The holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad Ibn-Abdullah was born in Mecca in the Year of the Elephant (A.D.570) 6163 years after the Fall of Adam. His father was Abdullah Ibn -Abdul-Muttalib Ibn -Hashim Ibn -Abd Munaf and his mother was Amina daughter of Wahab Ibn -Abd Munaf.

When Amina was only one month pregnant, Abdullah made a trip to Medina but became sick after fifteen days and passed away. His body was buried in Darolnabeqa. It was Friday night of the 17th of Rabeeul Awwal when Amina went to a chamber to weep over her husband. When birth-pangs overtook her, there was a split in the ceiling of house and four beautiful ladies came down saying: Fear not, for we have come to serve you. Each took a seat near her and a secret voice called: O Amina! When your child is born, say: I place him under the protection of the One God from the evil of every envious one and every rebellious creature waiting in ambush whether standing or sitting.

أُعيذُهُ بِالواحِدِ مِن شَرِّ كُلِّ حاسِدٍ وَكُلِّ خَلقٍ مارِدٍ يَأخُذُ بِالمَرصَدِ في المَوارِدِ مِن قائِمٍ وَقاعِدٍ.

Several women in heavenly garments too came with crystal bowls of sherbet giving her the glad tidings of Muhammad who was born at dawn on Friday while falling in prostration before Ka’ba with both hands raised towards heavens saying: There is no god but Allah.

It was a custom among the Arabs to entrust their children to nurses so that their wives will give birth to more children. Most of these nurses were from among the Bedouins. This made children more valiant and eloquent. It is on this basis that the holy Prophet said; I am more eloquent than Quraish, for I was nursed by the tribe of Sa’d Ibn -Bakr.

أنَا أَعرَبُ مِن قُرَيشٍ استَرضَعتُ في سَعدِ بنِ بَكرٍ.

To sum it up, in each season of spring or fall, nursing women from Arab tribes which were near Mecca, went to that city to take with them infants for nursing. In the year Muhammad was born, Halima of Sa’adieh along with her husband and her nursing child came to Mecca for the same purpose. They were taken to Amina’s house where Muhammad was given to her. Halima took him in her arms putting her breast into his mouth. Muhammad never sucked Halima’s left breast leaving it for his foster brother.

The holy Prophet lost his mother at the age of six. The story is that Amina went to Abdul-Muttalib asking him to give her permission to visit her maternal uncles of the tribe of Bani-Adan Ibn -Najjar who were in Medina and to take Muhammad with her to show him to the relatives. Abdul-Muttalib gave her the permission to do so. Hence, Amina, accompanied by Umm-Ayman who attended the holy Prophet proceeded to Medina. She stayed for a month in Darolnaqbeqa where Abdullah was buried, visited her relatives and went back to Mecca but she became sick and eventually died at Abwa midway between Mecca and Medina where she was buried. Umm-Ayman brought Muhammad back to Mecca where he was placed in the charge of his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib.

The holy Prophet lost his grandfather too at the age of eight. When Muhammad was 12 old years, he accompanied his uncle, Abo-Taaleb to Damascus on a trade trip. He married Khadija at the age of 25 and was ordained as Prophet on Rajab 27th at the age of forty. The arch-angel, Gabriel appeared to him in Hira Cave saying:

"Read in the name of Your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot." (96:1-2)

اقرَأْ بِاسمِ ربِّكَ الَّذي خَلَقَ، خَلَقَ الإنسانَ مِن عَلَقٍ

Coming down, Muhammad could hear from every tree he passed by eloquently: Peace be upon you, Prophet of Allah. Peace be upon you O messenger of Allah.

السَّلامُ عَليكَ يا نَبيَّ اللَّه السَّلامُ عَليكَ يا رَسولَ اللَّه.

Muhammad entered his house where Khadijah saw a special light on his face. Asked what kind of light it was, Muhammad said: The light of Prophethood! Khadijah said: I have known you as a Prophet for years. She further said: There is no go but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

Muhammad said: Wrap me. Khadija did so and when he felt better, God inspired:

"O you who are clothed! Arise and warn, and your lord do magnify." (74:1-3)

يا أيُّها المُدَّثِّر قُم فَانذِر وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّر.

After three years of secretly inviting people to worship Allah, Gabriel came down with the following verse:

"Therefore declare openly what you are bidden and turn aside from the polytheists." (15:94)

فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Then, he went to mount Safa and called out each tribe of Quraish saying: Ya Sabaha, an Arabic word used when someone asks for help in looting. Hearing it, people rushed to him asking: O Muhammad! What has happened? He said: Will you believe me if I inform you of a great army in ambush behind this mountain or will call me a liar? They said: We have never heard a word of lying from you. Muhammad said: Now that you believe me, I am but a warner to you. Abo-Lahab said: May you be perished, is that what you called us for? O people! My nephew has gone mad, disperse!

تَبًّا لَكَ أَلِهذا دَعَوتَنا

Then he took a stone with the intention to throw it at the holy Prophet as a threat. At this moment, God sent the Quranic chapter — the flame — as follows:

"Perdition overtake both hands of Abo-Lahab, and he will perish. His wealth and what he earns will not avail him. He shall soon burn in fire that flames, And his wife, the bearer of fuel, upon her neck a halter of strongly twisted rope."(111:1-5)

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ. مَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ. سَيَصْلَىٰ نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ. وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ. فِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِنْ مَسَدٍ

A short time after this event, God sent the verse:

"And warn Thy near relations" (26:214)

وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ

Following the revelation of this verse, the event of the Day of Warning happened which has been mentioned in the books written by both Shiite and Sunni Muslims. On that day, only Ali believed in the holy Prophet of Islam yet some of those present showed hostility to such degree that verses 90-93 of the Quranic chapter — Bani-Israel — describe them as follows:

"And they say: We will by no means believe in you until you cause a foundation to gush forth from the earth for us. Or you should cause the heaven to come down upon us in pieces as you think, or bring Allah and the angels face to face (with us) or you should have a house of gold, or you should ascend into heaven, and we will not believe in your ascending until you bring down to us a book which we may read. Say: Glory be to my Lord; am I aught but a mortal apostle?" (17: 90-93)

وَقَالُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ يَنْبُوعًا. أَوْ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٌ مِنْ نَخِيلٍ وَعِنَبٍ فَتُفَجِّرَ الْأَنْهَارَ خِلَالَهَا تَفْجِيرًا. أَوْ تُسْقِطَ السَّمَاءَ كَمَا زَعَمْتَ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا أَوْ تَأْتِيَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ قَبِيلًا. أَوْ يَكُونَ لَكَ بَيْتٌ مِنْ زُخْرُفٍ أَوْ تَرْقَىٰ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَلَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لِرُقِيِّكَ حَتَّىٰ تُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا كِتَابًا نَقْرَؤُهُ ۗ قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا

Hostility mounted to such a degree that they decided to murder the holy Prophet. Hence, Abo-Talib gathered the sons of Abdul-Muttalib and Hashem sending them with their women and children to a valley called Shib of Abo-Talib. All the sons of Abdul-Muttalib whether believers or unbelievers decided to protect the holy Prophet save Abo-Lahab who joined his enemies. Hamzeh and Abo-Talib were among the ardent protectors of the holy Prophet.

Realizing that they could not harm the holy Prophet, forty enemies made a pact not to treat the sons of Hashem kindly, not to give their daughters to them in marriage, not to marry their daughters, not to trade with them, and never to breach this till they surrender the holy Prophet to them. They wrote this pact on a paper, sealed it and gave it to the aunt of Abo-Jahl to safeguard. The supporters of the holy Prophet were in Shib except for the Hajj season which was a sacred month during which they came out to prepare food and went back to Shib. Three years passed as such till one day when the supporters and opponents had gathered near Ka’ba, Abo-Talib entered the gathering.

Some of the people had the impression that he had been tired of protecting the holy Prophet and that he had come to surrender him. But he started speaking as follows: O people! My nephew has informed that God has missioned the termite to eat away all the words of pact only except the name of God which has been left. Now bring that pact here. If what I say is true, you can not possibly deny it and if what I say is a lie, then I will surrender him to you to kill him. People agreed and went away in order to bring the pact. Opening it, they found that all the words had been eaten away and only the name of Allah they used to write on the top of the letters during the era of ignorance, was there.

A person rose up saying: We hate this pact hence he tore it into pieces. The following day, a group of people went to Shi’b of Abo-Talib bringing the children of Abdul- Muttaleb to Mecca and giving them abode in their houses. Staying in Shib of Abo-Talib lasted for three years and the holy Prophet took advantage of the season of Hajj rituals during which people came to Mecca from other places to propagate his divine message. Ansar’s allegiance started from this same place. One day the holy Prophet was standing in a place near Mena where six people by the name of As’ad Ibn -Zarareh, Ebatat Ibn -Samet, Rafe Ibn Malek, Qatbeh Ibn -Ame, Aqaba Ibn -Amer, and Jaber Ibn -Abdullah were passing by him. The holy Prophet invited them to have a few words with them. He started his words by saying: I am the messenger of Allah and invite you to the One God and my Prophethood. The holy Quran is my miracle. Then, he started reciting parts of the holy Quran. By hearing the holy Quran, they believed in it saying: The people of Medina are two tribes, namely Aus and Khazraj, and we belong to Khazraj tribe. These two tribes are always at war. If you permit, we go back to Medina, resolve our differences, and will come back here next year to take you with us to Medina. The holy Prophet taught them parts of the holy Quran and they left Mecca for Medina informing people of the holy Prophet’s ordainment, and reciting the holy Quran for them. The following year when Hajj season came, the noblemen of Medina gathered and sent twelve persons to Mecca as their representatives to invite the holy Prophet to Medina. This twelve-man team came to the holy Prophet who became happy to meet them. They took the oath of allegiance to the messenger of God. This was called the first allegiance.

]اسعد بن زراره] و [عبادة بن صامت] و [رافع بن مالك] و [قطبة بن عامر] و [عقبة بن عامر] و [جابر بن عبد اللَّه]

The holy Prophet ascended to heavens from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca twelve years after his Prophetic mission at the age of 52. The story of the holy Prophet’s ascension has been mentioned in the holy Quran and historic books.

The holy Prophet migrated from Mecca to Medina at the age of 53 when his enemies whose obstructionism was abortive decided to kill him by choosing a valiant man from each tribe so that they will shed his blood with their swords in a way that paying his blood-money and fighting of one tribe against several tribes would be made easy. However, God informed His messenger of this plan.

"And when those who disbelieved devised plans against you that they might confine you or slay you or drive you away; and they devised plans and Allah too had arranged a plan; and Allah is the best of planners." (8:30)

وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ ۚ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ

Thus the holy Prophet was commissioned to migrate from Mecca to Medina. After sunset when the atheists of Quraish gathered around the holy Prophet’s house to kill him after midnight, the holy Prophet called on Imam Ali to lie in his bed instead of him, to turn the trusts with him to their owners and to join him in Medina later. The holy Prophet came out of house reciting the Quranic chapter — Ya Seen — through Verse:

"And We have made before them a barrier and a barrier behind them, then We covered them over so that they do not see." (36:9)

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا فَأَغْشَيْنَاهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ

Then, he took a handful of dust throwing at those people saying : May your faces be ugly.

Imam Ali put a green sheet on him and lay in the bed of the holy Prophet. At this time, verse 207 of the Quranic chapter — the Cow — was revealed to the holy Prophet:

"And among men is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is Affectionate to the servants." (2:207)

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

When they decided to carry out their plan, one of the atheists said: Let Bani-Hashem Know in the morning that all tribes have a hand in shedding his blood. When they entered the house early in the morning, they found Imam Ali there asking: O Ali! Where is Muhammad? Imam Ali said: You had not entrusted him to me.

To sum it up, the holy Prophet took refuge in Thawr Cave on Thursday, the first of Rabeeul Awwal, 13 years after his Prophetic mission while the atheists were chasing him but failed to know his whereabouts. Finally, after spending three nights in the cave, at the dawn of the third night, the holy Prophet set out for Medina along with Abo-Bakr and entered Quba district and after a few days Abo-Bakr asked the holy Prophet to enter Medina. The holy Prophet said: I will not enter Medina as long as my brother, Ali has not joined me. After returning to their owners what the people has entrusted to the holy Prophet for safekeeping, Imam Ali set out for Medina and finally joined the holy Prophet with sore in his feet. They founded Quba Mosque which was the first ever built by the holy Prophet with the assistance of People.

Then they set out for Medina where the chiefs of Ansar tribes were competing with one another to receive the holy Prophet but the holy Prophet said: Let loose the harness of the she-camel. One version says that the she-camel sat down at Abo-Ayyub Ansari’s house. Abo-Ayyub’s mother who was blind rushed to the door joyfully saying to herself: I wish I had eyes to see the messenger of Allah. The holy Prophet put his hand on her eyes and she could see. Thus her wish was fulfilled. This was the holy Prophet’s first miracle in Medina. The holy Prophet stayed in Abo-Ayyub’s house for seven months and then moved to his own house. The holy Prophet departed from this world after living in Medina for ten years.

The holy Prophet lived for 63 years and his Prophethood lasted for 23 years. The detailed account of the holy Prophet’s life is to be found in the books of history.