Muhammad's life

Muhammad is born in Mecca

570

He comes from a noble family and is well-known for his honesty and upright character.

The Byzantine and Persian Empires Bordering Arabia

570

After the death of Emperor Theodosius I in 395, the Roman Empire was partitioned into western and eastern halves between his sons Honorius and Arcadius respectively. In 476, however, the western Roman Empire collapsed, abandoning Britain, Gaul, Spain and part of Italy to the barbarians

The Capture of Yemen by the Persians

574

The Abyssinians were expelled from Yemen by the Persians after fifty-two years of occupation, and Yemen came under Persian rule.

Muhammad becomes an orphan

575

His mom takes him to Yathrib, an oasis town a few hundred miles north of Mecca, to stay with relatives and visit his father's grave. On the journey back Muhammad's mom gets sick and dies

Abu Talib takes care of Muhammad

578

At the death of his grandfather Muhammad goes to live with his uncle in Mecca where he is taught many skills and how to survive

Exposure of Byzantine Border to Arabia

581

The ruling Prince of the Ghassan tribe, being a Monophysite Christain, was arrested and taken to Constantinople for alleged treason. The Byzantines withdrew their recognition of the Ghassan Dynasty, which had been living along the Syrian border and protecting it in reurn for a subsidy and other privileges.

Muhammad Acts as Caravan Agent for Wealthy Tradeswoman, Khadija

594

Muhammad entered the service of a wealthy Meccan merchant, a widow named Khadija bint Khawalayd. The two were distant cousins. Muhammad carried her goods to the north and returned with a profit.

Exposure of the Persian Border to Arabia

Dec 3, 605

Numan III, the Lakhmid ruler, quarrelled with the Persian Chosroes, who abolished the privileges which had been enjoyed by his family in return for defending the desert frontier. As a result, the Arab tribes along the Euphrates rebelled agaisnt the Persians and left the border with Arabia unguarded.

Muhammad Receives First Revelation

Feb 19, 610

Muhammad was visited by an overpowering presence and instructed to recite words of such beauty and force that he and others gradually attributed them to God. This experience shook Muhammad to the core. It was several years before he dared to talk about it outside his family.

Muhammad Takes his Message Public

Jan 1, 613

Muhammad finally began to reveal the messages he was receiving to his tribe. These were gathered verse by verse and later would become the Qur'an, Islam's sacred scripture. In the next decade, Muhammad and his followers were first belittled and ridiculed, then persecuted and physically attacked for departing from traditional Mecca's tribal ways.

Umar(ra)'s Acceptance of Islam

Dec 3, 616

The conversion to Islam of Umar Ibn al-Khattab(ra), Muhammad(saws)'s bitter opponent and a forceful personality in Makkah, took place. he later became the second Caliph

Muhammad and the Muslims Emigrate to Medina

Mar 18, 622

Muhammad and his few hundred followers left Mecca and traveled to Yathrib, the oasis town where his father was buried. The leaders there were suffering through a vicious civil war, and they had invited this man well known for his wisdom to act as their mediator. Yathrib soon became known as Medina, the City of the Prophet. Muhammad remained here for the next six years.

The Battle of Uhad

Oct 31, 625

To avenge the year old defeat in the Battle of Badr and also to make their trade route safe, the Makkans mobilized about 3,000 men and entered the oasis of Madinah in the month of March. In response, Muhammad could only muster a force of 700 only, and a pitched battle took place near the hill of uhad, about 3 miles to the north of Madinah. The Muslims repelled the Makkan infantry at first but were then thrown disarray by a sudden attack from the rear(which was caused by a group of archers that a

Conversion of Abbas(ra) to Islam

Dec 3, 629

While Muhammad was in Makkah for the Pilgrimage, his uncle, Abbas accepted Islam. The descendants of Abbas later established the second Islamic Dynasty, the Abbasid

Muhammad dies

Jul 4, 632

Three months later on June 8, 632 he died there, after a brief illness. He is buried in the mosque in Medina. Within a hundred years Muhammad's teaching and way of life had spread from the remote corners of Arabia as far east as Indo-China and as far west as Morocco, France and Spain.