Life of Muhammad

Selections from the life of Muhammad, was written by Ibn Ishaq who lived in the century after Muhammad did and is one of the few full biographies of the Prophet Muhammad. This writing is of great religious value to the Muslim peoples. This biography re- tells the history of Muhammad.

The story introduces Muhammad as the son of Amina D. Wahb. It explains of her premonitions during her pregnancy that God spoke to her and told her she was caring his son and to call him Muhammad. Halima was also introduced as the foster mother of Muhammad.

The story told of a year of great famine. When orphaned, Halima and her husband at Mecca took in Muhammad he brought huge reward to their family. Halima

Who was once not able to provide milk to her suckling, was now (with Muhammad) able to yield milk in abundance.

Ishaq wrote that a "learned man" told him that some of Muhammad's companions once asked him to tell them about himself, he said: "I am what Abraham my father prayed for and the good news of my brother Jesus. When my mother was carrying me

Page 2

she saw light proceeding from her, which showed her the castles of Syria. I was suckled among the B.Sa'd, B. Bakr, and while I was with a brother of mine behind our tents shepherding the lambs, two men in while raiment came to me with a gold basin full of snow. Then seized me and opened up my belly, extracted my heart and split it: then they extracted a black drop from it and threw it away: them they washed my heart and belly with that snow until they had thoroughly cleansed me."

I found basics of Islam to be very similar to Christianity. The apostle child; Jesus and Muhammad. The father Joseph and Abraham. The miracles of feeding many, and the premonissions of their mothers. Among, the many similarities, differences arise.

Page 3

In the 1,000 + years that have passed since the Prophet's "assention" the relationship between Christianity and Islam has been less than corgial. As the quickly spreading Islamic faith conquered much of the Christian occupied land during the Christian Crusades. Their divide has largely widened.

This writing though not hadith, is very important to the people of Islam. As important

...