How Did Muhammad Become the Prophet of Islam?

Key Takeaways

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received his first revelation in the Cave of Hira in 610 CE, when the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) appeared to him and delivered the opening verses of the Quran.

The Prophet (PBUH) was 40 years old at the time of his first revelation, having spent his prior life known among his people for his exceptional truthfulness and trustworthiness.

Prophethood in Islam is a divine appointment by Allah — not something earned, sought, or achieved through personal ambition or spiritual self-development.

The revelation continued for 23 years, culminating in the complete Quran as preserved today — a text Muslims believe to be the direct, unchanged word of Allah.

The Prophet’s (PBUH) mission began privately, then expanded publicly, reshaping the Arabian Peninsula and ultimately the world within a single generation.

Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH) became the Prophet of Islam when Allah chose him to receive revelation — a divine appointment that began in a mountain cave outside Mecca in 610 CE and transformed the course of human history. This was not a moment he engineered or anticipated. 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was meditating in solitude, as was his custom, when the angel Jibreel descended with a command that would define the rest of his life and the lives of over two billion people after him.

The question of how Muhammad (PBUH) became a prophet is really two questions layered into one: the external story — what physically happened, where, and when — and the deeper theological reality — what prophethood means in Islam, and why Allah chose this particular man, in this particular time. Both deserve a careful, honest answer.

Who Was Muhammad Before Prophethood?

Muhammad (PBUH) was born in Mecca around 570 CE into the tribe of Quraysh — the custodians of the Kaaba and the most respected clan in Arabia. His father, Abdullah, died before his birth. His mother, Aminah, died when he was six. He was raised first by his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, then by his uncle Abu Talib.

Orphanhood shaped him. He knew vulnerability, and he grew into a man of unusual depth and moral seriousness in a society defined by tribal pride and little else. 

By the time he reached adulthood, his community had given him two titles that stayed with him his entire life: Al-Sadiq (the Truthful) and Al-Amin (the Trustworthy).

A Man Known Before He Was Called

These were not honorifics handed out casually. The Meccans were traders — practical people who measured a man by whether his word held. 

Muhammad (PBUH) had earned those titles through consistent conduct: in business dealings, in disputes he was called to arbitrate, and in his private character. 

His first wife, Khadija, one of the most successful merchants in Mecca, chose him to manage her trade caravans after observing his reliability. She later proposed marriage to him — an extraordinary act for a woman of her status — based on what she had seen of his character.

He was not a religious scholar in the formal sense. He had no priestly lineage. He could neither read nor write — a fact the Quran itself references directly. 

And yet, even before revelation, he was deeply disturbed by the idol worship, infanticide, and social cruelty that surrounded him. 

He would retreat to the Cave of Hira, in the mountain known as Jabal al-Nour just outside Mecca, to reflect in solitude. 

The Night the First Revelation Came to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

In the month of Ramadan, in the year 610 CE, during one of his retreats in the Cave of Hira, the angel Jibreel appeared to Muhammad (PBUH). What followed is narrated in precise detail in Sahih Bukhari:

“The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ The Prophet added, ‘The angel caught me forcefully and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, “I do not know how to read.” Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read, but again I replied, “I do not know how to read.” Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, “Read in the name of your Lord, who has created…”‘” (Sahih Bukhari 3)

Those first five verses — the opening of Surah Al-Alaq — were the beginning of a revelation that would continue for 23 years.

The First Verses Revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ❖ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ❖ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ ❖ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ❖ عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

“Read in the name of your Lord who created — created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous — Who taught by the pen — taught man that which he knew not.” (Quran 96:1–5)

The first word of revelation to all of humanity was Iqra — Read. In a society with almost no literacy, to a man who could not himself read, the first divine command was a call to knowledge.

What Happened Immediately After the First Revelation?

Muhammad (PBUH) came down from the mountain shaking. He went directly to Khadijah and told her what had occurred. His words, as preserved in the hadith: “Cover me! Cover me!” She wrapped him in a garment. 

When he calmed, he described what had happened — and then said words that reveal everything about the man: he feared for himself, he feared he might be going mad, he feared the experience was something other than divine.

This moment matters enormously. A man fabricating a claim to prophethood does not respond with fear, trembling, and self-doubt. Khadijah’s response matters just as much. She said:

“By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously, and assist those who have been afflicted by calamities.” (Sahih Bukhari 3)

She then took him to her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal — an elderly man who had studied the scriptures of the Jews and Christians — and he confirmed immediately: this was the same Namus (the angel of revelation) who had come to Moses. Muhammad (PBUH) had been appointed as a prophet.

Why Did Muhammad Become the Prophet of Islam? 

Prophethood in Islam has never been a matter of personal achievement, mystical attainment, or inherited priesthood. Allah selects His prophets. The Quran is explicit on this:

اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ

“Allah chooses from the angels messengers and from the people.” (Quran 22:75)

This is the Islamic doctrine of divine selection (Isftifaa). Prophets are not self-made. They are chosen. The wisdom of that choice belongs to Allah alone, though the Quran and Sunnah reveal aspects of it: Muhammad (PBUH) possessed the character, the station, and the lineage suited to carry the final, universal message to all of humanity — not to a single tribe or nation.

The Seal of All Prophets

Islam teaches that Muhammad (PBUH) was not an isolated figure but the last in an unbroken line of prophets — from Adam, through Noah, Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa (Jesus), peace be upon them all. 

Each prophet was sent to a specific people with a message suited to their time. Muhammad (PBUH) was sent to all of humanity, for all time remaining.

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ

“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)

This means no prophet comes after him. The message is complete. This is why understanding faith in Islam requires grasping the centrality of Muhammad (PBUH) — belief in him is inseparable from belief in Allah.

Read also: What Did Muhammad Do Before He Became A Prophet?

The 23 Years of Revelation and the Building of a Mission

After the first revelation, there was a pause — a period scholars call fatrat al-wahy (the interval of revelation). This pause was, by all accounts, deeply difficult for the Prophet (PBUH). Then revelation resumed, and with it came the command to go public.

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ ❖ قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ

“O you who covers himself [with a garment], (1) Arise and warn” (Quran 74:1–2)

Three Years of Private Invitation

For the first three years, the Prophet (PBUH) called individuals quietly — beginning with his household. Khadija was the first to accept Islam. His young cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib was next. Then his close friend Abu Bakr. Then Zayd ibn Harithah. A small circle formed around a profound truth, meeting privately, praying quietly, building the foundation.

The Public Declaration and Its Consequences

When the command came to preach openly, the reaction from Mecca’s elite was immediate and violent. The Prophet (PBUH) and his followers were mocked, boycotted, tortured, and killed. Bilal ibn Rabah — an enslaved man from Abyssinia — was dragged through the streets and stones placed on his chest to force him to renounce Islam. He repeated only one word: Ahad. Ahad. (One. One.)

The mission endured thirteen years in Mecca under persecution. Then came the Hijra — the migration to Madinah — which marked a new phase. 

In Madinah, the Prophet (PBUH) built a community, established governance, and continued receiving revelation. The core principles of Islam were transmitted through this lived, practical reality — not as abstract theology, but as a working social order.

Read also: The Prophet Muhammad’s Family Tree From Abraham

The Nature of Revelation to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Muslims believe the Quran is the literal word of Allah — not Muhammad’s (PBUH) own words, not his interpretation, not his spiritual impressions dressed in divine language. The revelation came to him in specific ways, described in authenticated narrations.

Sometimes it arrived like the ringing of a bell — intense, overwhelming. Sometimes Jibreel appeared in human form and delivered verses directly. Sometimes the revelation descended upon the Prophet (PBUH) during particular moments, and companions who were present could see its physical effect on him: perspiration on cold days, a heaviness that seemed to press down on him.

وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ❖ نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ ❖ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

“And indeed, the Quran is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds. The trustworthy spirit has brought it down upon your heart, that you may be of the warners.” (Quran 26:192–194)

To understand what the Quran is and how it was preserved, the Salam platform offers an in-depth reading on the Quran as a revealed scripture — its history, structure, and miraculous preservation.

Read also: Was Muhammad A False Prophet? 

The Final Years of the Prophet (PBUH) 

By the time the Prophet (PBUH) re-entered Mecca in 630 CE — not as a conqueror seeking revenge, but as a leader who granted a general amnesty to those who had persecuted him for two decades — the transformation of Arabia was essentially complete. 

The idols that had filled the Kaaba were destroyed. The society that had buried infant daughters alive began honoring women with defined rights. The tribal vendettas that had kept clans in perpetual war gave way to a unified community bound by faith.

In 632 CE, the Prophet (PBUH) delivered his Farewell Sermon at Arafat, during his one and only Hajj pilgrimage. He addressed over 100,000 people. He confirmed that the message was complete, that the religion was perfected. Shortly after returning to Madinah, he passed from this world.

The verse revealed near the end of his life has been called by scholars the last complete revelation concerning the religion:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.” (Quran 5:3)

Read also: Was Muhammad A Prophet? 

What Does Muhammad’s Prophethood Mean for the World Today?

The prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) established a complete way of life — not a private spiritual practice, but a comprehensive framework covering worship, ethics, law, family, and community. The five pillars of faith he conveyed form the structural core of that life. 

Every practicing Muslim today traces their practice directly to him through an unbroken chain of transmission that Islamic scholars have spent 14 centuries verifying.

His prophethood also situates Islam within the broader Abrahamic tradition. Muslims believe in the same Allah worshipped by Abraham, Moses, and Jesus — and the question of how Islam relates to earlier monotheistic traditions is addressed directly on the platform for those exploring whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God.

Islam’s understanding of the nature of Allah — pure, singular, without partner or equal — was the message at the heart of Muhammad’s (PBUH) entire mission. Every verse he conveyed, every ruling he communicated, every prayer he established returned to this central reality. 

And the promise that came with faithful submission to that reality — paradise in the next life — was the horizon he consistently pointed his community toward.

Those curious about how Islam positions itself in relation to other religious traditions will find the Islamic view is neither dismissive nor syncretic — it holds a precise and principled stance rooted in the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) as the final, universal message.

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