

Sunni and Shi'a Muslims both believe Muhammad received the first revelation through Jibril. Some details of the accounts differ, for example when the first revelation is remembered. They also differ over who accepted Islam first after Khadijah.

• Sunni Muslims stress Abu Bakr, Muhammad's close friend, as the first adult man to believe. They remember him as a trusted companion and later the first caliph.
• Shi'a Muslims stress Ali, Muhammad's young cousin who grew up in his household, as the first male to believe. They honour him as the first Imam.

Both groups agree that Khadijah believed first, and that all of these early Muslims showed great courage. The difference reflects their different views of leadership after the Prophet.

Why this matters to Muslims today

Muhammad's honesty as al-Amin is a model for Muslim business and daily life. His dislike of idol worship and injustice shows Muslims what it means to stand for Tawhid and fairness. The Night of Power is the reason Muslims value the Qur'an and the month in which they remember it. And his patience under persecution gives Muslims an example when they face hardship.

Exam-style question

(a) Outline two events in the early life of Prophet Muhammad. [4 marks] (Paper 2, AO1)

(b) Explain why the revelation in the cave of Hira is important for Muslims. [6 marks] (Paper 2, AO1 and AO2)

(c) 'The most important part of Muhammad's life was his early life.' Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other (divergent) points of view and your own opinion. [10 marks] (Paper 2, AO1 and AO2)