Table of Contents
A Turning Point in Human History
The beginning of the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ is one of the greatest turning points in human history. It marks the moment when revelation from Allah resumed after a long pause since the time of Prophet Isa عليه السلام, and when the final and complete guidance for humanity began to descend.
Allah reminds humanity that He never leaves people without guidance. He says:
رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌۢ بَعْدَ ٱلرُّسُلِ
“Messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners, so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers.”
(Quran 4:165)
The sending of Muhammad ﷺ as a prophet was the continuation and completion of this chain of messengers.
The beginning of prophethood is the start of the final revelation to humanity, through the final Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, whose message is universal and will last until the Day of Judgment.
This chapter looks at the beginning of his prophethood in a general and introductory way. The specific events such as his love for seclusion, the night of revelation, his encounter with Jibril عليه السلام, and the first responses to his call will each be discussed in their own dedicated chapters later.
The Coming of the Final Messenger
Before the Quran began to be revealed, previous scriptures had already foretold the coming of a final prophet. The people of the Book, the Jews and Christians, had descriptions of a prophet who would come near the end of time, calling to pure monotheism and confirming the earlier messages.
Allah says about those earlier communities:
ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِيَّ ٱلْأُمِّيَّ ٱلَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ
“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel.”
(Quran 7:157)
And Allah addresses Isa عليه السلام saying:
وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَمُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُولٍۢ يَأْتِى مِنۢ بَعْدِى ٱسْمُهُۥٓ أَحْمَدُ
“And when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, ‘O Children of Israel, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.’”
(Quran 61:6)
“Ahmad” is one of the names of our Prophet ﷺ, as he himself explained in authentic hadith. These texts show that the beginning of his prophethood was not a sudden or random event. It was the fulfilment of a long awaited promise and the completion of a divine plan that began with Adam عليه السلام.
The Age of Forty and the Moment of Commission
The period before revelation is discussed in detail in other chapters, but one detail is especially connected to the beginning of prophethood. Revelation came to Muhammad ﷺ when he was around forty years old. This age is described in the Quran as the time of full maturity and completion of a person’s physical and mental growth. Allah says:
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً
“Until, when he reaches his full strength and reaches forty years…”
(Quran 46:15)
By this age, he ﷺ had already built a reputation of absolute honesty and trustworthiness among his people. They knew him as “Al Amin” and “As Sadiq.” Because of that, when revelation began, no one among them could deny his past truthfulness, even if many rejected his message out of pride or fear for their worldly status.
The Prophet ﷺ himself explained the general pattern of how prophethood began in his life. In the hadith of Aishah رضي الله عنها, she said that the first beginnings of revelation were righteous dreams which came true like the break of dawn. This is a key sign that the transition to prophethood was gentle and gradual, before the very intense moment of the first revelation that will be discussed later.
The Final Messenger to All of Humanity
What began with the first revelation was not a message for one tribe or even one nation, but a universal mission that included all people until the end of time. The beginning of prophethood for Muhammad ﷺ is unlike earlier prophets in this one crucial aspect: his message will never be cancelled, replaced, or limited to a specific group.
Allah says clearly:
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا كَآفَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًۭا وَنَذِيرًۭا
“And We have not sent you except to all mankind as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner.”
(Quran 34:28)
And He says:
قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا
“Say, ‘O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.’”
(Quran 7:158)
The prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ is universal. He is the Messenger to all people, in every place, and at every time, until the Day of Judgment. No new prophet or new revelation will come after him.
This universality began the moment he was chosen as a prophet. Even though the early call was limited in practice to his immediate surroundings, the message he received was never meant to remain only in Makkah or among the Arabs. Its language, its principles, and its core beliefs were addressed to all human beings.
Seal of the Prophets
From the very beginning of his mission, Muhammad ﷺ was not simply another prophet in a long chain. He was the last one. His coming closed the door to any claim of prophethood after him. This is a central belief in Islam and one of the core meanings of the beginning of his prophethood.
Allah says in the Quran:
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَآ أَحَدٍۢ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن رَّسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets.”
(Quran 33:40)
The expression “khatam an nabiyyin” means that he ﷺ is the final prophet. No new prophet and no new message will come after him. In an authentic hadith narrated by Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said:
عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ: إِنَّ الرِّسَالَةَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَتْ، فَلَا رَسُولَ بَعْدِي وَلَا نَبِيَّ
“Anas رضي الله عنه narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Messengership and prophethood have ended, so there will be no messenger after me and no prophet.’”
(Sahih Muslim)
Believing that Muhammad ﷺ is the last prophet and messenger is a fundamental part of Islamic belief. Any claim of prophethood after him is false.
The beginning of his prophethood is therefore also the beginning of the last and unchanging standard by which all beliefs and actions will be judged until the end of time.
The Return of Revelation to a Dark World
The world into which Muhammad ﷺ was sent was filled with ignorance, injustice, and confusion. Earlier chapters describe in detail the beliefs and moral conditions of Arabia before Islam and also the state of the surrounding civilizations. Here, it is enough to remind that people had gone far from the pure monotheism of Ibrahim عليه السلام and other prophets.
The Prophet ﷺ described this time clearly. He said, as reported by Imam Ahmad:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ نَظَرَ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فَمَقَتَهُمْ عَرَبَهُمْ وَعَجَمَهُمْ إِلَّا بَقَايَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ
“Indeed Allah looked at the people of the earth and He disliked them, both Arabs and non-Arabs, except for some remnants from the People of the Book.”
(Musnad Ahmad, authentic)
This hadith shows that there were only a few individuals who still tried to follow the original guidance. Most people had lost the light of revelation and were living according to distorted beliefs and unjust customs. The beginning of prophethood was therefore a mercy and a renewal of divine guidance.
Allah reminds us:
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ رَسُولًۭا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ
“He is the One who has sent among the unlettered people a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although before that they were in clear misguidance.”
(Quran 62:2)
The beginning of prophethood is therefore the moment when misguidance began to be replaced with knowledge, when oppression began to be challenged by justice, and when despair was replaced by hope.
The Weight of Revelation
When prophethood began, it did not simply mean Muhammad ﷺ started to speak wise words. It meant that the words of Allah, in their exact form and sound, began to descend into his heart and onto his tongue. This had a tremendous physical and emotional weight which the companions later observed.
Allah describes the heaviness of this trust:
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِى عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًۭا ثَقِيلًا
“Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.”
(Quran 73:5)
And He says:
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍۢ لَّرَأَيْتَهُۥ خَـٰشِعًۭا مُّتَصَدِّعًۭا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ ٱللَّهِ
“If We had sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and split apart from fear of Allah.”
(Quran 59:21)
From the beginning of his mission, the Prophet ﷺ was carrying this immense “heavy word” in his heart. The companions later noticed that when revelation came to him, even in cold weather his forehead would drip with sweat, and if he was riding a camel it would be forced to kneel from the weight of that moment. These specific incidents belong to other detailed chapters, but what concerns us here is the principle: prophethood is a burden and a responsibility, not a worldly honor.
Revelation is a “heavy word.” The beginning of prophethood is the beginning of carrying the greatest responsibility: to convey Allah’s message exactly as it was revealed, without change or compromise.
This weight is also moral. The Prophet ﷺ had to be the first to live by what was revealed. He was the most obedient of all people to Allah. His entire life from that point onwards was shaped and guided by revelation.
A Mercy for All Worlds
The beginning of prophethood is also the beginning of Allah’s mercy in its most complete form for humanity. Allah describes the Prophet ﷺ and his mission in a very famous verse:
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةًۭ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds.”
(Quran 21:107)
This mercy began to unfold from the first words of revelation and continued in every stage of his mission. It is a mercy in belief, because it brings people back to the worship of the One True God. It is a mercy in law, because it protects rights, removes injustice, and sets limits that save people from harm. It is a mercy in character, because it teaches forgiveness, patience, kindness, and fairness. It is a mercy in the Hereafter, because those who follow this message are promised Allah’s pleasure and Paradise.
The Prophet ﷺ summarized his own mission in a short statement that shows this mercy and completeness. He said:
إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ صَالِحَ الْأَخْلَاقِ
“I was only sent to perfect righteous character.”
(Musnad Ahmad, authentic)
Every part of his prophethood, from the way he spoke to the way he judged between people and the way he treated his enemies, was an expression of this mercy.
The Beginning of the Final Scripture
With the beginning of his prophethood, the last and greatest book of guidance, the Quran, began to descend. This book is unique in many ways. Unlike earlier scriptures, the Quran has been preserved in its original language, word for word, sound for sound, without alteration. Allah promised this protection Himself:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا ٱلذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed We will be its guardian.”
(Quran 15:9)
From the moment of the first revelation, the Quran began to shape a new community, a new way of thinking, a new moral code, and a new spiritual connection between human beings and their Creator. It would not be revealed all at once but gradually, over twenty three years, to guide the Prophet ﷺ and his followers through changing circumstances.
The beginning of prophethood is also the beginning of the revelation of the Quran, the final and preserved Book of Allah, which will remain the complete standard of guidance for all people until the end of time.
The opening verses that began this journey, the meaning of “Iqra,” and how the Prophet ﷺ reacted to receiving them are all so important that they are given their own chapters later in this course.
From Private Experience to Public Mission
At the very start of his prophethood, much of what the Prophet ﷺ experienced was between him and Allah. The dreams, the solitude, the first encounters with the angel, the initial fear and reassurance, and the early comfort he received from Khadijah رضي الله عنها all belong to this more private phase.
However, from the very beginning, prophethood was not simply a private spiritual state. It had a purpose directed toward people. He ﷺ was commanded not to keep this revelation to himself but to convey it. Even when he was still calling a small number of people quietly, the essence of his mission was always outward facing, to invite others to the worship of Allah alone and to obedience to Him.
Allah later described this mission:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ
“O Messenger, convey that which has been revealed to you from your Lord.”
(Quran 5:67)
From the moment he became a prophet, Muhammad ﷺ was no longer only a husband, a father, a trader, or a respected member of Quraysh. He had become the Messenger of Allah, with a duty to explain the message, live by it, judge with it, and teach it to whoever was willing to listen. Every stage of his later life in Makkah and Madinah reflects how this mission gradually moved from private beginnings to full public proclamation.
A New Relationship with Allah
The beginning of prophethood also marked a transformation in the Prophet’s relationship with his Lord. Of course, he had always believed in one God and avoided idol worship, but now he received direct address, instruction, and reassurance from Allah. The Quran uses expressions like:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُزَّمِّلُ
“O you who covers himself [with a garment].”
(Quran 73:1)
and
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمُدَّثِّرُ
“O you who is wrapped up [in garments].”
(Quran 74:1)
These early addresses show a very personal and intimate connection between Allah and His Messenger. He was taught how to pray at night, how to be patient, how to rely entirely on his Lord, and how to remain firm in the face of hostility. From the very beginning, the goal was not simply to deliver a message to others, but to cultivate in the Prophet ﷺ the highest level of servanthood to Allah.
In fact, the greatest honor mentioned for him in the Quran is that of being “the slave” of Allah. In describing two of the greatest events in his life, Allah says:
سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا
“Glory be to the One who took His slave by night…”
(Quran 17:1)
and
فَأَوْحَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ عَبْدِهِۦ مَآ أَوْحَىٰ
“Then He revealed to His slave what He revealed.”
(Quran 53:10)
This servanthood began to reach its highest form from the first moment of prophethood. From then on, every step, every choice, and every response of the Prophet ﷺ was guided by revelation and driven by obedience to Allah.
The Beginning of a Lifelong Struggle
With the start of his prophethood, the Prophet ﷺ entered a life of constant effort, struggle, and sacrifice. He was not given wealth, ease, or safety as a reward for becoming a prophet. Instead, he faced mockery, false accusations, social boycotts, physical danger, and the pain of seeing his followers tortured and killed. All of this began to unfold as soon as he started to convey the message.
Allah had already informed previous prophets, and through them all who come after, that this path is not easy. He says:
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
“Do people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tested?”
(Quran 29:2)
The Prophet ﷺ experienced this most intensely. Yet from the very beginning of his prophethood, Allah reassured him and promised him victory if he remained patient and faithful. In one of the early verses, Allah says:
وَرَبُّكَ فَكَبِّرْ . وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ . وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ . وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ . وَلِرَبِّكَ فَٱصْبِرْ
“And your Lord, magnify Him. And your garments, purify them. And uncleanliness, avoid it. And do not give seeking more in return. And for your Lord, be patient.”
(Quran 74:3‑7)
These commands show that from the very beginning, his prophethood required purity, humility, and patience in the face of challenges. His later life in Makkah and Madinah will show in detail how he lived these commands.
The Lasting Significance for Muslims Today
For Muslims, the beginning of prophethood is not simply an old historical event. It is the moment that defines their faith, identity, and purpose. Every time a Muslim says the two testimonies of faith, they are directly connected to this beginning.
The testimony of faith is:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
“There is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
In symbolic terms, we could express the centrality of this beginning in a simple form:
Let $I$ represent true Islamic faith. Then we can say:
$$
I = \text{Tawhid} + \text{Belief in the final Messenger}
$$
This means that faith is not complete with belief in Allah alone, without belief in Muhammad ﷺ as His final Messenger. Nor is it complete with love for Muhammad ﷺ without true belief in Allah’s oneness. Both parts began to be fully clarified and perfected from the moment his prophethood started.
Every Muslim’s faith is directly tied to the beginning of the Prophet’s mission. To believe is to accept that Allah has spoken again to humanity and that Muhammad ﷺ is the one who received and conveyed this final message.
Studying this starting point helps us appreciate the value of the Quran we recite, the prayer we perform, and the beliefs we hold. All of these are fruits of that first moment when Allah chose Muhammad ﷺ and spoke to him through Jibril عليه السلام.
Conclusion: A New Era Begins
The beginning of the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ is the dawn of a new era for humanity. It is the moment when:
- The final Messenger was chosen.
- The final scripture, the Quran, began to descend.
- The chain of prophets reached its completion.
- Divine mercy reached its most complete form.
- A universal message for all human beings began.
From this point on, the life of the Prophet ﷺ is no longer simply the story of an honest man in Makkah. It becomes the story of a Messenger who carries the word of Allah, who faces resistance and struggle, who builds a community, who establishes justice, and who leaves behind a complete way of life for all who seek truth.
The following chapters will explore, in detail, the spiritual preparation that led up to this moment, the exact events of the first revelation, the early secret call, and how the message slowly spread in Makkah. Together, they will show how this single beginning transformed not only the life of one man, but the course of the entire world.