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The final messenger, for Muslims
Born in Makkah about 570 CE. Through him, Muslims believe, the Qur'an came.
▶ Watch the three tellings570–632 CEThe name in three scripts
One-minute snapshot
Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) was born in Makkah around 570 CE. Orphaned young, he became a trusted merchant known as al-Amīn, “the trustworthy”. At about forty, while meditating in the cave of Hira, he received the first revelation of the Qur'an through the angel Gabriel. For 23 years he called people to worship the One God, faced persecution, migrated to Madinah in 622 (the Hijra), and died in 632. Muslims believe he is the final messenger in the line of Abraham, Moses (peace be upon him) and Jesus (peace be upon him). Jews and Christians do not regard him as a prophet.
This page shows no people of any kind: only landscapes, plants, manuscripts and calligraphy. The Jewish and Christian columns state briefly how those traditions regard him.
Watch
Each told by its own community, in its own words, side by side. More on F-ILM.
A Muslim telling
Side by side
Quotations: Torah and Hebrew Bible, JPS 1917 · New Testament, World English Bible (British Edition) · Qur'an, Pickthall (1930). Translations and sources
TJewish view
In Jewish tradition's own words.
Judaism does not regard Muhammad as a prophet, holding that prophecy ended early in the Second Temple period.
Maimonides, who lived his life in the Islamic world, rejected Muhammad's prophethood but held that Muslims are true monotheists, not idolaters.
GChristian view
In Christian tradition's own words.
Christians do not regard Muhammad as a prophet in the biblical sense.
The Catholic Church's Nostra Aetate (1965) expresses esteem for Muslims, who worship the one God, honour Jesus as a prophet and Mary his mother, and await the Day of Judgement.
QThe Qur'an
In Islamic tradition's own words.
“We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples.”Qur'an 21:107 · Pickthall (1930)
Aisha narrates the first revelation in the cave of Hira (Bukhari 3).
His life is told in the Seerah of Ibn Ishaq, as edited by Ibn Hisham, and in the hadith collections.
Key passages: Qur'an 96:1–5; 33:40; 21:107; 68:4; 17:1; 61:6; 93:1–11
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةًۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ
We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples.
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ
Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Createth man from a clot.
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ
Who teacheth by the pen,
عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
Teacheth man that which he knew not.
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا
Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is ever Aware of all things.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍۢ
And lo! thou art of a tremendous nature.
سُبْحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.
وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَمُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُولٍۢ يَأْتِى مِنۢ بَعْدِى ٱسْمُهُۥٓ أَحْمَدُ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ قَالُوا۟ هَٰذَا سِحْرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic.
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ
By the morning hours
وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ
And by the night when it is stillest,
مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ
Thy Lord hath not forsaken thee nor doth He hate thee,
وَلَلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
And verily the latter portion will be better for thee than the former,
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ
And verily thy Lord will give unto thee so that thou wilt be content.
أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًۭا فَـَٔاوَىٰ
Did He not find thee an orphan and protect (thee)?
وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ
Did He not find thee wandering and direct (thee)?
وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ
Did He not find thee destitute and enrich (thee)?
فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ
Therefor the orphan oppress not,
وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ
Therefor the beggar drive not away,
The passage continues; open it in the player or your own Bible or Qur'an.
Common ground
Said plainly, ranked never
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Go deeper
Jewish thinkers of the Islamic world, Saadia Gaon and Maimonides among them, wrote in Arabic and debated with Muslim scholars. Maimonides held that Christianity and Islam help prepare the world for the worship of the One God (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 11:4, uncensored editions).
Christian views of Muhammad ﷺ have ranged widely over the centuries. Some modern Christian thinkers, such as Kenneth Cragg, have explored how Christians might honour him while keeping their own faith.
Ibn Kathir, on 96:1–5, opens with Aisha's account of the first revelation. On 21:107 he explains “a mercy for the peoples” as mercy for all, believers and others.
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ
Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Createth man from a clot.
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ
Who teacheth by the pen,
عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
Teacheth man that which he knew not.
6 films and talks, chosen for this page. They play here.
Seerah of Prophet Muhammed 1 - Specialities of Prophet Muhammed - Yasir Qadhi | April 2011
Yasir Qadhi · 46 min
The Courageous 5: Prophet Muhammad, Part 1 (in 4k) | Zaytuna College
Zaytuna College · 12 min
In Praise of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Al-Maqasid · 4 min
To Love the Prophet ﷺ More Than Yourself | Lecture by Dr. Omar Suleiman
Yaqeen Institute · 44 min
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The Teacher (Part 1)
Qalam Institute · 59 min
Qalam Institute: the Prophet Muhammad as teacher.
Episode 8: When Abraham Met Muhammad ﷺ | A Voice in the Desert
Yaqeen Institute · 7 min