The Life of Muhammad (pbuh) in 21 Minutes – The Last Messenger Who Changed History
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It's the early 600s. A hot and scorching day in the Arabian Peninsula. The little girl was trying to understand what her father was doing. Apparently he was digging a hole in the middle of the desert. Despite being confused, she was very happy that she could finally spend some time with her father for the first time, for she had never received any love from him until then. At one point, she even tried to help him dig the hole. As it was getting deeper and deeper, her curiosity was growing, too. Were they going to play a game? How was it going to be? As she was trying to figure out what was going to happen, with a sudden push, she found herself at the bottom of the hole.
It was her father who pushed her. Without looking at her daughter's terrified face, he quickly started throwing dirt on her. This horrible scene is from the Arabian Peninsula before Islam, from the period of Jahiliyyah, the period of ignorance. This practice was sadly very common in those dark times, as girls were considered a source of shame. They were buried alive in the most brutal way by their fathers, the very people from whom they expected the most love. But it wasn't only that. Many innocent people were being killed in blood feuds. The orphans were pushed around. The strong were oppressing the weak. There was no law or justice. People were so misguided.
They had gone so far astray that they were making idols from stone and worshipped those same idols they had made with their own hands. They were expecting help and protection from them. The spiritual atmosphere was covered with dark clouds. The hearts were filled with violence and the minds with ignorance. It was as if the souls were gasping for breath. They were suffering the agony of death. At such a time, Allah would send the light of guidance and turn all that darkness into light. That light was Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The year is 608. Before receiving Prophethood, as time went by, Muhammad (pbuh) became more and more recognized and known for his trustworthiness and good morals.
No one ever saw him lie even once. And he became one of the most beloved people in the society. So much so that he was given the nickname "Muhammad al-Amin." Muhammad the trustworthy. One day, his tribe, the Quraish, was trying to repair the Kaaba with great effort. When it was finally finished, the clans couldn't agree on who should put the sacred Hajar al-Aswad stone in its place. Everyone believed that their family was worthy of this honor. Because of the heated arguments, they came to a point where they were taking oaths to kill each other. Then, with their unanimous agreement, Muhammad al-Amin acted as a judge in the matter and resolved the issue and peacefully ended the conflict.
He made them put Hajar al-Aswad on a piece of cloth, and the leaders of each clan carried the cloth by holding one end of it. Finally, he took the stone and put it in his place himself. Everyone was very pleased with this decision. The year 610. The Prophet (pbuh) was approaching the age of 40. At a time when persecution and injustice became more severe in Mecca, he wanted to leave the cruel idol worshipers behind and be alone with his master. He could no longer tolerate what was happening in the city. To a certain extent, he was going to retreat from society and regularly go up to Mount Nur.
As he stayed in the Cave of Hira upon the mountain, contemplating his Lord's creation and praying to him for months, each day, his love for his Creator increased more and more. On one of those days, suddenly he encountered a being he had never seen before. It was Jibreel. The Angel of Revelation. And the first Ayah of the last true book, the Qur'an was sent down to the earth. Recite. In the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance. Recite. And your Lord is the most generous. Who taught by the pen. Oh, who taught man what he did not know.
After receiving the first revelation and Prophethood, he began inviting people to Islam, starting with the ones that were closest to him. And the first woman to believe was his wife Khadija. The first man to believe in him was Abu Bakr, and the first child was Ali (ra). In the first years of revelation, the invitation to Islam was done in secret. In this way, the Muslims could be protected from danger. There were believers from all walks of life. From men, women, from the poor, the rich, the free, the slaves, adults, children, et cetera. And over time their number became close to 40.
By the end of the third year, the Prophet (saw) stood on Safa Hill and openly explained Islam to the people of Quraish. The year 614. The disbelievers who had been practicing the religion of their ancestors for many years, were not happy at all with this new religion. So they did their best to prevent the spread of Islam. They saw it as a loss of power and authority. A fight for dominance between tribes. And that's why they preferred not to listen and ignore what was being said. To them, this religion was unacceptable because it was changing all their perceptions. Could it be possible for black and white, rich and poor, noble and common man, slave and free to be equal?
How could all these be called brothers and sisters? To give value to the daughters, to treat women as human beings, to give them the right to have a say, to have an opinion. To say "Paradise is under the feet of mothers." These concepts were very foreign to them at that time. They were saying, where did this new religion come from? Because they saw Islam as the religion of the slaves and the poor, they increased their oppression more and more. They were trying all kinds of ways to turn the believers away from their faith. They were insulting them, beating them, torturing them.
The Muslims suffered the most cruel torments just because they said, "Allah is my master, and there is no God but Allah." The year 616. As a result of the oppression against them, a group of 101 Muslims migrated to Abyssinia so that they could live their religion in peace. Before them, 19 of the Muslims had also gone there, but the Prophet (saw) and some of his companions stayed in Mecca. The King of Abyssinia, Najashi, said that the Bible and the Torah foretold the coming of Prophet Muhammad. And then he promised the Muslims to live peacefully in his country. Despite all the oppression, the number of Muslims was growing.
Two people who were feared by everyone in Mecca also joined the believers and became Muslims. Hamza and Omar (ra). This increased the strength and courage of the believers even more. For the first time together, Muslims went out into the streets and openly declared Islam. This was a sign that the balances were beginning to shift. The year 617. As the number of Muslims increased, the rage of the idol worshipers increased too. The Quraish tried every possible way to make the Prophet and his followers give up. He completely rejected all the offers to abandon his cause, such as, we will make you our richest, we will make you our leader, et cetera.
The lies and mocking words could neither discourage the Prophet nor the people around him. Having failed to defeat them intellectually, they resorted to violence against the Muslims. And when that didn't work either, they decided to start a ruthless boycott against the family of the sons of Hashim, including Prophet Muhammad. They would neither sell nor buy anything from them. They would even prevent those who wanted to sell anything to Muslims, or try to help them in any way. Without discriminating between young or old, children, women and sick, they left them hungry, thirsty and isolated, so that they would finally give up. The year 619. The boycott was extremely cruel and exhausting.
Many times, Muslims could not find any kind of food and spent many, many days in hunger. They even had to eat animal skins and tree barks to survive. When people saw that the Prophet was rejecting all material gain, but rather only suffered for his cause, they couldn't deny his sincerity and started believing in him. What could stand in the way of a truth that illuminates and satisfies the soul, heart, and mind? After three long years, the boycott came to an end. This was a huge relief for all the Muslims and the Prophet (saw). But in the same year he lost his two important sources of support who had stood by him in every one of his difficulties.
His uncle Abu Talib and his beloved wife Khatija. That's why this year was called the Year of Sorrow. The year 620. Despite all the sadness, our Prophet (pbuh), knew that this was a world of test. And he didn't stop doing his duty, even for one moment. It was up to Allah to grant faith and guidance to his nation. So he focused directly on his part. That is conveying the message. So he went to one of the biggest cities in that region, Taif, with Zaid, to invite them to Islam. But on the order of their leaders, the people of Taif started throwing stones at them. For 2.5 kilometers, a distance that took more than 3000 steps, they were viciously pelted with stones, spit on and insulted.
From Taif, where he had gone to save the eternal lives of its people, Prophet Muhammad came back to Mecca, covered in blood and wounds. After going through sorrow after sorrow, Allah granted a great blessing to our Prophet (saw) and elevated him to Mi'raj. With Mi'raj, Allah showed him that He valued His messenger in a unique way and gave him one of the greatest gifts. The five daily prayers. Steadfast in his struggle of delivering the message, Rasulullah continued to visit the tents during the Hajj season. And finally a group of young men from Medina accepted Islam at Aqaba. The year 621.
Mus'ab ibn Umayr, who was one of the leading companions of the Prophet (saw), was sent to Medina as a Qur'an teacher. This laid the foundations of Islam there and many people started to take Shahada. A new era was about to begin. The year 622. It was no longer possible to practice Islam in Mecca. The oppression became unbearable. Because of this, Muslims began to migrate to Medina in separate groups. But the Prophet (pbuh) was going to migrate last. Because as a leader, he had to make sure that everyone arrived in Medina safely. So he continued to stay in Mecca. Seeing the potential threat of Muslims becoming a powerful entity in Medina, the disbelievers took a decision.
They agreed that they must solve this issue once and for all by killing the Prophet (saw). The Prophet, along with Abu Bakr, secretly set out on their journey of migration and took refuge in the Cave of Thawr to hide from the disbelievers. As a miracle, Allah appointed two animals. A spider quickly built a web, and the bird made a nest to block the entrance of the cave. Thinking that they couldn't be inside, the disbelievers turned back. During the Hijrah, he came close to death several times. But his Master was protecting him. Allah would later mention this reality in the Qur'an and say, "Allah will protect you from people." And this would indeed happen.
Surviving multiple assassination attempts throughout his life, he would eventually die in his bed. When he came out of the Cave of Thawr, where he was miraculously protected by Allah, he sadly looked at Mecca and said, "By Allah, you are the best land of Allah and the dearest of the Land of Allah to me. By Allah, had I not been expelled from you, I would never have left," and continued on his way. The era of Mecca was now over, and the era of Medina had begun. This date was considered the beginning of the Hijri calendar.
He said, "Even if they place the Sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, I will never stop defending Islam until either Allah makes it victorious or I die defending it." The year 623. After the Hijra, with the first written constitution in history, the Constitution of Medina, the Islamic State was formed. The year 624. Islam started to be lived and practiced fully in Medina. During this period, the first battle of Islam against the disbelievers of Mecca, The Battle of Badr took place. Compared to the enemy, the Muslim army was much weaker in terms of equipment. And their numbers were also much smaller. Only 313 Muslims fought against the Quraish army of 1000 men.
At the end of the battle, 70 disbelievers, including many prominent leaders of Quraish such as Abu Jahl were killed and 14 Muslims were martyred. This marked the first victory of Islam. And from then on, nothing would ever be the same again. In the early periods of Medina, the obligatory acts of worship continued to be given too. Fasting was made mandatory. The first Eid al-Fitr was celebrated. Then came another opportunity for blessings. The first Eid al-Adha. After that, zakat became obligatory. In other words, the basic commandments of Islam were being established one by one.
In the first years, the belief in the existence of Allah and His oneness, the Hereafter, the belief in Heaven and Hell, and the purpose of the creation of human beings had been firmly rooted in the hearts of Muslims. And now the rulings and the acts of worship began to be practiced. The year 625. The Battle of Uhud took place. This was a battle in which the Muslims fought with 700 men and the disbelievers with 3000. In the beginning, the Muslims were destroying the enemy. But when the archers left their positions, thinking that the battle was over, the disbelievers made a counter move and the Muslims lost the battle. 70 Muslims were martyred and over 20 disbelievers were killed.
The Lion of Allah, Hamza, who had struggled so hard for the cause of Islam, was among the martyrs, too. Beyond being killed, his body was mutilated out of vengeful feelings. The year 626. Wine was flowing like a river in the streets of Medina. It was because drinking alcohol had just been made haram. Everyone was pouring all the wine from their homes into the streets. Even though it was one of the three basic drinks in that society, this was the scene right after the Ayah of alcohol prohibition.
When it was impossible even to remove a habit like smoking from a small community, the fact that the entire Muslim population instantly abandoned wine, showed the miraculous power of the Qur'an in the hearts and minds, and that its source could only be Allah. The year 627. In the Battle of Ahzab, also known as Battle of the Trench, Muslims fought with the disbelievers that came together from all over Arabia under the leadership of Quraish. With an army of about 12,000 men, they came to Medina to wipe out all the Muslims, including the elderly, women and children. With a different war tactic, the Muslims dug trenches around Medina to defend the city.
This brilliant strategy worked and the disbelievers couldn't get over the trenches. Eventually they had to retreat and the war was won by Muslims. The year 628. Muslims had been missing the Kaaba in Mecca for many years and eagerly wanted to make Umrah. For this purpose, together they set out for Mecca. But the Quraish wanted to prevent this, so an agreement was signed between them. The Treaty of Hudaybiyah. This was actually the breaking point. Because although the conditions of the agreement seemed in favour of the disbelievers, in reality it would lead to their eventual defeat. Muslims wouldn't be able to visit the Kaaba that year, but a year later.
Also, there would be a ceasefire between them for ten years. Taking advantage of having no conflict with the Quraish, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) continued to spread his message to even more tribes and more nations. Letters of invitation to Islam were sent to the rulers of the neighboring countries, starting from the Byzantine and the Sassanid emperors. Because Islam was not a religion that was sent only to a certain community or a nation, but to the whole world and to all nations. The year 629. After the agreement, the Quraish prejudice and stubbornness against Islam slowly began to disappear. Hearts and minds became more and more open to Islam.
In a way, the physical swords were put down and the spiritual diamond sword of Islam conquered the minds and the hearts. Khalid ibn Walid, a military genius from the Quraish could not remain indifferent to these truths and decided to become Muslim. During this period, the Battle of Mu'tah against the Byzantines took place. When three great commanders like Zaid, Ja'afar and Abdullah ibn Rawaha were martyred, one after the other, Khalid ibn Walid took over. And with his genius tactics, the Muslim army gave a very difficult time to the huge Byzantine army that outnumbered them many times over. After the Byzantines suffered great losses, both sides retreated.
This was the first war between Muslims and Byzantium. The year 630. Two years after it was signed, the Treaty of Hudaybiyah was violated by the disbelievers. After years of separation, the longing for the Kaaba and Mecca had increased immensely. And now, it was time to put it to an end. With the hearts of Muslims full of faith behind him, the Prophet (saw) began his preparations for the conquest of Mecca. The Muslim army, which had increased from one to thousands and now exceeded 10,000 in number, entered Mecca with great joy and excitement. This was the most beautiful conquest the world has ever seen. Because Mecca was conquered peacefully without any war.
Then, the Prophet (saw) issued a declaration of amnesty, and said that everyone was forgiven. This was a mercy and greatness that was unparalleled in world history. He even forgave those who had martyred his uncle Hamza and butchered his dead body. Wahshi, who had martyred Hamza, would then accept Islam and then become Wahshi (ra). Meaning, every Muslim would pray for him, saying, "May Allah be pleased with him." Hind, who ordered Hamza to be killed and chewed his liver would become a Companion. Those who had persecuted the Messenger of Allah in all kinds of ways, who had insulted him, who had been his vicious enemies, who had taken pleasure in hurting him, were now forgiven and set free.
Following this, one tribe after the other began to embrace Islam. Delegations were sent to around 70 tribes and all of them became Muslim. The lands dominated by Islam were gradually becoming larger and larger. The year 632. We are now at the last phase. Our Prophet (saw) left Medina for the Farewell Pilgrimage. Standing before nearly 100,000 Muslims, he delivered his Farewell Sermon. For a moment, I want you to imagine yourself there and listen. In one part of his sermon, he said these words. "O, People! All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab.
Also, a White has no superiority over a Black, nor a Black has any superiority over a White, except by Taqwa (consciousness of Allah) and good action. The most honored of you for Allah is the one who fears him the most." He was now 63 years old. His illness, which had been going on for a few days, had intensified and his pain started to increase. It was time for him to meet his Lord. Longing was finally over. He left this world and joined the eternal realm. And met the Almighty Friend. ٱلرَّفِيقِ ٱلْأَعْلَ In a short period of only 23 years, the Prophet (saw) brought about a change that has never been seen before in the history of mankind.
After him, the father who had buried his daughter alive became afraid of hurting even a fly. Those who once drew swords against each other became willing to sacrifice their lives for one another. The nation that had deeply rooted evil customs that was once identified with the word "jahiliyya", ignorance, was now completely gone, and it was as if a totally different people came in their place. Their morals and character elevated to a level that would set an example for the future generations and for the entire humanity.
In short, the Messenger of Allah (saw) turned dark coals into bright diamonds, and the light he planted in the hearts sprouted, blossomed, grew more and more, and has reached all the way to us to this present day. May eternal peace and blessings be upon him. Ameen.
It was her father who pushed her. Without looking at her daughter's terrified face, he quickly started throwing dirt on her. This horrible scene is from the Arabian Peninsula before Islam, from the period of Jahiliyyah, the period of ignorance. This practice was sadly very common in those dark times, as girls were considered a source of shame. They were buried alive in the most brutal way by their fathers, the very people from whom they expected the most love. But it wasn't only that. Many innocent people were being killed in blood feuds. The orphans were pushed around. The strong were oppressing the weak. There was no law or justice. People were so misguided.
They had gone so far astray that they were making idols from stone and worshipped those same idols they had made with their own hands. They were expecting help and protection from them. The spiritual atmosphere was covered with dark clouds. The hearts were filled with violence and the minds with ignorance. It was as if the souls were gasping for breath. They were suffering the agony of death. At such a time, Allah would send the light of guidance and turn all that darkness into light. That light was Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The year is 608. Before receiving Prophethood, as time went by, Muhammad (pbuh) became more and more recognized and known for his trustworthiness and good morals.
No one ever saw him lie even once. And he became one of the most beloved people in the society. So much so that he was given the nickname "Muhammad al-Amin." Muhammad the trustworthy. One day, his tribe, the Quraish, was trying to repair the Kaaba with great effort. When it was finally finished, the clans couldn't agree on who should put the sacred Hajar al-Aswad stone in its place. Everyone believed that their family was worthy of this honor. Because of the heated arguments, they came to a point where they were taking oaths to kill each other. Then, with their unanimous agreement, Muhammad al-Amin acted as a judge in the matter and resolved the issue and peacefully ended the conflict.
He made them put Hajar al-Aswad on a piece of cloth, and the leaders of each clan carried the cloth by holding one end of it. Finally, he took the stone and put it in his place himself. Everyone was very pleased with this decision. The year 610. The Prophet (pbuh) was approaching the age of 40. At a time when persecution and injustice became more severe in Mecca, he wanted to leave the cruel idol worshipers behind and be alone with his master. He could no longer tolerate what was happening in the city. To a certain extent, he was going to retreat from society and regularly go up to Mount Nur.
As he stayed in the Cave of Hira upon the mountain, contemplating his Lord's creation and praying to him for months, each day, his love for his Creator increased more and more. On one of those days, suddenly he encountered a being he had never seen before. It was Jibreel. The Angel of Revelation. And the first Ayah of the last true book, the Qur'an was sent down to the earth. Recite. In the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clinging substance. Recite. And your Lord is the most generous. Who taught by the pen. Oh, who taught man what he did not know.
After receiving the first revelation and Prophethood, he began inviting people to Islam, starting with the ones that were closest to him. And the first woman to believe was his wife Khadija. The first man to believe in him was Abu Bakr, and the first child was Ali (ra). In the first years of revelation, the invitation to Islam was done in secret. In this way, the Muslims could be protected from danger. There were believers from all walks of life. From men, women, from the poor, the rich, the free, the slaves, adults, children, et cetera. And over time their number became close to 40.
By the end of the third year, the Prophet (saw) stood on Safa Hill and openly explained Islam to the people of Quraish. The year 614. The disbelievers who had been practicing the religion of their ancestors for many years, were not happy at all with this new religion. So they did their best to prevent the spread of Islam. They saw it as a loss of power and authority. A fight for dominance between tribes. And that's why they preferred not to listen and ignore what was being said. To them, this religion was unacceptable because it was changing all their perceptions. Could it be possible for black and white, rich and poor, noble and common man, slave and free to be equal?
How could all these be called brothers and sisters? To give value to the daughters, to treat women as human beings, to give them the right to have a say, to have an opinion. To say "Paradise is under the feet of mothers." These concepts were very foreign to them at that time. They were saying, where did this new religion come from? Because they saw Islam as the religion of the slaves and the poor, they increased their oppression more and more. They were trying all kinds of ways to turn the believers away from their faith. They were insulting them, beating them, torturing them.
The Muslims suffered the most cruel torments just because they said, "Allah is my master, and there is no God but Allah." The year 616. As a result of the oppression against them, a group of 101 Muslims migrated to Abyssinia so that they could live their religion in peace. Before them, 19 of the Muslims had also gone there, but the Prophet (saw) and some of his companions stayed in Mecca. The King of Abyssinia, Najashi, said that the Bible and the Torah foretold the coming of Prophet Muhammad. And then he promised the Muslims to live peacefully in his country. Despite all the oppression, the number of Muslims was growing.
Two people who were feared by everyone in Mecca also joined the believers and became Muslims. Hamza and Omar (ra). This increased the strength and courage of the believers even more. For the first time together, Muslims went out into the streets and openly declared Islam. This was a sign that the balances were beginning to shift. The year 617. As the number of Muslims increased, the rage of the idol worshipers increased too. The Quraish tried every possible way to make the Prophet and his followers give up. He completely rejected all the offers to abandon his cause, such as, we will make you our richest, we will make you our leader, et cetera.
The lies and mocking words could neither discourage the Prophet nor the people around him. Having failed to defeat them intellectually, they resorted to violence against the Muslims. And when that didn't work either, they decided to start a ruthless boycott against the family of the sons of Hashim, including Prophet Muhammad. They would neither sell nor buy anything from them. They would even prevent those who wanted to sell anything to Muslims, or try to help them in any way. Without discriminating between young or old, children, women and sick, they left them hungry, thirsty and isolated, so that they would finally give up. The year 619. The boycott was extremely cruel and exhausting.
Many times, Muslims could not find any kind of food and spent many, many days in hunger. They even had to eat animal skins and tree barks to survive. When people saw that the Prophet was rejecting all material gain, but rather only suffered for his cause, they couldn't deny his sincerity and started believing in him. What could stand in the way of a truth that illuminates and satisfies the soul, heart, and mind? After three long years, the boycott came to an end. This was a huge relief for all the Muslims and the Prophet (saw). But in the same year he lost his two important sources of support who had stood by him in every one of his difficulties.
His uncle Abu Talib and his beloved wife Khatija. That's why this year was called the Year of Sorrow. The year 620. Despite all the sadness, our Prophet (pbuh), knew that this was a world of test. And he didn't stop doing his duty, even for one moment. It was up to Allah to grant faith and guidance to his nation. So he focused directly on his part. That is conveying the message. So he went to one of the biggest cities in that region, Taif, with Zaid, to invite them to Islam. But on the order of their leaders, the people of Taif started throwing stones at them. For 2.5 kilometers, a distance that took more than 3000 steps, they were viciously pelted with stones, spit on and insulted.
From Taif, where he had gone to save the eternal lives of its people, Prophet Muhammad came back to Mecca, covered in blood and wounds. After going through sorrow after sorrow, Allah granted a great blessing to our Prophet (saw) and elevated him to Mi'raj. With Mi'raj, Allah showed him that He valued His messenger in a unique way and gave him one of the greatest gifts. The five daily prayers. Steadfast in his struggle of delivering the message, Rasulullah continued to visit the tents during the Hajj season. And finally a group of young men from Medina accepted Islam at Aqaba. The year 621.
Mus'ab ibn Umayr, who was one of the leading companions of the Prophet (saw), was sent to Medina as a Qur'an teacher. This laid the foundations of Islam there and many people started to take Shahada. A new era was about to begin. The year 622. It was no longer possible to practice Islam in Mecca. The oppression became unbearable. Because of this, Muslims began to migrate to Medina in separate groups. But the Prophet (pbuh) was going to migrate last. Because as a leader, he had to make sure that everyone arrived in Medina safely. So he continued to stay in Mecca. Seeing the potential threat of Muslims becoming a powerful entity in Medina, the disbelievers took a decision.
They agreed that they must solve this issue once and for all by killing the Prophet (saw). The Prophet, along with Abu Bakr, secretly set out on their journey of migration and took refuge in the Cave of Thawr to hide from the disbelievers. As a miracle, Allah appointed two animals. A spider quickly built a web, and the bird made a nest to block the entrance of the cave. Thinking that they couldn't be inside, the disbelievers turned back. During the Hijrah, he came close to death several times. But his Master was protecting him. Allah would later mention this reality in the Qur'an and say, "Allah will protect you from people." And this would indeed happen.
Surviving multiple assassination attempts throughout his life, he would eventually die in his bed. When he came out of the Cave of Thawr, where he was miraculously protected by Allah, he sadly looked at Mecca and said, "By Allah, you are the best land of Allah and the dearest of the Land of Allah to me. By Allah, had I not been expelled from you, I would never have left," and continued on his way. The era of Mecca was now over, and the era of Medina had begun. This date was considered the beginning of the Hijri calendar.
He said, "Even if they place the Sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, I will never stop defending Islam until either Allah makes it victorious or I die defending it." The year 623. After the Hijra, with the first written constitution in history, the Constitution of Medina, the Islamic State was formed. The year 624. Islam started to be lived and practiced fully in Medina. During this period, the first battle of Islam against the disbelievers of Mecca, The Battle of Badr took place. Compared to the enemy, the Muslim army was much weaker in terms of equipment. And their numbers were also much smaller. Only 313 Muslims fought against the Quraish army of 1000 men.
At the end of the battle, 70 disbelievers, including many prominent leaders of Quraish such as Abu Jahl were killed and 14 Muslims were martyred. This marked the first victory of Islam. And from then on, nothing would ever be the same again. In the early periods of Medina, the obligatory acts of worship continued to be given too. Fasting was made mandatory. The first Eid al-Fitr was celebrated. Then came another opportunity for blessings. The first Eid al-Adha. After that, zakat became obligatory. In other words, the basic commandments of Islam were being established one by one.
In the first years, the belief in the existence of Allah and His oneness, the Hereafter, the belief in Heaven and Hell, and the purpose of the creation of human beings had been firmly rooted in the hearts of Muslims. And now the rulings and the acts of worship began to be practiced. The year 625. The Battle of Uhud took place. This was a battle in which the Muslims fought with 700 men and the disbelievers with 3000. In the beginning, the Muslims were destroying the enemy. But when the archers left their positions, thinking that the battle was over, the disbelievers made a counter move and the Muslims lost the battle. 70 Muslims were martyred and over 20 disbelievers were killed.
The Lion of Allah, Hamza, who had struggled so hard for the cause of Islam, was among the martyrs, too. Beyond being killed, his body was mutilated out of vengeful feelings. The year 626. Wine was flowing like a river in the streets of Medina. It was because drinking alcohol had just been made haram. Everyone was pouring all the wine from their homes into the streets. Even though it was one of the three basic drinks in that society, this was the scene right after the Ayah of alcohol prohibition.
When it was impossible even to remove a habit like smoking from a small community, the fact that the entire Muslim population instantly abandoned wine, showed the miraculous power of the Qur'an in the hearts and minds, and that its source could only be Allah. The year 627. In the Battle of Ahzab, also known as Battle of the Trench, Muslims fought with the disbelievers that came together from all over Arabia under the leadership of Quraish. With an army of about 12,000 men, they came to Medina to wipe out all the Muslims, including the elderly, women and children. With a different war tactic, the Muslims dug trenches around Medina to defend the city.
This brilliant strategy worked and the disbelievers couldn't get over the trenches. Eventually they had to retreat and the war was won by Muslims. The year 628. Muslims had been missing the Kaaba in Mecca for many years and eagerly wanted to make Umrah. For this purpose, together they set out for Mecca. But the Quraish wanted to prevent this, so an agreement was signed between them. The Treaty of Hudaybiyah. This was actually the breaking point. Because although the conditions of the agreement seemed in favour of the disbelievers, in reality it would lead to their eventual defeat. Muslims wouldn't be able to visit the Kaaba that year, but a year later.
Also, there would be a ceasefire between them for ten years. Taking advantage of having no conflict with the Quraish, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) continued to spread his message to even more tribes and more nations. Letters of invitation to Islam were sent to the rulers of the neighboring countries, starting from the Byzantine and the Sassanid emperors. Because Islam was not a religion that was sent only to a certain community or a nation, but to the whole world and to all nations. The year 629. After the agreement, the Quraish prejudice and stubbornness against Islam slowly began to disappear. Hearts and minds became more and more open to Islam.
In a way, the physical swords were put down and the spiritual diamond sword of Islam conquered the minds and the hearts. Khalid ibn Walid, a military genius from the Quraish could not remain indifferent to these truths and decided to become Muslim. During this period, the Battle of Mu'tah against the Byzantines took place. When three great commanders like Zaid, Ja'afar and Abdullah ibn Rawaha were martyred, one after the other, Khalid ibn Walid took over. And with his genius tactics, the Muslim army gave a very difficult time to the huge Byzantine army that outnumbered them many times over. After the Byzantines suffered great losses, both sides retreated.
This was the first war between Muslims and Byzantium. The year 630. Two years after it was signed, the Treaty of Hudaybiyah was violated by the disbelievers. After years of separation, the longing for the Kaaba and Mecca had increased immensely. And now, it was time to put it to an end. With the hearts of Muslims full of faith behind him, the Prophet (saw) began his preparations for the conquest of Mecca. The Muslim army, which had increased from one to thousands and now exceeded 10,000 in number, entered Mecca with great joy and excitement. This was the most beautiful conquest the world has ever seen. Because Mecca was conquered peacefully without any war.
Then, the Prophet (saw) issued a declaration of amnesty, and said that everyone was forgiven. This was a mercy and greatness that was unparalleled in world history. He even forgave those who had martyred his uncle Hamza and butchered his dead body. Wahshi, who had martyred Hamza, would then accept Islam and then become Wahshi (ra). Meaning, every Muslim would pray for him, saying, "May Allah be pleased with him." Hind, who ordered Hamza to be killed and chewed his liver would become a Companion. Those who had persecuted the Messenger of Allah in all kinds of ways, who had insulted him, who had been his vicious enemies, who had taken pleasure in hurting him, were now forgiven and set free.
Following this, one tribe after the other began to embrace Islam. Delegations were sent to around 70 tribes and all of them became Muslim. The lands dominated by Islam were gradually becoming larger and larger. The year 632. We are now at the last phase. Our Prophet (saw) left Medina for the Farewell Pilgrimage. Standing before nearly 100,000 Muslims, he delivered his Farewell Sermon. For a moment, I want you to imagine yourself there and listen. In one part of his sermon, he said these words. "O, People! All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab.
Also, a White has no superiority over a Black, nor a Black has any superiority over a White, except by Taqwa (consciousness of Allah) and good action. The most honored of you for Allah is the one who fears him the most." He was now 63 years old. His illness, which had been going on for a few days, had intensified and his pain started to increase. It was time for him to meet his Lord. Longing was finally over. He left this world and joined the eternal realm. And met the Almighty Friend. ٱلرَّفِيقِ ٱلْأَعْلَ In a short period of only 23 years, the Prophet (saw) brought about a change that has never been seen before in the history of mankind.
After him, the father who had buried his daughter alive became afraid of hurting even a fly. Those who once drew swords against each other became willing to sacrifice their lives for one another. The nation that had deeply rooted evil customs that was once identified with the word "jahiliyya", ignorance, was now completely gone, and it was as if a totally different people came in their place. Their morals and character elevated to a level that would set an example for the future generations and for the entire humanity.
In short, the Messenger of Allah (saw) turned dark coals into bright diamonds, and the light he planted in the hearts sprouted, blossomed, grew more and more, and has reached all the way to us to this present day. May eternal peace and blessings be upon him. Ameen.