Timeline

مولد النبي ﷺ

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in Makkah on Monday, the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal, in the Year of the Elephant ('Am al-Fil). He was born into the noble clan of Banu Hashim of the Quraysh tribe.

وفاة أمه وكفالة جده

His mother Aminah passed away at al-Abwa' when he was six years old. He then came under the care of his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, who loved him deeply. When Abd al-Muttalib died two years later, guardianship passed to his uncle Abu Talib.

زواجه من خديجة رضي الله عنها

At the age of twenty-five, the Prophet (peace be upon him) married Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her), a noble and respected woman of Quraysh who was forty years old. She was the first to believe in him when revelation came.

بناء الكعبة والحجر الأسود

When the Quraysh rebuilt the Ka'bah, a dispute arose over who would have the honour of placing the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad). They agreed to let the first person to enter the Sacred Mosque decide, and it was Muhammad (peace be upon him). He placed the stone on a cloth and had representatives of each clan lift it together.

عام الفيل

Abrahah al-Ashram, the Abyssinian governor of Yemen, marched with a great army and elephants to destroy the Ka'bah. Allah sent flocks of birds (Ababil) that pelted them with stones of baked clay, destroying the army. This event is recorded in Surah al-Fil (105).

شبابه وأخلاقه

The Prophet (peace be upon him) grew up known among the Quraysh as 'Al-Amin' (the Trustworthy) and 'As-Sadiq' (the Truthful). He participated in the Hilf al-Fudul (the Pact of Virtue) and worked as a shepherd and later in trade.

حصار شعب أبي طالب

The Quraysh imposed a total social and economic boycott on Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib, drafting a document that forbade marriage, trade, or any dealings with them. The boycott lasted approximately three years, during which the Muslims suffered severe hardship in the valley (Shi'b) of Abu Talib.

أوائل المسلمين

The first to accept Islam were Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (his wife), Ali ibn Abi Talib (his young cousin), Zayd ibn Harithah (his freed slave), and Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (his closest friend). Abu Bakr then brought several others to Islam including Uthman ibn Affan, Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, and Talhah ibn Ubaydillah.

نزول الوحي في غار حراء

At the age of forty, while in seclusion in the Cave of Hira during the month of Ramadan, the angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and commanded him to read. The first verses revealed were the opening of Surah al-'Alaq (96:1–5).

الإسراء والمعراج

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was taken by night from Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem (al-Isra'), and then ascended through the heavens (al-Mi'raj), where he met previous prophets and received the command for the five daily prayers.

الهجرة الأولى إلى الحبشة

The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed a group of Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) to escape persecution, saying: 'There is a king there in whose presence no one is wronged.' The first group included eleven men and four women, led by Uthman ibn Affan and his wife Ruqayyah, the Prophet's daughter.

اضطهاد المسلمين الأوائل

The Quraysh intensified their persecution of the Muslims, particularly those without tribal protection. Bilal ibn Rabah was tortured by Umayyah ibn Khalaf. The family of Yasir — Yasir, Sumayyah, and their son Ammar — were tortured, and Sumayyah became the first martyr in Islam.

بيعتا العقبة

Delegations from Yathrib (Madinah) met the Prophet (peace be upon him) at Aqabah during the Hajj season. The First Pledge (621 CE) involved twelve men who pledged to worship Allah alone. The Second Pledge (622 CE) involved seventy-three men and two women who pledged to protect the Prophet as they would their own families.

الجهر بالدعوة

After three years of secret da'wah, the command came to preach openly. The Prophet (peace be upon him) ascended Mount Safa and called out to the clans of Quraysh, warning them of severe punishment if they rejected Allah's message. Abu Lahab rejected him openly.

عام الحزن

In the tenth year of prophethood, the Prophet (peace be upon him) lost both his beloved wife Khadijah and his uncle Abu Talib within a short period. This year became known as the Year of Sorrow, as he lost his greatest personal supporter and his primary political protector.

الهجرة إلى المدينة

The Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr migrated from Makkah to Madinah, hiding in the Cave of Thawr for three days while the Quraysh searched for them. Ali ibn Abi Talib slept in the Prophet's bed as a decoy. This event marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

غزوة بدر

The first major battle in Islam. 313 Muslims faced approximately 1,000 well-equipped Qurayshi warriors at the wells of Badr. Allah granted the Muslims a decisive victory. Seventy Quraysh were killed and seventy captured, including prominent leaders like Abu Jahl.

غزوة الخندق (الأحزاب)

A confederation of 10,000 fighters — Quraysh, Ghatafan, and others — besieged Madinah. On the advice of Salman al-Farisi, the Muslims dug a trench (khandaq) around the exposed northern approach. After a siege of nearly a month, Allah sent a fierce wind and unseen forces that scattered the confederates.

غزوة خيبر

The Muslim army besieged the fortified Jewish stronghold of Khaybar. After several unsuccessful attempts, the Prophet said: 'Tomorrow I will give the banner to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and who is loved by them.' He gave it to Ali ibn Abi Talib, who led the final assault to victory.

غزوة مؤتة

The first Muslim military engagement against the Byzantine Empire and its Arab allies. The Prophet dispatched an army of 3,000 to the borders of al-Sham after the Ghassanid governor killed his emissary, al-Harith ibn Umayr al-Azdi. Three successive commanders — Zayd ibn Harithah, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, and Abdullah ibn Rawahah — were martyred before Khalid ibn al-Walid took command and executed a tactical withdrawal that saved the Muslim army.

غزوة أحد

The Quraysh returned with 3,000 men to avenge Badr. The Muslims initially prevailed, but when archers left their posts on Mount Aynayn, Khalid ibn al-Walid's cavalry attacked from the rear. Seventy Muslims were martyred, including Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle.

المؤاخاة بين المهاجرين والأنصار

The Prophet (peace be upon him) established bonds of brotherhood (mu'akhah) between the Meccan emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Madinan helpers (Ansar), pairing each Muhajir with an Ansari. The Ansar shared their homes, wealth, and even offered to divide their properties.

صحيفة المدينة

The Prophet (peace be upon him) established a constitutional document (as-Sahifah) that organised the political and social relationships between the Muhajirun, Ansar, and the Jewish tribes of Madinah into a single community (ummah) with defined rights and responsibilities.

غزوة بني قريظة

Immediately after the Battle of al-Khandaq, the Prophet marched against Banu Qurayzah, who had violated their treaty with the Muslims by conspiring with the confederate armies during the siege of Madinah. After a siege of approximately twenty-five days, they surrendered and accepted the judgement of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, their former ally from the Aws tribe.

إجلاء بني النضير

Banu al-Nadir, the second major Jewish tribe of Madinah, plotted to assassinate the Prophet by dropping a boulder on him while he sat beside the wall of one of their houses. Allah informed the Prophet of their treachery through revelation. After a siege of approximately fifteen days, they surrendered and were expelled. Surah al-Hashr was revealed concerning this event.

إجلاء بني قينقاع

Banu Qaynuqa' were the first of the three major Jewish tribes of Madinah to break their covenant with the Prophet. They were goldsmiths and metalworkers who occupied a fortified quarter within Madinah. After the Muslim victory at Badr, they grew openly hostile and eventually violated the treaty, leading to a siege and their subsequent expulsion from Madinah.

حادثة الإفك

During the return from either the expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq or a related campaign, Aisha bint Abi Bakr was accidentally left behind when the army moved on at night. She was found and escorted back by Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal. Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, the chief of the hypocrites, seized upon this to spread a slanderous accusation. For approximately a month, the Prophet and the Muslim community were deeply distressed until Allah revealed verses in Surah an-Nur (24:11–20) decisively vindicating Aisha.

رسائل النبي إلى الملوك

The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent letters inviting the rulers of the world's major powers to Islam, including Heraclius (Byzantine), Khosrau II (Persia), the Negus (Abyssinia), Muqawqis (Egypt), and the rulers of Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen.

صلح الحديبية

The Prophet (peace be upon him) set out with 1,400 Companions for Umrah but was stopped by the Quraysh at Hudaybiyyah. A peace treaty was negotiated with terms that seemed unfavourable to the Muslims but was called 'a clear victory' (Fath Mubin) by Allah in Surah al-Fath (48:1).

عمرة القضاء

In fulfilment of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet and 2,000 Muslims entered Makkah in Dhul-Qi'dah of 7 AH to perform Umrah. This was the first time the Muslims returned to Makkah since the Hijrah. They stayed for three days as stipulated by the treaty, performing the rites of Umrah while the Quraysh withdrew to the surrounding hills.

غزوة حنين

Shortly after the conquest of Makkah, the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif gathered a large army. The Muslim force of 12,000 initially fell into an ambush in the valley of Hunayn and scattered, but the Prophet stood firm and called them back. Allah sent His aid and the Muslims prevailed.

فتح مكة

The Prophet (peace be upon him) marched on Makkah with 10,000 Muslims after the Quraysh violated the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Makkah was conquered virtually without bloodshed. The Prophet entered humbly, his head bowed on his riding camel, reciting Surah al-Fath. He cleansed the Ka'bah of 360 idols.

غزوة تبوك

The Prophet (peace be upon him) led 30,000 Muslims on the longest and most difficult expedition to confront a rumoured Byzantine army at Tabuk in northern Arabia. It took place in extreme heat during harvest season, testing the faith of the believers. The expedition is called 'The Expedition of Hardship' (Ghazwat al-Usrah).

وفاة النبي ﷺ

The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away on Monday, 12th Rabi' al-Awwal, 11 AH, in the apartment of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) in Madinah. His last words included 'with the highest companion' (ar-Rafiq al-A'la). He was sixty-three years old.

حجة الوداع

The Prophet (peace be upon him) performed his only Hajj, known as the Farewell Pilgrimage, with over 100,000 Muslims. He delivered the Farewell Sermon (Khutbat al-Wada') at Arafat, establishing fundamental principles of justice, equality, and human rights.

خطبة الوداع

On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, 10 AH, the Prophet delivered his Farewell Sermon at Arafat before an assembly of over 100,000 pilgrims during his only Hajj. This monumental address summarised the core principles of Islam and laid down a comprehensive charter of human rights, social justice, and moral conduct. It was both a culmination of the prophetic mission and a final exhortation to the Muslim Ummah.