Speaking Tree | January 03, 2015

The Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 AD in Makkah. When he grew up, a desire to know the truth began to grow in him. He would sit for hours in the solitude of nature up in the cave of Hira, near Makkah. He would pray and meditate, beseeching the Maker of the heavens and the earth for answers to the questions which were surging in his mind: What is man’s true role in life? What does the Lord requires of us, as His servants? Where does man come from and where does he go after death?

One day, after many days of meditation, the Archangel Jibril appeared before Muhammad in human form, and taught him these beautiful verses from the Quran: In the name of your Lord who created/ Created man from a clot/ And your Lord is the Most Generous Who taught by the pen/ Taught man what he knew not.

This was how the revelation of the Quran began. Not only did Allah grant him guidance, but He also chose Muhammad as His last Prophet and special envoy to mankind.

The Quraysh, the chief tribe of Makkah, tried, in many ways, including the use of force, to cause the Prophet Muhammad to stray from his path, and to stop his message from spreading. So the Prophet was subjected to every kind of cruelty and insult, but he and his followers showed the utmost patience.

When the persecution became very harsh and the Quraysh decided to kill the Prophet, he decided to leave Makkah. Under cover of darkness, the Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr slipped away on camelback, heading towards Madinah.