Muhammad: a complete biography. Islamic Encyclopedia Prophet Muhammad biography

This article presents the biography of the Prophet Muhammad, the most important figure in the Muslim world. It was to him that Allah handed over the Koran - the Holy Scriptures.

The biography of the Prophet Muhammad begins around 570 AD. e., when he was born. This happened in Saudi Arabia (Mecca), in the Quraish tribe (Hashim clan). Abdullah, Muhammad's father, died before he was born. And the mother of the Prophet Muhammad, Amina, passed away when he was only 6 years old. She was the daughter of the leader of the Zurkha clan from the local Quraish tribe. One day, the mother of the Prophet Muhammad decided to go to Medina with her son in order to visit the grave of Abdullah and her relatives. After staying here for about a month, they went back to Mecca. Amina became seriously ill along the way and died in the village of al-Abwa. This happened around 577. Thus, Muhammad remained an orphan.

The childhood of the future prophet

The future prophet was first raised by Abd al-Muttalib, his grandfather, a man of exceptional piety. Then the upbringing was continued by the merchant Abu Talib, Muhammad's uncle. The Arabs at that time were inveterate pagans. However, some adherents of monotheism stood out among them (for example, Abd al-Muttalib). The bulk of the Arabs lived in the territories that originally belonged to them, living a nomadic life. There were few cities. The main ones include Mecca, Taif and Yathrib.

Muhammad becomes famous

From his youth, the Prophet was distinguished by exceptional piety and piety. He, like his grandfather, believed in one God. Muhammad first tended his flocks and then began to take part in the trading affairs of Abu Talib, his uncle. Gradually Muhammad became famous. People loved him and gave him the nickname al-Amin (meaning "trustworthy"). This is what the Prophet Muhammad was called as a sign of respect for his piety, prudence, justice and honesty.

Marriage of Muhammad to Khadija, children of the prophet

Later, Muhammad conducted the trading business of a wealthy widow named Khadija. She invited him after some time to marry her. The couple lived a happy life, despite the significant age difference. They had six children. All the children of the Prophet Muhammad were from Khadija, except Ibrahim, who was born after her death. In those days, polygamy was common among the Arabs, but Muhammad remained faithful to his wife. Other wives of the Prophet Muhammad appeared to him only after the death of Khadija. This also says a lot about him as an honest person. The children of the Prophet Muhammad had the following names: his sons - Ibrahim, Abdullah, Kasim; daughters - Ummukulsum, Fatima, Ruqiya, Zainab.

Prayers in the mountains, Gabriel's first revelation

Muhammad, as usual, retired to the mountains surrounding Mecca and retired there for a long time. His seclusion sometimes lasted several days. He especially liked the cave of Mount Hira, towering majestically above Mecca. It was here that the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation. A photo of the cave is presented below.

On one of his visits, which took place in 610, when Muhammad was about 40 years old, an amazing event happened to him that completely changed his life. In a vision that came suddenly, the angel Gabriel (Jabrail) appeared before him. He pointed to the words that appeared from outside and ordered Muhammad to pronounce them. He objected, saying that he was illiterate, so he could not read them. However, the angel insisted, and suddenly the meaning of the words was revealed to the prophet. The angel ordered him to learn them and pass them on exactly to the rest of the people.

This was the first revelation of the book known today as the Qur'an (from the Arabic word for "reading"). This night, full of events, fell on the 27th of Ramadan and became known as Laylat al-Qadr. It is the most important event for believers, which marks the history of the Prophet Muhammad. From now on, his life no longer belonged to him. She was given over to the care of God, in whose service he spent the rest of his days, proclaiming his messages everywhere.

Further revelations

The Prophet, receiving revelations, did not always see the angel Gabriel, and when this happened, he appeared in different guises. Sometimes Gabriel appeared before the prophet in human form, which darkened the horizon. Sometimes Muhammad could only catch his gaze on him. The Prophet heard at times only a voice speaking to him. Muhammad sometimes received revelations while deep in prayer. However, in other cases, words appeared completely “randomly” when, for example, the prophet was engaged in daily activities, went for a walk, or listened to a meaningful conversation. At first, Muhammad avoided public sermons. He preferred personal conversation with people.

Condemnation of Muhammad by the people

A special way of performing Muslim prayer was revealed to him, and Muhammad immediately began pious exercises. He did them daily. This caused a whole wave of criticism from those who saw it. Muhammad, having received the highest order to carry out a public sermon, was cursed and ridiculed by the people, who mocked his actions and statements. Many Quraysh, meanwhile, became seriously alarmed, realizing that the persistence with which Muhammad asserted faith in one God could undermine the prestige of polytheism, as well as lead to the decline of idolatry when people began to convert to the faith of Muhammad. Some of the prophet's relatives became his main opponents. They ridiculed and humiliated Muhammad, and also committed evil against converts. There are many examples of abuse and mockery of people who have accepted a new faith.

Migration of the first Muslims to Abyssinia

The short biography of the Prophet Muhammad continued with a move to Abyssinia. Two large groups of early Muslims moved here in search of refuge. Here the Christian negus (king), who was very impressed with their way of life and teaching, agreed to patronize them. The Quraish imposed a ban on all personal, military, business, and trade relations with the Hashim clan. It was strictly forbidden for representatives of this clan to appear in Mecca. Very difficult times came; many Muslims were doomed to severe poverty.

Death of Khadija and Abu Talib, new marriage

The biography of the Prophet Muhammad was marked at this time by other sad events. Khadija, his wife, died in 619. She was his most devoted assistant and supporter. Abu Talib, Muhammad's uncle, died that same year. Namely, he protected him from the fierce attacks of his fellow tribesmen. The Prophet, stricken with grief, left Mecca. He decided to go to Taif and find refuge here, but was rejected. Muhammad's friends betrothed the pious widow Sauda as his wife, who turned out to be a worthy woman and, moreover, a Muslim. Aisha, the young daughter of Abu Bakr, his friend, knew and loved the prophet all her life. And although she was still very young for marriage, according to the customs of that time, she nevertheless entered the family of Muhammad.

The essence of Muslim polygamy

The wives of the Prophet Muhammad are a separate topic. Some people are confused by this part of his biography. The misconception that exists among people who do not understand the reasons for polygamy in the Muslim world should be dispelled. At that time, a Muslim who took several women as wives at once did this out of a sense of compassion, providing them with shelter and his protection. Men were also encouraged to help the spouses of their friends killed in battle and to provide them with separate houses. They should have been treated as close relatives (of course, in the case of mutual love, everything could have been different).

Ascension Night

The biography of the Prophet Muhammad was marked by another important event. In 619, the Prophet had to experience the second amazing night of his life. This is Laylat al-Miraj, the Night of Ascension. It is known that Muhammad was awakened and then transported to Jerusalem on a magical animal. On Mount Zion, over the site of an ancient Jewish temple, the heavens opened. Thus the path opened that led to the throne of the Lord. However, neither he nor the angel Gabriel, who accompanied Muhammad, was allowed to enter the beyond. This is how the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad took place. That night, the rules of prayer were revealed to him, which became the focus of faith, as well as the unshakable basis of life of the entire Muslim world. Muhammad also met other prophets, including Moses, Jesus and Abraham. This wonderful event greatly strengthened and consoled him, adding confidence that Allah had not abandoned him and left him alone with his sorrows.

Preparing to move to Yathrib

The fate of Muhammad from now on changed decisively. He was still ridiculed and persecuted in Mecca, but his message had already been heard by many people outside the city. Several elders of Yathrib persuaded the prophet to leave Mecca and move to their city, where he would be received with honor as a judge and leader. Jews and Arabs lived together in Yasrib, constantly at odds with each other. They hoped that Muhammad would bring them peace. The Prophet immediately advised many of his followers to go to this city while he himself remained in Mecca in order not to arouse suspicion. After all, after Abu Talib died, the Quraish could easily attack the prophet, even kill him, and Muhammad understood perfectly well that sooner or later this was bound to happen.

Muhammad arrives in Yathrib

Some dramatic events accompany the biography of the Prophet Muhammad during his departure. Muhammad managed to miraculously avoid captivity only thanks to his excellent knowledge of the local deserts. The Quraysh almost captured it several times, but Muhammad still managed to reach the outskirts of Yathrib. He was eagerly awaited in this city. When Muhammad arrived, people flocked to him with offers to settle with them. The Prophet, embarrassed by such hospitality, gave his camel the right to choose. The camel decided to stop at a place where dates were drying. The Prophet was instantly given this place to build a house. The city received a new name - Madinat an-Nabi (translated as “city of the prophet”). It is known today in short form as Medina.

Muhammad's reign in Yathrib

Muhammad immediately began preparing a decree, according to which he was proclaimed in this city the supreme head of all clans and tribes that were at war with each other. From now on they had to obey the orders of the prophet. Muhammad established that all citizens were free to practice their religion. They must coexist peacefully without fear of the highest disfavor or persecution. Muhammad asked only for one thing - to unite in order to repel any enemy who dared to attack Medina. The tribal laws of the Jews and Arabs were replaced by the principle of “justice for all,” that is, regardless of religion, skin color and social status.

Life of the Prophet Muhammad in Yathrib

The Prophet, having become the ruler of Medina and having acquired great wealth and influence, never lived like a king. His home consisted of simple clay houses that were built for his wives. The life of the Prophet Muhammad was simple - he never even had his own room. A courtyard with a well was located not far from the houses - a place that has now become a mosque, where devout Muslims gather to this day. Almost the entire life of Muhammad was spent in constant prayer, as well as in the instruction of believers. In addition to the five obligatory prayers performed in the mosque, he devoted a lot of time to solitary prayer, sometimes devoting most of the night to pious reflections. His wives performed night prayer with him, after which they retired to their chambers. And Muhammad continued to pray for many hours, falling asleep briefly towards the end of the night, only to wake up soon for the pre-dawn prayer.

Deciding to return to Mecca

The Prophet, who dreamed of returning to Mecca, decided in March 628 to make his dream come true. He gathered 1,400 of his followers and set off with them, completely unarmed, in robes consisting of only 2 white veils. The followers of the prophet, despite this, were denied entry into the city. Even the fact that Islam was practiced by many citizens of Mecca did not help. The pilgrims, in order to avoid possible clashes, made their sacrifices near Mecca, in an area called Hudaibiya. Muhammad in 629 began plans to conquer Mecca peacefully. The truce concluded at Hudaibiya turned out to be short-lived. The Meccans again attacked a tribe allied with the Muslims in November 629.

Entry of Muhammad into Mecca

At the head of 10 thousand people, the largest army ever to leave Medina, the prophet marched towards Mecca. She settled down near the city, after which Mecca surrendered without a fight. The Prophet Muhammad entered in triumph, went straight to the Kaaba and performed a ritual circuit around it 7 times. After this, the prophet entered the shrine and destroyed all the idols.

Hajat al-Wida, death of Muhammad

Only in 632, in March, the only full-fledged pilgrimage to the Kaaba, known as the Last Pilgrimage (Hajjat ​​al-Wida), was made by the Prophet Muhammad (a photo of the Kaaba in its current form is presented below).

During this pilgrimage, revelations about the rules of the Hajj were sent to him. To this day all Muslims follow them. When, in order to appear before Allah, the prophet reached Mount Arafat, he proclaimed his last sermon. Muhammad was already seriously ill at that time. To the best of his ability, he continued to lead prayers in the mosque. There was no improvement in the illness, and the prophet finally fell ill. He was 63 years old at the time. This ends the biography of the Prophet Muhammad. His followers could hardly believe that he died as a simple man. The story of the Prophet Muhammad teaches us spirituality, faith, and devotion. Today it interests not only Muslims, but also many representatives of other faiths from different parts of the world.

The Prophet Muhammad was born in 570, five centuries after Christ. This is the last “generally recognized” messiah who brought a new religion to the world. A Mormon still cannot claim such a status.

Muhammad and the birth of Islam

In Saudi Arabia, where the Prophet Muhammad was born, everyone knows this name. And not only there. Now the teachings of the prophet are known throughout the world.

Every Muslim and many representatives of other religions know in which city the Prophet Muhammad was born. Mecca serves as a place of pilgrimage annually for millions of devout Mohammedans.

Not everyone shares this belief, but it is difficult to find a person who has never heard of Muhammad and Islam.

The great teacher who brought new news to the world occupies the same place in the hearts of Muslims as Jesus occupies the same place in the hearts of Christians. Here lie the origins of the eternal conflict between the Muslim and Christian religions. Those who believed in Christ condemned the Judaizers who did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah and who remained faithful to their ancestors. Muslims, in turn, accepted the teachings of the Messiah Muhammad and do not approve of the views of orthodox Christians, in their opinion, who did not listen to the good news.

Spelling options for the prophet's name

Every Muslim knows in which city (Mohammed, Muhamad).

Such a large number of reading options for the same name is explained by the fact that the pronunciation of the Arabs is somewhat different from that familiar to the Slavic ear, and the sound of the word can only be conveyed approximately, with errors. The “Mohammed” version is generally a classic Gallicism borrowed from European literature, that is, there was a double distortion.

However, one way or another, this name is recognizable in any version of the spelling. But “Muhammad” remains the classic, generally accepted option.

Islam, Christianity and Judaism

It should be noted that Muslims do not dispute the teachings of Christ. They revere him as one of the prophets, but believe that the coming of Muhammad changed the world just as Christ himself changed it 500 years ago. Moreover, Muslims consider not only the Koran, but also the Bible and the Torah as sacred books. It’s just that the Koran occupies a central place in this creed.

Muslims claim that even those who spoke about the coming of the Messiah did not mean Jesus, but Mohammed. They refer to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verses 18-22. It says that the messiah sent by God will be the same as Moses. Muslims point out the obvious inconsistencies between Jesus and Moses, even though the biographies of Moses and Muhammad are similar in certain ways. Moses was not just a religious figure. He was a patriarch, a prominent politician and a ruler in the literal sense. Moses was rich and successful, he had a large family, wives and children. Indeed, in this respect Mohammed is much more like him than Jesus. In addition, Jesus was conceived immaculately, which cannot be said about Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca, and everyone there knew that his birth was absolutely traditional - the same as that of Moses.

However, opponents of this theory note that it also says that the Messiah will come “from brothers,” and so the ancient Jews could only talk about fellow tribesmen. In Arabia, where the Prophet Muhammad was born, there were and could not be any Jews. Muhammad came from a worthy, respected Arab family, but he could not be a brother to the ancient Jews, as is directly stated in the same

Birth of a Prophet

In the 6th century in Saudi Arabia, where the Prophet Muhammad was born, the majority of the population was pagan. They worshiped numerous ancient gods, and only certain clans were convinced monotheists. It was in such a monotheistic Hochim clan, belonging to the Quraish tribe, that the Prophet Muhammad was born. His father died before the child was born, his mother died when the boy was only six. Little Muhammad was raised by his grandfather, Abd al-Mutallib, a respected patriarch, famous for his wisdom and piety. As a child, Muhammad was a shepherd, then he was taken in by his uncle, a wealthy merchant. Muhammad helped him conduct business, and one day, while making a deal, he met a rich widow named Khadija.

Annunciation

The young merchant turned out to be not only attractive in appearance. He was smart, honest, truthful, pious and benevolent. The woman liked Muhammad and she proposed marriage to him. The young man agreed. They lived for many years in happiness and harmony. Khadija bore six children to Muhammad, and he, despite polygamy traditional in those places, did not take other wives.

This marriage brought prosperity to Muhammad. He was able to devote more time to pious thoughts and often retired to think about God. To do this, he often left the city. One day he went to the mountain, where he especially loved to meditate, and there an angel appeared to the amazed man, bringing the revelation of God. This is how the world first learned about the Koran.

After this, Muhammad devoted his life to serving God. At first he did not dare to preach publicly, he simply talked with those people who showed interest in this topic. But later, Muhammad's statements became more and more bold, he spoke to people, telling them about the new good news. Where the Prophet Muhammad was born, he was known as an undoubtedly religious and honest person, but such statements did not find support. The words of the new prophet and unusual rituals seemed strange and funny to the Arabs.

Medina

Prophet Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca, but his homeland did not accept him. In 619, Khadizhda, Muhammad's beloved wife and loyal supporter, died. Nothing kept him in Mecca anymore. He left the city and headed to Yathrib, where convinced Muslims already lived. On the way, an attempt was made on the prophet's life, but he, being an experienced traveler and fighter, escaped.

When Muhammad arrived in Yathrib, he was greeted by admiring citizens and handed over supreme power to him. Muhammad became the ruler of the city, which he soon renamed Medina - the City of the Prophet.

Return to Mecca

Despite his title, Muhammad never lived in luxury. He and his new wives settled in modest huts, where the prophet spoke to people simply by sitting in the shade of a well.

For almost ten years, Muhammad tried to restore peaceful relations with his hometown, Mecca. But all negotiations ended in failure, despite the fact that there were already quite a few Muslims in Mecca. The city did not accept the new prophet.

In 629, the troops of Mecca destroyed the settlement of a tribe that was on friendly terms with the Muslims of Medina. Then Muhammad, at the head of a huge army of ten thousand at that time, approached the gates of Mecca. And the city, impressed by the power of the army, surrendered without a fight.

So Muhammad was able to return to his native place.

To this day, every Muslim knows where the Prophet Muhammad was born and where this great man is buried. The pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina is considered the highest duty of every follower of Mohammed.

Family of the Prophet Muhammad

1. Khadija bint Khuwaylid
2. Sauda bint Zama
3. Aisha bint Abu Bakr
4. Hafsa bint Umar
5. Zainab bint Khuzaimah

In fiction

In cinema

"The Message" (film, 1976).


"Umar" (TV series, 2012).


08.06.0632

Prophet Muhammad
Magomed

Arabic Preacher

Founder of Islam

News & Events

09/24/0622 Prophet Muhammad completed the transition to Medina

Arab religious figure. Preacher of monotheism and central figure of Islam.
He is the last prophet and messenger of Allah to whom the holy scripture was revealed: the Koran. Muhammad is the founder and head of the Muslim community, which during his reign formed a strong and fairly large state on the Arabian Peninsula.

Prophet Muhammad was born on April 22, 571 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The boy belonged to the Quraish tribe, considered elite by the Arabs. The family of the future preacher of the Koran belonged to the Hashemites, a clan named after Muhammad's great-grandfather: Hashim, a wealthy Arab. The father of the prophet Abdollah, the grandson of the powerful Hashim, but did not acquire wealth like his grandfather. The small merchant barely earned enough to feed his family. The father did not see his son, who became the greatest prophet, since he died before the birth of Muhammad. Soon after, my mother and grandfather died. The teenager was raised by his uncle Abu Talib.

At the age of twelve, together with his uncle, he went to Syria on trade business and plunged into the atmosphere of spiritual quest associated with Judaism, Christianity, and other religions. The young man was a camel driver, then a merchant.

When Muhammad turned twenty-one, he received a position as a clerk for the rich widow Khadija. While engaged in Khadija's trading affairs, the man visited many places and everywhere showed interest in local customs and beliefs. Then, at twenty-five, he married his mistress. The marriage turned out to be happy. But Muhammad was drawn to spiritual quests, so he often went into desert gorges and plunged alone into deep contemplation.

In 610, in the cave of Mount Hira, the angel Gabriel, sent by Allah, appeared to Muhammad with the first verses of the Koran, who ordered him to remember the text of the revelation and called him “Messenger of Allah.” Having begun to preach among his loved ones, Muhammad gradually expanded his circle of adherents. The Prophet called on his fellow tribesmen to monotheism, to a righteous life, to keeping the commandments in preparation for the coming divine judgment, and spoke about the omnipotence of Allah, who created man and all living and nonliving things on earth.

Muhammad perceived his mission as an order from Allah, and called biblical characters his predecessors: Moses, Joseph, Zechariah, Jesus. A special place in the sermons is given to Abraham, who was recognized as the forefather of Arabs and Jews and the first to preach monotheism. Muhammad stated that his mission was to restore the faith of Abraham.

Soon, the aristocratic circles of Mecca saw in his sermons a threat to their power and organized a conspiracy against Muhammad. Having learned about this, the prophet's companions persuaded him to leave the city and move to the city of Medina in 622. By that time, some of his associates had already settled there. It was in Medina that the first Muslim community was fully formed, strong enough to attack caravans coming from Mecca. These actions were perceived as punishment for the Meccans for the expulsion of Muhammad and his companions, and the funds received went to the needs of the community.

In 630, the previously persecuted prophet Muhammad returned to Mecca, entering the holy city eight years after his exile. Merchant Mecca greeted the prophet with crowds of admirers from all over Arabia. The procession through the streets was majestic. The Prophet, dressed in simple clothes and a black turban, sitting on a camel, was accompanied by tens of thousands of pilgrims.

Muhammad entered Mecca as a pilgrim, not a triumphant. The Prophet walked around the holy places, performed rituals and made sacrifices. He traveled around the ancient pagan sanctuary of the Kaaba seven times and touched the sacred Black Stone the same number of times. At the Kaaba, the preacher declared that “there is no God but Allah alone” and ordered the destruction of 360 idols that stood in the temple.

Subsequently, the Kaaba in Mecca was declared a Muslim shrine, and from that time on, Muslims began to pray, turning their gaze to Mecca. The inhabitants of Mecca itself did not accept the new faith for a long time, but Muhammad managed to convince them that Mecca would retain its status as a major commercial and religious center.

Soon the prophet became the ruler of Arabia and created a powerful Arab state. When Muhammad's proteges and military leaders appeared in Mecca, he returned to Medina, visiting the grave of Amina's mother. But the joy of the triumph of Islam was darkened by the news of the death of the only son Ibrahim, on whom his father had pinned his hopes.

The sudden death of his son undermined the preacher’s health. The man, sensing the approach of death, again moved to Mecca to pray for the last time at the Kaaba. Hearing about the prophet's intentions and wanting to pray with him, ten thousand pilgrims gathered in Mecca. The pilgrims listened to the words of Muhammad, realizing that they were listening to him for the last time.

Prophet Muhammad completed his earthly journey on June 8, 632 and was buried in Medina. The grave was dug in the place where the prophet died: the house of his wife Aisha. Later, a mosque was erected over the ashes, which became a shrine of the Muslim world.

In Islam, for believers, the name has a sacred meaning. Muhammad is translated as “praiseworthy”, “praised”. In the Qur'an, the name of the prophet is repeated four times, in other cases Muhammad is called Nabi ("prophet"), Rasul ("messenger"), Abd ("slave of God"), Shahid ("witness") and several other names. The full name of the Prophet Muhammad is long: it includes the names of all his ancestors in the male line, starting with Adam. Believers call the preacher Abul-Qasim.

Prophet Muhammad's Day: Mawlid al-Nabi is celebrated on the 12th day of the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Rabi al-Awwal. Muhammad's birthday is the third most revered date for Muslims. The first and second places are occupied by the holidays of Eid al-Adha and Kurban Bayram. During his lifetime, the prophet celebrated only them. Descendants celebrate the Day of the Prophet Muhammad with prayers, good deeds, and stories about the miracles of the saint.

Family of the Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad married everyone before the Koranic ban, which prohibited having more than four wives. Below is a list of the 13 wives of Muhammad:

1. Khadija bint Khuwaylid
2. Sauda bint Zama
3. Aisha bint Abu Bakr
4. Hafsa bint Umar
5. Zainab bint Khuzaimah
Prophet Muhammad in art

In fiction

“Prophet” - drama by Azerbaijani poet and playwright Huseyn Javid

In cinema

"The Message" (film, 1976).
"Muhammad: the last prophet" (cartoon, 2002).
“Moon of the Hashim family” (TV series, 2008).
"Umar" (TV series, 2012).
“Muhammad is the Messenger of the Almighty” (film, 2015).

The founder of the religion of Islam was Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Muslims deeply revere him, considering him a prophet and messenger of Allah. The first biography of Muhammad was compiled by Ibn Ishaq, who was born half a century after the death of the prophet. It has reached us in fragments and in parts.

Muhammad is a historical figure, he was born in 570 in the city of Mecca. Muhammad's childhood was full of tragic events: Abdullah's father died a few days before the boy was born, his mother died when he was only 6 years old. After the death of his parents, Muhammad was raised by his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, who was one of the most respectable elders in the Quraish tribe. When his grandfather died, his uncle Abu Talib took care of the boy. The suffering he endured made him sensitive to people and other people's hardships.

At the age of 12, Muhammad made his first journey with his uncle's caravan to Syria. For six months the boy observed the life of the nomadic Arabs. At about 20 years old, Muhammad began to live an independent life. He was a man who knew a lot about trade and knew how to drive caravans. According to Arab historians, Muhammad was distinguished by his excellent character, honesty and conscientiousness, and loyalty to his word. Having become a camel driver, Muhammad visited many countries, saw people of different beliefs, learned and understood a lot. At the age of 25, he married a wealthy Meccan widow, Khadija, and became a wealthy and respected man in Mecca.

In Mecca lived preachers of monotheism - the Hanifs, who worshiped one God and not idols like the rest. That is, the religion that has remained since the time of the prophet Ibrahim (Avrvm). Muhammad became acquainted with the religious traditions of peoples and noted the positive and negative aspects.

Muhammad prayed to Allah at first in complete solitude, spending days and nights in prayer. Muhammad's favorite place of prayer was Mount Hira. According to legend, after three years of tireless prayer, a revelation from Allah came to Muhammad at night. He saw the angel Jibril, who told him the words of Allah, which spoke about the essence of God and his relationship to man. The revelations received on Mount Hira finally convinced Muhammad of the correctness of his religious ideas.

Subsequently, Muhammad began to propagate the religious system sent down to him by God. The closest people - wife, cousin, adopted son - became the first Muslims. The spread of Muhammad's religious teachings was not easy and secret. Together with their friend and fellow believer Abu Bakr, they created a religious community (ummah). One day, when Muhammad was lying in a gazebo, covered with a cloak, a voice again sounded, ordering him to begin a public sermon. Muhammad gave his first public sermon in the center of Mecca in front of a large crowd of citizens, but it was not successful. The Quraish did not believe that Allah created the earth, man, and animals, and they demanded a miracle from him. While Muhammad glorified Allah in his sermons, the townspeople put up with it. But when he began to attack the gods (idols) who were revered in the Kaaba temple, the Quraysh decided to prohibit Muhammad and his supporters from praying near the temple. They poured dirty water on him, threw stones at him, scolded him, and humiliated him. In 622, Muhammad and his loved ones, unable to withstand ridicule and persecution, moved to the city of Yathrib (Medina). The year of migration marked the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

The Medinians received Muhammad with almost universal approval. In Medina, Muhammad became a skilled politician and ruler. He united all the warring clans of the city and ruled fairly. People believed Muhammad and followed him. The number of converts to Islam grew rapidly. Medina became a strong Muslim center. The first mosque was built here, rules of prayer and behavior in everyday life were established, and the basic principles of religious doctrine were formed. They were expressed in the “revelations” that made up the Koran, in the words, decisions and actions of Muhammad himself.

But Mecca remained hostile to Muslims. The inhabitants of Mecca attacked Muslims several times and Muhammad had to use force to subdue and bring the Quraish to reason. In 630, Muhammad triumphantly returned to Mecca. Mecca and the Kaaba become the shrine of Islam. Muhammad cleared the pagan sanctuary of the Kaaba from idols, leaving only the “black stone”. Muhammad signed a peace treaty with the Quraysh and, having converted everyone to Islam, returned to Medina. In 632, he died of illness, being virtually the ruler of all Arabia.

All sources reporting on the life and work of Muhammad emphasize his modest lifestyle. Muhammad was undoubtedly an exceptional person, a dedicated, intelligent and flexible politician. Muhammad's personal qualities became an important factor in the fact that Islam, which was initially one of many ideological movements that marked the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages, turned into one of the most influential world religions. According to the teachings of Islam, Muhammad is the last prophet in human history. After him there were and will be no more prophets and world religions.

This is interesting:

“Muhammad lives extremely simply and dresses modestly. He wears a coarse cloak, has one change of linen underwear, does not allow himself any cracks or expensive fabrics, wears a turban or a square head scarf, boots or sandals, cleans and mends his own clothes, he does not need a servant. Muhammad’s food is equally simple: a handful of dates, a barley cake, cheese, a cup of milk, porridge and fruit - this is the food every day, meat is served no more than once a week.”

“Muhammad, according to the description of his contemporaries, was of average height, broad-shouldered, wiry, with large arms and legs. His face was long, with sharp and expressive features, an aquiline nose and black eyes. Steep, almost fused eyebrows, a large and flexible mouth, white teeth, smooth black hair that fell on his shoulders, and a long, thick beard...

He was gifted with quick intelligence. Strong memory. A lively imagination and a genius of inventiveness. He was quick-tempered by nature, but knew how to control the impulses of his heart. He was honest and the same with everyone. The common people loved him for the friendliness with which he accepted and listened to all complaints.”

Muhammad ibn Abdallah, a Quraysh from the Hashim clan, was born into one of the noble Meccan families. The traditional year of birth attributed to Muhammad, 570, cannot be confirmed. Of course, the exact month and date of this event are not known.

Muhammad's father, Abdallah, died before his son was born. Thus, the widow Amina and her newborn found themselves in the care of the family.

The baby was named Kotan at birth. However, after thanking the gods of the Kaaba for their blessing, the head of the family, Hashim Abd al-Mutallib, named his grandson Muhammad, which means: “The Praised One.” The guests were surprised by this name, which was quite rare, but well known among the Arabs. To the question of one of the guests as to why the tradition of using the family name is not preserved, Abd al-Mutallib replied: “May the Almighty praise in heaven the one He created on earth.”

Little can be said definitely about the period of his adolescence and youth, except that he was orphaned early: at the age of two he lost his mother, until he was eight years old he remained in the care of his grandfather, Abd al-Mutallib, and then his uncle, Abu Talib. The subsequent Muslim tradition gave rise to many mythical tales about the childhood of the “prophet” and embellished them with a wide variety of details. It is known, however, that Muhammad was a shepherd in his youth and also went with caravans; once he visited Syria, where, according to legend, a Christian hermit recognized him as a future prophet.

At the age of 25, Muhammad went to work for his distant relative, the widow of a wealthy merchant Khadija, whom he married a little later, despite the fact that she was 15 years older than Muhammad. The marriage, which took place on the initiative of Khadija, gave Muhammad freedom of action and provided him with the leisure necessary for mental development. Every year he spent some time alone on Mount Hira, near Mecca (this was a common form of asceticism in pre-Islamic Arabia).

During one of these retreats in 610, when he was about forty years old, Muhammad, according to tradition, heard a call addressed to him. A certain nameless ghost appeared to him, who later began to be considered the Archangel Gabriel. He forced Muhammad to recite poetry. These verses became the first lines of the “revelation.” This is how this key event is described in the biography of the founder of Islam, Ibn Hisham:

“When this month came... the Messenger of Allah went to Mount Hira... When night fell... Jibril brought him the command of Allah. The Messenger of Allah said: “Jibril appeared to me while I was sleeping, with a brocade blanket in which some kind of book was wrapped and said: “Read!” I answered: “I don’t know how to read.” Then he began to strangle me with this blanket, so that I thought that death had come. Then he let me go and said: “Read!” I answered: “I don’t know how to read.” He started choking me with it again, and I thought I was dying. Then he let me go and said: “Read!” I answered: “I don’t know how to read.” He began to choke me again, so I decided that the end had come, then he let me go and said: “Read!” I answered: “What to read?”, wanting only to get rid of him, so that he would not again do the same thing to me as before. Then he said: -Read! In the name of your lord, who created...” (Quran 96, 1-5).”

The calling of Muhammad, as described in Muslim sources, is very similar to the way the shaman is called by spirits. It is known that no one becomes a shaman of their own free will, and no one strives to become one. Shamans themselves are chosen by otherworldly forces to serve them, after which the spirits force, including through torture (the so-called “shamanic disease”), the candidate for shaman to accept the mission determined by him. The main parallel is visible both in the calling of Muhammad and in the calling of shamans - this is violence against the individual, the desire to force a person to accept his will by force and torture. This parallel was also noted by secular researchers, for example, M. Eliade, who also drew parallels between the miraculous ascension of Muhammad to heaven - the “miraj” and visions of shamanic trance.

In fear, Muhammad runs home and tells his wife Khadija about the vision. She goes to her Christian cousin Waraqa, and it is in a conversation with him that the concept of Islam appears - Waraqa interprets the vision in the sense that it was the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel, who appeared to all the prophets, and that Muhammad is also, therefore, a prophet of the one God . Khadija believed in this and tried to convince the frightened Muhammad himself, to whom the same spiritual being continued to appear at night. For quite a long time he remained in suspicion that this was the devil.

However, in a rather original way, Khadija managed to convince him that it was an angel, and not a shaitan, who appeared to him. When Muhammad once again saw a spirit appearing to him in the form of a man, he told Khadija about this. It was night. She asked, “Can you see him now?” He said, "Yes." After that, she opened up and asked: “Can you see him now?” He replied: “No, he disappeared.” She said: “Be strong and rejoice, because now we know for sure that this is an angel, not a devil.” According to her, if he were a shaitan, he would have stayed to look at the naked woman, and the angel, with appropriate modesty, would definitely have left (see. Ibn Hisham. Biography of the Prophet Muhammad. M., 2003. - P. 94).

It is noteworthy that during this formation of the initial concept of Islam, the role of Muhammad himself was passive. Having accepted the mission assigned to him, Muhammad began to receive new revelations, but for another three whole years he talked about what was revealed to him only in an intimate circle. The first few followers appeared - Muslims (“submissive”). The very name of the religion “Islam” is translated by Muslims as “submission”, in the sense of submission to Allah. The first Muslims were, first of all, relatives (wife Khadija, nephew Ali, etc.) and close acquaintances.

The first Muslim was Khadija, the second was his nephew Ali, who was then 12 years old and whom Muhammad took in to raise him. The next Muslim was Muhammad's slave, Zeid. Then others appeared, but, with the exception of Abu Bakr, as a rule, unnoble people who did not play any role in the political life of Mecca, who, nevertheless, believed that Muhammad was the prophet of a single god, whom he preached under the name of Allah. They gathered together, prayed, Muhammad retold them his revelations, taught them to believe in one God and himself as a prophet.

Several hadiths should be quoted that describe how revelations came to Muhammad. Visions like the original were very rare. Revelations mostly came in a different form.

Ibn Saad reports the following hadith:

“Al-Xapuc ibn Hisham said: “O Messenger of Allah! How do revelations come to you? The Messenger of Allah answered him: “Sometimes they come to me in the form of a ringing bell, and it’s very difficult for me; (eventually) it stops ringing and I remember everything I was told. Sometimes an angel appears in front of me and speaks, and I remember everything he said.” Aisha said: “I witnessed when the revelation came to him on a very cold day, when it stopped, his whole forehead was covered in perspiration.”

"Ubayd b. Samit says that when the revelation came to the Messenger of Allah, he felt heaviness, and his complexion underwent a change” (Hadith from the collection of Muslim).

“The prophet’s face was red, and he was breathing heavily for a while, and then he got rid of it” (Hadith from the collection of al-Bukhari).

A few words must be said about the versions that existed in the Christian world and about the understanding of these revelations. There are three main ones.

First version: Muhammad imitated it and fooled his followers. He specifically took advantage of this to make a greater impression around his teaching. This version was developed, in particular, by Theodore Abu Kurra.

Another: Muhammad suffered from epilepsy, and these conditions were epileptic seizures. The first to express this idea was St. Theophanes the Confessor. It enjoys attention in the scientific world to this day. The fact is that in the biography of Muhammad, written by ibn Hisham, there are moments from which we can conclude that Muhammad had similar seizures in childhood. A case is described when Muhammad, still in infancy, while in the family of the nurse Halima, fainted. Then Halima and her husband were very scared for him, and, as Halima herself says: “The father told me: I’m afraid that this child has had a stroke, so give him to his family before the result affects.” So we took the child and took him to his mother.”

Another version is that Muhammad actually saw all these visions that were generated by negative spiritual forces, that is, during these states he was under the influence of demons, and this non-communication explains his condition. This was expressed by George Amartol, a Christian historian of the 9th century. His chronography was translated into Slavic and Georgian languages ​​and had a tremendous influence on Russian historical science.

Each of these interpretations has its supporters in our time, including among researchers. It is characteristic that each has a strong argument in its favor and each finds foundations in the Muslim historical tradition. It is possible that in reality all these factors were combined and intertwined.

Public preaching

Three years after the first revelation, Muhammad is instructed to begin public preaching, which he does. The core of the first sermon was the proclamation of monotheism, the call to abandon the worship of false gods and the affirmation of the inevitability of the Last Judgment.

The main meaning of his sermon was the proclamation of monotheism, that there is only one god - Allah. According to this, there are attacks on the pagan religion of the Arabs, on their revered gods and goddesses, on their shrines. He claimed to be a prophet of Allah, sent for the Arabs, in order to lead them away from false worship, as well as to proclaim the Last Judgment, the Resurrection, the reward for the faithful and the torment of those who did not believe. These were the main themes of Muhammad's early preaching. Although a few more converts appeared, the sermon was generally received with indifference. Significant people were offended by his attacks on their cult.

Among other things, this was explained by the fact that Muhammad was not original against the backdrop of a pagan environment. At the same time as Muhammad, and earlier, the Arabs had similar prophets. They taught that God is one, about His mercy, and proclaimed themselves prophets. They had similar trance experiences to Muhammad. His early predecessor and rival was the "prophet" Maslama from the city of Yemama in eastern Arabia. So Muhammad's failure as a preacher is also explained by the fact that he was unoriginal. It is known that the pagans reproached him that he was simply retelling the man from Yemama, who said the same thing, and even behaved the same. In addition, there were other prophets: Aswad, Talha and many others who said that they were prophets of one God.

The conflict between the small followers of Muhammad and the pagans escalated when the “prophet” opposed the revered Meccan deities. Over time, the conflict began to result in fights and persecution.
There is a known episode when, during a debate on religious topics between one of the followers of Muhammad and a pagan, a Muslim, having no arguments, grabbed a camel bone lying nearby and hit his opponent with its sharp end, seriously injuring him. This trick and much more forced the elite of Mecca to decide to destroy Muhammad, as well as his supporters. Some Muslims who were enslaved by pagans were killed or tortured, but Muhammad himself was not in danger, since he was under the protection of his family. The heads of other clans repeatedly came to the head of the clan Abu Talib and asked him to remove the protection of the clan from Muhammad, they offered him different options, however, he did not agree. Then the Meccans declared a boycott of the Hashim family, but Abu Talib remained adamant.

As relations worsened during two years of open preaching, Muhammad found it necessary to send those believers who caused the most irritation to Christian Abyssinia. This first Hijra took place in 615. At the same time, some of Muhammad’s companions who moved to Abyssinia, having learned Christianity, were baptized (for example, Ubaidallah ibn Jahiz).
Muhammad himself was still not in danger of persecution. When the rest of the Quraish declared a boycott of the Hashim clan, this did not force Abu Talib to change his position. During this time, Khadija died. The situation worsened in 619, when Abu Talib, despite the entreaties of his nephew, who remained a pagan, and the head of the Khadija clan died. Abu Talib's successor is another uncle of Muhammad, Abu-Sufian, who later became his most sworn enemy; he removes the patronage of the clan from Muhammad. This was partly because Muhammad said that because his uncle Abu Talib had not converted to Islam, he would go to hell when he died.

Muhammad tries to preach outside of Mecca - in the neighboring city of Taif, but the first attempt was unsuccessful, and the herald of the new religion was stoned.

In general, in general, we can admit that Muhammad as a preacher was completely untenable. In addition to the defeat in Taif, in Mecca itself for ten years he was unable to acquire a sufficiently noticeable number of supporters, and of the handful of converts, many were converted not by him, but by his supporter, the respected merchant Abu Bakr in Mecca. By comparison, Muhammad's elder contemporary and rival prophet Maslama was able to easily convert all the inhabitants of his hometown of Yemama. Then Muhammad decides to move to the city of Yathrib or Medina, as an arbitrator, where he was invited by representatives of the tribes inhabiting the city. Yathrib was mired in internecine wars and strife between the clans of the Banu Qayla tribe, as well as three Jewish tribes. Their representatives invited Muhammad and his community to settle in Medina in the hope that the Muslim presence would have a stabilizing effect. This was probably due to the fact that Muhammad's mother, Amina, came from Yathrib. After two years of negotiations with the people of Medina, some of whom also converted to Islam, Muhammad decided to make the second Hijra. In the summer of 622, about 70 members of his community flocked to Yathrib. So, when Muhammad, along with his friend Abu Bakr, also arrived in Yathrib on September 4, he found there a personal guard of muhajirs (migrants). The Medina Muslims were called Ansars (helpers). Upon the arrival of Muhammad, the first mosque was built.

The inhabitants of Medina heeded the requests of Muhammad and accepted Muslims from Mecca as their dependents. However, this could not continue for long, the Ansars themselves were not rich, and the community could not exist in miserable conditions. The need was to quickly ensure the economic independence of immigrants who had lost all their property.

Then Muhammad makes a decision that can be considered a turning point in Muslim history. Seeing that it is impossible to feed the community with honest labor, he decides to engage in robbery and makes his first treacherous raid. The Arabs revered four sacred months of the year, during which it was forbidden to carry out any military actions. During these months, Muhammad, who was well aware of the movements of the caravans, having been a participant in them in the past, ordered a small detachment of his followers to attack the caravan, knowing that it would be unprotected.

It is from this point that the history of the successes of Islam begins, built not on preaching, the results of which were insignificant, but on robberies, murders and military clashes.

The first such raid was carried out on his orders during the sacred truce.

“The Prophet heard that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb was returning from Syria with a large caravan of Quraysh, carrying money and goods... Hearing about this... The Prophet called on the Muslims to attack them, saying: - Here is the caravan of Quraysh. It contains their wealth. Attack them, and maybe with the help of Allah you will get them! ”(Ibn Hisham. Biography... pp. 278-279).

It is definitely said that Muhammad himself was the initiator of the seizure of the caravan with money and goods. Muhammad understood that the property in the caravan did not belong to him, not to Muslims, but to other people. However, he calls on Muslims to seize these values, and this is the only motive given by the biographer.

The caravan was practically unguarded, and the treacherous attack was crowned with success: the sent detachment of Muslims returned with booty. However, many of Muhammad's followers were embarrassed by the violation of the holy months of truce, which prohibited military action. Their perplexity was answered by revelation: “They ask you [whether it is permissible] to fight [with the Meccan polytheists] in the forbidden month. Answer: -Fighting in the forbidden month is a great sin. However, to turn away from the path of Allah, not to allow one into the Forbidden Mosque, disbelief in Him and expulsion of those praying from it is an even greater sin before Allah, for polytheism is a greater sin than murder” (Quran 2.217).

A year later, the Meccans sent a detachment to Yathrib to punish Muhammad for robbery. Around March 15, 624, they attacked the Muslims. About six hundred people took part in the battle on the pagan side, and a little more than three hundred on the Muslim side. Thanks to the discipline and zeal of the Muslims, victory was on their side. This had a significant strengthening of Muhammad's position in Medina; many pagans began to actively accept Islam. The Muslims were convinced that this victory was confirmation that they were right. “You did not kill them, but Allah killed them” (Koran 8.17), the revelation said about this.

At the Battle of Badr, many pagans were captured. The “prophet” ordered some of them to be sold to relatives for a ransom, those who were beggars were released under an oath that they would never resist him, and some he ordered to be killed:

“The Prophet moved on, returning to Medina. Along with him were captive pagans, and among them were Uqba ibn Abu Muayt, an-Nadr ibn al-Harith... When the Prophet was in al-Safra, an-Nadr ibn al-Harith was killed. Then he moved on, and... Uqba ibn Abu Muayt was killed. When the Prophet ordered the death of Uqba, Uqba asked: “What will happen to the boys, O Muhammad?” The Prophet replied: “Fire.” He was killed by Asim ibn Sabit al-Ansari..." (Ibn Hisham. Biography... p. 300).

These people are especially noted because they at one time annoyed Muhammad with ridicule of him and his poems. Muhammad did not forgive such things and organized show executions. And the boys that the poet Ukba asks Muhammad about are his, Ukba’s, children...

In the next battle that happened a year later - at Uhud, the Muslims suffered a significant defeat, although Muhammad had predicted victory the day before; nevertheless, his camel was killed under him, and two of his teeth were knocked out.

These were not the best times for the Muslim community, although it did not collapse despite the defeat. A revelation came down to Muhammad, explaining that the Muslims themselves were to blame for everything, but not the “prophet.” If, they say, they had listened to him, they would have won. At the same time, Muhammad strengthened his position inside Medina. Repression begins against those who opposed Muhammad. All of Muhammad's sermons, which later became the Koran, were in poetic form, and although Muhammad himself claimed that no one would ever be able to write such wonderful poetry, nevertheless, Arab poets were skeptical about his poetry and the level of his poetry. They made fun of them in their poems, and he could not tolerate this. By order of Muhammad, in addition to the captured Meccan poets, two poets living in Medina were killed. Moreover, to kill the old poet, who was very careful, Muhammad allowed the killers to resort to lies. They told the poet that they were not Muslims and, having gained his trust, killed the old man and brought his heart to Muhammad. Women were also subjected to these repressions. Muhammad personally ordered his freedman and adopted son Zeid to kill the poetess Umm Qirfa, who ridiculed the “prophet” in her poems. Zayd killed her by tying a rope to her legs, at the other end tied to two camels, leading the camels in opposite directions until the woman was torn in two (Al "saba - Ibn Hagar - vol. 4, page 231)

Most of the pagans of Medina became Muslims, while a minority were forced to move out. The other opposition in the city was the Jewish tribes, of which there were four. Some of the Jews also converted to Islam, but their number was insignificant. Most Jews ridiculed Muhammad's prophetic claims and efforts to retell biblical stories. This irritated him, and he began a systematic war against the Jewish tribes. At the same time, he acted like a cunning politician, took advantage of quarrels between tribes and sought to destroy each tribe separately, while being at peace with everyone else. He destroyed three tribes completely. This is the first example of genocide under Islam. He forced one tribe to move out.

“At noon, Gabriel appeared to the Prophet... [and said]: “Almighty and all-glorious Allah orders you, O Muhammad, to go to Banu Quraiza. I will go to them and shake them.” The Messenger of Allah besieged them for twenty-five days until the siege became unbearable for them... “Then they surrendered, and the Prophet locked them in Medina in the house of Bint al-Harith, a woman from Banu an-Najjar. Then the Prophet went to the market of Medina and dug several ditches there. Then he ordered them to be brought, and cut off their heads in these ditches. They say there were between eight and nine hundred of them." (Ibn Hisham. Biography... p. 400).

Some of the influential pagans - the Medinians, for example, Khalid ibn Sufyan and Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, were killed by Muhammad through sent assassins, and others were forced to move out. Thus, Muhammad had at his disposal an entire city with a strong and trained community, completely obedient to him. Therefore, when the Meccans undertook their next campaign, the situation was different.

The Meccans gathered a large force and moved against Medina with the intention of destroying Islam. However, Muhammad, who understood that his strength was still not enough, resorted to the advice of a Persian specialist who was in the community and suggested an innovation with which the Arabs were unfamiliar. Salman the Persian advised to dig a ditch around Medina. When the Meccans came to this ditch, they did not dare to overcome it and retreated, content with destroying the date palms that grew around. Most of the subsequent battles were won by the Muslims, despite the fact that some tribes united against them, as the opponents made mistakes and were not united. Due to this, Islam grew stronger.

As he grew in power, Muhammad imposed his religion on the surrounding small tribes. The Bedouins accepted this passively in most cases; a few horsemen were enough to destroy the tribal idols; this met with virtually no resistance.

In 630, Muhammad, at the head of an army of thousands, marched on Mecca. The city capitulated. Muhammad defiantly forgave his most bitter enemies. Those, just as demonstratively, were among the first to rush to convert to Islam. In the year of his death (632), Muhammad performed the ritual of hajj to the Kaaba, cleansed of idols, and performed the ritual of worship of the black stone. Representatives of Arab tribes flocked to Mecca from all sides, hastening to enter into an alliance with a formidable force. In the year of Muhammad's death, there were approximately 100,000 adherents of Islam. However, not everything was smooth sailing. A number of regions of Arabia (East and South) drove out his emissaries in disgrace, rallying around their own prophets - Aswad and Musailima. It was these alternative prophets, together with their followers, who became the most solid obstacles to the path of Islam in Arabia.

A serious illness found Muhammad preparing a great campaign against Byzantium. Death prevented the plan from being realized. Before his death, he was seriously ill, the ghosts of the dead bothered him. He died in Medina in 632.

Personal life

According to Islamic teaching: “The Messenger of Allah is an exemplary example for you, for those who place their hope in Allah” (Quran 33.21). Therefore, the actions and moral character of Muhammad are of great importance to every Muslim.

In Medina, Muhammad acquired a harem; he had up to nine wives at a time, and in total he had 13 wives throughout his life. For Muslims, Muhammad set a restriction not to take more than four wives, but then received a “revelation” that he himself, as an exception, could take an unlimited number of wives. There were some interesting examples among these wives. For example, Aisha bint Abu Bakr, whom Muhammad married when she was nine years old. Since Muhammad is a model for a Muslim, this is a legal precedent in Islamic law. In Iran and Morocco, to this day girls can be married off at age nine. Another of his wives was the wife of his adopted son Zeid, Muhammad liked her very much, and he forced his son to divorce her and took her as his wife. When some of the Muslims dared to be indignant at this, since, according to the Arabs, such a marriage was incest, Muhammad immediately received a “revelation” allowing him to marry the wives of his adopted sons.
There was also a Jewish woman captured by the "prophet" on the battlefield, who refused the "honor" of being the "prophet's wife", and, moreover, tried to poison Muhammad.

The justification and calls for military aggression against non-Muslims played a major role. The Prophet said: “I am ordered to fight the people until they testify that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, they will not turn in the direction of our qibla (direction for prayer), they will not eat what we kill, and they will not pray like us. When they do this, we will not have the right to take away their lives and property, except what is due from them" (Abu Dawud, 2635 - here and further in the footnotes the name of the author of the collection of hadiths that make up the Sunnah appears first, and the second is the number hadith in the collection).

“Let those who buy the hereafter at the cost of life in this world fight in the name of Allah. Whoever fights in the name of Allah and is killed or wins, We will give a great reward" (Quran 4, 74), whoever dies in jihad "will be exalted for his deeds until the Day of Resurrection, and will be free from the afterlife Judgment" (Muslim, 2494 ).

Muhammad himself was ordered: “O Prophet! Encourage the believers to fight the infidels!” (Quran 8, 65). And he was encouraging. “The Messenger of Allah encouraged people to jihad and told them about the Gardens of Eden. One of the Ansars was eating dates that he was holding in his hands and said: “I so want to get into this world, should I sit until I finish eating?” He threw away what he had in his hands and took his sword and fought until he was cut down.” (Malik, 21,18,42).

At the same time, participation in jihad is a Muslim duty, not dependent on the desire to fulfill it: “You are ordered to fight the enemies of Islam, and this is hateful to you. But it is also possible that you hate what is good for you; what you desire is what is evil for you. Allah knows about it, but you do not know” (Quran 2.216).

Muhammad's relationship with Christians

Representatives of Christian Arab tribes regularly met with Muhammad, and he enjoyed talking with them about faith. Throughout his life, the founder of Islam had to fight with four Jewish tribes - Kanuk, Nadir, Quraiz and Khaybar, and he directed one campaign against the Orthodox Byzantines.

The Christians of Najran entered into an agreement with Muhammad. They also had religious disputes that ended unsuccessfully for the false prophet. Apparently, these failures contributed to the fact that in the last years of his life he experienced an ever-increasing hostility towards Christians and Christianity. In the Koran you can find both verses praising Christians and direct curses. He bequeathed the expulsion of all Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and died while preparing a large campaign against the Orthodox Byzantines.