Steve Gertz, The Life of Muhammad
•
570
o
o
o
o
•
595
•
610
•
615
•
619
•
619
•
622
•
624
•
Birth of Muhammad (Year of the Elephant)
Father, Abdullah dies before his birth on trading expedition to Syria
Mother, Amina dies when Muhammad is 6 years old
Raised and protected by his uncle Abu Talib
At age 12, Muhammad allegedly ‘recognized’ as a prophet by monk
Bahira on trade route to Syria
Muhammad, the businessman, marries Khadija
o Muhammad begins working for Khadija’s business, then she proposes
marriage
o Muhammad is 25 years old, Khadija 40 years old
o Stable marriage lasts 24 years (no other wives)
o Daughter Ruqayya marries Uthman, while Daughter Fatima marries
Ali
The Call to Prophethood - 22 years
o First verses of Qur’an about creation: (96:1-5)
o Muhammad reassured by Khadija and her Christian cousin Waraqa ibn
Nawfal that he is not mad
o Confidently calls Meccans to Islam peacefully (2:256)
o Muhammad rejected by Meccans as he attacks their idols
First Emigration to Ethiopia
o Meccan persecution provokes Muhammad to send some Muslims to
Christian Ethiopia
o The first significant encounter Christians had with Muslims
o Christian king impressed with Muslims, and he protects the Muslim
refugees from angry Meccans pursuing them
Death of Khadija & Abu Talib
Night Journey (‘Isra and Miraj)
o From Mecca (Sacred Mosque) to Jerusalem (Farther Mosque) 17:1,
Muhammad ascends to heaven; Moses, on behalf of Muhammad,
reduces obligation of prayer from 50 times per day to 5
Hijra – flight to Medina
o Beginning of Muslim Era
o Muslims go from persecuted minority to powerful majority
Battle of Badr
o Change of Qibla to Mecca
o Muslims attacks Meccan caravan (950 men)
o First complete victory, confirming Muhammad’s divine mission (300
men)
o
625 Battle of Uhud
o Meccans attack Muhammad with 3,000 men
o Defeat of Muslims (700 men), Muhammad wounded
o Growing suspicion of Jews’ loyalty
Steve Gertz, The Life of Muhammad
•
627
Battle of the Ditch
o Mecca attacks Medina with 10,000 men
o Ditch dug thwarted Meccan attack
o Sura 5 reflects Muhammad’s rising anger with Jews (and Christians)
who are not accepting his message. Sura 9, the most militant chapter, is
the last to be revealed.
•
628
•
628? Christian Delegation from Najran
o Muhammad calls on Christians from present-day Yemen to ‘submit’,
and they say they have
o Muhammad says they have not because they believe God has a son,
they worship the cross, and eat pork
•
630
•
632
Pact of Hudaybiyya
o Muhammad leads group of about 1,500 men to perform Pilgrimage at
Mecca
o Not allowed to enter, but are allowed following year
Fall of Mecca
o Peaceful siege of Mecca with 10,000 men
o Kaaba becomes a part of Islam
Muhammad Dies
o Farewell Pilgrimage to Mecca
o Muhammad allegedly sends letters to Christian Byzantium and
Ethiopia (and other empires as well) calling on them to accept Islam
o Raids to the north indicate Muslims should head toward Syria