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Existence Of Prophet Muhammad
Considering the academic research, only after 200 years of Prophets death his biography was written, questions are being raised if he even existed. Such claims are raising doubts on the authority of Qur’an, stating that it evolved in this period influenced by other books and philosophies, how should we counter that in an academic way
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Existence Of Prophet Muhammad
updated 3 years, 8 months ago
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Here is some useful debate on this topic:
‘Empirical evidence for the correct transmission of Hadith’
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Data in the first comment of this link is not accurate. Around 50-100 eclipses takes place in a year , the example of eclipe that happened on the day Umar r.a died can’t be compared to Nasa data as it didn’t even occurred in arab region hence this flawed point cannot be taken as an argument for thousands of hadithLater comments are off the point
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To see if Muhammad (570 – 632) did exist as an Historical figure, we shall carry out a research not on the relics attributed to him, rather search for him in the artifacts, inscriptions, manuscripts and coins from his era, confirmed by radio carbon dating, numismatics, and epigraphy.
To summarize, yes He did indeed exist, so did his companions like Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Abu Talib, Zubair, Abdullah ibn Zubair, Marwan ibn Hakam, Muawiyah, Abu Ubaidah, etc. We have more proof for their existence, more than we have for other historical figures like Alexander the Great or Genghis khan. But I’ll focus on the question, and discuss only the prophet Muhammad, and ignore his companions.
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We shall start with the oldest source. I’ll take you back to the battle of trench, March 627 AD – April 627 AD.
view first image…
This battle was fought by the anti islamic forces of Quraish and Ghatanfan against Muslims of Madinah. Muslims were under the lead of Prophet Muhammad. A companion is the prophet, Salman the Persian advised to build a trench around the city North of the mount Sela. During the battle, prophet’s cousin, Ali ibn Abu Talib showed great bravery fighting at two fronts. During the battle, Quraizah, a Jewish tribe rebelled against Muslims. The Muslim chieftain of Madinah, a prominent companion of Muhammad, Saad ibn Muad acted as an arbitrator to pronounce judgment upon them.
Now in the last century, an rock inscription was discovered in mount Sela containing the names of prophet Muhammad, Ali, Salman, and Saad.
“View 2nd & 3rd image”
In the fourth and fifth line appear the words, “I am Muhammad bin Abdullah” and that is the full name of the prophet Muhammad as his father was Abdullah. In the eighth line is the name, “ I am Salman the (?)”. In the twelfth line is the phrase “I am Sa’d bin Mu’adh”. And Finally on the fifteenth line “I am Ali bin Abu Talib”. As it is known that Saad ibn Muad died in 627, the inscription can not be from a later era. Note: ‘Ibn’ or ‘bin’ are Arabic words meaning ‘son of’.
The inscription does not bear a date because the islamic hijri calendar was not devised until 639 CE. Based on the writing style, it is most likely from around 625 CE according to Y. H. Safadi.
In either case it is a confirmed contemporary mention of the prophet Muhammad and some of his companions.
Other inscriptions nearby mention the Shahada and the names of Abu Bakr and Umar ibn Al Khattab. These may be from a later era, about mid 630s.
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Moving on the next earliest mention of the prophet Muhammad comes in a Quranic manuscript, catalogued as BnF Arabe 328(c) commonly known as the Birmingham Quran Manuscript, now catalogued as Mingana 1572a, contains verses 17–31 of Surah 18 (Al-Kahf), the final eight verses 91–98 of Surah 19 (Maryam) and the first 40 verses of Surah 20 (Ta-Ha). The manuscript was carbon dated Between c. 568 and 645 CE with 95.4% confidence, and can be identified as the first compilation of the Quran by Abu Bakr known as Mushaf al Hafsa. The text of this manuscript is the same as the modern one, with one verse division missing.
A lesser known fact to the western world is that Muhammad is known by 99 names, among them is “Ta-ha” which was used by Allah to refer to the prophet Muhammad, and it appears in the folio 1 of the manuscript.
‘View 4th image’
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Now moving forward, we know that Muslim armies conquered all of Arabia under the first caliph Abu Bakr. Now the great powers, the Sassanids and the Byzantine empires were hearing of Prophet Muhammad. From the Byzantine empire we get the earliest dated mention of the prophet.
Teaching of Jacob (13–20 AH / 634–640 CE):
“The prophet had appeared” and “What can you tell me about the prophet who has appeared with the Saracens?”
This refers to Prophet Muhammad.
Next a manuscript known as BL . 14,461 (15-16 AH / 637 CE) mentioned Muhammad in the following words,
see 5th Image
“Many villages were ruined with killing by [the Arabs of] Muhammad” & “on the twentieth of August in the year n[ine hundred and forty-]seven there gathered in Gabitha […] the Romans and great many people were ki[lled of] [the R]omans, [s]ome fifty thousand […]”
Here Prophet Muhammad mentioned by name along with the famous battle of Yarmuk / Gabitha(a town to the north of the river Yarmuk). Also gives the date for this battle: 20th August AG 947 = 636 CE / Rajab 15 AH.
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Next the syriac text preserved on BL Add. 14,643 (7 19 AH / 640 CE)
“In the year 945, indiction 7, on Friday 4 February [634 CE / Dhul Qa‘dah 12 AH] at the ninth hour, there was a battle between the Romans and the Arabs of Muhmd (Muhammad)”
Prophet Muhammad mentioned by name and recorded as a well-known person in Middle East only a year and half after his traditional death (June 8, 632 CE). This is first dated mention of Prophet Muhammad.
Next he is mentioned in a rock inscription from Jerusalem, know as Jerusalem 32 ,(32 AH / 652 CE)
‘See 6th image’
It states,
L1: “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.”
L4: “the protection of Allah and the guarantee of His Messenger.”
L6: “And witnessed it ʿAbd al-Raḥmān bin ʿAwf”
L7: “al-Zuhri, and Abū ʿUbaydah bin al-Jarrāḥ”
L8: “and its writer – Muʿāwiya….”
L9: “the year thirty two (?)”
This inscription just does not mention Muhammad as the messenger but also Abd al-Rahman bin Awf, and Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah, both among the ten blessed companions. A certain Muawiyah is mentioned, most likely the future Umayyad caliph Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan who was a companion of Muhammad, and one of the scribes of the holy Quran, here mentioned as the ‘writer’.
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Khuzistan Chronicle (40’s AH / 660’s CE) is another syriac chronicle, mentioned prophet Muhammad in detail,
“Then God raised up against them the sons of Ishmael, [numerous] as the sand on the sea shore, whose leader was Mḥmd (Muhammad). Neither walls nor gates, armor or shield, withstood them, and they gained control over the entire land of the Persians. Yazdgird sent against them countless troops, but the Arabs routed them all and even killed Rustam. Yazdgird shut himself up in the walls of Mahoze and finally escaped by flight. He reached the country of the Huzaye and Mrwnaye, where he ended his life. The Arabs gained countrol of Mahoze and all the territory. They also came to Byzantine territory, plundering and ravaging the entire region of Syria. Heraclius, the Byzantine king, sent armies against them, but the Arabs killed more than 100,000 of them.”
This text confirmed that prophet Muhammad is a descendant of Ishmael as claimed by Muslims. In summary, concerning Muhammad, the chronicler says that he was the leader of the sons of Ishmael, whom God raised against the Persians.
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Sebeos, Bishop Of The Bagratunis, in A History of Heraclius, (40’s AH / 660’s CE) also mentioned Muhammad,
“At that time a certain man from along those same sons of Ismael, whose name was Mahmet (Muhammad), a merchant, as if by God’s command appeared to them as a preacher [and] the path of truth. He taught them to recognize the God of Abraham, especially because he was learnt and informed in the history of Moses. Now because the command was from on high, at a single order they all came together in unity of religion. Abandoning their vain cults, they turned to the living God who had appeared to their father Abraham. So, Mahmet (Muhammad) legislated for them: not to eat carrion, not to drink wine, not to speak falsely, and not to engage in fornication. He said: “With an oath God promised this land to Abraham and his seed after him forever. And he brought about as he promised during that time while he loved Ismael. But now you are the sons of Abraham and God is accomplishing his promise to Abraham and his seed for you. Love sincerely only the God of Abraham, and go and seize the land which God gave to your father Abraham. No one will be able to resist you in battle, because God is with you.””
Turns out that Sebeos knew Muhammad’s name and that he was a merchant by profession. He hints that his life was suddenly changed by a divinely inspired revelation. He presents a good summary of Muhammad’s preaching, belief in one God, Abraham as a common ancestor of Jews and Arabs. He picks out some of the rules of behaviour imposed on the umma; the four prohibitions which are mentioned in the Qur’an. Much of what he says about the origins of Islam conforms to the Muslim tradition.
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The first mention to Muhammad on coins come from the coin of the Zubayrid governor of Bīshāpūr, ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAbd Allāh bin ʿĀmir. He was the governor under Abdullah ibn Zubair, a prominent companion of prophet Muhammad.
see last image :-
Obverse margin: “bism Allāh / Muḥammad rasūl / Allāh” (In the name of Allah, Muhhammad is the Messenger of Allah).
Located in the British Museum, London. This is the earliest occurance of the name “Muḥammad” in a dated Muslim text, a silver drachm that bore the short shahāda.
Following this we have too much coming out mentioning Muhammad. So I decided to stop here, as I have covered some of the earliest authentic records, most of which would not be know to most of the readers.
Hopefully this answer has been helpful. Any further questions may be questioned in the comments below.
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Ghamidi sb has described why this type of conflicts occur in establishing history in following video from 41:00 and onwards
In short, western historians donot find evidence according to mode of their research. Thats why secular historians even doubt existence of Moses and Jesus too.
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Do you have an alternate link of this video? It is showing that not available in US. Thanks.
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Check this link
https://video.dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/pv/Ilm-O-Hikmat/6893/ep-21326/ALL/2019-03-03?page=8
Video was telecasted on 3 march 2019
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For preservation of Quran, I will recommend you read or watch lectures of Dr Shezad Saleem on this topic.
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Recently an orientalist named Sean W Anthony write a book and prove the existance of prophet PBUH in the light orientalism and also reply to many orieatalists like patricia crone and michael cook who denied the existance of Prophet at some time .
You can read his book as well “Muhammad and Making of Empire of Faith”
Moreover Robert . J hoyland and Hugh kennedy also confirmed the existace and reply to these kind of question. You can read a book of Hugh Kennedy “The Great Arab Conquests” where he adressed these questions …
Note
They people I have mentioned are orientalistsand historians of middle east.
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Thanks for share, I will chk it out
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Please understand that established history does not require the crutches of written record or any other evidence. Prophet Muhammad SAW’s existence, establishment of a state in Madina, Muslim expansion, battles and wars, and the formation and fall of caliphates are all established facts – not hearsay stories. The Quran and the Sunnah we have have today has reached us through ijma and tawatur which are by far the most authentic means of transmission of knowledge from the source to later generations.
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