Topic > Muhammad's Role in the Muslim Community

As God's revelations became the basis of the Quran, Muhammad's thoughts and actions were also considered important enough to be documented as examples of living a perfect life. For the next hundred or more years, scholars documented these thoughts and actions passed down from generation to generation and attempted to test their veracity. The resulting compilations are what is now known as Hadith, and are studied and used as a further basis for a pious life; they are separate from the Quran in the sense that they are not revelations received by the Prophet, but can be seen as how he acted upon them. The Quran does not specifically refer to Muhammad's public ministry in Mecca, but biographical sources record the emigration of Muhammad's followers to Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia), the boycott of Muhammad's Hashim clan, the death of his wife Khadijah, and of his uncle and protector, Abu Talib, the loss of the protection of his clan, his visit to al-Taif to find refuge and the Hijrah in Medina. The Quran describes Muhammad as fully human with no supernatural powers. His humanity is most evident in passages where he is told to be steadfast and patient in times of persecution, disappointment, or pain. Although he achieved many victories over the Meccans and managed to convert many Hejaz tribes, the Quran tells that Muhammad suffered for those who did not believe and remained humble, timid and sincere. He constantly sought forgiveness for his sins. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Quran, Sirah, and accounts of Muhammad's military expeditions provide extensive information about the Medinan period. His victories over the larger forces of the Meccans were interpreted as signs of God's favor. By 627 AD Muhammad was in complete control of Medina, and the Bedouin tribes in the surrounding area were forming alliances with him and becoming Muslims. In the spring of AD 628, Muhammad negotiated a treaty with the Meccans for permission to perform the pilgrimage, or hajj, the following year, along with a ten-year truce. He led the first Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in the spring of 629 AD. When the truce was broken a year later, Mecca's leaders agreed to peacefully hand over the city to Muhammad. As a result, by 630 AD, Muhammad was in command of all of west-central Arabia. In 631 AD envoys from all over Arabia came to him to surrender. Muhammad viewed the resulting treaties as an acceptance of Islam. Muhammad was an administrator, legislator, judge and commander-in-chief, as well as a teacher, preacher and prayer leader of the Muslim community. For scholars of Islamic law he is the legislator-jurist who defined ritual observance; for the mystic he is the ideal seeker of spiritual perfection; for the philosopher and statesman he is the model of both conqueror and just ruler; for ordinary Muslims, it is a model of God's grace and salvation.