Exploring the Impact of Muhammad's Life on the Development of Islam

This essay delves into the personal history of Prophet Muhammad and its profound influence on the development of Islam. It examines key aspects of his life, including his status as an orphan, his role as a negotiator and diplomat, and his experiences as a merchant and caravan leader. The essay highlights how these personal experiences shaped the core values and teachings of Islam, particularly in relation to the treatment of orphans, conflict resolution, ethical business practices, and avoiding tribal warfare. The analysis also references the Treaty of Hudaibiyah to exemplify Muhammad's message of peace and non-violence. Overall, the essay illustrates how Muhammad's life in the Arabian context directly influenced the formation and dissemination of Islamic principles, offering insights into the origins and evolution of the faith.

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Personal History of Muhammad
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Introduction
Muhammad, the prophet of Islam is regarded as the messenger of Almighty God (Allah
in Islam) by followers of the faith of Islam. He was born in Arabia and spent his entire life
spreading the message of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. He successfully transformed all of
Arabian Peninsula and their tribes with the conquest of Mecca during the later stages of his life.
Muhammad’s personal history along with conditions that existed in Arabia at that time
influenced the message of Islam in many ways. In the sections that follow we will see how
Muhammad’s personal history in the broader Arabian context influenced the message of Islam.
Muhammad the orphan
When Muhammad was born, his father had already passed away and he also lost his
mother when he was six years old. When Muhammad was born no woman wanted to feed him
with breast milk until a woman by the name of Halima agreed to feed him. In those days,
children born in Arabia were fed with breast milk from different mothers before the child was
handed to his/her mother. Women would get money in return from the child’s father for
breastfeeding. Since, Muhammad was orphan no women wanted to feed him with milk.
Muhammad’s message to serve and treat orphans with humility and honor is reported in many of
his teachings and narrations. Islam attaches great virtue with service of orphans. Thus we can see
that Muhammad’s orphan status and the way orphans were treated in Arabia very much
influenced his message (Hijazi, 2014).
Muhammad the negotiator and Diplomat
People of Arabia at the time of Muhammad were divided into tribes and they would fight
and kill each other over petty and trivial matters. Such was the rivalry among tribes that no

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person trusted any other person of different tribes as the mediator in solving their conflict.
Muhammad before receiving prophet hood, as claimed by him, was the only person that
everyone trusted as his background was clean and clear, free of any such tribal attributes. When
people and tribes fought over any issue, they would come to Muhammad and he would act as the
mediator to solve their conflict. Now, Islamic message of resolving conflicts and outstanding
issues also derive influence from Muhammad’s negotiating quality and his clean and clear
background. Thus, we see another instance of Muhammad’s personal life influencing the
message of Islam (Ramdani, 2016 ).
Muhammad the merchant and caravan leader
Islamic message of conducting business with ethics and morality also derives influence
from Muhammad's life as a merchant and caravan leader. Muhammad took merchandise of his
first wife, Khadija to other regions of Arabia and looked after the daily affairs of her business as
a leader. Khadija sent him marriage proposal after she saw that Muhammad conducted every
ounce of her business in an ethical manner with integrity and honesty (Al-islam.org, 2018).
During that time in Arabia, it was very difficult to find a man who would conduct other persons
business with integrity and honesty (Blackburn, 2015).
Tribal allegiances and the endemic warfare
People of Arabia during Muhammad time were divided into tribes and tribes went to war
over petty and trivial issues. Muhammad’s image was exactly opposite to what people of Arabia
were. Muhammad never engaged in tribal warfare and he remained confined within a room most
of the time. In Islamic treaty of Hudaibiyah, a message to avoid war can be clearly seen (Hijazi,

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2013). Thus we see that Muhammad’s messages and teachings are very much related to his
personal history in Arabian context.

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References
Al-islam.org. (2018). Al-Islam. Retrieved from https://www.al-islam.org/restatement-history-islam-and-
muslims-sayyid-ali-ashgar-razwy/marriage-muhammad-mustafa-and-khadija
Blackburn, Y. (2015). Fair Observer. Retrieved from
https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/remarkable-things-about-
khadija-wife-of-prophet-muhammad-30278/
Hijazi, A. T. (2013, 03 08). Arab News. Retrieved from
http://www.arabnews.com/islam-perspective/hudaibiyah-grand-victory-islamic-history
Hijazi, A. T. (2014, 02 2014). Arab News. Retrieved from http://www.arabnews.com/news/525516
Ramdani, A. &. (2016 ). The Concept of Negotiation from the Islam Perspective (In the Islamic
Organization). The Social Sciences .