Fred M Donner Muhammad and the believer’s movement

- The reading is based on Hadis that is the eyewitness narratives of the early Muslims that
were compiled after Muhammad PBUH’s demise
- Prophet PBUH was from the Makkah that is west Arabia around the 6th century. From the
tribe of Quraysh, the clan that dominated Makkah and led by his paternal uncle Abu Talib.
Who also raised him PBUH.
- Major activity in Makkah were commerce and religion. Due to the presence of kaba and
other holy site in addition to the status of “haram” (that is no blood can be sped in this area)
this gave Quraysh a stable location to do their commerce activities
- The Quraysh also acted as stewards of Kaba which helped them get in contact with different
tribes and help boost their trading fairs.
- Prophet PBUH also took part in commerce activities and married Khadija RA (who was older
than him PBUH and a widow)
- He PBUH was recognised by his tribesman for his intelligence, honesty and tactfulness (a
person who says the right thing at the right time)
- The first revelation came to him PBUH in 610
- The words were compiled together to form the Quran. Which is a sacred scripture in Islam as
they are the words of God
- The prophet was first terrified but later realised his responsibility. Khadija RA was the first to
believe in him and Islam
- Prophet began preaching it publicly with very few people abjuring their false believes. The
teachings were about; the Oneness of God, reality of the day of Judgement and God-fearing
behaviour. Most of them were from smaller and marginal social groups.
- The first few Muslims:
o Ali Ra son of abu talub
o Saad iba abi waqqas
o Abu Bakr a merchant of the clan of taym
o Talha iba Ubaydallah
o Uthman Iba Affan from umayya clan
o Abd al Rahman IBa Awf from zuhra clan
o Zubayr Iba al Awwan from asad clan
- The Muslims faced persecution from the Quraysh both socially and physically.
- Abu Talib protected the prophet being the chief of the clan Hashim even when the other
clans boycotted them. Some Muslims took refuge in Abyssinia
- After Abu Talibs death, the clan was led by Abu Lahad who withdrew the protection of the
prophet PBUH.
- He PBUH started preaching to people outside Makkah. He had no success at start and
rejected harshly by the people of Taif (100 km west of Makkah). The people of Yathrib (later
called Medina the city of prophet which is 325 km north of Makkah) approached the
prophet to convert to Islam.
- There was a political clash at medina between Aws, Khazraj, and banu Qayla clan.
- Three major Jewish clan in medina were the Nadir, Qurayza and Qaynuqa
- There were 2 expedition by the people of Yathrib and in the second of they invited the
prophet and the Muslims of Makkah to their city.
- The emigration happened in 622 CE (CE stands for common era also called AD which is called
in the year of our lord that is after Christ’s birth)
- Median became the politically independent community of believers. Prophet PBUH laid
down social and legal principles for the city and established rituals to practice.
- The believes included now Muhajirun the emigrants and the believing people of Medina the
Ansar that also means helpers.
- The time after the hijra is important not only because many events happened in the
prophet’s personal life but also because of the political activities that happened during his
PBUH’s life
- 2 grand themes follow After Hijra (AH)
o The struggles within media
 Clash between the muhajirun and ansar [bringing pastoral nomadic
(farmers) to work with traders (the people of Makkah)]
 Opposition by the hypocrites (munafaqun)
 The Jewish in Medina
o The conquer of Makkah
- The prophet established agreements with the various clans of the town so that they can all
live in peace including the Jewish clans. This document is called Umma document because it
made medina become a single community, it included various clauses from how to
responsibilities are distributed to how blood money will be divided
- A masjid was built for all the Muslim to perform salah in media which came to be known as
the Masjid e nabavi
- The direction of prayer was changed from Jerusalem to Makkah after verses of Quran were
revealed. Some historians say it was because of Prophets deteriorating relationship with the
Jews.
- The Jews controlled the main market of Medina and most of the emigrants were merchants,
so they had difficulty finding their livelihood in median
- The emigrants went out as raiding parties and ambushed makkan caravan in the town of
Nakhla which created an even more hostile relationship between Quraysh and the Muslims.
- This raiding was criticized because it was done during the scared months which was resolved
when Quranic verses revealed to justify it.
- The first battle broke out between Quraysh and the Muslim was at Badr. Where the Muslim
won. This improved moral and the economic position of the Muslims.
- Also built confident to attack Jews of the clan Qaynuqa who went against the agreement.
Their leader was murdered, quarters besieged ad then were expelled from the city. They
went to wadi al Qura north of media and then Syria
- Quraysh wanted to settle their score, so they organised an alliance to attack median and the
battle of Uhud took place (3AH).
- The Muslim side suffered loss of life and Prophet PBUH was also injured but the Quraysh
army withdraw on the brink of victory.
- The 2 sides keep trading raids to keep each side from getting more alliance and support
- Some of the trades stuck to their previous believes and some of them converted as a result
of these raids.
- The second major Jewish clan of Nadir was planning to murder the prophet PBUH. The
Muslims besieged their quarters were also expelled. They settled in the oasis town of
khaybar (230Km north of medina)
- Muslims went to long distance expeditions to the north r Arabian oasis and dumat al jandal
but this was inconclusive event.
- The Quraysh organised another alliance army to besiege median and eradicate them
completely. The battle of trench took place, as the Muslim build a trench around media to
neutralise the opponent’s army.
- The Jewish clan of Qurayza sided with the opponent had a dire fate as when they were
besieged, and they surrendered they asked for a judgment from a former ally now among
the followers. Who ordered the men to be executed and women and children enslaved.
- The prophet then dispatched envoys to various tribes around medina, the campaigns north
or medina were especially not received properly. So, all these had no major success.
- In 6 AH the Muslim together with the prophet went towards Makkah unarmed for the
purpose of performing umrah. They went unarmed to establish that they come in peace.
- The Quraysh did not let them in which lead the believers to wait at a place called Hudaybiya
on the borders of the haram while the negotiation continued.
- This led to a truce for 10 year during which neither side was to attack the other, but each
was free to make whatever contacts it wished.
- With one of major enemy not after the Muslims, prophet PBUH organised an expeditionary
force and marched with it towards Khaybar. Which jewish residents that were allies of the
Quraysh. Fighting with the Quraysh allies were not in the treaty of hudaybia so the Quraysh
did not come the Jews aid and this expedition was a success.
- The Jewish residents were allowed to remain in the town but send a percentage of the
annual crops to medina
- Various other raids were launched to different tribes, one of which led by Zayd Ibn Haritha
led towards Syria was rebuffed by the byzantine forces resulting in many casualties one of
which was Zayn ibn Haritha. (Shows why that the first caliph sends an expedition north
because the prophet was interested to expand that way)
- A year later Umrah was performed and the Muslims that went to Abyssinia returned to
Medina
- In 8AH the Quraysh violated the treaty and prophet organised a large arm of around 10
thousand man and marched on Makkah. Quraysh surrender with no fighting and agreed to
embrace Islam.
- After entering the city Kaba was purified for its future role as the focus of monotheist
worship that it originally was built for by Araham AS
- The third major town of western Arabia Taif was the target next which had ties with the
Quraysh. The battle of Hunayn took place which let Taif to eventually capitulate.
- After Taif fell he Prophet PBUH received delegations from various tribal groups in Arabia to
make allegiance to him
- A major military expedition was also led far north to the town of tabuk. Which showed
prophet PBUH’s interest in the north
- He gave the leaders of Quraysh extra shares of booty from the campaign to secure loyalty
from these powerful leaders.
- Prophet changed the old policy of making alliances with pagan tribes to non-cooperation
with polytheists. After Quranic verses relieved for this, so only believers were to be part of
the UMMAH (remember later that believers include everyone who believes in the first part
of shahada that is god is one)
- They were to be attacked and forced to recognize tauheed or to fight.
- In 10 AH the Muslims performed Haji
- Shortly after this the Prophet PBUH fell ill and after several days died at homes in the lap of
his favourite wife Aisha RA in 11 AH
- His body was buried beneath the floor of his house.