The Birth of Islam: one of the world’s major monotheistic religions, was started in the 7th century CE in the Arabian Peninsula. It was founded by the Prophet Muhammad who is considered in a Muslims’ eyes as the last messenger of God; Allah in Arabic. The Advent of Islam changed not only the course of Arabian Peninsula but also the course of world history. This article describes the origins of Islam, chronicles important aspects in its early history, and draws some lessons from the socio-political and religious context of its emergence.
Arabia before The Birth of Islam: The Jahiliyyah or Age of Ignorance
The pre-Islamic period in the Arabian Peninsula embodies the following qualities which distinguished Arabs before the coming of Islam:
Polytheism: Most Arabs were polytheistic; they believed in more than one god. The Kaaba in Mecca had idols dedicated to different gods.
Tribal Society: The society was highly tribal. Loyalty to one’s tribe was basic; inter-tribal fighting is rampant.
Diversity of Religions: Apart from polytheism, there existed huge populations of Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, especially in towns.
Social Issue: Customs such as infanticide, particularly of girls, slavery, and economic inequality were widespread. The patriarchal society is utterly prevalent with women as marginalized.
Early Life of Prophet Muhammad (570-610 CE)
Muhammad was born in the year 570 CE within the city of Mecca to the tribe of Quraysh. Many of the most powerful tribes, key points about his early life include the following:
Orphaned Young: Muhammad’s father, Abdullah, died before he was born, and his mother, Amina, died when Muhammad was six years old. He was raised by his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, and then by his uncle, Abu Talib.
Reputation as Al-Amin (The Trustworthy): Muhammad was already known even before prophethood for his honesty and integrity. He had already acquired the name “Al-Amin,” which meant “the trustworthy.”
Marriage to Khadijah: Muhammad married Khadijah when he was 25 years old, and she was 15 years older than him. Khadijah became his first and most important supporter- financially as well as emotionally.
The First Revelation (610 CE)
When Muhammad was 40 years old, he had the miraculous experience of having a revelation while in meditation in the Cave of Hira, outside Mecca. And it was born here.
Angel Jibril (Gabriel): He was the one who stood before Muhammad, revealing to him the initial words of the Qur’an, reading the first words of the Qurán: “Iqra,” meaning “Recite.”.
Early Fear and Skepticism: Muhammad was baffled by what he saw. It was his wife Khadijah who was comforting and soothing him, which led to her being the first Muslim.
The Early Muslim Community (610-622 CE)
The early years of Islam was the age of silent witness, where the Prophet was preaching to his near ones; that is, his family members and friends. In this line of time, some prominent events are:
First Converts: His close friend was Abu Bakr and adopted son Zayd ibn Harithah, his cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib, and also Khadijah.
Persecution in Mecca: As the Muslim converts became more and more in number, the Quraysh leaders were in a state of affairs with the prospects of damage to their socio-political and economic interests. They persecuted Muslims terribly, especially the weak in society.
Migration to Abyssinia (615 CE): Trying to escape persecution, some of the early Muslims and among them was Ja’far ibn Abi Talib migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) where they found refuge from persecution by the Christian king called the Negus.
The Night Journey (Isra and Mi’raj) (620 CE)
One of the most significant spiritual experiences Muhammad had was the Isra and Mi’raj: a miraculous night journey.
Isra: In Islam, Muhammad is believed to have been taken from Mecca to Jerusalem by a winged creature called Buraq.
Mi’raj: Then from Jerusalem, Muhammad ascended unto the heavens until he reached many prophets, the first of them being Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, then stood before Allah.
Significance: The event established Muhammad’s prophetic mission and strengthened his resolve, and it made Jerusalem the third most holy place in Islam.
The Hijra: Emigration to Medina (622 CE)
It was the day of change for the Muslim community as it finally emigrated from Mecca to Medina, formerly Yathrib. That day is calendared as the Hijra beginning.
Medina Invitation: When the people of Medina knew about Muhammad’s excellence in peacemaking, they invited him to help settle disputes between different warring tribes.
Establishment of Muslim Community: During his visit to Medina, he developed the first Islamic state, wherein both Muslims and non-Muslims stayed with a constitution, known as Constitution of Medina.
Brotherhood of Muslims: The emigrants from Mecca and the helpers from Medina mutually forged such a close bond as to establish a cohesive Muslim community (Ummah).
Early Conflicts and Battles (624-630 CE)
It did not take too long after Hijra for the people of Medina to come into conflict with the Quraysh of Mecca; conflicts escalate into several major battles:
Battle of Badr: In the course of this confrontation, Muslims succeeded in winning over the Quraysh notwithstanding the fact that the latter were more in number. This gave them morale and indicated that Allah favored them.
Battle of Uhud: Quraysh retaliated against the latter. Although, in the battle, the Muslims were victorious in all ramifications since they had disobeyed the command of Allah, they were defeated on that day, and this was a lesson to the Muslims, discipline in the cause of Allah.
Battle of the Trench, 627 CE: The Quraysh and its allies laid siege to Medina. However, on the advice of Salman the Persian, Muslims dug a trench surrounding the city-the project frustrating Quraysh’s plan.
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, 628 CE: Muslims made diplomatic maneuverism when they signed a ten-year treaty of peace with the Quraysh. Initially regarded as defeat, it allowed Islam to spread peacefully under it.
Conquest of Mecca (630 CE)
Two years after the Covenant of Hudaybiyyah, the Quraysh committed a breach, which motivated Muhammad to march towards Mecca. The key events are as follows.
Bloodless Victory: Muhammad entered Mecca with an army of 10,000. Surprisingly, the victory was almost bloodless and Muhammad offered amnesty to most of his former enemies.
Destruction of Idols: Once inside the Kaaba, Muhammad destroyed all the idols that were placed inside, reinforcing the Tawhid message.
Mecca as the Spiritual Centre: Mecca became the spiritual heart of the religion and the Kaaba was reconsecrated as the nucleus of Muslim worship.
The Farewell Sermon and the Death of Muhammad (632 CE)
In the year 632 CE, Muhammad delivered his Farewell Sermon when he attended Hajj in Mecca. The sermon was to say:
Equality of All Believers: Muhammad further emphasized the fact that all humans, irrespective of color, race, or social status, are equal.
Rights of Women: He also emphasized women’s treatment with benevolence and respectability against the then prevalent pre-Islamic usages.
Unity and Monotheism: Muhammad reasserted the heart of Islam: the unity of God and the unity of the Muslim Ummah. Only six years after Muhammad arrived in Medina, he fell ill and died at age 63. His death marked the finality of the prophecy in Islam.
Succession and the Early Caliphate
In the distribution of succession after Muhammad’s death, he was elected as the first Caliph because he was the closest companion. Succession eventually caused a fracture in the Muslim community, resulting in the two prominent sects of Islam: Sunni and Shia.
Abu Bakr’s Reign: He founded the Islamic state by uniting the Arabian Peninsula and quashing the Ridda Wars that literally means the Wars of Apostasy.
Expansion of Islam: The first four Rightly Guided Caliphs led to the rapid expansion of Islam outside Arabia into the empires of Persia and Byzantium.
Conclusion :-
One of the most important times in world history has been marked by the birth of Islam. From an initial, small number of believers in 7th century Arabia, Islam spreads across the world and is still today affecting more than a billion people’s lives around the globe. Its early development took its form under the guidance of Muhammad, the socio-political scenario of Arabia, and the quest for social justice and spiritual reforms. And the message of Islam, with its nucleus of the worship of One God, justice, and compassion, echoed with people along different geographical and cultural contours and provided a platform for the vast and tremendous civilization that could be built.
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