Ch 5: Misconception 8

Muhammad was the founder of Islam and Muslims worship him:

            Muhammad peace be upon him was born in Mecca in the year 570. Since his father died before ‎his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the ‎respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, ‎generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in ‎disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad peace be upon him was ‎of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. ‎

            It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near Mecca. At ‎the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad -peace be upon him- received his ‎first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued ‎for 23 years is known as the Holy Qur'an. As soon as he began to recite the words he heard ‎from Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small ‎group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew fiercely. In the year ‎‎622 God gave them the command to emigrate. ‎

            This event, the Hijrah or 'migration', in which they left Mecca for the city of Medina, ‎marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. After several years, the Prophet and his ‎followers were able to return to Mecca, where they forgave their enemies and ‎established Islam definitively to spread out in the other regions smoothly and effectively. Before the death of the Prophet - peace be upon him- at the age of 63, the ‎greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread ‎to Spain in the West and as far East as China. He died with less than five possessions to ‎his name. ‎

While Muhammad -peace be upon him- was chosen to deliver the message, he is not considered the founder" of Islam, since Muslims consider Islam to be the same Divine guidance sent ‎to all peoples before. Muslims believe in all the prophets from Adam, Noah, Moses, ‎Jesus etc. who were all sent with divine guidance for their peoples. Every prophet was sent ‎to his own people, but Muhammad peace be upon him was sent to all of mankind for he is considered to be the last messenger. It is substantial to think of the messenger Muhammad as ‎the last and final messenger who is sent to deliver the message of Islam. Muslims revere and ‎honor him- peace be upon him- for all he went through and his dedication, but they absolutely do not worship ‎him.  

            {{ O Prophet (Muhammad )! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,  And as one who invites to Allâh [Islâmic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allâh (Alone)] by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light (through your instructions from the Qur'ân and the Sunnah the legal ways of the Prophet). }}, (Holly Qur’an 33: 45-46 ).