Introduction
"The First Muslim" by Lesley Hazleton is a captivating biography that brings to life the story of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. This book offers a unique perspective on the life of one of history's most influential figures, presenting Muhammad not just as a religious icon, but as a complex human being who faced numerous challenges and triumphs throughout his life.
Hazleton's work aims to humanize Muhammad, showing readers the man behind the prophet. She delves into his early life, his spiritual awakening, and the struggles he faced in spreading his message. The book provides a nuanced understanding of the historical and cultural context in which Islam emerged, offering valuable insights for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
The Beginnings of a Prophet
A Vow and a Miracle
The story of Muhammad begins even before his birth, with a vow made by his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib. As the chief of the Hashim clan within the powerful Quraysh tribe of Mecca, Abd al-Muttalib discovered a sacred freshwater spring called Zamzam. To prove his right to the spring, he made a vow to sacrifice one of his sons if he were blessed with ten healthy boys.
When Abd al-Muttalib indeed had ten sons, he was forced to keep his word. Through a process of divination using arrows, his favorite son Abdullah (Muhammad's future father) was chosen for sacrifice. However, tribal members intervened, suggesting an alternative. After consulting a priestess, it was decided that Abdullah's life could be spared if an equivalent offering was made instead. After multiple attempts, the offering of a hundred camels was accepted, saving Abdullah's life.
This dramatic event set the stage for Muhammad's birth. Abdullah married a woman named Amina, and they conceived Muhammad on the same night. Tragically, Abdullah died the following day while on a trade expedition, leaving Muhammad fatherless before he was even born.
Early Life in the Desert
Muhammad's early years were spent in the desert, a setting that would later influence his spiritual journey. Born in Mecca in 570 AD, Muhammad was considered an orphan due to the absence of his father, despite his mother still being alive. Following the customs of the time, a Bedouin woman named Halima came to Mecca seeking children to nurse and raise in her village.
Although Muhammad's widowed mother had no means to pay Halima, the Bedouin woman took Muhammad as a foster child. This act of kindness proved to be a blessing for Halima and her family. Despite the ongoing drought, Halima's breasts became full of milk, and her family's cattle produced an abundance of dairy.
At the age of five, a miraculous event occurred that led to Muhammad's return to Mecca. He recounted a vision where two angels descended from the sky, opened his chest, removed his heart, washed it, and removed a black speck (the mark of the devil) before returning it. This experience, which Muhammad claimed to have witnessed from outside his body, frightened his foster mother Halima, who believed he might have been possessed by a jinn (a supernatural creature). As a result, she brought him back to his mother in Mecca.
An Unexceptional Childhood
Following his return to Mecca, Muhammad lived a relatively unremarkable life as a fatherless child in a patriarchal society. He grew up as an outsider, facing the challenges that came with his status. This period of his life was largely uneventful, setting the stage for the profound changes that would occur when he reached the age of 40.
The Divine Revelation
A Mid-Life Crisis Like No Other
As Muhammad approached his fortieth year, he experienced what could be described as a mid-life crisis, but one that would change the course of history. In the year 610, during the month of Ramadan, Muhammad had a life-altering experience while meditating in a cave on Mount Hira, just outside Mecca.
While in the cave, Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel. Initially terrified, Muhammad tried to flee, even considering throwing himself off the mountain. He feared he had gone mad. However, the angel blocked his path and declared that Muhammad was God's messenger, instructing him to recite the holy word.
Gabriel told Muhammad that God had created man from a clot of blood, emphasizing the Lord's power and generosity. The angel also explained that God's word would educate humanity about the one true God. After Muhammad repeated what Gabriel had said, the angel vanished.
The Birth of Islam
Shaken by this experience, Muhammad rushed home to his wife, Khadija, seeking comfort and understanding. As he recounted the event to her, Khadija witnessed a transformation in her usually reserved husband. The words flowing from his mouth, the words of the angel Gabriel, would become the first verses of the Qur'an, the holy text of Islam.
Khadija recognized the profound significance of this moment, understanding that their lives would be forever changed. She believed that her husband had been chosen as the prophet of their people, marking the beginning of a new faith that would eventually spread across the world.
Faith Tested and Strengthened
The Dark Night of the Soul
Following the initial revelation, Muhammad faced a period of intense doubt and spiritual turmoil. For two years, he waited anxiously for any sign that would confirm his experience on Mount Hira. During this time, God remained silent, leaving Muhammad feeling abandoned and questioning his sanity.
This period of doubt and uncertainty, which would later be described by Christian mystics as the "dark night of the soul," was a crucial test of Muhammad's faith. It was a time of profound loneliness, depression, and suffering that pushed Muhammad to the limits of his endurance.
The Return of Revelations
After two years of silence, God, seemingly satisfied with Muhammad's unwavering faith despite the lack of divine communication, began to send further revelations. These new messages were of profound beauty and meaning, reaffirming Muhammad's role as God's messenger.
One of these revelations, known as the Sura of the Morning, provided Muhammad with guidance on how to teach this new faith to his people. From this point on, Muhammad continued to receive divine revelations at irregular intervals. These messages often paid tribute to nature and instructed humanity to care for and preserve the natural world.
For example, Sura 91 taught that those who strive to maintain the Earth's purity would be blessed, while those who corrupt it would face consequences. These brief yet profound messages were delivered to Muhammad gradually, teaching him patience and allowing each revelation to fully take shape before he attempted to share it with others.
Spreading the Message
The First Followers
Despite being naturally introverted, Muhammad was compelled by divine command to share his revelations with others. He began by reciting the messages to his wife, Khadija, but soon received specific instructions from the angel Gabriel on how to spread the word more widely.
Following Gabriel's guidance, Muhammad organized a dinner for members of his Hashim clan, a branch of the Quraysh tribe. After the meal, he was to share the divine revelations with his guests. However, his first attempt was disrupted when his uncle abu-Lahab rudely left the gathering, forcing Muhammad to stop his recitation.
Undeterred, Muhammad held another dinner the next day, this time successfully sharing the revelations without interruption. This marked the first step in spreading the word of Islam beyond his immediate family.
Division and Resistance
The reception of Muhammad's message was mixed, causing division among his friends and family. After his recitation, Muhammad asked those present to help him spread this new faith. Only his young cousin Ali, son of the Hashim clan chief abu-Talib, stepped forward to support Muhammad.
This created tension within the clan, as Muhammad's decree that others should obey Ali contradicted traditional tribal rules, which dictated that sons should always obey their fathers. As a result, most of the older clan members rejected Muhammad's command, with only a few younger members initially converting to the new faith.
Political Implications and Social Exclusion
The Message Becomes Political
As Muhammad continued to receive revelations, the content of his message began to take on political overtones. Many of the new revelations criticized corruption and wealth while advocating for the poor and oppressed. This aspect of Muhammad's preaching made his message particularly appealing to young people and those marginalized by society, but it also alienated those in positions of power.
Muhammad's choice to preach at the Kaaba, Mecca's most sacred site, further upset influential members of society. The political nature of his message, combined with its growing popularity among certain segments of the population, began to create significant tension in Meccan society.
The Partial Exclusion of the Hashim Clan
The political implications of Muhammad's revelations eventually led to the partial exclusion of his entire clan from Meccan society. The chiefs of Mecca's two most influential clans, the Makhzum and the Umayyads, pressured abu-Talib, the chief of Muhammad's clan, to cast out his nephew. When abu-Talib refused to do so, the two major clans decided to exclude the entire Hashim clan.
This exclusion meant that other tribal members were forbidden from doing business with the Hashims or arranging marriages between Hashim clan members and others. However, the boycott was not entirely effective, as centuries of intermarriage between clans had created deep family loyalties that often trumped the orders of Meccan leaders.
Finding Support in Medina
Rejection in Mecca
As Muhammad continued to preach in the streets of Mecca, he faced increasing hostility. People began to hurl garbage at him and curse his name. It became clear to Muhammad that he would not succeed in converting his own people, and he needed to seek support elsewhere.
The Invitation to Medina
Muhammad's opportunity came during the traditional hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Six pilgrims from the city of Medina encountered Muhammad preaching in the streets and were convinced by his ideas. They invited him to Medina to serve as a conflict mediator, offering him a chance to spread his message in a new environment.
The following year, 72 clan leaders from Medina swore allegiance to Muhammad. In 622 AD, the Medina clans formed a military alliance with Muhammad's clan, promising mutual aid in case of enemy aggression. This pact effectively integrated Muhammad and his followers into the Medinan tribes.
The Difficult Journey to Medina
In the summer of 622, Muhammad and his followers made the momentous decision to move to Medina. This migration, known as the Hijra, was a significant event in Islamic history. For a tribal people to leave their ancestral lands was a major step, as they were deeply connected to their clans and birthplaces.
The journey was not without its challenges. When the Meccans discovered that some of their family members were leaving, they pursued them, sometimes forcibly bringing them back to Mecca. The story of Umm Salama, who would later become Muhammad's fourth wife, illustrates these difficulties. She was intercepted by her family while trying to leave Mecca and was only allowed to rejoin Muhammad in Medina much later.
Conflict and Reconciliation
Battles Between Mecca and Medina
Following Muhammad's move to Medina, several battles were fought between the tribes of Mecca and Medina. However, neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage over the other. Realizing that military conflict alone would not resolve the situation, Muhammad decided to try a different approach to reunite the two cities.
The Pilgrimage of Reconciliation
Muhammad initiated a pilgrimage to Mecca with the goal of forcing a resolution to the conflict. Accompanied by a group of unarmed followers, he set out towards Mecca. This strategic move put the Meccans in a difficult position, as their laws forbade them from impeding the path of pilgrims.
The result of this pilgrimage was a truce between Mecca and Medina, agreed to last for ten years. The agreement allowed Muhammad to enter Mecca the following year for another pilgrimage and gave tribes the freedom to choose whether to follow Muhammad or the Quraysh leaders of Mecca. This event marked a significant shift towards Muhammad's eventual victory in gaining support for his faith.
The Final Battle and Unification
Despite the truce, one more battle was needed to fully unite Mecca and Medina under Muhammad's rule. Over the year following the pilgrimage, Muhammad continued to build support and worked tirelessly to spread Islam as far as he could, even through warfare when necessary.
The opportunity for a final confrontation arose when a bedouin tribe protected by Mecca clashed with a bedouin tribe under Medina's protection. Seizing this chance to settle the conflict once and for all, Muhammad marched on Mecca with his army on January 11, 630. The Medinan army attacked from all four directions, encountering little resistance.
Mecca fell to Muhammad's forces, and he finally became the undisputed leader of both cities. With this victory, Muhammad gained recognition from all people in the region as the leader of the new religion, Islam.
The Legacy of Muhammad
A Human Prophet
Lesley Hazleton's portrayal of Muhammad in "The First Muslim" emphasizes his humanity. Rather than depicting him as an infallible saint, the book presents Muhammad as a complex individual who faced numerous challenges throughout his life. From his early years as an orphan to his exile from his own people due to his message, Muhammad's journey was marked by struggle and perseverance.
The Foundations of a New Faith
Despite the difficulties he faced, Muhammad remained steadfast in his beliefs and worked tirelessly to defend and spread his message. His unwavering commitment to his faith, even in the face of doubt, persecution, and exile, laid the foundations for a religion that would grow to become one of the largest in the world.
Muhammad's ability to unite diverse tribes and communities under a single faith demonstrated his skills as both a spiritual leader and a political strategist. His teachings, which combined spiritual guidance with practical rules for social and political organization, formed the basis of a new civilization that would flourish in the centuries following his death.
The Relevance of Muhammad's Story Today
The story of Muhammad, as presented in "The First Muslim," offers valuable insights for both Muslims and non-Muslims in the modern world. It provides a nuanced understanding of the historical and cultural context in which Islam emerged, helping readers to better comprehend the roots of this global religion.
Moreover, Muhammad's struggles with doubt, his patience in the face of adversity, and his eventual triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds offer inspiration to people of all faiths and backgrounds. His story reminds us of the power of perseverance, the importance of staying true to one's beliefs, and the potential for individuals to bring about significant change in the world.
Conclusion
"The First Muslim" by Lesley Hazleton offers a compelling and humanizing portrait of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. By exploring the prophet's life from his early years as an orphan to his eventual triumph as the leader of a new faith, the book provides readers with a deeper understanding of the man behind the religious icon.
Hazleton's work emphasizes the human aspects of Muhammad's journey, including his doubts, struggles, and moments of triumph. This approach allows readers to connect with Muhammad on a more personal level, understanding the challenges he faced and the strength of character that allowed him to overcome them.
The book also sheds light on the historical and cultural context in which Islam emerged, offering valuable insights into the social and political dynamics of 7th-century Arabia. By understanding these factors, readers can better appreciate the revolutionary nature of Muhammad's message and the obstacles he faced in spreading it.
Ultimately, "The First Muslim" presents Muhammad's story as one of profound humanity – a tale of an individual who, despite facing rejection, exile, and numerous setbacks, remained committed to his beliefs and succeeded in founding a faith that would change the course of history. This narrative not only provides a fresh perspective on the origins of Islam but also offers timeless lessons about faith, perseverance, and the potential for individuals to bring about transformative change in the world.