99 Questions & Answers on the Seerah of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallal laahu alayhi wasallam)

1.When was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ born?
Ans. He was born on Monday 9th or 12th of Rabi ul Awwal (April 22nd 571 AD)

2. Where was the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ born?
Ans. In Makkah, Saudi Arabia

3. What is the name of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ father?
Ans. Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd-Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilaab

4. What is the name of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ mother?
Ans. Aaminah bint Wahab ibn Abd-Manaf ibn Zuhra ibn Kilaab

5. When and where did the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ father pass away?
Ans. He passed away in Yathrib (Madinah) before Muhammad ﷺ was born

6. What is the name of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ paternal grandfather and what was his position?
Ans. Abdul Muttalib, who was the chief of his clan, the Bani Hashim.

7. Name the nannies of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans.Thuwaybah, Haleemah, Shaymaa & Umm Ayman (r.a.d), the first two also suckled the Prophet ﷺ as a baby.

8. Who was the midwife of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. Al-Shifa bint Aouf (Umm Abdul Rahman)

9. Who named the Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ?
Ans. His grandfather, Abdul Muttalib

10. What did Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ mother name him?
Ans. Ahmad.

11. Why did the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ mother choose this name?
Ans. Because she saw an angel in a dream calling the new born baby Ahmad.

12. What are some of the names that the Prophet ﷺ called himself?
Ans. Muhammad, Ahmad, Al-Maahi, Al-Haashir & Al-Aaqib.

13. Did the Prophet ﷺ have any brothers or sisters?
Ans. No, he had no siblings, but he had 6 foster brothers and 1 foster sister (who suckled from the same women)

14. How old was Muhammad ﷺ when his mother passed away?
Ans. Six years old.

15. Where did the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ mother take him when he was young?
Ans. She took him to Yathrib (Madinah) to visit his father’s grave and meet his uncles.

16. Where did the prophet’s ﷺ mother pass away?
Ans. On her way back to Makkah, she passed away at Abwa and was buried there

17. Who brought Muhammad ﷺ back to Makkah?
Ans. His father’s servant, Umm Ayman (R.A)

18. Who took care of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after his mother died?
Ans. His grandfather Abdul Muttalib

19. How long did the Prophet’s ﷺ grandfather take care of him?

Ans. For 2 years, until Abdul Muttalib died when the Prophet ﷺ was just 8 years old.

20. How was Abdul Muttalib’s behavior with Muhammad ﷺ?
Ans. He loved him very much and preferred him over his own sons.

21. Who took care of the Prophet ﷺ after the death of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib?
Ans. His uncle Abu Talib cared for him as a child and as a young adult and also supported him after Prophethood for a total of 42 years.

22. Which clan was the Prophet ﷺ from?
Ans. Banu Haashim and Quraish respectively, which were the two most and honourable clans and tribes in Makkah.

23. What work did the Prophet ﷺ do until the age of 40?
Ans. He used to be a shepherd and tend to sheep, but was also a trader.

24. When did Muhammad ﷺ travel to Syria and with whom?
Ans. He went to Syria with his uncle Abu Talib when he was 12 years old for trade, but returned half way into the journey.

25. Who was Khadijah (R.A)?
Ans. She was a wealthy business woman of Makkah.

26. Why did Khadijah (R.A) want to marry Muhammad ﷺ?
Ans. Because of his truthfulness 28. How old was Muhammad
ﷺ at the time of the marriage?
Ans. He was 25
and good conduct.

27. At what age did Khadijah (R.A) marry Muhammad ﷺ?
Ans. When she was 40 years old.

29. What did the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ give his wife Khadijah as Mahr (dowry)?
Ans.Twenty camels.

30. Was Khadijah (R.A) a widow before she married the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
Ans. Yes. The Prophet ﷺ was her third husband.

31. How many children did the
Prophet ﷺ have with Khadija (R.A)?
Ans. The Prophet ﷺ had 4 daughters (Zainab, Ruqayyah, Ummi Kulthum and Faatimah) and 2 sons (Qasim & Abdullah (also known as Tayyib and Taahir).

36. Were all the wives of the Prophet ﷺ widows or divorcees before they married him?
Ans. Yes, all except Aaisha (r.a.) who he married due to a decree from Allah.

37. Name the 6 paternal aunties of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. Safiyyah, Arwa, Aatiqah, Umm Hakeem al-Baida, Barrah & Umaymah.

38. Name the grandmothers of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. Faatimah bint Omar (paternal) & Barrah bint Abdul Uzza (maternal).

39. How many times is the name of Muhammad ﷺ mentioned in the Holy Quran?
Ans. Four times (3:144, 33:40, 47:2 & 48:29).

40. How was Muhammad ﷺ known in his society?
Ans. Al-Saadiq (The truthful) and Al-Ameen (trustworthy).

41. Did Muhammad ﷺ get any sort of formal education?
Ans. No, he didn’t get any formal education from the society, rather he was taught by Almighty Allah.

42. What must you say when the Prophet’s ﷺ name is mentioned?
Ans. You must recite Durood and Salaam, e.g Sallal Laahu Alayhi Wasallam (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

43. What were the names of the 12 paternal uncles of the Prophet ﷺ ?
Ans. Harith, Abu Talib, Zubair, Abu Lahab, Gheedaaq, Muqawwam, Dhiraar, Quthm, Abdul Ka’bah, Hijl, Hamzah (R.A), & Abbas (R.A).

44. Name the 2 maternal uncles of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. Al-Aswad ibn Yaghooth & Abdullah ibn Al-Arqam.

45. Name the 3 Christian monks/learned men who saw the Prophet ﷺ and recognized him as the last messenger?
Ans. Buhaira, Nastoorah & Waraqah ibn Nawfal.

46. Did his uncle Abu Talib accept Islam?
Ans. No, he died a polytheist (but, Allah knows best), but he protected the Prophet ﷺ for 42 years until he himself passed away.

47. Where did the Prophet ﷺ go into seclusion?
Ans. To the Cave of Hira.

48. What was the first stage of the revelation?
Ans. True dreams (6 months).

49. When did the first revelation come down?
Ans. On Monday ,17th, 18th or 21st of Ramadhan, at night (10th August 610 AD) when the Prophet ﷺ was forty years old).

50. Who brought the revelation from Allah?
Ans. The Archangel, Jibraeel.

51. What was the mission of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. To invite the humankind and jinnkind all over the world to Islam and the Oneness of Allah. He was sent as a mercy to the universes and to perfect the best of character. He accomplished his mission.

52. Who were the first people to embrace Islam?
Ans. The first woman was Khadijah (R.A) (The Prophet’s ﷺ wife), The first slave was Zaid Ibn Haaritha (R.A) (The Prophet’s ﷺ freed slave), The first child was Ali Ibn Abi Talib (R.A) (The Prophet’s ﷺ cousin. The first man was Abu Bakr (R.A) (The Prophet’s ﷺ best friend) or the monk Waraqah bin Nawfal-(Allah knows best)

53. Who were the first ladies after Khadijah (R.A) to accept Islam?
Ans. Abbas’ (R.A) wife Ummul Fadl, – Ja’far (R.A)’s wife Asma Bint Umais, – Abu Bakr (R.A)’s daughter Asma Bint Abi Bakr and Umar (R.A) sister Fatimah Bint Al-Khattaab.

54. How was the dawah done in the early days of Islam?
Ans. It was done in secret for 3 years. Thereafter the Prophet ﷺ received revelation and declared to all an open invitation to Islam.

55. During this period, where would the Muslims gather secretly?
Ans. They would gather secretly in the house of a Muslim called Arqam to learn about Islam and about the revelations sent down to the Prophet ﷺ.

56. How many people embraced Islam in the early stage?
Ans. About forty. (Umar 40th).

57. What was the impact of the Prophet’s ﷺ public preaching?
Ans. Some people mocked Islam and others accepted.

58. Who was Ali (R.A)?
Ans. He was the son of Abu Talib and cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet ﷺ.

59. How many sons did Ali (R.A) have from Fatimah (R.A)?
Ans. Three; Hasan, Husain (R.A) and Muhsin who passed away in infancy.

60. Which of the Prophet’s ﷺ children had children.
Ans. All the boys passed away at a young age. Zainab (R.A) had 2 children, Ruqayyah (R.A) had 1 son Fatimah (R.A) had 5 children and the Prophet’s ﷺ offspring, who are called Sayyid carry on only through Fatimah (R.A) and Ali (R.A) (refer to Q35 for names of all grandchildren).

61. What collective punishment was inflicted on the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslim tribe of Banu Hashim at that time?
Ans. They were driven out of Makkah into the shi’b (narrow pass/valley) of Abu Talib and boycotted for 3 years (7-10 a.p). This was a social and financial boycott of food, water, marriage, social inter actions and business. The Prophet ﷺ and the companions and children had to live eating only leaves at times.

62. What happened in the year of sorrow (aam ul huzn)?
Ans. The Prophet’s ﷺ protector (uncle Abu Talib) and comfort (wife Khadijah (R.A.)) passed away, after which the Prophet ﷺ went to Taif to give dawah and seek protection, but was pelted with stones and humiliated, thus returning to Makkah.

63. What is the Israa & Mi’raaj?
Ans. The year after aam ul huzn Allah called the Prophet ﷺ to honour and comfort him. He was taken from Makkah to Masjid ul Aqsa (Palestine) and from there to the heavens to meet Allah and receive the gift of Salaah.

64. Why did the Prophet ﷺ migrate from Makkah to Madinah Munawwarah?
Ans. Due to the persecution of the Muslims in Makkah. This is called the hijrah, from when the Islamic calendar begins.

65. Why did the Prophet ﷺ choose to migrate to Madinah?
Ans. Because the people of Madinah invited him and promised to unite and support him. Here the State of Islam and the Muslims was established, the 1st Masjid was built and Islam spread and flourished.

66. What date did the Prophet ﷺ migrate to Madinah?
Ans. 12th Rabi ul Awwal 1ah (23rd September 622 AD) with his best friend Abu Bakr (R.A).

67. How did Allah protect the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr (R.A) when they migrated?
Ans. Allah instructed the spiders to weave a web and a pigeon to lay a nest at the mouth of cave Thaur where they were hiding. Allah also made any horsemen who tried to follow them fall and stumble.

68. How many battles did the Prophet ﷺ participate in?
Ans. 23 or 27, of which only 9 or 10 had actual confrontations. All of these battles were defensive wars. Casualties from both sides were minimal. He ﷺ always tried his hardest to avoid bloodshed.

69. Did the Prophet ﷺ get injured in any battle?
Ans. In the battle of Uhud the blow of a sword struck the blessed face of Rasoolullah ﷺ.
This caused two links of his helmet to sink into his mubaarak face and one tooth to splinter, causing a gap to appear between his blessed teeth.

70. How did the Prophet ﷺ retaliate to this injury?
Ans. He ﷺ did not seek revenge, or get angry. Rather he forgave them and asked Allah to forgive them too.

71. What is the treaty of Hudaybiyah?
Ans. In the year 6 a.h the Muslims and the Quraysh agreed a truce for 10 years. This time, enabled invitations to Islam tobe sent to the kings and super powers of the world at that time, including to Hiraql (Heraclius/ Hercules), the emperor of Rome.

72. After the conquest ofMakkah how did the Prophet ﷺ treat the enemies of Islam, the Quraysh and those who persecuted and tortured the Muslims in Makkah?
Ans. He showed them the mercy of Islam and forgave most of them. He did not take revenge nor did any other companion. He conquered Makkah (his home land from which he was driven out) without any battle or war.

73. Name some of the famous battles the Prophet ﷺ participated in?
Ans. Badr (2 a.h), Uhud (3 a.h), Ahzaab/Khandaq (5 a.h), Hunain (8 a.h) & the conquest of Makkah (8 a.h)

74. How many times did the Prophet ﷺ perform Hajj and Umra?
Ans. He performed 4 Umra (6, 7, 8 & 10 a.h) and 1 Hajj (10 a.h).

75. Name the 5 sincere assistants of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. Anas ibn Malik (daily errands), Abdullah ibn Masood (slippers & miswak), Uqbah ibn Aamir (mule),
As la’ ibn Shareek (camel) & Ayman ibn Ubaid (Ablution/washroom requirements).

76. Describe the illness of the Prophet ﷺ after which he passed away.
Ans. On Wednesday, 28th Safar 11 A.H. Nabi ﷺ experienced a severe headache and thereafter developed a strong fever, which lasted for thirteen days.

77. When did the Prophet ﷺ pass away.
Ans.On Monday the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal 11 a.h (6th June 632 AD) after the Zuhr Salaah whilst resting on the bed in the room of his wife Aaisha (r.a). He was 63 years old. This was the saddest day for the sahaba and in the history of Islam for all the Muslims.

78. Where was the Prophet ﷺ buried?
Ans. In the room of his wife Aaisha (r.a), in Madinah Munawwarah, Arabia. Just outside Masjid al Nabawi. Next to him are buried his 2 best friends, Abu Bakr and Umar (r.a.d) and a 4th space reserved for Isa (a.s) after he returns to this world and passes away.

79. What was the inheritance of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. The Quran & Sunnah

80. What did the Prophet ﷺ describe as the coolness of his eyes.
Ans. Salaah, which he loved, enjoyed and stood in individual optional prayers for hours on end during the day and more so during the night.

81. Describe the physical features of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. Rasulullah ﷺ was not very tall nor was he short. Nabi ﷺ was of a moderate height. His blessed head was proportionately large and his beard was thick. There were very few (25-27) strands of white hair on his blessed head and beard. The Prophet’s ﷺ face was extremely handsome and bright, described to be brighter than the 14th full moon. The skin of Nabi ﷺ was softer than silk and the scent that emanated from his body was more fragrant than musk and ambar. His eyes were extremely beautiful and wide, with very dark black pupils and reddish streaks within. He had black hair and broad shoulders.

82. What was the seal of Prophethood?
Ans. It was a raised piece of flesh on the back of the Prophet ﷺ in between the shoulder blades, closer to the right side. This was a sign indicated in previous scriptures as a proof that he is the last messenger. Many monks and Rabbis accepted Islam after reading about this in their scriptures and witnessing it with their own eyes.

83. Name some miracles of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans.
1) The Quran,
2) the splitting of the moon,
3) water gushing from his noble fingers,
4) animals he tendered giving more milk,
5) clouds shading him as he walked,
6) dust covering the eyes of the enemy,
7) his perspiration smelling sweet,
8) stones and trees making salaam to him,
9) the crying of the date trunk,
10) moving of trees,
11) dried up wells becoming full of water,
12) bitter well water becoming sweet,
13) foretelling future events that all came true ………. and countless more

84. What was the greatest miracle of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. The Holy Quran

85. How old was the Prophet ﷺ when he passed away?
Ans. 63 years old.

86. How many years did the
Prophet ﷺ live in Makkah and
Madinah for?
Ans. He lived in Makkah for 53 years and in Madinah for 10
years

87. Describe the wealth and charitable status of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. Although being the most beloved to Allah, Rasoolullah ﷺ lived a life of poverty. Many months would pass and he and his family would not have any cooked food. But still he was the most generous person who ever lived. He never said no to any begger, even if it meant he had to take a loan to give charity to the poor and needy. He ﷺ lived a very modest, simple and humble life

88. Who were the 4 khalifahs after the Prophet ﷺ passed away?
Ans. Abu Bakr (R.A), (2 years) Umar (R.A), (10.5 years) Uthman (R.A), (12 years) and Ali (R.A) (5 years) (Al-Hasan was the 5th)(half year)

89. Who did the Prophet ﷺ appoint as the 1st Muatthin?
Ans. Bilal ibn Rabaah (rad), a black Ethiopian former slave

90. Who were the Asharah Mubasharah (whom the Prophet ﷺ guaranteed paradise)?
Ans.
1) Abu Bakr As-Siddiq,
2) Umar bin Al-Khattab,
3) Uthman ibn Affan,
4) Ali ibn Abi Talib,
5) Talha ibn Ubayd-Ullah,
6) Zubayr ibn al-Awwam,
7) Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf,
8) Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas,
9) Abu-Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah,
10) Said ibn Zayd
May Allah be pleased with them

91. Describe some qualities of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans.
a. He was extremely charitable and generous.
b. He was soft spoken.
c. He never rebuked anyone, even his wives or slaves.
d. He smiled often.
e. He never hit anyone or even any animal.
f. He had the best of character. g. He never sought revenge for himself.
h. He loved and kissed his children.
i. He was the noblest husband and bravest warrior.
j. He treated everyone equally with kindness and compassion.
k. He is described by Allah as Rahmatul lil Aalameen (a mercy for all the universes)

92. What sport did the Prophet ﷺ learn when he went to visiting his father’s grave?
Ans. Swimming

93. What other sports did the Prophet ﷺ practice?
Ans. Horse riding, Archery, Running, Horse Racing (non gambling)

94 What nasheed did the children sing when the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah?
Ans. Tala al badru alaynaa (The moon shone over us….)

95. When did the Prophet ﷺ deliver his final public sermon?
Ans. On the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah 10 ah (632 A.D), during the Hajj in the valley of Arafah

96. What were the key themes in the Prophet ﷺ final sermon?
Ans
a) Trust and Accountability
b) Financial obligations
c) Interest (ribaa is haraam)
d) Treatment of wife (spouse)
e) Warning about satan
f) Brotherhood
g) Superiority is only in piety and
submission
h) We must obey both Allah and his messenger ﷺ
i) Observe the pillars of Islam
j) Responsibilities regarding those working under us
k) Muhammad ﷺ is the last
Prophet & Islam the final religion
l) Our duty is to spread the message of Islam

97. What food did the Prophet ﷺ like?
Ans. Dates, honey, barley, milk, olives, olive oil, vegetables

98. Describe the social conduct of the Prophet ﷺ?
Ans. The Prophet ﷺ was very approachable and always greeted people with peace and gave them a warm welcome. He was humorous with his companions and cared for his neighbours. He would ensure others were never hurt by his behavior, conduct or speech. When he would speak all the audience would feel included. He spent a lot of time with his family and children. He gave a listening ear to the elders and the women too and played with the children. The Prophet ﷺ never discriminated against anyone and condemned racism.

99. Did the Prophet ﷺ carry out any chores?
Ans. The Prophet ﷺ would help his wives with household chores. He would clean and mend his own clothes. He would collect firewood for his aunties.