Islam: Beliefs about Muhammad
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Evaluate the relevance of Muslim beliefs about Muhammad. (20)
Muhammad is believed to have been born in Mecca around 570 CE into the Quraysh tribe, a prominent clan in Arabia. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his grandfather and later by his uncle.
Muslim’s might look at Muhammad’s suffering so early on in life and be able to accept that even perfect Muslims will experience hardships in life.
Therefore, I think this belief is relevant because people do experience grief and bereavement today and this belief could help them during that mourning time.
When he was older, Muhammad married Khadijah, a wealthy widow, and she remained his loyal companion and supporter until her death. Muhammad had several children, though many of them died at a young age – including all of his sons. His daughter Fatimah, however, played a significant role in his life and the early Muslim community.
This shows that Muhammad was not afraid of powerful women and in fact, supported them to be an active part of the community. Muslims might look at this example and as a result, develop more of a respect for women or women themselves, might try and be more involved in the community.
I think this is relevant because in some Muslim countries – such as Afghanistan – women’s rights are being oppressed and this does not seem to be how Muhammad himself behaved and should therefore be addressed.
At the age of 40, while meditating in the Cave of Hira near Mecca, Muhammad received his first revelation from Allah through the Angel Gabriel. This event marked the beginning of his prophetic mission, during which he would receive divine guidance and convey the message of Islam to humanity. His prophethood is considered the culmination and completion of the prophetic tradition.
As a result of this belief, Muslims will give more attention to Muhammad’s teaching over the other prophets – such as Musa or Ibrahim. They might look at Muhammad’s life and seek to mimic his actions because they know he was chosen by Allah.
I think this is relevant because there is a lack of positive role models in today’s society. It is not always clear who the best person to follow really is but as Allah chose Muhammad to receive his revelations – he is clearly a good choice.
As Muhammad and his followers began to grow in number, the Quraysh plotted to attack him. So, Muhammad moved with his people from Mecca to Medina. They tried to chase Muhammad but he hid in a cave and a spider spun a web over the entrance so it looked like no one had entered the cave.
This might teach Muslim’s that it is acceptable to run away from conflict if you are in harm. Even though Muhammad believed he was doing the right thing, he knew that he was in danger.
I believe that this is relevant today because Muslim’s may also face persecution – particularly in the UK as a result of the English Defence League – therefore it’s important for Muslims to know that it is acceptable to avoid conflict and stay out of harm’s way.
Eventually, Muhammad did reclaim Mecca and gave his farewell sermon at Mount Arafat. is considered the perfect example for Muslims to emulate in all aspects of life. He was given the title ‘Al-Insan al-Kamil’ – the perfect human – and it is believed that Muhammad will intercede on behalf of his followers on the Day of Judgment
Muslim’s might look at the culmination of Islam and focus more on Muhammad’s teaching then than his earlier teaching because they might see this as the ‘end product.’ This would result in Muslim’s prioritising peace over some of the more violent prophecies.
I think this belief is relevant today because verses of the Qur’an can be taken out of context to mislead people and it is important to think about when/where they were originally said. Finally, I think that it’s relevant because Judgement Day hasn’t occurred yet and it’s good for Muslims to believe that Muhammad will be there to help them.
