--- title: "Who Was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? | Islam Is Mercy" description: "A short introduction to the life and character of Muhammad ﷺ, the final messenger of God — from orphan in Mecca to the Prophet sent as a mercy to all people." lang: en url: https://islamismercy.com/en/start/who-was-prophet-muhammad/ --- 1. [Home](https://islamismercy.com/en/) 2. [Start Here](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/) 3. Who Was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? # Who Was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 3 min readAwaiting scholar review ## The short answer Muhammad ﷺ was born in Mecca, Arabia, around 570 CE. At about forty, Muslims believe, he began receiving revelation from God through the angel Gabriel, and for the next 23 years he taught the message of the one God that became the Qur'an. Muslims see him as the last in a long line of prophets — including Abraham, Moses and Jesus — and as the best example of how to live that message. ## On this page 1. An orphan in Mecca 2. The first revelation 3. Migration, hardship and victory 4. His character 5. The final messenger 6. Loved, followed — but not worshipped Well over a billion people try to follow his example every day — in how they pray, eat, greet one another and treat their families. Yet many non-Muslims know very little about him. Here is a short introduction to the man Muslims love more than any other human being. ## An orphan in Mecca Muhammad ﷺ was born in the city of Mecca, in western Arabia, around the year 570 CE. His father died before he was born, and his mother died when he was a small child. He was cared for first by his grandfather and then by his uncle, Abu Talib. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and later as a merchant. He became so well known for his honesty that the people of Mecca called him *al-Amin* — “the trustworthy”. At around twenty-five he married Khadijah, a respected businesswoman, and they shared a loving marriage for about twenty-five years until her death. Mecca at that time was a centre of idol worship. Muhammad ﷺ never took part in it. He would often go alone to a cave called Hira, on a mountain outside the city, to reflect. ## The first revelation At about the age of forty, in around 610 CE, Muslims believe the angel Gabriel (*Jibril*) came to him in the cave of Hira with the first words of the [Qur’an](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/quran/) — a command to read and recite in the name of God, the Creator (Qur’an 96:1-5). You can read more about this in [What Is the Qur’an?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/what-is-the-quran/) From then on he called people to worship the one God, to give up idols, to care for the poor and orphans, and to live honestly and justly. Many of the powerful leaders of Mecca opposed him fiercely, and his early followers were mocked, boycotted and some tortured. ## Migration, hardship and victory In 622 CE, after years of persecution, Muhammad ﷺ and his followers migrated to the city of Medina, where he was welcomed and became its leader. This migration, the *Hijrah*, marks the start of the Islamic calendar. In Medina he built a community based on faith, justice and brotherhood. Some years later he returned to Mecca at the head of a large army. Instead of taking revenge on the people who had persecuted him for two decades, he forgave them. He died in Medina in 632 CE, at about sixty-three years of age, leaving no wealth behind. For the fuller story, see [The Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ](https://islamismercy.com/en/prophets/life-of-prophet-muhammad/). ## His character The Qur’an itself praises his character: > وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍۢ ﴿٤﴾ > And indeed, you are of a great moral character. [Qur'an, Al-Qalam 68:4](https://quran.com/68?startingVerse=4&translations=20)Saheeh International It also describes how his gentleness drew people to him: > فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ ﴿١٥٩﴾ > So by mercy from Allah, \[O Muhammad\], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude \[in speech\] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely \[upon Him\]. [Qur'an, Aal-i-Imraan 3:159](https://quran.com/3?startingVerse=159&translations=20)Saheeh International His wife Aisha, who knew him more closely than anyone, described his everyday conduct: > Narrated \`Aisha: Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was given the choice of one of two matters, he would choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not sinful to do so, but if it was sinful to do so, he would not approach it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never took revenge (over anybody) for his own sake but (he did) only when Allah's Legal Bindings were outraged in which case he would take revenge for Allah's Sake [Sahih al-Bukhari 3560](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/61#:~:text=he%20would%20choose%20the%20easier)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) He mended his own clothes, helped with work at home, played with children and visited the sick. He taught that good character is at the very centre of religion: > …The best among you are the best in character (having good manners)… [Sahih al-Bukhari 6035](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=who%20was%20narrating%20to%20us)Grade: Sahih (in Sahih al-Bukhari) ## The final messenger Muslims believe that God sent prophets to every nation — among them Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them) — and that Muhammad ﷺ was the last of them: > مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمًۭا ﴿٤٠﴾ > Muhammad is not the father of \[any\] one of your men, but \[he is\] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing. [Qur'an, Al-Ahzaab 33:40](https://quran.com/33?startingVerse=40&translations=20)Saheeh International Unlike earlier prophets, who were sent to their own people, his message is for all of humanity (Qur’an 34:28), and the Qur’an describes him as a mercy to the worlds (Qur’an 21:107). See [Muhammad ﷺ Is the Final Messenger](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/muhammad-final-messenger/). ## Loved, followed — but not worshipped Muslims honour him deeply. Whenever they mention his name they add a prayer for him, *sallallahu alayhi wa sallam* — “may God bless him and grant him peace”, written ﷺ. Out of respect, and to protect against anyone ever worshipping him, Muslims do not make pictures or images of him. But he was a human being, not God and not the son of God. He ate, slept, married, grieved and died like any person. Muslims worship God alone and follow Muhammad ﷺ as His messenger and their best example. If you would like to understand why Muslims love him so much, a good next step is [Why Is Islam Called a Religion of Mercy?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/why-islam-is-mercy/) — because, as the Qur’an says, his whole mission was mercy. ![Who Was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?](https://islamismercy.com/_astro/life-of-prophet-muhammad-info.Crh6Ua_H_1UzoDo.jpg) ## Key takeaways - Muhammad ﷺ was born in Mecca around 570 CE and grew up an orphan. - He was known as al-Amin, "the trustworthy", long before he became a prophet. - Muslims believe he is the final messenger of God, sent to all of humanity. - Muslims love and follow him, but worship God alone — he was a human being, not divine. ## Share this article [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=Who%20Was%20Prophet%20Muhammad%20%EF%B7%BA%3F%20https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fwho-was-prophet-muhammad%2F)[Telegram](https://t.me/share/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fwho-was-prophet-muhammad%2F&text=Who%20Was%20Prophet%20Muhammad%20%EF%B7%BA%3F)[X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Who%20Was%20Prophet%20Muhammad%20%EF%B7%BA%3F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fwho-was-prophet-muhammad%2F)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fislamismercy.com%2Fen%2Fstart%2Fwho-was-prophet-muhammad%2F) ## Sources - [Qur'an, Al-Qalam 68:4](https://quran.com/68?startingVerse=4&translations=20) - [Qur'an, Aal-i-Imraan 3:159](https://quran.com/3?startingVerse=159&translations=20) - [Qur'an, Al-Ahzaab 33:40](https://quran.com/33?startingVerse=40&translations=20) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 3560](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/61#:~:text=he%20would%20choose%20the%20easier) - [Sahih al-Bukhari 6035](https://sunnah.com/bukhari/78#:~:text=who%20was%20narrating%20to%20us) ## Talk to a Muslim Have a question that isn't answered here? Ask a real person — no pressure, no judgement. [Ask your question](https://islamismercy.com/en/talk/) ## Keep reading [What Muslims Agree On ### Muhammad ﷺ Is the Final Messenger Muslims believe Muhammad ﷺ was the last prophet God sent to humanity — a human messenger for all people. Here is what that belief means and why it matters. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/core/muhammad-final-messenger/)[Stories of the Prophets ### The Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: A Short Biography A short biography of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — from orphan in Makkah to the first revelation, years of persecution, the move to Madinah and his farewell. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/prophets/life-of-prophet-muhammad/)[Start Here ### What Is the Qur'an? The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam — God's words revealed to Muhammad ﷺ. Learn how it was revealed, preserved, organised and recited. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/what-is-the-quran/)[Start Here ### Why Is Islam Called a Religion of Mercy? Mercy is at the heart of Islam — in God's names, in the Prophet's mission, and in how Muslims are taught to treat people, animals and the earth. Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/why-islam-is-mercy/)