Who is the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him? He was born in Makkah, in the Arabian Peninsula, around the year five hundred and seventy of the common era. He was orphaned young, and raised first by his grandfather and then by his uncle. Even before he began receiving revelation, he was known among his community for his honesty.

At around the age of forty, Muslims believe he began receiving revelation from God through the angel Gabriel. That revelation continued over the next twenty-three years, and was later compiled into the Qur'an.

Muslims regard him as the final prophet, in a line that includes Abraham, Moses and Jesus. He is often called the Seal of the Prophets. In Surah Al-Ahzab, chapter thirty-three, verse forty, an English translation of the meaning reads: “Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets.” And in Surah Al-Anbiya, chapter twenty-one, verse one hundred and seven, Allah says to him, in translation: “And We have not sent you, O Muhammad, except as a mercy to the worlds.”

He faced significant opposition in Makkah, and in the year six hundred and twenty-two he migrated with his followers to the city of Madinah. That migration is known as the Hijrah, and it marks the start of the Islamic calendar. He later returned to Makkah, and he died in Madinah in the year six hundred and thirty-two.

His sayings and example, known as the Sunnah, form the second major source of Islamic guidance after the Qur'an. The Seerah section of HikmahBridge tells his life story in more detail.