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Life of Muhammad

Islam was instituted by Muhammad as he created both a new religion and a new social order. In doing so, he developed as a human being from the contemporary society that then prevailed and reacted to the social forces around him.

The main sources for the life of Muhammad are the Qur'an, the life written by Ibn Hisham, the section of the Annals of at-Tabari, the history of Muhammad's campaigns by al-Waqidi, and the Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd (Watt xx-xxi). However, little is known of the early life or ancestry of Muhammad, and much of the data of the Muslim tradition has been questioned. The primary story of Muhammad is embodied in the Qur'an. He received the call from God when he was nearing his fortieth year. His early preaching was seen as harmless by the Meccans, though any idea he had of founding a new religion was thwarted by the indifference of the Meccans. He moved to the city of Medina, a move known as the Hijra, and this was a turning point and would become the starting point in the Muslim calendar. In Medina Muhammad was the chief magistrate of the community, and he could now not only preach Islam but practice it.

Muhammad's career in Medina included the political power he gathered to himself during this time. Certain pre-Islamic practices were retained, and the ideas of the Umma were incorporated into the structure of tribalism that already existed. The Umma had a political aspect, but it also had a religious meaning as a theocracy. The economic and political system provided the young man with considerable opportunity:

It was natural that the young man sought to make a career for himself in commerce. Because of his honesty and trustworthiness he was taken on, when in his twenties, as business manager for a wealthy Qurashi widow Khadija whom he married shortly afterwards. His marriage to Khadija brought him material security, and children. . . (Kennedy 30).

The story of Muhammad begins with what is known...

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Life of Muhammad. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 03:21, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1702347.html