Aslam

Muhammad ﷺ was born in Makkah into the tribe of Quraysh, orphaned young — his father died before his birth, his mother when he was six, and his grandfather when he was eight. He was known as Al-Amin (the Trustworthy) and As-Sadiq (the Truthful) even before prophethood.

At the age of forty, while meditating in the Cave of Hira on the Mountain of Light, the angel Jibril appeared to him and said: "Read!" He replied: "I cannot read." The angel squeezed him and said again: "Read!" This happened three times, and then Jibril revealed the first words of the Quran: "Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the most Generous — Who taught by the pen — taught man that which he knew not."

For thirteen years in Makkah, Muhammad ﷺ called his people to Islam. He and his followers endured persecution, boycott, and abuse. Some were tortured, some were killed. When the persecution became unbearable, they migrated to Madinah — the Hijrah — which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

In Madinah, a community was established. The Quran continued to be revealed over twenty-three years total, providing guidance for every aspect of life. Muhammad ﷺ was sent not just to the Arabs but as a mercy to all of mankind.

After years of struggle, the Prophet ﷺ returned to Makkah in triumph. He entered the city with humility, his head bowed, and cleansed the Ka'bah of its 360 idols, reciting: "Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed, falsehood is ever bound to depart." He forgave the people of Makkah who had persecuted him for years.

The last surah to be revealed was Surah An-Nasr: "When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest, and you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes, then exalt Him with praise of your Lord and ask His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance."