Top 10: Facts about the Prophet (pbuh)

This week our theme is the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). So for our top 10, we decided to write 10 facts about him. Tell us charachteristics and facts you know about the Prophet (pbuh) :)

1) He was born in the year 570 CE and was soon orphaned. But he was raised by his uncle Abu Talib.

2) He was illiterate. And therefore Islams greatest miracle is the Quran, because a person who could not read or write would never be able to write something as profound as the Quran.

3) Before he became a Prophet, people used to call him "Al Ameen; The Trustworthy." Unlike other boys his age, he never drank or took part in immoral activities. He was reffered to as the Truthful and Trustworthy.

4) He received his first Wahi (revelation from God) in the year 610. The angel Jibraeel (Gabriel) appeared to him in the cave of Hira telling him to Iqra (read).

5) The first person he converted was his first wife Khadijah (ra). After seeing his distress she asked him what was wrong. When she found out, she did not hesitate to accept Islam for she was intelligent and knew that Muhammad (pbuh) was honest.

6) The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) always used to help clean up around the house and never left housework only to women.

"He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was time for the prayer, he would go for the prayer.” (Hadith)

"Cleanliness is half of faith….” (Hadith)

He used to say: "cleanliness is piety"

7) The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to joke (without lying).

“I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good.” (Hadith)

8) The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was easy going and pleasant.

By the grace of Allah, you are gentle towards the people; if you had been stern and harsh-hearted, they would have dispersed from round about you. (Qur’an, 3:159)

“Make things easy for the people, and do not make it difficult for them, and make them calm (with glad tidings) and do not repulse (them).” (Hadith)

9) The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) cared for all living creatures.

The people asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?” He said, “(Yes) There is a reward for serving any living being.” (Hadith)

“If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being or an animal eats from it, he will be rewarded as if he had given that much in charity.” (Hadith)

10) He was very just and fair:

The Jews, in spite of their hostility to the Prophet (pbuh), were so impressed by his impartiallity and sense of justice that they used to bring their cases to him, and he decided them according to Jewish law. (Abu Dawud, Sunan Dawud)

In his fatal illness, the Prophet (pbuh) proclaimed in a concourse assembled at his house that if he owed anything to anyone the person concerned could claim it; if he had ever hurt anyone's person, honor or property, he could have his price while he was yet in this world. A hush fell on the crowd. One man came forward to claim a few dirhams which were paid at once. (Ibn Hisham, Sirat-ur-Rasul)

Tell us any facts you know of!