Outline of Muhammad's Life

  • 570

    Muhammad's Birth

    Muhammad was believed to be born in the month of Rabi'al-awwal during the Year of the Elephant. He belonged to the Banu Hashim clan, one of Mecca's prominent families and part of the Quraysh tribe.
  • Period: 570 to Jun 8, 632

    Muhammad's Life

  • Nov 1, 610

    Prophethood Begins

    Muhammad's prophethood begins when Angel Gabriel appeared to him on Mount Hira and called him "The Prophet of Allah." The angel commanded Muhammad to recite verses which would later be included in the Quran.
  • Jan 1, 613

    Emigration to Ethiopia

    His public preaching threatened the Meccan religious life centered around Ka'aba. In an effort to escape persecution, Muhammad led a group of Muslims to Ethiopia.
  • Jun 1, 622

    Hijra

    Hijra is the migration of Muhammad and his follwers from Mecca to Medina. Muhammad was warned of an assassination plot and secretly moved with his followers to Medina.
  • Jun 8, 632

    Muhammad's Death

    After a farewell pilgrimage, Muhammad fell ill and suffered a fever. He died in his wife Aisha's house in in Medina. His final words were: "Exalted friend, highest abode or the uppermost, highest company in heaven."
  • Muhammad's First Marriage

    At the age of 25, Muhammad meets and marries a 40-year-old widow Khadijah. His reputation as a faithful and trustworthy merchant attracted her proposal, and their marriage was a happy one.
  • Muhammad Moves to Syria

    Muhammad accommpained his uncle on trading journeys to Syria, gaining experience in commercial trade. On this voyage, he met a Christian monk named Bahira who foresaw Muhammad's career as a prophet of God.
  • The Year of Sorrows

    Muhammad's wife Khadija and his uncle (guardian, leader of Banu Hashim) Abu Talib passed away in 619. The Banu Hashim clan boycott also ends in this year.