Now that the month of November is here, it is time for us to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad. As we all know, Prophet Muhammad is indeed an exemplary person, well-known for his preaching of kindness and humanity. Today, the religion he built spans across the entire world with devoted followers.  In this blog, we will celebrate his excellence by knowing some of the interesting facts about Prophet Muhammad.

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Prophet Muhammad was a shepherd 

In his earlier years, after the death of his father, he was left as an orphan. He then depended on his paternal uncle for care. The Prophet helped his uncle make ends meet by being a camel shepherd. He went on to become a popular merchant in his locality.

The Prophet was a descendant of Ismail

Ismail/Ishmael is one of the most important figures in the Islamic community. He was also a prophet and the son of none other than Prophet Ibrahim. So, technically Prophet Muhammad’s ancestors had a direct influence in establishing the rites of Hajj.

Prophet Muhammad’s wife proposed to him first

Prophet Muhammad’s marriage seems to contradict everything that is usually seen in old times. When women had very little power in choosing their partners. But, Khadija, who was a widow proposed to the then 25-year-old Prophet for his hand in marriage. It is also interesting to note that Khadija was 40 years old when she married the Prophet.

The Prophet thought of Gabriel as an evil spirit

Prophet Muhammad was initially very much terrified after seeing Gabriel, a divine entity, in front of him. This revelation happened to him in 610 when he was meditating in a cave. The prophet initially reckoned that Gabriel was an evil spirit but later learned that it was indeed God’s messenger who made an appearance.

The Prophet orally revealed the Quran throughout his life

Quran is a really long sacred book. Many might wonder how a single person could have received all the revelations. But, our beloved Prophet Muhammad had revelations up until a few months before he died. He continued receiving the words of God from when he was 40 years old to when he turned 61 years old. It is believed his followers( companions) wrote the Quran.

The Prophet rebelled against injustice in Mecca

Mecca is a really old city known for its trade and business. But, the merchants of Mecca were far from justice. They followed unjust practices, corruption and made a profit off from cheating innocent people. The Prophet spoke against it, despite the city rulers being influential in the city’s governance.

This led to the creation of fair commercial practices known as Hilf al-Fudul. Islamic ethics take a chunk of inspiration from this alliance due to the Prophet’s role in its creation.

The black stone in Kaaba

The black stone of Kaaba is revered as a sacred relic to this day by millions of Muslims worldwide. And every year a huge population from all around the world gather to see the stone in person. The stone was placed in Kaaba by Prophet Muhammad in 605 CE, in an attempt to restore peace between two major clans.

The Prophet promoted equality

During his time, the Prophet tried to settle all racial and social discrimination. His closest friends Bilal bin Riba and Salman Farsi were former slaves. He advised everyone against racial inequality and how every human is valued the same.

Moreover, in a time when women were not given equal rights, our beloved Prophet stood out from the crowd. He believed in equal rights for both women and men. He ended honour killing and provided rights to divorce an abusive husband. Furthermore, Prophet Muhammad also supported the concept of remarriage for widowed or divorced women. Another important quality of the Prophet is that he believed women should have the right to education.

The Prophet left no successor

As a leader, people looked up to Prophet Muhammad to name a successor. But, in his final days, he didn’t make his wishes clear about what he wanted for future generations. Many still believe that his decision led to a major division in the Islamic community, known as Sunni and Shia to this day.

The Prophet was against idol-worshipping

Idol worship is a strict ‘No’ in the Prophet’s dictionary. He never supported pagan worship or worshipping idols of any sort. This is one of the main reasons why the Prophet never let anyone draw his face or sculpt it. He knew that if people had his picture, they would start worshipping his portrait. This goes against the primary rule in Islam, that we only pray to Allah and no other.

Conclusion

One of the best ways to describe Prophet Muhammad is kindness personified. He was everything that Allah wanted an ideal person to be. He understood his fellow people and gave them a better world by advocating peace and a clear path to follow. Let’s end this blog with a few good words from Prophet Muhammad himself.

“Kindness is a mark of faith, and whoever has not kindness has not faith.”