Muhammad ibn Abdullah

Prophet Muhammad

The Messenger of God

Overview

Muhammad ibn Abdullah (c. 570–632 CE), born in Mecca, is the central human figure of Islam — believed by Muslims to be the final prophet in a line running from Adam through Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and the receiver of the Quran, revealed over 23 years beginning in 610 CE. Muslims honour him as al-Insan al-Kamil (the perfect human) and add "peace be upon him" (ﷺ) after his name — a mark of reverence visitors will hear across India.

Key Facts

• Born: c. 570 CE, Mecca; orphaned young, raised by his uncle; merchant by profession
• First revelation: 610 CE, in the cave of Hira — "Read!" (Iqra)
• Hijra: 622 CE, migration to Medina — year 1 of the Islamic calendar
• Died: 632 CE, Medina; buried in the Prophet's Mosque there
• Teachings: absolute oneness of God (tawhid); prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage; justice to orphans, women, and the poor; mercy ("I was sent only as a mercy to the worlds" — Quran 21:107)

Life and Mission

Persecuted in Mecca for preaching one God against idol-worship, Muhammad built in Medina the first Muslim community (umma) — part congregation, part city-state — bound by the Charter of Medina, which gave rights to Jewish tribes alongside Muslims. His Farewell Sermon (632) is remembered for its declarations of human equality: "No Arab has superiority over a non-Arab... except by piety."

The Hadith literature preserves thousands of his sayings and actions (sunna), which — with the Quran — shape Muslim law, worship, and daily manners, including in India: how to pray, marry, trade honestly, greet ("As-salamu alaykum — peace be upon you"), and bury the dead.

Muhammad and India

• The Cheraman tradition: Kerala Muslim tradition holds that the Chera king witnessed the Prophet's miracle of the moon-splitting, embraced Islam, and ordered the building of Cheraman Juma Mosque — traditionally dated to the Prophet's own lifetime (629 CE). Scholars debate the chronology; the devotion is undisputed.
• Milad-un-Nabi: the Prophet's birthday (12 Rabi al-Awwal) is celebrated across India with processions, illuminations, charity meals, and recitations of his praises — most fervently in the Barelvi tradition.
• Naat and manqabat: Urdu devotional poetry in the Prophet's praise, recited at gatherings from Bareilly to Hyderabad.

A Note of Respect

Islamic tradition discourages pictorial depiction of the Prophet. This encyclopedia honours that: no images are presented here, and readers visiting mosques or Milad gatherings should follow local guidance on reverent conduct.