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Who was Muhammad?
muhammad bin abdullah was a descendant of prophet abraham through his son, ishmael,[1]and was from the prominent arab tribe of quraysh. he was not the founder of islam but its final prophet and the last messenger sent by god to the world as a mercy to mankind. every detail of his private life and public speech has been documented and carefully preserved up to the present day.
during the 23-year period of his prophethood, he changed the entire arabian peninsula from paganism to worship of the one true god, from tribal warfare to national unity, from anarchy to disciplined living, from barbarism to the highest standard of moral excellence. at the time of his death most inhabitants of arabia and the southern regions of iraq and palestine had voluntarily embraced islam. to posterity he left a creed of pure monotheism that included comprehensive legislation based on a balanced system of moral values.
no other man in history excelled in so many different aspects of life. he not only taught and established the religion but founded a state, initiated numerous political and social reforms, built a powerful and dynamic society, and completely revolutionized the realm of human thought and behavior - all within just over two decades.
his coming was foretold in previous scriptures, and he was described therein. the honest and open-minded among the jews and christians recognized him from those descriptions and believed in his message. but the message he communicated was not meant for a particular people, place or period; it was a global message. muhammad was appointed to instruct all of mankind and invite humanity to the same objective as did the prophets before him: the worship of god alone without associates or intermediaries.
there is explicit evidence for the prophethood of muhammad. as the revelation descended upon him, his companions noticed certain effects on his body; however, he never lost consciousness or showed any signs of illness. his life was protected by god during times of severe danger throughout the entire period of his prophethood until the divine message was complete. like the prophets before him, muhammad was supported with miracles, but by far the greatest of them was the qur'an, an eternal miracle containing evidences for people of intellect for all time to come.
prophet muhammad was chosen by the creator of the universe and of mankind to invite all people to correct beliefs and follow the pure way of life preferred by him, and to demonstrate the measures and methods leading to his acceptance. he spared no effort and no sacrifice in carrying out this duty for the benefit of mankind. through him, god made known truth from falsehood and wisdom from error. and through him he showed man how to attain eternal paradise. thus, prophet muhammad directed humanity to the one divine source of values and rules of conduct.
[1]isaac, another son of abraham, was the ancestor of the children of israel, among whom a number of prophets were raised.
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