Misplaced Pages

#340659

118-596: This family tree is about the relatives of the Islamic prophet Muhammad as a family member of the family of Hashim and the Quraysh tribe which is ‘Adnani . According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad descends from the biblical Ishmael through the Hashem tribe. According to Islamic prophetic tradition , Muhammad descended from Adnan . Tradition records the genealogy from Adnan to Muhammad comprises 21 generations. The following

236-699: A Shia tradition , not only Muhammad, but also Ali preceded the creation of Adam. Accordingly, after the angels prostrated themselves before Adam, God ordered Adam to look at the Throne of God. Then he saw the radiant body of Muhammad and his family . When Adam was in heaven, he read the Shahada inscribed on the throne of God, which also mentioned Ali in Shia tradition. Islamic philosophy ( Falsafa ) attempts to offer scientific explanations for prophecies. Such philosophical theories may also have been used to legitimize Muhammad as

354-431: A Christian monk, Bahira , who prophesied about Muhammad's future as a prophet of God. Around the age of 25, Muhammad was employed as the caretaker of the mercantile activities of Khadijah , a Qurayshi lady. Between 580 CE and 590 CE, Mecca experienced a bloody feud between Quraysh and Bani Hawazin that lasted for four years, before a truce was reached. After the truce, an alliance named Hilf al-Fudul (The Pact of

472-411: A Necessary Existent". Another argument Avicenna presented for God's existence was the problem of the mind–body dichotomy . According to Avicenna, the universe consists of a chain of actual beings, each giving existence to the one below it and responsible for the existence of the rest of the chain below. Because an actual infinite is deemed impossible by Avicenna, this chain as a whole must terminate in

590-467: A being that is wholly simple and one, whose essence is its very existence, and therefore is self-sufficient and not in need of something else to give it existence. Because its existence is not contingent on or necessitated by something else but is necessary and eternal in itself, it satisfies the condition of being the necessitating cause of the entire chain that constitutes the eternal world of contingent existing things. Thus his ontological system rests on

708-464: A being; he is not the object of any creatural attribute or qualification. He is neither conditioned nor determined, neither engendered nor engendering. He is beyond the perception of the senses. The eyes cannot see him, observation cannot attain him, the imagination cannot comprehend him. He is a thing, but he is not like other things; he is omniscient, all-powerful, but his omniscience and his all-mightiness cannot be compared to anything created. He created

826-434: A bitter enemy of Muhammad, Abu Lahab succeeded Abu Talib as clan chief, and soon withdrew the clan's protection from Muhammad. Around this time, Muhammad visited Ta'if , a city some sixty kilometers east of Mecca, to preach Islam, but met with severe hostility from its inhabitants who pelted him with stones causing bleeding. It is said that God sent angels of the mountain to Muhammad who asked Muhammad's permission to crush

944-425: A conflict of wills. Since two contrary wills could not possibly be realized at the same time, one of them must admit himself powerless in that particular instance. On the other hand, a powerless being can not by definition be a god. Therefore, the possibility of having more than one god is ruled out. For if a God is powerful above another, then this asserts a difference in the particular attributes that are confined to

1062-482: A created entity, shirk , is considered a denial of the truth of God and thus a major sin. Associating partners in divinity of God is known as shirk and is the antithesis of Tawhid . Although the term is usually translated as "polytheism" into English, the sin is thought to be more complex. Alternatively, the translation 'associating [with God]' has been suggested. The term includes denial of attributing any form of divinity to any other thing but God. This includes

1180-446: A created object ascribed some power to. The Mu'tazilis liked to call themselves the people of the tawhid (ahl al-tawhid). In Maqalat al-Islamiyin, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari describes the Mu'tazilite conception of the tawhid as follows: God is unique, nothing is like him; he is neither body, nor individual, nor substance, nor accident. He is beyond time. He cannot dwell in a place or within

1298-403: A few other specific names like al-Malik al-Muluk ("King of Kings") in an authentic narration of Muhammad , other names may be shared by both God and human beings. According to the Islamic teachings, the latter is meant to serve as a reminder of God's immanence rather than being a sign of one's divinity or alternatively imposing a limitation on God's transcendent nature. Attribution of divinity to

SECTION 10

#1732869347341

1416-418: A form of polytheism. Al-'Ibadah is furthermore understood to mean that everyday acts must be in accordance with sharia . Doing something else would imply accepting another authority or object of desire besides God. The Salafi specific features of tawhid tend to elide the sovereignty and uniqueness of God. For this reason, other Sunnis disagree with these two features, as they regard it as comparing God to

1534-460: A gradual unfolding of the manner in which successive generations of believers have understood the meaning and implications of professing tawhid . Islamic scholars have different approaches toward understanding it. Islamic scholastic theology , jurisprudence , philosophy , Sufism , and even the Islamic understanding of natural sciences to some degree, all seek to explain at some level the principle of tawhid . The classical definition of tawhid

1652-534: A grave sin. Chapter 4, verse 116 of the Qur'an reads: Surely Allah does not forgive associating ˹others˺ with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. Indeed, whoever associates ˹others˺ with Allah has clearly gone far astray. According to Hossein Nasr , Ali , the first imam (Shia view) and fourth Rashid Caliph ( Sunni view), is credited with having established Islamic theology . His quotations contain

1770-458: A land ruled by king Aṣḥama ibn Abjar , famous for his justice and intelligence. Accordingly, eleven men and four women made their flight, and were followed by more in later time. Back in Mecca , Muhammad was gaining new followers, including figures like Umar ibn Al-Khattāb. Muhammad's position was greatly strengthened by their acceptance of Islam , and the Quraysh became much perturbed. Upset by

1888-480: A lawgiver and a statesman. Muhammad was identified by some Islamic scholars with the Platonic logos , due to the belief in his pre-existence. Integrating translations of Aristotelian philosophy into early Islamic philosophy , al-Farabi accepted the existence of various celestial intellects . Already in early Neo-Platonic commentaries on Aristotle, these intellects have been compared to light. Al-Fabari depicted

2006-470: A military leader began with the writings of Ahmet Refik Altınay . The shortage of hagiographical accounts in the modern age led to a general acceptance of the depiction of Muhammad's history by non-Muslim scholars as well. Muhammad, the son of 'Abdullah ibn ' Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim and his wife Aminah , was born in approximately 570 CE in the city of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula . He

2124-465: A miraculous event. According to the Sīra of Ibn Isḥāq , a light was transferred from Muhammad's father to his mother at the time of his conception. During pregnancy, a light radiated from the belly of Muhammad's mother. Ibn Hischām 's Sīra refers to a vision experienced by Muhammad's mother. An unknown being came to her announcing Muhammad: "You have conceived the master of this community; when he falls to

2242-471: A model for Muslims to shape their lives in that standard. The Quran tells the believers to offer prayer, fast, perform pilgrimage, and pay Zakat , but it was Muhammad who practically taught the believers how to perform all these. Muhammad's biography is stored in Al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya (prophetic biography). One of the earliest written prophetic biographies is attributed to ibn ʾIsḥāq , which has been lost; only

2360-422: A more recent version edited by ibn Hishām has survived. However, elements from ibn ʾIsḥāq's biography survive in other works, such as al-Ṭabarī's history of the prophets. Muhammad is often described in both supernatural and worldly terms. While early biographies present him as a pre-eternal human soul with miraculous powers and sinlessness, he remains humanly imitable in his love and devotion, which would become

2478-508: A partner in creation in form of a sibling or wife. The uniqueness of the creator is expressed in the Daily Prayer's ( ṣalāh ) phrase Allāhu ʾakbar ( Takbīr ). Theologians usually use reason and deduction to prove the existence, unity and oneness of God. They use a teleological argument for the existence of God as a creator based on perceived evidence of order, purpose, design, or direction—or some combination of these—in nature. Teleology

SECTION 20

#1732869347341

2596-587: A short period, most of the Muslims of Mecca migrated there. Because of assassination attempts from the Quraysh, and prospect of success in Yathrib, a city 320 km (200 mi) north of Mecca, Muhammad emigrated there in 622. According to Muslim tradition, after receiving divine direction to depart Mecca, Muhammad began taking preparation and informed Abu Bakr of his plan. On the night of his departure, Muhammad's house

2714-490: A warner of God's judgement and not a miracle worker. According to one account of Muhammad, the Quran is the only miracle Muhammad has been bestowed with. Muhammad is regarded as the final messenger and prophet by all the main branches of Islam who was sent by God to guide humanity to the right way ( Quran 7:157 ). The Quran uses the designation Khatam an-Nabiyyin (Surah 33:40 ) (Arabic: خاتم النبين ‎ ) , which

2832-425: Is imperceptible . Twelvers believe God is alone in being, along with his names, his attributes, his actions, his theophanies. The totality of being therefore is he, through him, comes from him, and returns to him. God is not a being next to or above other beings, his creatures; he is being, the absolute act of being (wujud mutlaq). For, if there were being other than he (i.e., creatural being), God would no longer be

2950-467: Is also false when applied to God, because it implies likening something to God, whereas God is above all likeness. As to the two meanings that are correct when applied to God, one is that it should be said that "God is one" in the sense that there is no likeness to him among things. Another is to say that "God is one" in the sense that there is no multiplicity or division conceivable in Him, neither outwardly, nor in

3068-402: Is attributed to Al-Tirmidhi , that when Muhammad was asked, when his prophethood started, he answered: "When Adam was between the spirit and the body". A more popular but less authenticated version states "when Adam was between water and mud." As recorded by Ibn Sa'd , Qatada ibn Di'ama quoted Muhammad: "I was the first human in creation and I am the last one on resurrection". According to

3186-574: Is believed to continue to exist in his primordial form and thus Muslims are expected to be able to form a personal bond with the prophet. Furthermore, Muhammad is venerated by several titles and names. As an act of respect and a form of greetings, Muslims follow the name of Muhammad by the Arabic benediction " sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam ", ("Peace be upon him"), sometimes abbreviated as "SAW" or "PBUH". Muslims often refer to Muhammad as "Prophet Muhammad", or just "The Prophet" or "The Messenger", and regard him as

3304-452: Is depicted with otherworldly features, such as being physically illuminated. As reported by Bukhari , whenever Muhammad entered darkness, light was shining around him like moonlight. Muhammad is further described as having a radiant face. As such, Muhammad is believed to reflect God's names of "mercy" and "guidance" , as opposed to Satan ( Iblīs ), who reflects "wrath" and "pride". Though according to tradition, Muhammad has said that he

3422-511: Is impossible unless He introduces Himself due to the fact that God is beyond the range of human vision and senses. Therefore, God tells people who He is by speaking through the prophets . According to this view, the fundamental message of all of the prophets is: "There is no god worthy of worship except Allah (avoiding the false gods as stated in Surah hud)." The approach of textual interpretation in Islam

3540-471: Is just an ordinary human, several miracles are said to have been performed by him. To the Quran statement, as a reminder of Muhammad's human nature "I am only a human being like you", Muslims responded: "True, but like a ruby among stones.", pointing at the outward resemblance of Muhammad to an ordinary human but inwardly carrying the Divine Light. In post-Quranic times, some Muslims view Muhammad merely as

3658-551: Is limited to what has been revealed through the prophets, and on such questions as God's creation of evil and the apparent anthropomorphism of God's attributes, revelation has to accepted bila kayfa (without [asking] how). Twelvers theology is based on the Hadith which have been narrated from the Islamic prophet Muhammad , the first , fifth , sixth , seventh and eighth Imams and compiled by Shia scholars such as Al-Shaykh al-Saduq in al-Tawhid . According to Shia theologians,

Family tree of Muhammad - Misplaced Pages Continue

3776-406: Is no difference between his person and his attributes, and his attributes should not be differentiated or distinguished from his person. Vincent J. Cornell , a scholar of Islamic studies quotes the following statement from Ali : To know God is to know his unification. To say that God is one has four meanings: two of them are false and two are correct. As for the two meanings that are false, one

3894-505: Is powerful in His support; those who have been expelled from their homes without right, only because they say our Lord is God (Allah)."( 22:39-40 ) These ghazi raids escalated into a war in 624 between Muslims and Meccan pagans, known as the Battle of Badr . This is also considered to be the first time Muhammad used a weapon. The battle is described with supernatural images. In Islamic tradition,

4012-429: Is referred to as "Messenger", "Messenger of God", and "Prophet". Other terms are used, including "Warner", "bearer of glad tidings", and the "one who invites people to a Single God" (Q 12:108 , and 33:45-46 ). The Quran asserts that Muhammad was a man who possessed the highest moral excellence, and that God made him a good example or a "goodly model" for Muslims to follow (Q 68:4 , and 33:21 ). In several verses,

4130-494: Is seen as a reference to Muhammad and a companion (whom Sunni scholars identify with Abu Bakr) hiding from their Meccan persecutors in a cave. Surah 61:6 is believed to remind the audience of the foretelling of Muhammad by Jesus. This verse was also used by early Arab Muslims to claim legitimacy for their new faith in the existing religious traditions. Muhammad is often referenced with these titles of praise or epithet: He also has these names: In Muslim tradition, Muhammad

4248-400: Is that a person should say "God is one" and be thinking of a number and counting. This is false because that which has no second cannot enter into the category of number. Do you not see that those who say that God is a third of a trinity fall into this infidelity? Another meaning is to say, "So-and-So is one of his people", namely, a species of this genus or a member of this species. This meaning

4366-514: Is the list of chiefs who are said to have ruled the Hejaz and to have been the patrilineal ancestors of Muhammad.His Ancestors were generally referred to by their laqabs or titles, names will be mentioned alongside each title. Islamic tradition and Arabic oral genetic tradition agree that the lineage from Adnan to Isma'il is lost. It is narrated that when the prophet Muhammad recited a lineage then reached 'Adnan, he said "Do not surpass Ma'add ibn 'Adnan,

4484-426: Is the supposition that there is a purpose or directive principle in the works and processes of nature. Another argument which is used frequently by theologians is Reductio ad absurdum . They use it instead of positive arguments as a more efficient way to reject the ideas of opponents. Against the polytheism of pre-Islamic Arabia , the Qur'an argues that the knowledge of God as the creator of everything rules out

4602-460: Is to avoid delving into theological speculation and did not employ the use of kalam . Additional to the first meaning of tawhid ( Rubūbīyah (Lordship)) all Sunnis agree upon, Salafism holds two additional meanings: Al-Asma wa's-Sifat (names and attributes) and Al-'Ibadah (worship). Al-Asma wa's-Sifat includes lordship in the form of a legislator. By this, Salafis consider a legislation not based on (its own) interpretation of sharia to be

4720-474: Is translated as Seal of the Prophets . The title is generally regarded by Muslims as meaning that Muhammad is the last in the series of prophets beginning with Adam . Believing Muhammad is the last prophet is a fundamental belief, shared by both Sunni and Shi'i theology. Although Muhammad is considered to be the last prophet sent, he is supposed to be the first prophet to be created. In Sunni Islam, it

4838-530: Is when one becomes a slave to his or her base desires and passions. In seeking to always satisfy the desires, he or she may commit a kind of polytheism. Understanding of the meaning of Tawhid is one of the most controversial issues among Muslims. Islamic scholars have different approaches toward understanding it, comprising textualistic approach , theological approach , philosophical approach and Sufism and Irfani approach. These different approaches lead to different and in some cases opposite understanding of

Family tree of Muhammad - Misplaced Pages Continue

4956-868: The Christian doctrine of the pre-existence of Christ , Islam always depicts Muhammad as a created being and never as part or a person within God. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the possessor of moral virtues at the highest level, and was a man of moral excellence. He represented the 'prototype of human perfection' and was the best among God's creations. Consequently, to the Muslims, his life and character are an excellent example to be emulated both at social and spiritual levels. The virtues that characterize him are modesty and humility , forgiveness and generosity, honesty , justice , patience , and self-denial . Muslim biographers of Muhammad in their books have shed much light on

5074-566: The Hijrah , until Muhammad returned to fight the idolaters of Mecca, culminating in the semi-legendary Battle of Badr , conceived in Islamic tradition not only to be a battle between the Muslims and pre-Islamic polytheists, but also between the angels on Muhammad's side against the jinn and false deities siding with the Meccans. After victory, Muhammad is believed to have cleansed Arabia from polytheism and advised his followers to renounce idolatry for

5192-551: The Islamic theology . According to Sunni Islam, the orthodox understanding of theology is taken directly from the teachings of Muhammad with the understanding and methodology of his companions, sourced directly from the revealed scripture the Qur'an ; being the main information source for understanding the unification of God in Islam . All Muslim authorities maintain that a true understanding of God

5310-623: The Metaphysics section of The Book of Healing . Other forms of the argument also appear in Avicenna's other works, and this argument became known as the Proof of the Truthful . Avicenna initiated a full-fledged inquiry into the question of being , in which he distinguished between essence ( Mahiat ) and existence ( Wujud ). He argued that the fact of existence can not be inferred from or accounted for by

5428-573: The North Arabian people that controlled the region between the Persian Gulf and the Sinai Peninsula . Scholars, both Islamic and Western agree that the narrations considering Ibrahim's lineage to Adam are mythology . Most of the lineage is borrowed from Hebrew tradition or Isra'iliyyat . It is unclear how many generations are between Ibrahim and Nuh. Nuh's son Sam ( Shem ) is considered

5546-615: The ancestor of the Semitic race . Muhammad in Islam In Islam, Muḥammad ( Arabic : مُحَمَّد ) is venerated as the Seal of the Prophets and earthly manifestation of primordial divine light ( Nūr ), who transmitted the eternal word of God ( Qur'ān ) from the angel Gabriel ( Jabrāʾīl ) to humans and jinn . Muslims believe that the Quran , the central religious text of Islam ,

5664-570: The sunnah for his followers. Since the 19th century, Muhammad's biographies have become increasingly intertwined with non-Muslim accounts of Muhammad , thus blurring the distinction between the prophetic Muhammad from Islamic tradition and the humanized Muhammad in non-Muslim depiction. Accordingly, pre-modern Islamic accounts revolve around Muhammad's function as a prophet and his miraculous ascent to heaven, while many modern Islamic biographers reconstruct his life as an ideal statesman or social reformer. A particular importance of Muhammad's role as

5782-571: The Battle of Badr. The intervention of the angels at the battle and the victory of the Muslims despite being outnumbered against the pagan Meccans is often considered a miraculous event in Muslim tradition. After the battle, Muhammad receives the Sword Zulfiqar from the archangel Gabriel. Tawhid Tawhid constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim profession of submission. The first part of

5900-506: The Genealogists lied!" and then proceeded to recite "وَقُرُوناً بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ كَثِيراً" (And numerous generations between them; Quran 25:38 ). Nevertheless, there are records that survived, although they are deemed mere speculations by most scholars. 'Adnan was the ancestor of the 'Adnani Arabs of northern, central and western Arabia and a direct descendant of Isma'il . It is not confirmed how many generations are between them; however, Adnan

6018-417: The Islamic declaration of faith ( shahada ) is the declaration of belief in the oneness of God. To attribute divinity to anything or anyone else, is considered shirk —an unpardonable sin according to the Quran , unless repented afterwards. Muslims believe that the entirety of the Islamic teaching rests on the principle of tawhid . From an Islamic standpoint, there is an uncompromising nondualism at

SECTION 50

#1732869347341

6136-467: The Prophet ' ), but an-Nabi was soon dropped, so its name is "Medina", meaning 'the city'. In Medina, Muhammad's first focus was on the construction of a mosque, which, when completed, was of an austere nature. Apart from being the center of prayer service, the mosque also served as a headquarters of administrative activities. Adjacent to the mosque was built the quarters for Muhammad's family. As there

6254-495: The Quran explains Muhammad's relation to humanity. According to the Quran, God sent Muhammad with truth (God's message to humanity), and as a blessing to the whole world (Q 39:33 , and 21:107 ). According to Islamic tradition, Surah 96:1 refers to the command of the angel to Muhammad to recite the Quran. Surah 17:1 is believed to be a reference to Muhammad's journey, which tradition elaborates extensively upon, meeting angels and previous prophets in heaven. Surah 9:40

6372-472: The Tawhid and Shirk in practice is to assume something as an end in itself, independent from God, not as a road to God (to Him-ness). Al-Farabi , Al-Razi and especially Avicenna put forward an interpretation of Tawhid in light of reason, with the Qur'an and Hadith serving as a basis. Before Avicenna the discussions among Muslim philosophers were about the unity of God as divine creator and his relationship with

6490-507: The Unique, i.e., the only one to be. As this Divine Essence is infinite, his qualities are the same as his essence, Essentially there is one Reality which is one and indivisible. The border between theoretical Tawhid and Shirk is to know that every reality and being in its essence, attributes and action are from him (from Him-ness), it is Tawhid. Every supernatural action of the prophets is by God's permission as Quran points to it. The border between

6608-476: The Virtuous) was formed to check further violence and injustice; and to stand on the side of the oppressed, an oath was taken by the descendants of Hashim and the kindred families, where Muhammad was also a member. Islamic tradition credits Muhammad with settling a dispute peacefully, regarding setting the sacred Black Stone on the wall of Kaaba , where the clan leaders could not decide on which clan should have

6726-601: The archangel Gabriel ( Jabrāʾīl ) brought from God to Muhammad in the Cave of Hira in Mount Hira . While he was contemplating in the Cave of Hira, Gabriel appeared before him and commanded him to "read", upon which Muhammad replied, as he is considered illiterate in Islamic tradition: 'I am unable to read'. Thereupon the angel caught hold of him and pressed him heavily. This is said to have been repeated three times until Muhammad recited

6844-407: The attributes and names of God have no independent and hypostatic existence apart from the being and essence of God. Any suggestion of these attributes and names being conceived of as separate is thought to entail polytheism . It would be even incorrect to say God knows by his knowledge which is in his essence but God knows by his knowledge which is his essence. Also, God has no physical form, and he

6962-509: The battle is not only between the human Muslims and the human pagans, but also between the angels on the behalf of the Muslims and the pagan deities ( jinn ) siding with their worshippers. The Muslims receiving heavenly support is also alluded in the Quran ( 8:9 ). Before the battle, Iblis (Satan) appeared to the pagan Meccans in form of a man called Suraqa and incites them, including Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl , to wage war against Muhammad, promising them to support them. In Shia sources,

7080-543: The beginning of gradual development of Islam in Medina , and took a formal pledge of allegiance at Muhammad's hand, promising to accept him as a prophet, to worship none but one God , and to renounce certain sins like theft, adultery, murder and the like. This is known as the "First Pledge of al-Aqaba". At their request, Muhammad sent with them Mus‘ab ibn 'Umair , who is said to successfully convince his audience to embrace Islam according to Muslim biographies. The next year, at

7198-400: The besiegers, rendering the besiegers unable to see him. After eight days' journey, Muhammad entered the outskirts of Medina on 28 June 622, but did not enter the city directly. He stopped at a place called Quba some miles from the main city, and established a mosque there. On 2 July 622, he entered the city. Yathrib was soon renamed Madinat an-Nabi ( Arabic : مَدينةالنّبي ' City of

SECTION 60

#1732869347341

7316-524: The communities to reach a formal agreement which would provide a harmony among the communities and security to the city of Medina, and finally drew up the Constitution of Medina , also known as the Medina Charter, which formed "a kind of alliance or federation" among the prevailing communities. It specified the mutual rights and obligations of the Muslims and Jews of Medina, and prohibited any alliance with

7434-414: The complexity of the unity of God and of the divine nature, the Qur'an uses 99 terms referred to as "Excellent Names of God" ( 7:180 ). The divine names project divine attributes, which, in turn, project all the levels of the creation down to the physical plane. Aside from the supreme name "Allah" and the neologism ar-Rahman (referring to the divine beneficence that creates and maintains the universe) and

7552-454: The conception of God as the Wajib al-Wujud (necessary existent). There is a gradual multiplication of beings through a timeless emanation from God as a result of his self-knowledge. The Qur'an argues that there can be no multiple sources of divine sovereignty since "behold, each god would have taken away what [each] had created, And some would have Lorded it over others!" The Qur'an argues that

7670-409: The danger, they however start associating other beings with God. "If they happen to be aboard a ship ˹caught in a storm˺, they cry out to Allah ˹alone˺ in sincere devotion. But as soon as He delivers them ˹safely˺ to shore, they associate ˹others with Him once again˺." ( 29:65 ). Next, the Qur'an argues that polytheism takes away from human dignity: God has honored human beings and given them charge of

7788-422: The early converts were Abu Bakr , Uthman ibn Affan , Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib , Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas , Abdullah ibn Masud , Arqam , Abu Dharr al-Ghifari , Ammar ibn Yasir and Bilal ibn Rabah . Muhammad's early teachings invited vehement opposition from the wealthy and leading clans of Mecca who feared the loss not only of their ancestral paganism but also of the lucrative pilgrimage business. At first,

7906-786: The earth, say "I commend him to the protection of the One from the evil of every envier" then name him Muhammad." The tradition that Muhammad's soul pre-dates his birth has been justified by the Quranic statement that "God created the spirits before the bodies". Others, such as Sahl al-Tustari , believed that the Quranic Verse of Light alludes to Muhammad's pre-existence, comparing it to the Light of Muhammad. Some later reformative theologians, such as al-Ghazali ( Asharite ) and Ibn Taymiyyah ( proto-Salafi ) rejected that Muhammad existed before birth and that only

8024-469: The essence itself, and declaring that God is existing ubiquitously and in everything. They resorted to metaphorical interpretations of Qur'anic verses or Prophetic reports with seemingly anthropomorphic content, e.g., the hand is the metaphorical designation of power; the face signifies the essence; the fact that God is seated on the Throne is a metaphorical image of the divine reign, and so on. The solution proposed by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari to solve

8142-429: The essence of Godhood, which implies the lesser God must lack in certain necessary attributes deeming this deity as anthropomorphic and snatching away the title of a god from such entity. The Qur'an argues that human beings have an instinctive distaste for polytheism : At times of crisis, for example, even the idolaters forget the false deities and call upon the one true God for help. As soon as they are relieved from

8260-405: The essence of existing things and that form and matter by themselves cannot interact and originate the movement of the universe or the progressive actualization of existing things. Existence must, therefore, be due to an agent-cause that necessitates, imparts, gives, or adds existence to an essence. An ontological argument for the existence of God was first proposed by Avicenna (965–1037) in

8378-417: The essence of existing things and that form and matter by themselves cannot interact and originate the movement of the universe or the progressive actualization of existing things. Existence must, therefore, be due to an agent-cause that necessitates, imparts, gives, or adds existence to an essence. To do so, the cause must be an existing thing and coexist with its effect. This was the first attempt at using

8496-708: The eternal from the temporal in a practical way. The ideal is a radical purification from all worldliness. According to Vincent J. Cornall, it is possible to draw up a monist image of God ( see Sufi metaphysics ) by describing the reality as a unified whole, with God being a single concept that would describe or ascribe all existing things: "He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things."( 57:3 )" However many Muslims criticize monism for it blurs

8614-418: The existence and unity of God. Ash'ari theologians rejected cause and effect in essence, but accepted it as something that facilitates humankind's investigation and comprehension of natural processes. These medieval scholars argued that nature was composed of uniform atoms that were "re-created" at every instant by God. The laws of nature were only the customary sequence of apparent causes (customs of God),

8732-501: The fear of losing the leading position, the merchants and clan-leaders tried to come to an agreement with Muhammad. They offered Muhammad the prospect of higher social status and advantageous marriage proposal in exchange for forsaking his preaching. Muhammad rejected both offers, asserting his nomination as a messenger by God . The death of his uncle Abu Talib left Muhammad unprotected, and exposed him to some mischief of Quraysh , which he endured with great steadfastness. An uncle and

8850-571: The first rational proofs among Muslims of the Unity of God. Ali states that "God is One" means that God is away from likeness and numeration and he is not divisible even in imagination . The first step of religion is to accept, understand and realize him as the Lord... The correct form of belief in his unity is to realize that he is so absolutely pure and above nature that nothing can be added to or subtracted from his being. That is, one should realize that there

8968-562: The foundation of Islam and the Muslim world . According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad received his first revelation at age 40 in a cave called Hira in Mecca , whereupon he started to preach the oneness of God in order to stamp out idolatry of pre-Islamic Arabia . This led to opposition by the Meccans, with Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl as the most famous enemies of Muhammad in Islamic tradition. This led to persecution of Muhammad and his Muslim followers who fled to Medina , an event known as

9086-404: The greatest of all Prophets. Muhammad is mentioned by name four times in the Quran. The Quran reveals little about Muhammad's early life or other biographic details, but it talks about his prophetic mission, his moral excellence, and theological issues regarding Muhammad. According to the Quran, Muhammad is the last in a chain of prophets sent by God ( 33:40 ). Throughout the Quran, Muhammad

9204-498: The heart of the Islamic beliefs ( aqida ) which is seen as distinguishing Islam from other major religions . The Quran teaches the existence of a single and absolute truth that transcends the world—a unique, independent and indivisible being who is independent of the entire creation. God, according to Islam, is a universal God, rather than a local, tribal, or parochial one, and is an absolute who integrates all affirmative values. Islamic intellectual history can be understood as

9322-402: The heart, and removed a blood-clot from it. It was then washed with Zamzam water. In Islamic tradition, this incident means that God purified his prophet and protected him from sin. Around the age of twelve, Muhammad accompanied his uncle Abu Talib in a mercantile journey to Syria , and gained experience in commercial enterprise. On this journey Muhammad is said to have been recognized by

9440-417: The holder and his subjects as 'absolute'—may lead the holder to think that he is God-like; such claims were commonly forced upon, and accepted by, those who were subject to the ruler. Also, certain natural phenomena (such as the sun, the moon and the stars) inspire feelings of awe, wonder or admiration that could lead some to regard these celestial bodies as deities . Another reason for deviation from monotheism

9558-411: The honor of doing that. The Black Stone was removed to facilitate the rebuilding of Kaaba because of its dilapidated condition. The disagreement grew tense, and bloodshed became likely. The clan leaders agreed to wait for the next man to come through the gate of Kaaba and ask him to choose. The 35-year-old Muhammad entered through that gate first, asked for a mantle which he spread on the ground, and placed

9676-441: The idea of Muhammad has existed prior to his physical conception. Muhammad was orphaned when young. Some months before the birth of Muhammad, his father died near Medina on a mercantile expedition to Syria . When Muhammad was six, he accompanied his mother Amina on her visit to Medina, probably to visit her late husband's tomb. While returning to Mecca, Amina died at a desolate place called Abwa , about half-way to Mecca, and

9794-499: The individual. He explained Muhammad's prophetic abilities through this epistemilogical model , which was adopted and elaborated on by later Muslim scholars, such as Avicenna , al-Ghazali , and ibn Arabi . The Sufi tradition of ibn Arabi expanded upon the idea of Muhammad's pre-existence, combined with rationalistic theory. Qunawi identifies Muhammad with the pen ( Qalam ), which was ordered by God to write down everything what will exist and happen. Despite some resemblance of

9912-405: The issue. Certain theologians use the term Tawhid in a much broader meaning to denote the totality of discussion of God, his existence and his various attributes. Others go yet further and use the term to ultimately represent the totality of the "principles of religion". In its current usage, the expressions "Tawhid" or "knowledge of Tawhid" are sometimes used as an equivalent for the whole Kalam ,

10030-486: The method of a priori proof , which utilizes intuition and reason alone. Avicenna's proof of God's existence is unique in that it can be classified as both a cosmological argument and an ontological argument. "It is ontological insofar as 'necessary existence' in intellect is the first basis for arguing for a Necessary Existent ". The proof is also "cosmological insofar as most of it is taken up with arguing that contingent existence cannot stand alone and must end up in

10148-475: The mind, nor in the imagination. God alone possesses such a unity. The perception of tawhid laid the foundation of Muslim ethics. According to Islam, the world is sustained by God as the ultimate reality, unique in his attributes, distinct from everything else. Tawhid denies any affinity between the creator and its creation. This includes that invisible entities ( jinn ) do not partake in creation but are created; rejection of an avatar or offspring of God; or

10266-600: The minutest acts of daily life as he behaved. In Muslim legal and religious thought , Muhammad, inspired by God to act wisely and in accordance with his will, provides an example that complements God's revelation as expressed in the Quran; and his actions and sayings – known as Sunnah  – are a model for Muslim conduct. The Sunnah can be defined as "the actions, decisions, and practices that Muhammad approved, allowed, or condoned". It also includes Muhammad's confirmation to someone's particular action or manner (during Muhammad's lifetime) which, when communicated to Muhammad,

10384-477: The moral character of Muhammad. In addition, there is a genre of biography that approaches his life by focusing on his moral qualities rather than discussing the external affairs of his life. These scholars note he maintained honesty and justice in his deeds. For more than thirteen hundred years, Muslims have modeled their lives after their prophet Muhammad. They awaken every morning as he awakened; they eat as he ate; they wash as he washed; and they behave even in

10502-580: The oneness of God is equated in the Qur'an with the "belief in the unseen" ( 2:3 ). The Qur'an summarizes its task in making this "unseen", to a greater or lesser degree "seen" so that belief in the existence of God becomes a Master-Truth rather than an unreasonable belief. The Qur'an states that God's signals are so near and yet so far, demanding that its students listen to what it has to say with humility ( 50:33 , 50:37 ). The Qur'an draws attention to certain observable facts, to present them as "reminders" of God instead of providing lengthy "theological" proofs for

10620-427: The opposition was confined to ridicule and sarcasm which proved insufficient to arrest Muhammad's faith from flourishing, and soon they resorted to active persecution. These included verbal attack, ostracism, unsuccessful boycott, and physical persecution. Alarmed by mounting persecution on the newly converts, Muhammad in 615 CE directed some of his followers to migrate to neighboring Abyssinia (present day Ethiopia ),

10738-446: The other hand to see that the duality between essence and attribute should be situated not on the quantitative but on the qualitative level—something which Mu'tazilis thinking had failed to grasp. Ash'ari theology, which dominated Sunni Islam from the tenth to the nineteenth century, insists on ultimate divine transcendence and holds that divine unity is not accessible to human reason. Ash'arism teaches that human knowledge regarding it

10856-433: The outside enemies. It also declared that any dispute would be referred to Muhammad for settlement. In the year 622, Muhammad and around 100 followers fled from Mecca to Medina, due to violent persecution. It is here, when Muslims are for the first time permitted by the Quran to fight against their pagan Meccan adversaries: "Permission [to fight] is given to those who are attacked, because they are oppressed and verily God

10974-409: The passive intellect of the individual human as receiving universal concepts from the celestial active intellect. Only when the individual intellect is in conjunction with the active intellect, it is able to receive the thoughts of the active intellect in its own mental capacities. A distinction is made between prophecy and revelation, the latter being passed down directly to the imaginative faculties of

11092-469: The people of Ta'if in between the mountains, but Muhammad said 'No'. At the pilgrimage season of 620, Muhammad met six men of Khazraj tribe from Yathrib (later named Medina ), propounded to them the doctrines of Islam, and recited portions of Quran . Impressed by this, the six embraced Islam , and at the Pilgrimage of 621, five of them brought seven others with them. These twelve informed Muhammad of

11210-460: The physical world, and yet they disgrace their position in the world by worshipping what they carve out with their own hands. Lastly, the Qur'an argues that monotheism is not a later discovery made by the human race, but rather there is the combined evidence of the prophetic call for monotheism throughout human history starting from Adam . The Qur'an suggests several causes for deviation from monotheism to polytheism: Great temporal power, regarded by

11328-482: The pilgrimage of June 622, a delegation of around 75 converted Muslims of Aws and Khazraj tribes from Yathrib came. They invited him to come to Medina as an arbitrator to reconcile the hostile tribes. This is known as the "Second Pledge of al-'Aqabah" , and was a 'politico-religious' success that paved the way for his and his followers' emigration to Medina . Following the pledges, Muhammad ordered his followers to migrate to Yathrib in small groups, and within

11446-404: The possibility of lesser gods since these beings must be themselves created. For the Qur'an, God is an immanent and transcendent deity who actively creates, maintains and destroys the universe. The reality of God as the ultimate cause of things is the belief that God is veiled from human understanding because of the secondary causes and contingent realities of things in the world. Thus the belief in

11564-492: The problems of tashbih and ta'til concedes that the divine Being possesses in a real sense the Attributes and Names mentioned in the Qur'an. Insofar as these Names and Attributes have a positive reality, they are distinct from the essence, but nevertheless they do not have either existence or reality apart from it. The inspiration of al-Ash'ari in this matter was on the one hand to distinguish essence and attribute as concepts, and on

11682-603: The revealed part of the Quran. This happened two more times after which the angel commanded Muhammad to recite the following verses: Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created— created humans from a clinging clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen— taught humanity what they knew not. These revelations are believed to have entered Muhammad's heart ( Qalb ) in form of visions and sounds, which he then transcripted into words, known as

11800-520: The sake of the unity of God. As manifestation of God's guidance and example of renouncing idolatry, Muhammad is understood as an exemplary role-model in regards of virtue, spirituality, and moral excellence. His spirituality is considered to be expressed by his journey through the seven heavens ( Mi'raj ). His behaviour and advice became known as the Sunnah , which forms the practical application of Muhammad's teachings. Even after his (earthly) death, Muhammad

11918-504: The self by elevating oneself above others and associating attributes of God with a created being. Because of that, Sunni scholars have accused Salafis and Wahhabis of depicting God as a created object ruling from the sky. Shirk is classified into two categories: Chapter 4, verse 48 of the Qur'an reads: Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has indeed committed

12036-449: The stability and order prevailing throughout the universe shows that it was created and is being administered by only one God ( 28:70-72 ). The Qur'an in verse 21:22 states: "Had there been within them [i.e., the heavens and earth] gods besides Allāh, they both would have been ruined". Later Muslim theologians elaborated on this verse saying that the existence of at least two gods would inevitably arise between them, at one time or another,

12154-418: The stone at its center. Muhammad had the clans' leaders lift a corner of it until the mantle reached the appropriate height, and then himself placed the stone on the proper place. Thus, an ensuing bloodshed was averted by the wisdom of Muhammad. When Muhammad was 40 years old, he began to receive his first revelations in 610 CE. The first revealed verses were the first five verses of Surah al-Alaq that

12272-506: The tale of Muhammad as a spiritual parallel to the life of Moses, considering many aspects of their lives to be shared. According to Arab custom, after his birth, infant Muhammad was sent to Banu Sa'ad clan, a neighboring Bedouin tribe, so that he could acquire the pure speech and free manners of the desert. There, Muhammad spent the first five years of his life with his foster-mother Halima . Islamic tradition holds that during this period, God sent two angels who opened his chest, took out

12390-426: The ultimate cause of each accident being God himself. Other forms of the argument also appear in Avicenna's other works, and this argument became known as the Proof of the Truthful . Avicenna initiated a full-fledged inquiry into the question of being , in which he distinguished between essence ( Mahiat ) and existence ( Wujud ). He argued that the fact of existence can not be inferred from or accounted for by

12508-403: The verbatim of God. These were later written down and collected and came to be known as Quran , the central religious text of Islam. During the first three years of his ministry, Muhammad preached Islam privately, mainly among his near relatives and close acquaintances. The first to believe him was his wife Khadijah , who was followed by Ali , his cousin, and Zayd ibn Harithah . Among

12626-642: The visitor is explicitly called Shaiṭān (the Devil). However, Iblis ultimately abandons the pagan Meccans before the fight begins when he recognizes that God and the angels are fighting on Muhammad's side, alluded in the Quran by stating that the devil proclaims that he "fears God" ('akhafu 'llah), which can mean both, that he is reverencing or frightened about God (the latter one the preferred translation). Islamic tradition holds that, as reported in Suyuti's al-Ḥabā’ik fī akhbār almalā’ik , angels were never killed except during

12744-399: The world as creation. The earlier philosophers were profoundly affected by the emphasis of Plotinus on divine simplicity . In Islamic mysticism ( Sufism and Irfan ), Tawhid is not only the affirmation in speech of God's unity, but also as importantly a practical and existential realization of that unity. This is done by rejecting the concepts tied to the world of multiplicity, to isolate

12862-435: The world without any pre-established archetype and without an auxiliary. According to Henry Corbin , the result of this interpretation is the negation of the divine attributes, the affirmation of the created Quran, and the denial of all possibility of the vision of God in the world beyond. Mu'tazilis believed that God is deprived of all positive attributes, in the sense that all divine qualifications must be understood as being

12980-404: Was He born. And there is none comparable to Him." The word 'tawhid' ( توحيد ) which means, "He asserted, or declared, God to be one", is derived from the Arabic root ' wahhada ' ( واحدة ) which means 'to unite' or 'to make one'. This term signifies the belief in absolute oneness and uniqueness of God. This reflects the struggle of monotheism against polytheism . In order to explain

13098-561: Was a member of the family of Banu Hashim , a respected branch of the prestigious and influential Quraysh tribe. It is generally said that 'Abd al-Muttalib named the child " Muhammad " ( Arabic : مُحَمَّد ‎ ). According to Sufis, Muhammad is not only considered as the historical figure Muhammad, but also the earthly manifestation of the cosmic Muhammad, predating the creation of the Earth or Adam . The motifs of Barakah and Nūr are frequently invoked to describe Muhammad's birth as

13216-405: Was besieged by men of the Quraysh who planned to kill him in the morning. At the time, Muhammad possessed various properties of the Quraysh given to him in trust; so he handed them over to ' Ali and directed him to return them to their owners. It is said that when Muhammad emerged from his house, he recited the ninth verse of surah Ya-Sin of the Quran and threw a handful of dust at the direction of

13334-417: Was buried there. Muhammad was now taken in by his paternal grandfather Abd al-Muttalib , who himself died when Muhammad was eight, leaving him in the care of his uncle Abu Talib . In Islamic tradition, Muhammad's being orphaned at an early age has been seen as a part of divine plan to enable him to "develop early the qualities of self-reliance, reflection, and steadfastness". Muslim scholar Muhammad Ali sees

13452-462: Was fairly close to him. According to the Hebrew Bible , Isma'il had twelve sons who are said to have become twelve tribal chiefs throughout the regions from Havilah to Shur (from Assyria to the border of Egypt ). Genealogists differ from which son of Isma'il the main line of descent came, either his eldest son Nabeet or Al-Nabt (Nebaioth), or his second son Qidar ( Kedar ) was the father of

13570-433: Was generally approved by him. The Sunnah, as recorded in the Hadith literature, encompasses everyday activities related to men's domestic, social, economic, and political life. It addresses a broad array of activities and Islamic beliefs ranging from the simple practices, like the proper way of entering a mosque and private cleanliness, to questions involving the love between God and humans. The Sunnah of Muhammad serves as

13688-494: Was limited to declaring or preferring belief in one God and the unity of God. Although the monotheistic definition has persisted into modern Arabic, it is now more generally used to connote "unification, union, combination, fusion; standardization, regularization; consolidation, amalgamation, merger". Chapter 112 of the Quran, titled al-Ikhlas , reads: Say, "He is Allah—One; Allah—the Sustainer. He has never had offspring, nor

13806-405: Was no definite arrangement for calling people to prayer, Bilal ibn Ribah was appointed to call people in a loud voice at each prayer time, a system later replaced by Adhan believed to be informed to Abdullah ibn Zayd in his dream, and liked and introduced by Muhammad. In order to establish peaceful coexistence among this heterogeneous population, Muhammad invited the leading personalities of all

13924-399: Was revealed to Muhammad by God , and that Muhammad was sent to guide people to Islam, which is believed not to be a separate religion, but the unaltered original faith of mankind ( fiṭrah ), and believed to have been shared by previous prophets including Adam , Abraham , Moses , and Jesus . The religious, social, and political tenets that Muhammad established with the Quran became

#340659