His father, Abdullah, went on a trade journey to Syria while his mother was pregnant with him. On his return from Syria, his father passed by his maternal relatives, the Banu al-Najjar, in Medina. He fell ill there and died in poverty, leaving his son nothing except five camels, a flock of sheep, and a female servant named Barakah al-Habashiyyah, known as Umm Ayman, who was his nurse and one of his caregivers.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was born in Mecca in the Year of the Elephant, in the month of Rabi‘ al-Awwal, corresponding to August 570 CE, according to one commonly accepted account.

His Wet Nurse and Guardian

For a few days, he was breastfed by Thuwaibah, the freedwoman of his uncle Abu Lahab. He was then breastfed by Halimah al-Sa‘diyyah.

He lived for 63 years: 53 years in Mecca and 10 years in Medina. His mother died when he was six years old, and his grandfather died when he was eight. His uncle Abu Talib then took care of him and defended him until his final breath. The Prophet lived with him for 42 years.

His Appearance

He was neither tall nor short. He had a large head and a rounded face, with a broad forehead. His eyebrows almost met, and between them was a vein that would swell and become red when he became angry. His eyes were dark, and his eyelashes were long. His nose had a slight curve, his teeth were beautiful, and his mouth was large. He had a full beard and wavy hair. His neck was long, his chest broad, his arms long, and his legs slender. His complexion was fair with a reddish hue. His muscles were firm, and there was no looseness or flabbiness in his body.

When he became angry, his face would turn red. When he was sad, he would frequently touch his beard. When he spoke, he gestured with his entire hand. When he was amazed, he would turn his palm. When he became deeply engaged in conversation, he would strike the palm of his right hand against the inside of his left thumb. When he saw something he disliked, he would turn his face away. When he sneezed, he would cover his face.

He would laugh until his back teeth became visible, and he was among the people who smiled the most.

As for food, he never rejected whatever was available, nor did he go to great lengths to obtain what was unavailable. If he could not find food, he would remain patient. Indeed, because of hunger, he would sometimes tie a stone to his stomach. A month could pass without him finding enough to bake bread.

He once sent someone to purchase food from a Jewish man, intending to delay payment, but the man refused, saying: “Muhammad has neither crops nor livestock, so who will repay the debt?”

He did not own two shirts at the same time, nor two cloaks, two waist garments, or two pairs of sandals. He had a mat on which he slept at night and which he spread out during the day to sit upon. He even slept on it until it left marks on his side. He had a leather pillow stuffed with fiber.

When he slept, he would place his hand beneath his cheek and sleep on his right side. He would repair his own sandals, mend his own shirt, and ride a donkey. All of the wealth of the Arabian Peninsula was at his command, yet he would give away whatever came to him from it with the generosity of one who had no fear of poverty, as an Arab once described him.

The Prophet and Poverty

This does not mean that he loved poverty or was content with it. Not at all. Rather, he would seek refuge from it, saying:

“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from poverty, scarcity, and humiliation. I seek refuge in You from incapacity and laziness. And I seek refuge in You from wronging others or being wronged.”

The Prophet did not love poverty or accept it as an ideal. However, as long as he lived in a society in which there were poor people, the best system under such circumstances was one in which the ruler stood alongside the poor and lived like them in terms of food, clothing, and housing.

There is no greater injustice or crime than for a ruler to eat his fill while even one person among his subjects remains hungry.

Imam Ali, Commander of the Faithful, said:

“Allah has obligated the just leaders to measure themselves according to the condition of the weakest among the people, so that the poor person will not be overwhelmed by the pain of poverty.”

He also said:

“Should I be content with being called ‘Commander of the Faithful’ while I do not share with them the hardships of the times?”

The Stages of His Mission

The Prophet began by warning his closest relatives. This occurred when the verse was revealed:

“And warn your closest relatives.”
(Qur’an 26:215)

He prepared a meal for them and invited them. Among what he said to them was:

“Who among you will support me in this matter, so that he may be my brother, my successor, and my caliph among you?”

They all held back except Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said:

“I will, O Prophet of Allah.”

The Prophet took him by the neck and said:

“This is my brother, my successor, and my caliph among you. So listen to him and obey him.”

The people stood up laughing and said to Abu Talib:

“He has ordered you to listen to your son and obey him.”

The Prophet then called upon the Arabs, and thereafter upon everyone who received his message, both among the earlier generations and those who came after them:

“We have not sent you except to all of humanity.”
(Qur’an 34:28)

Other prophets were sent specifically to their own people or to the people of their time. Therefore, Noah, Abraham, Hud, Salih, Moses, and others addressed those whom they called to faith by saying, “O my people.”

But Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) addressed all people, regardless of their different backgrounds and languages, in every land and every age:

“Say: O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.”
(Qur’an 7:158)

The Great Prophet also wrote to the kings of the earth, foremost among them the Persian emperor Kisra and the Byzantine emperor Caesar, and sent messengers to them inviting them to believe in his message.

The Secret of His Greatness

Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was a human being. Whoever attributes to him any of the qualities exclusive to the Creator and Provider has disbelieved in Allah and in him. Yet humanity as a whole—from Adam to the last of his descendants—was not like Muhammad.

Among the greatest people were those who acknowledged Muhammad's greatness and virtue, whether by explicitly naming him or through a general description encompassing his qualities, such as the saying:

“The best of people are those who are most beneficial to people.”

The secret of Muhammad's greatness lies in the fact that he carried the concerns and burdens of all people, while he did not burden anyone, near or far, with his own troubles.

He would walk alongside widows and the poor and attend to their needs. No gatekeeper prevented anyone from meeting him. Whether a person was a friend or an enemy, they would find in him concern for them, compassion toward them, and care for them.

This is not merely a statement inspired by emotion, environment, or upbringing. It is a truth revealed by Allah:

“We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
(Qur’an 21:107)

This means that his compassion and concern were not limited to his closest relatives or his loyal followers. Rather, they were extended to all people—enemies and friends alike. His mercy was like water and air, available to everyone.

His people broke one of his teeth and wounded his face, yet he said:

“O Allah, guide my people, for they do not know.”

He did not merely ask Allah to guide them; he even excused them on the grounds of ignorance and lack of knowledge.

There is nothing strange about Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) not becoming angry for his own sake and not seeking anything of the worldly pleasures for himself. What would truly have been strange would be for him to become angry for his own sake and seek worldly gain.

Such character was an essential requirement for one who was sent to perfect noble morals and who called all people to believe in him and his message. To believe in him means believing in justice and goodness, and to have faith in him means having faith in truth and humanity—not merely in his person and individuality.

A man once called out to him:

“O our master, son of our master, our best and son of our best.”

The Prophet replied:

“Do not let Satan deceive you. I am Muhammad, the servant of Allah and His Messenger. By Allah, I do not like you to raise me above my proper status.”

When his companions saw him approaching, they would not stand up for him, even though he was the person they loved most, because they knew that he disliked them standing for him.

He also disliked his companions walking behind him. If he saw someone doing so, he would take that person's hand and bring him forward so that he would walk beside him.

These were the morals of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).

There is no doubt that not everyone is like Muhammad. However, his character was an expression and reflection of the true nature of Islam.

Therefore, anyone who calls people to Islam but does not follow the example of the Prophet's life and does not embody his Sunnah is a deceiver and an impostor—whether he realizes it himself or believes, and others believe with him, that he has attained the highest level of holiness.