The Life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
A short Seerah for families
Contents
1. Birth and childhood
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born in Makkah around the year 570 CE, known as the Year of the Elephant. His father Abdullah died before he was born. As a baby he was nursed by Halimah As-Sa’diyyah in the desert. His mother Aminah died when he was six, and his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib when he was eight. His uncle Abu Talib then cared for him.
2. Al-Amin — the trustworthy
As a young man he worked as a shepherd and then a trader. People of Makkah called him Al-Amin, the trustworthy. At about twenty-five he married Khadijah, a respected businesswoman, who became the first person to believe in his message.
3. The first revelation
At the age of forty, while worshipping in the Cave of Hira, the angel Jibril came to him with the first words of the Quran.
4. Patience in Makkah
For thirteen years he called the people of Makkah to worship Allah alone. Many believers were persecuted; some migrated to Abyssinia, where a just Christian king protected them. In the Year of Sorrow he lost both Khadijah and Abu Talib. At Ta’if he was stoned, yet he prayed for the people rather than against them. Allah honoured him with the Night Journey and Ascension (Al-Isra wal-Mi’raj), when the five daily prayers were given.
5. The Hijrah to Madinah
In 622 CE he migrated to Madinah with Abu Bakr. This journey begins the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. In Madinah he built the masjid, joined the emigrants and the helpers as brothers, and set out an agreement for living together with the city’s different communities.
6. Trials and victory
| Year (AH) | Event |
|---|---|
| 2 | Battle of Badr |
| 3 | Battle of Uhud |
| 5 | Battle of the Trench (Khandaq) |
| 6 | Treaty of Hudaybiyyah |
| 8 | Conquest of Makkah, with a general pardon |
| 10 | The Farewell Hajj |
| 11 | His passing in Madinah, aged sixty-three |
When he entered Makkah in victory he forgave the people who had fought him for years — a mercy the world still remembers.
7. The Farewell Sermon
During the Farewell Hajj he reminded the believers that their lives, wealth and honour are sacred, that no one is better than another except by taqwa, and that women must be treated with kindness. He left the Quran and his Sunnah as guidance.
8. His character
- He mended his own clothes and helped at home.
- He was gentle with children and played with them.
- He visited the sick, including those who had harmed him.
- He never struck a servant or a woman.
- He smiled often and was the most generous of people, especially in Ramadan.
Send blessings upon him often: Allahumma salli ala Muhammad.
Scholar review. This guide is general guidance, written to be accepted by the major schools, with differences noted where they matter. It is being reviewed by Sukon’s Scholar panel. For a question about your own situation, ask a verified scholar — always free.
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