Encyclopaedia Britanica about Prophet Mohammed

Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim

born 570, Mecca, Arabia [now in Saudi Arabia] died June 8, 632, Medina

Arab prophet who established the religion of Islam.

The son of a merchant of the ruling tribe, he was orphaned at age six. He married a rich widow, Khadījah, with whom he had six children, including Fāṭimah, a daughter. According to tradition, in 610 he was visited by the angel Gabriel, who informed Muhammad that he was the messenger of God. His revelations and teachings, recorded in the Qurʾān, are the basis of Islam. He began to preach publicly c. 613, urging the rich to give to the poor and calling for the destruction of idols. He gained disciples but also acquired enemies, whose plan to murder Muhammad forced him to flee Mecca for Medina in 622. This flight, known as the Hijrah, marks the beginning of the Islamic era. Muhammad’s followers defeated a Meccan force in 624; they suffered reverses in 625 but repelled a Meccan siege of Medina in 627. He won control of Mecca by 629 and of all Arabia by 630. He made his last journey to Mecca in 632, establishing the rites of the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. He died later that year and was buried at Medina. His life, teachings, and miracles have been the subjects of Muslim devotion and reflection ever since.

Mohammed, The world Leader

Prophet Muhammad had all the necessary qualities for success in every aspect of life. But, more importantly, he was able to lead his community to success in every field. He is the source from which flowed all later developments related to command, statecraft, religion, spiritual development, and so on in the Muslim world.

In general, leaders should have the following qualities:

• Realism. They should understand prevailing conditions as they actually are and be aware of any advantages and disadvantages.
• Absolute belief in their message. Their conviction should never falter, and they should never renounce their mission.
• Personal courage. Even if left alone, they should have enough courage to persevere. When some of his pursuers reached the mouth of the cave in which they were hiding, Abu Bakr was afraid something would happen to the Messenger. However, the Prophet only said, "Grieve not, for God is with us" (At-Tawbah 9:40).
• Strong willpower and resolve. They should never experience even one moment of hopelessness.
• Awareness of personal responsibility. Everything should be directed toward fulfilling this responsibility. In no way should they be seduced by the world's charms and life's attractions.
• Far-sighted and goal-centered. Leaders should be able to discern and plan for potential developments. They should know how to evaluate the past, present, and future to reach a new synthesis. Those who frequently change their opinions only spread chaos in the community.
• Personal knowledge of each follower. Leaders should be fully aware of each follower's disposition, character, abilities, shortcomings, ambitions, and weak points. If they lack this knowledge, how can they fill vacant posts with the appropriate people?
• Strong character and praiseworthy virtues. Leaders should be determined but flexible while carrying out decisions, and know when to be unyielding and implacable or relenting and compassionate. They should know when to be earnest and dignified, when to be modest, and they should always be upright, truthful, trustworthy, and just.
• No worldly ambitions or abuse of authority. Leaders should live like the poorest members of their community. They should never discriminate among their subjects; rather, they should strive to love them, prefer them over themselves, and act so that their people will love them sincerely. They should be faithful to their community, and secure their community's loyalty and devotion in return.

The Messenger possessed all of these qualities and many more as well. To cite only a few examples, he never even thought of abandoning his mission when confronted with great hostility and tempting bribes. Instead, he would tell them, "Say: 'There is no god but Allah,' and prosper (in both worlds)" (Al-Hakim). When his Companions complained about the harsh conditions and persecution in Makkah, he answered, "By Allah, Allah will bring this matter (the establishment of Islam) to its consummation till a rider will travel from San`a' (in Yemen) to Hadramaut fearing none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you (people) are hasty" (Al-Bukhari).

Mohammed, a light unto mankind

Prophet Muhammad preached for twenty-three years and consequently the writings in the Qur’an and the Hadith contain thousands of accounts of his interactions and public communication.  His public communication contained many references to values necessary to follow completely Allah’s will.  In his book, Muhammad in the Qur’an, Raza (1982) traced the verses in the Qur’an that described Prophet Muhammad’s character values: “And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character” (Qur’an 68:4). This was not only a claim, but Prophet Muhammad had already won from his fellow-citizens of Mecca the recognition of his magnificent morality inasmuch as he had won the title of Al-Amin, a title rarely conceded to anybody in the pre Islamic days (Khan, 1998).

Carlyle described Prophet Muhammad’s fidelity in the following situation with his wife Ayesha thus: 

 
It is a boundless favour. He never forgot this good kadijah.  Long afterwards, Ayesha his young favourite wife, a woman who indeed distinguished herself among the moslems, by all manner of qualities, through her whole long life; this young brilliant Ayesha was, one day, questioning him. “Now am not I better than kadijah?  She was a widow; old, and had lost her looks: you love me better than you did her?” “No, by Allah!” answered Mahomet: “no, by Allah! She believed in me when none else would believe.  In the whole world I had but one friend, and she was that!... (1840, p.76)

According to Sharma (1935), "Muhammad was the soul of kindness, and his influence was felt and never forgotten by those around him" (p. 12).Mahatma Gandhi, well-known for his compassionate character to all people, described the character of Muhammad similarly to how others describe him:
I wanted to know the best of one who holds today's undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of humankind....I became more than convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. (Young India, nd)