Prophet Muhammad (s): Difference between revisions

Although the Prophet (s) was born in the [[polytheism|polytheistic]] society of [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabia]], he never worshiped any idols and avoided the inappropriate manners that were rampant in pre-Islamic Arabia. He (s) was chosen by [[God]] as a prophet at the age of forty. Although the polytheists of [[Mecca]] persecuted him and his followers for many years, neither he, nor his followers gave up following Islam. After thirteen years of preaching in Mecca, he immigrated to [[Medina]]. This immigration ([[Hijra]]) marked what became the beginning of the [[Islamic calendar]]. In Medina, he established an ever-expanding community of believers, the Muslim ''[[ummah]]''.  

Because of the efforts of the Prophet (s), the pre-Islamic [[Age of Ignorance]] ended, and the polytheistic society of Arabia was transformed into a monotheistic society in a short time. Towards the end of the Prophet's (s) life, almost everyone in the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. The number of Muslims has continued to grow ever since, and Islam is now the fastest-growing religion in the world.  

The exact year of the Prophet's (s) birth is not known. [[Ibn Hisham]] and some others have written that it was in [['Am al-fil]] (literally, "the year of the elephant"), the year in which [[Abraha al-Ashram]] and his elephants attempted to destroy the [[Ka'ba]]. But this does not help much, since it cannot be said for certain what year ''the year of the elephant'' was. However, taking into consideration that the Prophet's (s) demise was in [[632]] CE and that he was 63 years old at the time of his demise, the year of his birth must have been either [[569]] or [[570]] CE.<ref>Shahidi, Sayyid Ja'far, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 38</ref>

Muhammad (s) spent his childhood as an orphan. A few months after [[Abd Allah b. Abd al-Muttalib|'Abd Allah]] (his father) married [[Amina]], the daughter of Wahb (the chief of the [[Banu Zuhra family]]), 'Abd Allah went on a business trip to [[Damascus]], and passed away on his return in [[Yathrib]] (now Medina). Some historians say that his death was before Muhammad's birth and some have written that he passed away a few months after Muhammad (s) was born. Muhammad (s) spent his early childhood with a woman from the [[Banu Sa'd]] tribe, named [[Halima]], who breastfed him. Muhammad lived his first years with his wet nurse and her husband in the desert.

When Muhammad (s) was six years and three months old (or four years old according to some reports), he traveled to [[Yathrib]] with his mother, Amina, to see his relatives on the side of [[Abd al-Muttalib]]'s mother (i.e. Banu 'Adi b. Najjar). However, on her way back to [[Mecca]], she passed away in [[Abwa']] and was buried there. Amina was 30 years old at the time of death.

After the loss of his mother, [[Abd al-Muttalib]], undertook the guardianship of Muhammad (s). When Muhammad (s) was eight years old, 'Abd al-Muttalib also passed away. Since then, Muhammad's (s) uncle, [[Abu Talib]], took care of him. <ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 38</ref> In the house of Abu Talib, his wife, [[Fatima bt. Asad]], was so kind to Muhammad (s) that when she passed away, the Prophet (s) said, "Today, my mother has died!".<ref>Ya'qubi, ''Tarikh al-Ya'qubi''. vol. 1, p. 369; Ayati, ''Tarikh-i payambar-i Islam'', p. 49</ref>

When Muhammad (s) was twenty-five years old, Abu Talib told him, "The caravan of [[Quraysh]] is ready to go to Damascus. [[Khadija bt. Khuwaylid]], has given money to some of your family members to conduct business for her and to take their shares of profit. She might accept for you to join them if you would like to." Then, he spoke with Khadija and she accepted. [[Ibn Ishaq]] has written that when Khadija saw the trustworthiness and the dignity of Muhammad (s), she told him that she would pay him a bigger share than others if he accepted to conduct business using her money.<ref>Ibn Ishaq, ''al-Sira'', p. 59; Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 39.</ref>

# [['Abd Allah b. Muhammad|Abd Allah]]: born in Mecca shortly after the beginning of the Prophet's (s) mission and died there.

It is widely believed that the Prophet (s) was forty years old at the beginning of his mission.<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 41</ref> With this [[revelation]] which triggered his mission, the Prophet (s) returned to Mecca reading these verses, which are in [[Qur'an 96]]. Upon that feeling which was new to him at that night, naturally, he returned to his house immediately. There were three people in his house that night: his wife [[Khadija]], his cousin [[Ali b. Abi Talib]], and his adopted son [[Zayd b. Haritha]].<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 41</ref> The holy [[Prophet (s)]] first began to teach Islam to his own family and so the first people who believed in his Prophethood were his wife from amongst the women, and Ali b. Abi Talib from amongst the men. At that time, Ali was under the guardianship of the Prophet (s).<ref>Ibn Hisham, ''al-Sira al-nabawiyya'', vol. 1, p. 262</ref> Other people mentioned in other sources as the first Muslims are [[Abu Bakr]] and Zayd b. Haritha.<ref>Ibn Hisham, ''al-Sira al-nabawiyya'', vol. 1, p. 264-266</ref> Although the initial invitation was limited, the number of Muslims began to grow and soon they began to go out of Mecca and [[pray]] with the Prophet (s).<ref>Ibn Hisham, ''al-Sira al-nabawiyya'', vol. 1, p. 281-282</ref>

As the number of Muslims grew faster, the chiefs of the [[Quraysh]] became more worried about it. They went to [[Abu Talib]] (the Prophet's (s) uncle and protector) and asked him to stop his nephew from the mission of Prophethood that he had started. They asked him to give Muhammad (s) over to them so that they could kill him and in return, they offered Abu Talib the guardianship of [[Ammara b. al-Walid]] who was -in their opinion- a handsome and wise young man. Abu Talib responded by exclaiming: "Shall I give my son to you so that you can kill him and raise your son? What a difficult task!<ref>Ibn Hisham, ''al-Sira al-nabawiyya'', vol. 1, p. 279; Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 45</ref>

The sanctions lasted two or three years. During this time, they lived in extreme difficulty. A couple of their relatives would smuggle wheat or other essentials to them so that they could continue. One night, [[Abu Jahl]], who was a bitter enemy of Banu Hashim, was informed of this and stopped [[Hakim b. Hazam]] from bringing wheat to [[Khadija]]. Others interfered and criticized Abu Jahl for the severity of his actions. Eventually, some of the Quraysh felt guilty and chose to side with Banu Hashim. They wondered why [[Banu Makhzum]] should live an easy life while the children of Hashim and 'Abd al-Muttalib should live in difficulty. Thus, they decided to end the treaty. And some of those that had signed it decided to tear up the treaty. [[Ibn Hisham]] narrates from [[Ibn Ishaq]] that when they went in the Ka'ba, they saw that the treaty had already been miraculously eaten by termites and that only the phrase "Bismik Allahumma" [In Your name O Allah] had remained of it. Ibn Hisham narrates that "Abu Talib went to a meeting of the Quraysh and said: "My nephew says that termites have eaten the treaty and that only the name of God remains. See for yourself, and if he is right, end the boycott. If he is lying, I will hand him over to you'.

* not to associate anyone with God

* to not steal

* not to commit adultery

* not kill their children

* not to slander anyone and to obey the Prophet Muhammad (s) in his orders.

===Second Allegiance of al-Aqaba===

The chiefs of the [[Quraysh]] felt that Islam has posed a danger to them, especially when they discovered that a new group had converted to Islam, leading Islam to become more established among people. They felt further threatened by the fact that the people of Medina had pledged their allegiance to the Prophet (s). They were terrified of the possibility that the Prophet (s) would take revenge on them for all of the torture and harassment that he and his followers had faced at their hands. In fact, they thought that even if the Prophet (s) did not want to wage war against them, he would still be a serious threat to them as Yathrib was the largest city close to Mecca. The businessmen of Quraysh would travel to Yathrib to sell their goods, and each of them had valuable customers there, important to the success of their businesses. They would suffer a huge economic loss if they were to lose access to that city. To prevent such a loss in profit, they concluded that they had to ignore their tribal pacts and kill Muhammad (s). However, killing him was not an easy task because if they did so, [[Banu Hashim]] would take revenge. So, they held a meeting in [[Dar al-Nadwa]] in order to find a solution for their problem and concluded that a group of young men from all tribes would attack Muhammad (s) and kill him together. This way, his killer would not be one person and Banu Hashim could not take revenge because they could not wage war against all of the tribes in Mecca, and they would be forced to accept a ransom instead of taking revenge.

That night, when the Quraysh attempted to carry out the assassination of the Prophet (s), he had already left Mecca by the order of God, and [[Ali (a)]] was lying in his bed instead. The Prophet (s) and [[Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafa]] stayed in a cave near Mecca called [[Thawr]] for three days so that those chasing him could not find him and had to return to Mecca empty-handed. Then, the Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr continued on their way to Yathrib.<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 59</ref>

'Abd Allah b. Ubay continued to cause troubles until his death ([[9]]/630). Although the [[Jews]] had signed the [[Constitution of Medina]], they were not happy living with the Muslims. They played friendship games with Muslims. Even some of them (Jews) had outwardly become Muslims. The reason for this discontentment was that prior to the [[Islamic government]], they controlled the economy of the city and traded widely with the Bedouins and polytheists of Mecca. They (Jews) were expecting 'Abd Allah b. Ubay to become the chief of Medina so that their financial power would increase. However, the coming of Muhammad (s) and the expansion of Islam under his command prevented this. Moreover, they could not accept a prophet who was not of Jewish lineage. Therefore, they expressed their opposition to Muhammad (s). Apparently, it was Abd Allah b. Ubay who had a hand in provoking them. The Jews would claim that "the prophet we expected is not Muhammad" and mentioned verses of the [[Torah]] that contradicted verses of the [[Qur'an]], saying that "what is in the Qur'an is not the same as what is in our books." Some verses of the Qur'an were then revealed to the Prophet (s), suggesting that verses of the Torah had been distorted over time by Jewish scholars in order to promote their positions. Eventually, the holy Qur'an attempted to sever the relationship between Islam, [[Christianity]] and [[Judaism]]. And just to show the Arabs that, compared to Jews, they were a separate nation{{enote|O People of the Book! Why do you argue concerning Abraham? Neither the Torah nor the Evangel was sent down until [long] after him. Do you not apply reason? (65) Ah! You are the very ones who argue about that of which you have knowledge. Why then do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allah knows and you do not know. (66) Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. Rather he was a Hanif, a Muslim, and he was not one of the polytheists. (Quran, 3:65-67)}}.<ref>See: Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 68-69</ref>

Since the Prophet (s) had made the [[Pledge of al-'Aqaba#Second_Pledge_of_al-.27Aqaba|second allegiance]] with people of Medina at [[al-'Aqaba]], a battle with the [[Quraysh]] seemed inevitable. The first encounter with the Quraysh took place in the month of [[Safar]] in the second year after [[Hijra]]/August 623. This encounter was called [[Ghazwa Abwa']] or Wuddan in which there was no violent clash, only a minor fight. Another encounter, [[Ghazwa Buwat]], occurred in [[Rabi' I]]/September of the same year which just like the first one there was no violent clash. Then, in [[Jumada I]]/November, there was news that a caravan of the Quraysh led by [[Abu Sufyan]] had begun traveling from [[Mecca]] to [[Damascus]]. The Prophet (s) went to an area called [[Dhat al-Ashira]] to confront them, but the caravan had already passed it before the Muslims arrived. Their attempt was unsuccessful because a few spies in Medina, who had become aware of the Muslims' plans, were able to reach and inform the caravans from Mecca that there was a threat ahead of them and that the caravans should change the route or speed up to avoid them.<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 72-73</ref>

Eventually, in the same year (2/624), there was an important battle between the Muslims and polytheists of Mecca. This battle, called the [[Battle of Badr]], was won by the Muslims even though they were less in number. Many polytheists were either killed or captured and many more escaped.<ref>Waqidi, ''al-Maghazi'', vol. 1, p. 19.</ref> In this battle, [[Abu Jahl]] and around 70 other chiefs of the [[Quraysh]] were killed and roughly the same number captured. Only 14 Muslims were [[martyr]]ed in [[Badr]]. In this battle, [[Ali (a)]] made great sacrifices and helped the Prophet (s) enormously. He also killed some bold warriors from the army of Mecca and his valor assured the victory of Islam (36 or 37 polytheists were killed by him).<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 75</ref>

The first battle with the [[Jews]] came about a few weeks after the Battle of Badr which led to the great victory of the Muslims. The Jews of [[Banu Qaynuqa']] had a castle outside of [[Medina]]. Their business was to make objects out of gold and other precious metals. It is narrated that once, an Arab woman went to the market to sell her goods in Banu Qaynuqa's market and sat at a jewelry store. One of the Jews tied her clothes from behind and when she tried to stand up, her clothes were drawn to the side and they mocked her by laughing at her. The woman cried and asked for help from the other Muslims in the market, causing a fight. A Muslim rose to help the woman, and in the scuffle that ensued, killed the Jewish man and the Jews killed him, causing the situation to become worse.

Later, the Prophet (s) warned the Jews about the consequences of what they were doing and told them that they had to surrender if they wanted to stay in the city. Banu Qaynuqa' responded to the Prophet (s) by saying that he should not be proud of defeating the Meccans since they were not warriors. They claimed that if they fought the Prophet (s), they would show him how powerful they were. Then, the following verse was revealed:

Thus, the Muslims surrounded their castle and the Jews surrendered after 15 days. [[Abd Allah b. Ubay]] implored the Prophet (s) not to kill them, and the Prophet (s) agreed, exiling them to [[Syria]]. The siege of the Banu Qaynuqa Jews occurred in the month of [[Shawwal]], 2/April 624.<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 79-80</ref>

In 3/625, the [[Quraysh]] asked for help from their allied tribes, and sent an army led by [[Abu Sufyan]] towards [[Medina]]. Initially, the Prophet (s) wanted to stay inside the parameters of Medina but then decided to meet the army outside the city. The two armies met somewhere near the [[Mount Uhud]]. Although the Muslims were initially close to victory, they ended up losing the war. This was because of a trick played by [[Khalid b. Walid]] and the ignorance of a group of Muslims which let the Meccans attack them from behind, killing many Muslims in the process. It was in this battle that [[Hamza b. Abd al-Muttalib|Hamza]], the uncle of the Prophet (s), was martyred. The Prophet (s) took serious injuries during the war, causing a rumor of his demise among both sides. This was another reason that the Muslims became disheartened at the battle. They returned to Medina dejected and sad at their loss. A few verses were then revealed to console them.

The following year ([[5]]/626), the Prophet (s) and the Muslims went to a region called [[Dumat al-Jandal]] which was on the borders of [[Syria]]. When the Muslim army arrived there, the enemy had fled and the Muslims returned to Medina.<ref>Waqidi, ''al-Maghazi'', vol. 1, p. 402-404; Ibn Hisham, ''al-Sira al-nabawiyya'', vol. 3, p. 224</ref>

Unlike the [[Battle of Uhud]], the people of Medina accepted to take defensive positions and stayed inside Medina. In order to defend the city from an onslaught, the Prophet's companion, [[Salman al-Farsi]], proposed the strategy of digging a trench in front of the city. Since Medina was surrounded and protected by palm gardens and buildings except on one side, the enemy could not invade the city from those sides. Thus, digging a trench on the only open side where an attack was possible in the north, would keep the city safe from attacks. Before the Meccan army arrived in Medina, the trench had already been dug. The enemy was shocked when they arrived since they had not anticipated or seen such a blockade before. Mounted soldiers could not jump over the trench, and if they tried to approach it, Medinan archers would prevent them from coming any closer.

[['Amr b. 'Abd Wad]] and [['Akrama b. Abi Jahl]] decided to jump across the trench. Audacious as he was, 'Amr was killed by [[Ali (a)]]. At the first glance, it seemed like Medina was going to be defeated. What could the little army of Muslims do against the massive army that was ready to attack their city? First, the Prophet (s) wanted to separate the [[tribe of Ghatfan]] from the Meccan army. So, he (s) sent an offer to them that one-third of the crops of Medina would be theirs if they did not help the Quraysh. The [[Ansar]] of Medina asked the Prophet (s): "Is this treaty a [[revelation]]?" When he replied in the negative, they said: "Then, we would not accept that. Even in the past, when God had not yet guided us, we would not accept such a belittlement. How can we belittle ourselves today, when God has saved us by you?" Therefore, the treaty was not made.

After the Battle of Ahzab, the Prophet (s) tried to solve the problem of the Banu Qurayza. According to the [[Constitution of Medina ]] that they had signed soon after the arrival of the Prophet (s) in Medina, these Jews would be protected unless they rose against the Muslims. However, since they had allied with Muslims' enemies in the Battle of Ahzab, the constitution no longer applied. Further, it was obvious that their threat was not minor at all. So, the Prophet (s) went to them and surrounded them, keeping them under siege for 25 days, after which they surrendered. The [[tribe of Aws]], who had been allied with the Banu Qurayza told the Prophet (s): "The Banu Qurayza are allied with us and they regret what they have done, so, treat our alliances the same way as you treated the [[Khazraj]]'s alliances ([[Banu Qaynuqa']]). [We ask you this] since we saw you forgave those Jewish captives and handed them to the one they were allied with, [['Abd Allah b. Ubay]]." The Prophet (s) left the judgment of the captives of Banu Qurayza up to [[Sa'd b. Mu'adh]], who was the chief of the tribe of [[Aws]]; and [[Banu Qurayza]] accepted. Sa'd said, "My opinion is that we kill their men and capture their women and children." So, this was done.<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 87-88</ref>

:: "Indeed, tomorrow I will give this flag to a man, in his hands is the victory, who loves God and his Prophet (s) and God and His Prophet (s) love him."

Therefore, it was an opportune time for the Prophet (s) to show the glory of Islam to the people of Mecca and to call them to Islam. In [[Dhu l-Qa'da]], [[6]]/April 628, the Prophet (s) along with 1,500 people from [[Medina]] went to [[Mecca]] in order to perform the [[pilgrimage]]. The Quraysh prepared to stop the Muslims from the pilgrimage when they became aware of this. First, they sent [[Khalid b. Walid]] and [['Ikrama b. Abi Jahl]] to prevent them from coming to Mecca. The Prophet (s) arrived in [[Hudaybiyya]], a place marking the beginning of the [[Haram (holy site)|Haram]] (sacred land), and sent a message to the Meccans that "we have come for pilgrimage, not war." It was a humiliation for Quraysh to see their enemies enter Mecca and perform Hajj. But on the other hand, they could not prevent anyone from entering Mecca to perform Hajj, as Mecca was the free land of God. Finally, a peace treaty was agreed upon and signed between the Prophet (s) and the representatives of Mecca. According to the treaty, they would not engage in warfare with each other and allies of each other for the next ten years. However, the Muslims could not enter Mecca that year, but the following year, the Quraysh would leave the city for three days and the Muslims would be permitted to enter to perform the pilgrimage. Another article in the peace treaty was that if a Meccan man were to come to the Prophet (s), the person would have to be returned to Mecca. However, if someone were to go to Mecca, they would not have to return them. Further, the treaty permitted that other tribes were free to ally either with the Quraysh or with Muhammad (s).<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 90-91</ref>

Some of the companions of the Prophet (s) were angry about the contents of the treaty and considered it to be a failure for the Muslims since they could not understand its importance and benefits. However, the signing of this treaty was a great victory for Muslims because the Meccans had completely disregarded the Prophet (s) and his companions until then. They had intended to kill all of them, and in this treaty, they finally recognized the Muslims on an official basis and dealt with them as equals. Moreover, it was written in the treaty that tribes were free to ally with the Prophet (s) or the Quraysh. So, the treaty would be broken if either the Muslims or the Quraysh waged war on their allies. Later, the Quraysh broke this condition, and the Muslims conquered Mecca. A short time after signing the treaty, a Meccan who had become Muslim was going to be returned to Mecca (as per the treaty). However, he escaped on the way, and instead of going back to Medina, he hid in a place which was on the path that the Quraysh's caravan took while traveling to [[Syria]]. Gradually, some of the Muslims of Mecca joined him at this spot and became a threat to the caravans of the Quraysh as they lay in wait. Since it was not appropriate here for the Prophet (s) to return them to Mecca, the Quraysh were forced to ask him to call them back to Medina, and so, the issue of returning refugees was canceled. More importantly, when the Quraysh violated one of the articles of the treaty, the Meccans were forced to submit to the Muslims.<ref>Shahidi, ''Tarikh-i tahlili-yi Islam'', p. 90-91</ref>

In the month of [[Ramadan]] in [[8]]/630, the Prophet (s) went to [[Mecca]] with 10,000 Muslims. He began his trip while nobody knew of it. When they arrived, they stayed in a place called [[Marr al-Zahran]]. [[Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib|Abbas]], the Prophet's uncle went out of his tent at night and searched for some Meccans in order to tell them to inform the Quraysh about the Prophet's (s) trip to Mecca. This was so that they could come to the Prophet (s) before he arrived in Mecca and a battle occurred. However, he suddenly saw Abu Sufyan, sheltered him, and took him to the Prophet (s). Abu Sufyan then became a Muslim. The following day, the Prophet (s) ordered Abbas to make Abu Sufyan stand in a place where he could see the Muslims accompanying the Prophet (s) passing by. When Abu Sufyan saw their glory and the massive number of Muslims, he told Abbas, "the kingdom of your nephew has grown!" Abbas said, "This is the prophethood, not the kingdom!" Abu Sufyan replied, "Yes, Indeed!" Then Abbas went to the Prophet (s) and told him that "Abu Sufyan is the type of person that wants to have the privilege." The Prophet (s) said that "Everyone [in Mecca] who goes to his house and shuts their door will be safe. Also, anyone who is sheltered in Abu Sufyan's house will be safe as well. Anyone who enters Masjid al-Haram will also be safe." The great crowds of Muslims entered Mecca. [[Ibn Hisham]] narrates from [[Ibn Ishaq]] that [[Sa'd b. 'Ubada]], the chief of the tribe of [[Khazraj]] had come to Mecca that day and said, "Today is the day of massacre! Today is the day of disrespect and the violation of sanctity." He wanted to take revenge on the Quraysh and the [['Adnani]] families and sought revenge for the people of Medina. To avoid the misconception that the Islamic victory would be a form of tribal revenge, the Prophet (s) sent [[Ali (a)]] and told him, "Take the flag from Sa'd for today is the day of mercy." There was no fight between the Meccans and Muslims, save for a few arguments. The Prophet (s) went to Masjid al-Haram and circumambulated the [[Ka'ba]] seven times and then stood at the front of its door and said,

:: "There is no god except Allah alone, He has no partner. True is His promise and He helps His servant and defeats the factions alone."

In this war, the Prophet (s) left [[Ali (a)]] in [[Medina]] to take care of its affairs. The [[hypocrites]] used the situation to say that the Prophet (s) did not want Ali (a) to accompany him on this trip. When Ali (a) became upset and complained about this to the Prophet (s), the Prophet (s) told him: "I appointed you as my deputy, since to me, you are like [[Aaron]] to [[Moses]], except that there is no prophet after me." (see: [[Hadith Manzila]])

The Quraysh had saved some privileges for themselves, the same privileges that they had before the advent of Islam. In addition to key-holding, managing, and giving water to the Hajj pilgrims, they regarded themselves as separate from and superior to the other tribes in doing rituals. In this last Hajj journey, the Prophet (s) negated the privileges that the [[Quraysh]] had held for themselves and had deprived others of.

:: "O people! I don't know if I will see the next year. I ignored all of the blood that was spilled before the advent of Islam. [From now on], your blood and your other possessions are forbidden for each other until you meet [[God]]."

At the time of his demise, none of his children were alive except for [[Fatima (a)]]. All of his other children had passed away, including [[Ibrahim b. Muhammad|Ibrahim]], who was born one or two years before the Prophet's (s) demise. Ali (a), with the help of some others, as per the Islamic tradition, washed the Prophet's (s) body and shrouded and buried him in his house, where it is now located in [[Masjid al-Nabi]].

While [[Ali b. Abi Talib (a)]] and the [[Banu Hashim]] were washing the corpse of the Prophet (s) as per Islamic tradition, a few influential Muslims decided to choose the next leader for the [[Umma]]-- disregarding what the Prophet (s) had said just two months prior to his demise (see: [[Event of Ghadir Khum]]). A number of people from Mecca (the [[Muhajirun]]) and Medina (the [[Ansar]]) gathered in a place called [[Saqifa Banu Sa'ida]]. They wanted a ruler to be chosen for the Muslims as soon as possible. However, an argument erupted over who should be chosen for such a position and finally, they pledged allegiance to [[Abu Bakr]].

The Prophet (s) lived for forty years amongst the people before he began his mission. During this time, his character showed no signs of any bad qualities. He was known as an honest and trustworthy individual. Afterward, when the Prophet (s) delivered the message of [[God]], the infidels could not deny the Prophet's (s) virtues, but rather they denied the Qur'anic verses. This matter has been mentioned in the [[Qur'an]] as well,

In addition to his glorious past, being Arab, and his distinguished tribe and family played a crucial role in the Prophet's (s) status and success. The [[Quraysh]] was an important and famous tribe amongst the Arabs. This eminence caused many of the other tribes to acknowledge the Quraysh's superiority over them and would obey them in some cases. On the other hand, the ancestors of the Prophet (s) ([[Qusayy b. Kilab]], [[Hashim]], and [['Abd al-Muttalib]]) were known as honorable and distinguished men amongst the Arabs. At the time, the Arab community had a limited cultural relationship with other regions. This caused them to have pride in their Arabism and they were prejudiced against others and would deny their words on the basis that they were not Arabs, ordering them to acknowledge only what was "theirs'". This Qur'anic verse probably indicates this fact:

The greatest quality of the Prophet (s) was his impeccable character and behavior (Akhlaq). The [[Qur'an]] says of him:

It is said that he was quiet and did not speak unless it was necessary. He always opened his mouth slightly and never more than half of it was open. He would smile and never laughed out loud. When he wanted to face someone, he turned his entire body. He loved the cleanliness and the smell of perfume. When he would pass somewhere, people would realize that it was him who had passed because of his fragrant smell. He was never arrogant. He lived a simple life and would sit on the ground to eat food. He never ate his fill and remained hungry on many occasions, especially when he first arrived in Medina. However, he never led a completely ascetic life in the way that many monks did. In fact, he has said that he benefited from the good of this world. His conduct towards Muslims and those of another faith was graceful and chivalrous. His conduct was so pleasant in the eyes of Muslims that they would speak of its details throughout generations. Today, it is the model of their lives and religion.<ref>"Islam". Dayirat al-ma'arif-i buzurg-i Islami(Great Islamic Encyclopedia)</ref>

The Prophet (s) spoke with everyone according to their level of intellect and understanding.<ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir. ''Bihar al-anwar''. vol. 16, p. 287</ref> He was famous for his forgiveness of those who had wronged him;<ref>Kandhlawi. ''Hayat al-sahaba''. vol. 2, p. 526</ref> to the extent that he even forgave [[Wahshi]] who was the murderer of his uncle, and [[Abu Sufyan]] who had been the archenemy of Islam. He was amicable with everybody and had the valuable quality of making everyone feel as though they were special to him.

The Prophet (s) lived with self-discipline. Throughout his entire life, he did not designate a spot for himself (in a place of superiority whilst sitting with others). In fact, the simple clay rooms that were beside the mosque belonged to his wives. Their roofs were made of palm wood and the screens that hung at their doors were made of goat or camel hair. He would use a pillow and a leather bed that was filled with palm leaves, over which he slept his entire life. His undershirt was made from a coarse fabric that itched the body and he wore a robe made of camel hair. This was besides the fact that after the [[Battle of Hunayn]], he gifted 4000 camels, more than 4000 sheep, and a great amount of gold and silver to various people.

His food was simpler than his house, clothes, and property. Months would pass by where no fire was lit in his house for the food preparation. His staple diet consisted of dates and barley bread. He never ate to his fill for two consecutive days, nor would he eat to his fill two times per day. There were many nights where he and his family slept while they were hungry. Once, [[Fatima (a)]] brought her father barley bread and said, "I baked bread and thought that I must bring you some." He ate that and said to her, "This is the only thing that your father has been eating for the past three days." Once, he wanted to eat dates in the date garden of one of the [[Ansar]] and said, "This is the fourth day that I haven't eaten anything." Sometimes, he would tie a stone to his stomach due to the extremity of his hunger (so that his hunger would be temporarily relieved). Upon his demise, his armor was pledged with a Jew as security for 30 cups of barley.<ref>Payandeh. ''Nahj al-fasaha'', p. 35-36</ref>

The Prophet (s) was very organized in his life. After the construction of [[Masjid al-Nabi|the mosque]], he named every column in the mosque and marked each of them for specific activities; e.g.<ref>Dilshad Tihrani.''Siri-yi nabawi. vol. 3, p. 352</ref> the [[column of Wufud]], which was the place for delegations and meetings, the [[column of Tahajjud]] which was the place for night prayers, and so on. He arranged the lines of the congregational prayer so straight that it was as if he was arranging wooden poles, and once he said, "O Servants of God! Arrange your lines, otherwise, dissent will grow amongst you"<ref>Nisaburi. ''Sahih Muslim''. vol. 2, p. 31; al-Bayhaqi. ''al-Sunan al-kubra''. vol. 2, p. 21</ref>. He was very organized with regard to scheduling his time. He had divided his time into three parts: one for worshipping [[God]], one for personal activities, and one for activities with the people.<ref>Muhammad b. Sa'd, ''al-Tabaqat al-kubra'', vol. 1, p. 423</ref>

He would always look in the mirror to arrange and comb his hair. In fact, he was always well-groomed, not only in front of his family but also in front of his companions. He would take care of his appearance even while traveling and would always carry five things: a mirror, kohl, a comb, a brush, and a pair of scissors.<ref>Halabi. ''al-sirat al-halabiya''. vol. 3, p. 352</ref>

which seems to imply that the Prophet (s) could neither read nor write before [[revelation]]. The verse continues:

* The faithful should not be [full from] eating if they are not unaccompanied by their neighbors [who have nothing to eat]<ref>Payandeh. ''Nahj al-fasaha'', p. 683, Hadith No.2545</ref>.

However, there are certain books that have collected the hadith of the Prophet (s) only or have dedicated chapters for hadiths of the Prophet (s). Some of these sources include:

''[[Al-Majazat al-Nabawiyya]]'': This book was written by [[al-Sayyid al-Radi]]. This collection of the Prophet's (s) hadiths focuses on certain aspects of the Prophet's narrations and groups them into categories like subtle advice, admonitions, implications, and allegories.

''[[Makatib al-Rasul (s)]]'': This book was written by [[Ayatullah Ahmadi Miyaniji]], and it contains the letters of the Prophet (s) to kings, officials and agents. It also includes pieces of writing on treaties, contracts, and some other miscellaneous issues.

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