Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the Last Prophet of Allah on earth and Islam has been completed and perfected through him:

Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Last of the prophets; and Allah is cognizant of all things (Qur’an 33:40)

This day have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion, so fear them not, and fear Me. This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion (Qur’an 5:3)

Since there would be no other prophet after Muhammad (SAW), it was probably because of this that a very detailed description of the life of Muhammad (SAW) is available compared to any other previous prophets. Many books are written with minute details of his life. The Qur’an talks about the honored personality of the Prophet (SAW) in many places. Commentators of the Holy Qur’an have used the teachings of his life quite extensively. Many traditions from the Prophet (SAW) himself are available about his own character. On the top of this, historians – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – have recorded practically everything he did or said. It is true that there are many reports related to him are either forged or exaggerated, but it is possible to sort them out if one were to do a thorough and critical research about him. Ummul Mumineen Ayisha, the wife of the Prophet (SAW) mentioned that the Holy Qur’an was the character of the Prophet (SAW). Since the Holy Qur’an has been preserved by Allah in its totality, it is rather easy to see how magnificent the personality of the Prophet (SAW) was.

Fourteen hundred years or so ago, inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula were leading the life in such a manner that monotheism existed only in name, and the people had forsaken the worship of Allah. The society had become void of justice and human values. The Holy Ka’ba was converted into a temple for the worship of idols, and the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) was transformed into paganism and idol worship. Pre-Islamic Arabia was caught up in a vicious cycle of warfare, in which tribe fought tribe in a pattern of vendetta and counter-vendetta. They lived a nomadic life devoid of any culture or civilizations. Immorality, debauchery, wine drinking and gambling were their habits. Man-slaughtering, robbery and plundering were their life style. They used burry their female child alive for fear of apprehension by others:

And when a daughter is announced to one of them his face becomes black and he is full of wrath (Qur’an 16:58)

And when the female infant buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed (Qur’an 81:8-9).

When the females, the weak and the old were being oppressed by the powerful, the All-Merciful Lord sent His Noble Messenger to rescue them from all injustices as a mercy from Him:

We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds (Qur’an 21:107)

Of course not all were bad. There were some noble souls in the family of the Prophet. The great-grandfather of the Prophet, Qusay was born in about 400 A.D. He won great honor and fame for his tribe by his wisdom. He rebuilt the Ka’ba which was in a state of disrepair, and he ordered the Arabs to build their houses around it. He also built the "town hall" of Mecca, the first one in Arabia. The leaders of the various clans gathered in this hall to ponder upon their social, commercial, cultural and political problems. Qusay formulated laws for the supply of food and water to the pilgrims who came to Mecca, and he persuaded the Arabs to pay a tax for their support. Qusay died in A.D. 480, and his son, Abd Manaf, took charge of his duties. He too distinguished himself by his ability. He was noted for his generosity and good judgment. He was succeeded by his son Hashim. It was this Hashim who gave his name to the clan which became famous in history as Banu Hashim. Hashim was an extraordinary man. It was he who made the Quraysh merchants and merchant princes. He was the first man who instituted the two caravan journeys of Quraysh, summer and winter. But for him, the Arabs might have remained shepherds forever. Hashim was married to a woman of Yathrib and from her he had a son – Abdul Muttalib. In due course, Abdul Muttalib was to succeed his father as the chief of the clan of Hashim.

Hashim had a younger brother called Al-Muttalib, the son of Abd Manaf. For a time, he was chief of the clan, and when he died, his nephew – Abdul Muttalib – the son of Hashim, succeeded him as the new chief. Abdul Muttalib exhibited all the qualities which had made the names of his father and grandfather great and famous.

City of Makkah, like the rest of Arabia, was without a government and without a ruler, but it was dominated by the tribe of Quraysh. Quraysh was composed of twelve clans, and Banu Hashim was one of them. Reacting to the depravity of the times, the members of Banu Hashim, were prompted, a half-century before the birth of Muhammad, to make some tentative efforts to arrest the moral decline of the Arabs and to improve the social, economic and intellectual climate of the country. The Banu Hashim also interested itself in the economic welfare of the Arabs, and inaugurated a system of trade with neighboring countries. These caravans left Mecca loaded with such products as date fruit, harness for horses and camels, blankets made from wool or camel hair, perfumes and aromatic herbs, spices, incense, hides and skins of the desert animals, and pedigreed horses. They brought back with them textiles, olive oil, weapons, coffee, fruits and grain.

The Holy Prophet was born in the Holy city of Mecca in the 570 A.D. or 53 years before his migration to Madina. His father was Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib and his mother was Amina bint Wahab. His father had died sometime before his birth, and when he reached the age of six, his mother also passed away. His noble grandfather - Abdul Muttalib - then took the responsibility of his upbringing, but two years later he too died. After him, the responsibility of Holy Prophet's upbringing fell on the shoulders of his kind hearted uncle, Abu Talib, who dearly loved the Holy Prophet and treated him like his own sons. Until a few months before migration, he kept him in his constant care and tutelage and in this regard he never slackened for even a single moment.

The people of Mecca like other Arabs used to tend sheep and goats and traded with neighboring countries especially Syria. They never cared for the education of their children as they themselves were illiterate.

The Holy Prophet like other people of the tribe did not learn to read and write but from the beginning of his early life he was possessed of manifold noble qualities and virtues. Neither he told lies nor did he commit larceny or misappropriation. He always abstained from undesirable and foul deeds. He was so sensible and intelligent that in quite a short span of time he became extremely popular and earned the titles of the Honest and Trustworthy. The Arabs used to entrust their valuable things to him as they admired his honesty. When he reached the age of forty, Khadijah, peace be on her, a noble and wealthy lady of Mecca, engaged him for trading her merchandise. On account of his honesty and wisdom he earned good profits which raised him very high in Khadijah's esteem. Ultimately, she proposed to the Prophet who consented. After their wedding, he continued to look after the business of his illustrious wife. From this marriage, the famous Lady Fatima (A.S) was born who came to be known as "Um Abiha" - the mother of her father.

For forty years, the Holy Prophet passed his life mingling with the people and as such he was counted as one amongst them with the exception that he possessed high morals and performed virtuous deeds. He never committed any act of high-handedness or any wicked deeds which had become the stigma of the life of the Arabian people. Neither he exhibited any cruelty or cold-heartedness nor did he desire to subdue the people. The people trusted him because of his personal qualities and treated him with respect and regard.

Once it so happened that when the Arabs were renovating the Ka'ba, there arose a dispute over the issue of fixing Hijr Aswad (the Black Stone). Then the people unanimously decided to make the Holy Prophet, as an arbiter. He asked them to spread out a bed-sheet and to put the Black Stone on it. The chieftains of the various tribes held the sheet from the four corners and when it was lifted high, the Holy Prophet placed the Black Stone at the proper place of installation. Thus, the matter was settled amicably and the danger of bloodshed was averted.

Even before the declaration of his prophethood, the Holy Prophet always worshipped Allah, the only Lord, and never did he bow before the idols. He used to meditate on the creation of the Universe, about his people in secluded places. In fact the first revelation came to him while he was in a retreat in the cave of Hira, few miles away from Mecca.

The Incident of Bahira:

Once while the most noble Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him and his family) had not yet grown up and was still living with his uncle Abu Talib, Abu Talib made a commercial trip to Syria, taking the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) with him. It was a large, heavily-laden caravan. As they entered Syria, they reached a town called Busra and dismounted near a monastery. They pitched tents and rested. A monk named Bahira came out from the monastery and invited the caravan party to dine. All accepted the monk’s invitation and entered the monastery, except that Abu Talib left his nephew to look after their supplies. Bahira asked, ‘Have all come?’ Abu Talib replied that all had except for a youth, the youngest of the party. Bahira said, ‘Bring him as well’. Abu Talib had left the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) standing under an olive tree. He called for him to come in. Bahira looked closely at the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) and told him, ‘Come closer, I must speak with you’. He drew the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) aside. Abu Talib joined them. Bahira told the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family), ‘I will ask you something, and I will swear you to Lat and ‘Uzza to answer me’. (Lat and ‘Uzza were the names of two idols worshipped by the people of Mecca). The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) replied, ‘Nothing is more loathsome to me than these two idols’. Bahira then said, ‘Let me swear you to the One God that you will answer truly’. The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) responded, ‘I always speak truly, I never lie. Ask your question’. Bahira asked, ‘What thing do you most love?’ He answered, ‘Solitude’. Bahira asked, ‘What do you most watch and love to watch?’ He answered, ‘The sky and the stars within it’. Bahira asked, ‘What do you think?’ The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) remained silent, but Bahira closely studied his forehead, finally asking, ‘When and what thought in mind do you sleep?’ He answered, ‘When, as I watch the sky, I see the stars and find them in my lap, and myself above them’. Bahira asked, ‘Do you also dream?’ he answered , ‘Yes, and whatever I see in dreams, I also see when I am awake’. Bahira continued, ‘What, for instance, do you dream of?’ The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) was silent. Bahira also fell silent. After a short while, Bahira asked, ‘May I see between your shoulders?’ Without moving, the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) replied, ‘Yes. Come and see’. Bahira stood, came close, and removed the most noble Messenger’s (peace and blessings upon him and his family) robe from his shoulders. He saw a black mole and murmured, ‘It is the same’. Abu Talib asked, ‘The same as what? What are you saying?’ Bahira said, ‘Tell me. What is your relationship to this boy?’ Abu Talib, who loved the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) like a son, replied, ‘He is my son’. Bahira retorted, ‘No, This boy’s father is dead’. Abu Talib asked, ‘How did you know? Yes, this is my brother’s son’. Bahira said to Abu Talib, ‘Listen. This young man has a resplendent and marvelous life ahead of him. If others see what I have seen and they recognize him, they will kill him. Conceal and protect him from enemies’. Abu Talib asked, ‘Tell me, who is he?’ Bahira answered, ‘In his eyes are the marks of a great prophet, and likewise on his back’.

The story of Nesturius, The Monk

Several years later, the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) was once again on the road to Damascus, on business for Khadija, taking her goods. Khajida had sent her servant Maysara along with him and instructed her to obey him completely. On this journey too, when they reached Syria, they stopped near the town of Busra, belonging to a monk named Nesturius, who was acquainted with Maysara. He asked her, ‘Who is that resting under that tree? Maysara replied, ‘One of the Quraysh’. The monk said, ‘No one has or ever will rest under the tree except one of God’s prophets’. Then he asked, ‘Do his eyes have a reddish tinge?’ She answered, ‘Yes. His eyes have always had the quality’. The monk said, ‘That is right. He is the last of God’s prophets. I wish I might live to see the day he is charged with summoning people to God’.

Prophecies about the Prophethood:

It was customary that before their death, prophets used to foretell the coming of next prophets. In the case of the Last Prophet (SAW), it appears that he was foretold by more than one prophet. Qur'an mentions that he was foretold in both Injeel and Taurat:

Those who follow the Messenger-Prophet, the Ummi, whom they find written down with them in the Taurat and the Injeel (who) enjoins them good and forbids them evil, and makes lawful to them the good things and makes unlawful to them impure things, and removes from them their burden and the shackles which were upon them; so (as for) those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, these it is that are the successful. (Qur’an 7:157)

And when there came to them a Book from Allah verifying that which they have, and aforetime they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieve, but when there came to them (Prophet) that which they did not recognize, they disbelieved in him; so Allah's curse is on the unbelievers (Qur’an 2:89)

From Prophethood to Migration:

As mentioned earlier, while meditating in the cave of Hira, the arch-angel Gabriel came to the Prophet (SAW) and announced that he was chosen as the Prophet of Allah. He was commanded by Allah to invite people of his inner circle initially to the worship of the one God. Historical accounts show that Imam Ali, Prophet's own cousin and future son-in-law was the first Muslim and Khadija, Prophet's wife was the second.

After a span of about three years, Allah commanded the Prophet (SAW) to invite his relative:

Warn your nearest relations (Qur'an 26:214)

After receiving this verse, the Prophet invited his relative, about forty in number and told them clearly that whoever would be the first to accept his invitation would become his successor and inheritor. Imam Ali was the first to step forth and embrace the invitation. The Prophet accepted Ali's submission to the faith and thus fulfilled his promise:

The Holy Prophet putting his hand on the back of the neck of Ali and said:

"This is my brother, my executor (Wasi), my successor (Caliph) among you, so listen to him and obey him."

Since the Prophet never talked from his own desire, mentioning Imam Ali as his successor in this first open gathering clearly proves that Imam Ali was indeed Prophet's (SAW) successor.

Thereafter, under Allah's command he started his preaching openly. Thus he spread the glowing light of this Divine guidance from his house to the world at large. The Arabs in general and the Meccans in particular strongly reacted to the open invitation to Islam. Instead of attaining to its constructive goal, they resorted to vicious tactics and became outrageous and savage in their behavior.

These people would call the Holy Prophet as an occultist, a wizard, a lunatic or a poet and would make fun of him. Whenever he called the people towards Islam or asked them to offer prayers to Allah, these rascals would create disturbance and sometimes would throw garbage on him, would hit him with sticks, would humiliate him and would pelt him with pebbles. At times they would try to lure him with money and power so as to make him abandon his mission. Still, he showed no sign of weakness or defeat. It was a different matter that at times he would feel sorry for his people's ignorance and rebellious disposition. On such occasions, revelations from the Almighty Allah would console him and guide him to forbearance and perseverance. At times some Qur'anic revelations suggested to him to take no notice of people's high-handedness or show any kind of slackening in his efforts:

We have not revealed unto you (Muhammad) this Qur'an that you should be distressed (Qur'an 20:2)

And grieve not for them and be not distressed because of what they plan (Qur'an 27:70)

Upon you is only the delivery of the message and Allah sees the servants (Qur'an 3:22)

The unbelievers also put those people, who had embraced Islam to severe hardships and cruelties and consequently most of them met martyrdom. Some believers would ask the Holy Prophet to come to a settlement with the unbelievers but he would only say: "I haven't received any command from Allah in this regard so be patient".

There were still others who could not bear the hardships, left their homes and migrated to different countries. When the unbelievers' cruelties and persecution reached its climax, the Holy Prophet allowed his followers to migrate to Habashah (Abyssinia) so as to protect themselves from oppression. Thus, a party of the believers under the patronage of ]a'far (son of Abu Talib), migrated to Abyssinia with their families. ]a'far who was the brother of Imam Ali, was one of the most distinguished companions of the Holy Prophet. When the infidels of Mecca were informed of their migration, they sent two experienced men with gifts and presents to the Emperor of Abyssinia with a request to send the refugees back to Mecca. However, the Emperor wanted to hear from what the Muslims had to say. Ja'far in an impressive speech made before the Abyssinian Emperor, his clergymen and other high ranking courtiers and officials established the personality of the Holy Prophet being highly endowed with Divine glow, and recited from the Holy Qur'an a few verses of Surah Maryam on the subject of Isa (A.S). His speech was so forceful that it made the eyes of the Emperor and the audience filled with tears. Consequently the Emperor outright rejected the request of the Meccans and returned their gifts and presents also. Instead, he decreed that the Muslim immigrants should be treated with due respect and all comforts and amenities of life should be provided to them. He allowed the Muslims to live in his kingdom as long as they desired.

After this incident, the infidels of Mecca decided to ostracize the people of the tribe of Bani Hashim and put them under a boycott, who were supporting the Holy Prophet in his mission. Then the infidels concluded a treaty which was unanimously signed and was placed in the House of Ka'bah. The clan of the Prophet, Bani Hashim took refuse in a valley known as Shi'b Abi Talib. They stayed there in the most horrible conditions without food and other necessities of life.

Journey to Ta'if:

The year when the Holy Prophet with the members of Bani Hashim came out of Shi'b Abi Talib, was the tenth year of the era of Prophethood. Around that time he made a short journey to Ta'if, a town about 100 kilometers from Mecca , and invited its people to Islam. The people of that city encouraged their children to pelt the Holy Prophet (SAW) with stones that caused him bleed profusely. It is reported that angel Gabriel came and said that he could destroy them for what they had done to the Holy Prophet (SAW), however, he only prayed that their future generations would embrace Islam.

Nocturnal Ascension to the Heavens:

The failure at Ta’if was utterly heart-breaking for the Prophet (SAW), and must have taken a heavy toll on his life. All of us experience sometimes in our life that all seem to come closing down on us. Maybe that's when things get better. When the world closed it door to him, Merciful Lord took His Prophet (SAW) under His Wings and showed him something that none of the other prophets of Allah experienced. It was as if Allah took his beloved, Muhammad (SAW) to Himself. He elevated him to the highest heavens so that he could see some of His 'signs'. This was the famous nocturnal ascension of the Prophet where he was taken from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Furthest Mosque in Jerusalem and then from there to the highest heavens. This was probably the most honorable gift of all to the Prophet (SAW). This Ascension is known as Mi'raj which is referred to in the Qur'an as follows: 

Glory to God who did take His slave for a journey by night from the sacred mosque to the farthest mosque whose precincts We did bless, in order that We might show him some of Our signs: for He is One who hears and sees all things. (Qur'an 17:1)

When the Meccans failed to dissuade the early Muslims to revert back to paganism through all forms of persecution, they finally decided to assassinate the Holy Prophet (SAW). They planned that one man from every tribe would participate in the attack so that it would be impossible for the tribe of Bani Hashim to protect the Prophet (SAW) against the huge coalition. About forty people who were nominated from various tribes to kill the Holy Prophet, besieged his house in the night so that by early morning they would force an entry into the house and would accomplish the community's decision.

However, Allah had a different plan:

And they planned and Allah (also) planned, and Allah is the best of planners (Qur'an 3:54)

Allah sent revelation to the Prophet (SAW) informing him of the unholy plots of the Meccans and ordered him to migrate to the city of Yathrib (which later came to be known as the city (Madina) of the Prophet or just Madina).

The Holy Prophet informed Imam Ali about this plan and commanded him to sleep in his bed during that night. He also made a will to Imam Ali and left the house at night. On the way he met Abu Bakr whom he took along with him on his way to Madina.

Before the migration, a few of the respectable people of Madina had already embraced Islam when they had earlier visited the Holy Prophet in Mecca. At the same time they not only promised to support him if he visited Madina, but, would also defend him in the same manner as they defended their own life and honor.

Migration to Madina:

The Holy Prophet reached the Cave of Thaur at night and after staying inside it for three days, he proceeded on his journey to Madina. On reaching there, he was given a rousing reception by the people of Madina.

In Mecca the infidels who had already besieged his house in the night entered his house at the day break and with their swords splashing in their hands, they approached his bed and, contrary to expectations, they found Imam Ali instead. After they learnt of the Holy Prophet's departure from Mecca, they started searching him everywhere but returned utterly disappointed.

The Holy Prophet arrived in Madina. The people of Madina embraced Islam with great fervor and enthusiasm and offered their dedicated support to the Holy Prophet. The environment of Madina then had an Islamic outlook. The city which was then known as Yathrib became "Madinatur Rasul”, the city of the Prophet. Thus, Madina became the first city of Islam. About one third of the city's population was in minority and though these people were hypocrites yet they sided with Islam out of the fear of the majority.

Islam now shed its light on all sides. First, the warring condition that had existed between Aws and Khazraj, the two great tribes for over years turned into a mutual peace and amity. The believers in Madina swarmed round the beacon light of Islam with full faith and devotion. The remaining tribes also gradually embraced Islam. The Divine revelations commenced one after the other and were enforced. The intrigues, conflicts and wanton deeds were abolished, and justice, decent morals and discipline took their place.

The followers of Islam who were in Mecca and were severely being oppressed by unbelievers, gradually left their homes and migrated to Madina where their fellow brethren received them with open arms. The Meccans who after embracing Islam had gradually migrated to Madina are known as Muhajirs (Emigrants) and those of Madina are called Ansars (Helpers).

In Madina and its suburbs and in Khaybar and Fadak many Jewish tribes were living. Their religious scholars always used to predict the prophethood of the Holy Prophet of Islam. But after the Holy Prophet's migration when these tribes were invited to embrace Islam, they refused to accept it. However, under specific conditions, a covenant was made between the Muslims and the Jews that they would avoid any confrontation and dispute.

The hostility of the unbelievers of Mecca increased as a result of the advancement of Islam and consequently their animosity also increased against the Holy Prophet and his devotees. Accordingly, they were trying to find an excuse for disrupting the solidarity of the Islamic Brotherhood. On the other hand the followers of Islam as well as the Muhajirs of Mecca were entertaining within their hearts a silent hatred against the infidels and they were awaiting the Divine command for punishing them and to liberate innocent children and people from their oppression.

The Battle of Badr:

The Battle of Badr was the first military confrontation between the Muslims and the infidels which was fought in the second year of Hegira (Migration) at Badr, a valley lying midway between Mecca and Madina. In this battle the infidels numbered about 1000 and they were well-equipped with weapons and other arsenals while the Muslims numbered about one-third and their weapons were scant. Despite this handicap, Almighty Allah blessed the Muslims with a splendid victory while the infidels were shamefully defeated. In this battle the unbelievers sustained heavy casualties and a good number of their men were taken prisoners. Many of them retreated to Mecca after leaving behind an appreciable quantity of weapons. It is said that seventy of their men were killed in action, about half of whom were done away with only by the sword of Imam Ali and seventy were taken prisoners.

The battle of Ohud:

In the third year of the Hegira, the unbelievers of Mecca under the command of Abu Sufyan with a strong army of 3000 soldiers invaded Madina, and at a barren plain of Uhud, situated outside Madina, a tough battle ensued. In this battle, the Holy Prophet participated with 700 Muslims. This time also, in the beginning the Muslims had an upper hand, but after a time owing to the lapses on the part of some Muslims, the forces of Islam had to suffer a set-back, as the unbelievers had attacked them from all sides and at one time the Muslims were completely trapped by the enemies. In this battle the Muslims suffered heavy loss. Hamza, the uncle of the Holy Prophet, and about seventy companions, mostly from the Ansars, were martyred. The Holy Prophet received a wound in his forehead and his front tooth got dislodged. An infidel while attacking him on his shoulders shouted and said, "I slew Muhammad ". Consequently, panic prevailed in the Islamic army. The Holy Prophet was left with Imam Ali and a few of his devotees, who, except Imam Ali, were all martyred. Rest of the companions ran away from the battle field. It was only Imam Ali who continued defending the Holy Prophet by facing the enemy up to dangers. Abu Sufyan who got satisfied with the initial success, proceeded back to Mecca. The deserters of the Islamic army, however, came back to the Holy Prophet and expressed their desire to fight again. After covering a distance of a few miles from Uhud, the unbelievers became remorseful of abandoning the battle without achieving the total victory .They had neither taken women and children as prisoners nor had they looted the property. As such they decided to make an attack on Madina again. But in the meantime, they received the news that the Islamic army was giving a hot chase in order to convert the battle in a decisive victory. They abandoned the idea of re-attacking Madina as this news had frightened them greatly. Of course, it was true what they had heard. Under the behest of Allah, the Holy Prophet re-organized his army consisting of the people who had suffered in the battle. He made Imam Ali its commander and asked him to chase the enemies. In this battle, though the Muslims had suffered heavy losses, yet it turned out a blessing in disguise. They had learnt a grim lesson from this battle as they paid the penalties of disobeying the Holy Prophet.

The Battle of Trench (Khandaq)

This was the third battle which was fought between the Holy Prophet and the unbelievers of Arabia. It was the last one, which was waged by the inhabitants of Mecca. This was a fierce battle in the sense that the infidels had put all their might in it. In history, it is famous by the names of 'Battle of Ahzab ' (Tribes) or 'Battle of Khandaq'. After the Battle of Uhud, the elders of Mecca, under the leadership of Abu Sufyan, made a desperate attempt to extinguish the light of Islam by getting rid of the Holy Prophet once and  for all. In order to fulfill their purpose the infidels instigated the Arab tribes to rise against the Prophet. The Jewish tribes who were in conspiracy with the enemies of Islam, ultimately revoked their existing no-confrontation pact and entered into an alliance with the infidels. Consequently, in the fifth year of Hegira, a huge army drawn from the people of Quraysh and other Arab and Jewish tribes invaded Madina.

The Holy Prophet, who had already received the information of the enemy's design made consultations with his companions. After great deliberations, it was on the advice of an eminent companion, Salman Farsi, that a trench was dug around the city of Madina so that the people should be safe inside the city as if in a fortress. When the enemy's army reached Madina, it could not find entrance to the city. As an alternative, they laid siege to the city and thus the battle began. The siege and the battle continued for quite a long time. It was this battle wherein a famous courageous Arab cavalier, Amr bin Abd Wad by name, was slain by Imam Ali.

Finally the Arab idolaters became tired of the long siege and differences also developed among the Jews. There appeared a severe windstorm followed by a terrible cold. The siege did not yield any tangible result and the infidels returned to their homes.

Battle of Khayber:

The Battle of Trench took place in consequence of the instigations of the Jews, who had conspired with the infidels and had openly repudiated their agreement with the Muslims. Therefore, the Holy Prophet decided to bring the Jews living in and around Madina to task. Many a battle was fought with them, and the Muslims were victorious. Of these, the Battle of Khayber is very significant. The fortresses of the Jews were very strong and they possessed sufficient quantity of war materials. Besides, they had amongst them good warriors, too.

In this Battle, Imam Ali slew Marhab, the famous Jewish wrestler, and he then demoralized their army. Later on he proceeded towards the fort and uprooted its gate. Thus the Islamic army entered the fort and hoisted the flag of victory there. After a series of such battles, which ended in the seventh year of the Hegira, the Jewish strength in Hijaz was considerably reduced.

Inviting Emperors and Rulers to Islam:

The Holy Prophet made Madina his permanent abode and the Holy Prophet built Masjidun Nabi (the Prophet's Mosque) in Madina. Other mosques were also built gradually. The Islamic missionaries were sent to various places. Pacts were concluded with, the Jews living in and around Madina and also with some of the Arab tribes. Gradually, the light of Islam spread far and wide. In the sixth year of the Hegira, the Holy Prophet sent a written invitation to Islam to the Emperors and Rulers of the time, viz. the Emperor of Persia (Iran), the Kaisar of Rome, Khadiv, the Ruler of Egypt and Negus, the Emperor of Habasha (Abyssinia).

The same year the Holy Prophet with a party of devoted Muslims proceeded to Mecca to perform Umra, pilgrimage to Ka'bah on the occasions other than that of Hajj. That year, the Muslims could not perform Umra, but, after a heated discussion with the infidels, an agreement, known as the "Treaty of Hudaybiya", was concluded. One of the conditions of this treaty was that any Arab tribe which wanted to side with either party, was at liberty to do so. But the Infidels of Mecca violated this treaty after a lapse of some time and consequently the Holy Prophet determined to conquer Mecca.

In the eighth year of the Hegira, however, the Holy Prophet with an army of 10,000 Muslims made a forward march and conquered Mecca without any fighting or bloodshed. There, the Holy Prophet found the Holy Ka'bah installed with innumerable idols. He then removed them from there and totally destroyed them. Thus, he made the House of Allah clean of these unholy things. Most of the people of Mecca embraced Islam. The Holy Prophet sent for the elders of Mecca, who for twenty long years were his arch-enemy, and pardoned them without showing any sign of displeasure.

Battle of Hunayn:

After the conquest of Mecca, the Holy Prophet undertook the task of reforming the people in the surrounding areas. He also fought many battles with the idolaters; one of these was the Battle of Hunayn. The Battle of Hunayn is one of the important battles of Islam. This Battle was fought against the tribe of Hawazan in the valley of Hunayn. The Islamic Army consisted of 12,000 soldiers while the Hawazans were several thousand horsemen. This battle was very fierce. It was Imam Ali who ahead of the Holy Prophet carried the Standard of Islam in his hand and made a forward march against the enemy. With the exception of a few Muslims all had deserted the Holy Prophet. However, after a while, first the Ansars and then other Muslims came back to their positions and launched a severe attack on the enemy and put them to rout. In this Battle, 5000 soldiers were taken prisoners, but on the recommendation of the Holy Prophet the Muslims set them free. Those of the captors who would not release their prisoners were ransomed by the Holy Prophet himself; then he set them free.

Battle of Tabuk:

In the ninth year of the Hegira when the news was received that the Roman Emperor was raising an army of the Romans and Arabs, the Holy Prophet decided to fight the Romans. The Battle of Mo'ta was also fought in the same area. There, such commanders of Islamic Army as ]a'far, son of Abu Talib, (may Allah be pleased with them both). Zayd son of Harith and Abdullah son of Rawaha were martyred. The Holy Prophet then led an army of 30,000 soldiers towards Tabuk, a place on the border of Hijaz and Syria, but in the meantime the Roman Army had already dispersed from there. The Holy Prophet stayed there for three days and set in order the affairs prevailing in that region. After that he returned to Madina.

Other Battles:

During the ten years of his life in Madina, the Holy Prophet fought as many as eighty battles (big or small). About a quarter of all the battles were those in which the Holy Prophet himself participated. Whenever the Holy Prophet took part in a battle, his behavior not similar to that of other generals, who, while sitting in a safe place, would give directions to the army. On the contrary he always fought shoulder to shoulder with his soldiers and never did he sit at a safe place and ordered the soldiers to fate the enemy.

Ghadir Khum - The succession issue

After the conquest of Mecca, in the eighth year of the Hegira, the entire Arabian peninsula came under the dominion of Islam. This city of Mecca, contained the Holy Ka'ba, the Sanctuary of Allah. Ta’if too was conquered after the fall of Mecca.

In the tenth year of the Hegira, the Holy Prophet, proceeded to Mecca to perform Hajj, which was his last pilgrimage. On his way back to Madina after the performance of Hajj, Allah revealed the following verse:

"O Messenger! Make known that which hath been revealed unto you from your Lord, for if you do it not, you will not have conveyed His message. Allah will protect you from mankind." (Qur'an 5:67).

The Prophet (SAW) stopped at a place called Ghadir Khum and in front of 12,000 pilgrims, who had come from all parts of the peninsula, he held the hand of Imam Ali and by raising it high, declared him as his vicegerent and successor. By this action the very issue of the Successor to the Holy Prophet was settled once for all as the Holy Prophet had selected by the Command of Allah the person who could wield full authority over all Islamic matters as well as safeguard the Islamic system:

Abu Sa'id Khudari says: "The Prophet in Ghadir Khum invited people toward Ali and took his arm and lifted it so high that the white spot in the armpit of the Prophet of God could be seen. Then this verse was revealed: 'This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor unto you, and have chosen for you as religion AL-ISLAM [Q 5:3].' Then the Prophet said, 'God is great (Allahu akbar) that religion has become perfected and that God's bounty has been completed, His satisfaction attained and the walayat of Ali achieved.' Then he added, 'For whomever I am the authority and guide Ali is also his guide and authority. Oh God! Be friendly with the friends of Ali and the enemy of his enemies. Whoever helps him, help him, and whoever leaves him, leave him.'"

A short time after his return to Madina, the Holy Prophet breathed his last in the eleventh year of the Hegira.

Consolidation of Islam in Madina:

The Message of the Prophet of Islam echoed in Madina to such an extent that it brought under its influence every house, lane and locality. People in large numbers came under the fold of Islam. The tribes residing in Mecca, Madina and various other parts of the Arabian peninsula ultimately embraced Islam and consequently the entire

Arabian peninsula came under the influence of Islam. During his ten years stay in Madina the Holy Prophet was fully occupied in discharging his obligations. He would communicate to the people whatever teachings and principles he received through Divine revelations. He would teach the people and would also solve their problems. Apart from it, he would enter into discussions and debates with the scholars of other religions, especially of the Jews.

Over and above this, he would himself run the affairs of the State also. Despite his heavy engagements in life, he would keep himself engaged, for the major part of his time, to the worship of Allah. He would observe fast frequently, that is, he would fast for three consecutive months of Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan and in addition to it, for another thirty days on different days in the year.

He would devote his time to his domestic duties also and he would work for earning his livelihood too.

In the Holy Qur'an, Allah says:

They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will perfect His light, though the unbelievers may be averse. [61.9] He it is Who sent His Apostle with the guidance and the true religion, that He may make it overcome the religions, all of them, though the polytheists may be averse. (Qur'an 61: 8-9)

Obviously, this Divine promise was fulfilled during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet and even after his passing away. It is being also fulfilled today in a practical way as more than one billion Muslims are now scattered all over the world.

The Holy Prophet (SAW) was the Masterpiece of the Creator. Every move that he ever made was in perfect harmony with human nature and in complete compliance with the divine Will:

And you are on an exalted standard of character (Qur'an 68:4)

If the Holy Qur'an was the Miracle of Allah, the Holy Prophet (SAW) was a living Qur'an. If we analyze any of his qualities, we see that he excelled all people in that. In other words, he was the best father, the best husband, the best neighbor, the best helper, the best army general, the best diplomat, the best worshipper, the best knower of Allah, the bravest, the most eloquent and above all, the best prophet. None could ever aspire to reach his level in any way either in the past, now or in the future. May Allah continue to raise him in ranks higher and higher for eternity, Ameen.