OxfordAQA International GCSE Islamiat: Life and Teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) (9237)

Life and Teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is topic 3.2.1 of OxfordAQA International GCSE Islamiat 9237, examined in Paper 2 Section A (25 marks). It follows the Prophet’s life from the society of pre-Islamic Arabia, through his early life, the first revelation and the years of preaching and opposition in Makka, to the Hijrah, the Madinan period, the battles and treaties, the conquest of Makka and the Farewell Pilgrimage, ending with the lessons of his life for Muslims today. Section A questions are worth 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 marks; the 12-mark part uses a prescribed passage.

Syllabus coverage

OXFORDAQA INTERNATIONAL GCSE ISLAMIAT (9237), VERSION 1.1 — 3.2.1

• 3.2.1.1 Pre-Islamic Arabia: religious, political, moral and social features, including Jahiliya
• 3.2.1.2 Early life: birth and upbringing, including his parents, his wet nurse Halima Sa’diya, Abdul Muttalib, Abu Talib and Bahira; marriage to Hazrat Khadija (RA) and his business dealings; his key qualities, including honesty, courage, treatment of the poor, earning an honest living and fair dealing
• 3.2.1.3 The call to Prophethood: the events in the Cave of Hira and the encounter with Jibril (AS); his reaction and the role of Hazrat Khadija (RA) and Waraqa
• 3.2.1.4 Early preaching: private and public preaching; the call to tawhid and rejection of idol worship; early teachings, including rights for women and the outlawing of alcohol and gambling
• 3.2.1.5 Opposition: reasons for opposition from Makkan leaders, the boycott of Banu Hashim, the events at Ta’if and the plots to kill him
• 3.2.1.6 The Ascension: the events of Isra wal Mi’raj and their importance
• 3.2.1.7 The Hijrah and Madinan period: the pledges of Aqaba; the migration, including the roles of Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) and Hazrat Ali (RA); early life in Madinah, the Charter of Madinah and the first mosque
• 3.2.1.8 Supporters: the Ansar’s support for the Muhajirun and the early Sahabah, including Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (RA), Hazrat Hamza (RA), Hazrat Talha (RA) and Hazrat Zubair (RA)
• 3.2.1.9 The battles: Badr, Uhud, the Trench, Khaibar and Hunayn; Aam ul Wufood; the Treaty of Hudaibiyah; the conquest of Makkah and purification of the Ka’ba; the Farewell Pilgrimage
• 3.2.1.10 Legacy and lessons: key teachings of the Farewell Sermon; lessons including treatment of parents, justice, honesty and patience

What was Arabia like before Islam?

Religious: most Arabs worshipped many idols, kept in and around the Ka’ba in Makka, while also recognising a high god; there were Jewish and Christian communities and a few hanifs who followed the monotheism of Ibrahim (AS). Political: there was no central state; tribes and clans ruled themselves, and the Quraysh controlled Makka and its trade. Moral and social: blood feuds, drinking, gambling and lending at interest were common; some families buried infant daughters alive; women and slaves had few rights. Muslims call this period Jahiliya, the age of ignorance, although Arabs also valued hospitality, courage and poetry.

How was the Prophet (pbuh) raised?

He was born in Makka around 570 CE, the Year of the Elephant, into the Banu Hashim clan of Quraysh. His father Abdullah died before he was born. As was the custom, he was nursed in the desert by Halima Sa’diya of the Banu Sa’d. His mother Amina died when he was about six. His grandfather Abdul Muttalib cared for him until he died two years later, and then his uncle Abu Talib raised him. On a trading journey to Syria with Abu Talib, a Christian monk named Bahira is reported to have recognised signs of future prophethood in the boy and advised Abu Talib to protect him.

As a young man he worked as a shepherd and a trader and became known as al-Amin (the trustworthy) and al-Sadiq (the truthful). He took part in the Hilf al-Fudul, an alliance to defend the oppressed. He managed trade for Hazrat Khadija (RA), a respected merchant, whose servant reported his honesty; she proposed marriage, and they were married when he was about twenty-five. He was known for fair dealing, generosity to the poor and courage.

How did the call to prophethood happen?

From about the age of forty, the Prophet (pbuh) often withdrew to the Cave of Hira near Makka to reflect. In 610 CE, during Ramadan, the angel Jibril (AS) appeared and commanded “Read!” (Iqra). He replied that he could not read; Jibril pressed him three times and then recited the first verses of Sura 96, “Read in the name of your Lord who created…”. Shaken, he returned home and asked Khadija to cover him. Hazrat Khadija (RA) reassured him that Allah would never disgrace one who was kind to relatives, helped the weak and honoured guests, and became the first to accept Islam. She took him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, a Christian scholar, who said that the same angel who had come to Musa (AS) had come to him and warned that his people would drive him out.

How did the early preaching develop?

For about three years he preached privately. Early Muslims included Hazrat Khadija, Hazrat Ali, Zayd ibn Haritha and Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), who brought others to Islam. Then came the command to warn his near relatives, and he began public preaching, calling the Quraysh from Mount Safa to believe in one God. His message was tawhid, the rejection of idols, belief in the Day of Judgement and care for orphans, the poor and slaves. Islam gave women rights to inheritance, property and consent in marriage, and condemned female infanticide. Alcohol and gambling were criticised and, through revelation that came in stages, finally forbidden in Madinah.

Why did the leaders of Makkah oppose him?

• His message attacked the idols on which Makkah’s pilgrimage trade and income depended.
• It threatened the leaders’ power and status by teaching that all people are equal before Allah.
• It challenged loyalty to ancestral religion and tribal custom.
• Belief in resurrection and judgement was mocked.

Opposition grew from mockery to persecution: weaker Muslims such as Bilal were tortured, and some Muslims migrated to Abyssinia. The Quraysh imposed a boycott on Banu Hashim, confining the clan to a valley for about three years with no trade or marriage. In the Year of Sorrow both Khadija and Abu Talib died. At Ta’if the Prophet (pbuh) was rejected and stoned, yet he prayed for its people rather than for their punishment. Finally the Makkan leaders plotted to kill him, choosing a young man from each clan so that blame would be shared.

What happened in the Isra wal Mi’raj?

In one night the Prophet (pbuh) was taken from Makka to al-Aqsa in Jerusalem (the Isra, Qur’an 17.1), where he led the prophets in prayer, and then ascended through the heavens (the Mi’raj), meeting earlier prophets. The five daily prayers were made obligatory. When the Quraysh mocked the account, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) at once affirmed it and was called al-Siddiq. The event comforted the Prophet after the Year of Sorrow and gave salat its special status.

How did the Hijrah take place?

At the pledges of Aqaba men from Yathrib promised to worship one God and to protect the Prophet (pbuh). Muslims began migrating there. On the night of the plot, Hazrat Ali (RA) slept in the Prophet’s bed, while the Prophet left with Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), who had prepared camels; they hid in the cave of Thawr before travelling to Madinah in 622 CE, the first year of the Islamic calendar. In Madinah he stayed with Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (RA) while the Prophet’s Mosque was built, after building a mosque at Quba on arrival. He paired each Muhajir with an Ansari as brothers, and drew up the Charter of Madinah, which made Muslims, Jews and other groups one community with shared defence, freedom of religion and the Prophet as final judge in disputes.

Who supported him?

The Ansar shared homes, land and wealth with the Muhajirun. Hazrat Hamza (RA), his uncle, protected him in Makka and was martyred at Uhud. Hazrat Talha (RA) shielded him with his own body at Uhud. Hazrat Zubair (RA), his cousin, was among the first Muslims and a loyal fighter.

What were the main battles and treaties?

Event	Date (CE)	Key points	Importance
Badr	624	About 313 Muslims defeated a much larger Makkan army	Confidence; seen as divine help (Qur’an 3.123)
Uhud	625	Archers left their post; Muslims suffered losses; Hamza martyred	Lesson in obedience and discipline
Trench	627	Trench dug on Salman al-Farsi’s advice; siege by a large alliance failed	Makkan offensive power broken
Hudaibiyah	628	Ten-year truce; Muslims to make umrah next year; terms seemed unfavourable	Called a “clear victory” (Sura 48); allowed Islam to spread peacefully
Khaibar	628	Fortified oasis taken	Security of Madinah’s north
Conquest of Makkah	630	After the truce was broken, Makkah taken almost without fighting; general amnesty; idols removed from the Ka’ba	Forgiveness; Ka’ba restored to tawhid
Hunayn	630	Early retreat, then victory over Hawazin	Reliance on Allah, not numbers (9.25)

Aam ul Wufood, the Year of Delegations (630–631), saw tribes from across Arabia come to accept Islam. In 632 the Prophet (pbuh) led the Farewell Pilgrimage and gave the Farewell Sermon at Arafat. He died in Madinah later that year.

What are the key lessons of his life?

The Farewell Sermon taught the sanctity of life, property and honour; the equality of all people, with no superiority of Arab over non-Arab except by piety; the rights of women; the end of interest and blood feuds; and holding fast to the Qur’an. His life teaches kindness to parents (Qur’an 17.23), justice even against oneself, honesty in trade and speech, and patience in hardship, as at Ta’if.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Treaty of Hudaibiyah called a victory? Although its terms looked unfavourable, the peace allowed Muslims to travel and preach freely, and many more people accepted Islam in the following two years.

What was the Charter of Madinah? An agreement setting out rights and duties for all groups in Madinah, creating one community with mutual defence and religious freedom.

Why was the conquest of Makkah significant? It ended the Makkan opposition, restored the Ka’ba to the worship of one God, and showed the Prophet’s mercy through a general amnesty.

Related pages

• Life and Teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) revision notes
• Life and Teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) practice questions
• Sources of Authority in Islam study guide

Source: OxfordAQA, International GCSE Islamiat (9237) specification, Version 1.1, for exams May/June 2026 onwards, topic 3.2.1.