Timeline of Muhammad’s life

Birth of Muhammad 54BH • 570AD

First Marriage 29BH . 594 AD

Muhammad marries Khadīja Bint Khūwaylid.

First Revelation 13 • 610

Muhammad tells his wife, Khadīja, that he received the revelation of the first sūra of the

Qur’ān (Q 96).

Death of Khadīja Bint Khūwaylid 3 • 619

Muhammad’s first wife and financial supporter dies. Until her death, Muhammad takes no other wives.

Death of Abī Tālib 3 • 619

Muhammad’s uncle dies, leaving Muhammad without protection and provision.

Engagement to ‘Ā’isha 3 • 619

Muhammad becomes engaged to ‘Ā’isha, the six-year-old daughter of Abū Bakr.

Hijra (Hegira) 1AH • 622AD

The Muslims migrate to Yathrib (Medina). The date of this migration, known as the Hijra, eventually marks the beginning of the Islāmic calendar, established in the time of

‘Umar Ibn al-Khattāb.

Marriage to ‘Ā’isha1 • 622

Muhammad marries ‘Ā’isha, daughter of Abū Bakr, when she is nine years old.

First Muslim Expedition 2 • 623

‘Abd Allah Ibn Jahsh leads a company that raids a commercial caravan of the Quraysh during an Arab holy month. Such action was prohibited by the Arabs.

Battle of Badr 2 • 624

The Muslims attack a Quraysh commercial caravan, an incident that leads to the Battle of Badr, during the month of Ramadan.

Raid of Banū Qaynuqā‘ 2 • 624

The Muslims forced out the Jewish tribe Banū Qaynuqā‘ and seized their lands.

Battle of Uhud 3 • 625

The Quraysh army avenges the Battle of Badr by soundly defeating the Muslims in the

Raid of Banū al-Nadīr 4 • 626

The Muslims force out the Jewish tribe of Banū al-Nadīr and seize their lands.

Raid of Banū al-Mustaliq 5 • 627

The Muslims seize exorbitant spoils from Banū al-Mustaliq (or the Raid of al-Muraysī‘).

Battle of the Trench 5 • 627

The Quraysh army besieges Medina and withdraws after several skirmishes. Muslims

also call this incident the Raid of Khandaq.

Raid of Banū Qurayza 5 • 627

The Muslims attack the Jewish tribe of Banū Qurayza. After the tribe surrenders, the Muslims behead 900 men and enslave the women and children.

Marriage to Zaynab 5 • 627

Muhammad reveals a Qur’ānic verse condoning his marriage to Zaynab, after she

was divorced by Muhammad’s adopted son. At that time, this ruling was contrary to the

Arabs’ ethics, which prohibited such actions.

Treaty of Hudaybīya 6 • 628

Muhammad signs this treaty with the Quraysh. This peace treaty is intended to last

for ten years, but Muhammad breaks it within two years.

Raid of Khaybar 7 • 629

The Muslims attack the Jewish tribe of Khaybar, beheading 93 men and deporting its people.

Surrender of Mecca 8 • 630

The people of Mecca surrender to the Muslims without a fight.

Death of Muhammad 11 • 632

First Caliph 11 • 632

Abū Bakr, Muhammad’s close friend and father of ‘Ā’isha, becomes the first caliph, marking the beginning of the “four caliphs” reign.

Battle of Yamāma 11 • 632

Khālid Ibn al-Walīd leads the Muslim armies against Banū Hanīfa and kills the selfproclaimed prophet, Musaylima Ibn Habīb.

First Compilation 12 • 633

First compilation of the Qur’ān is completed around this date, during the caliphate of Abū Bakr.

Second Caliph 13 • 634

‘Umar Ibn al-Khattāb, father of Hafsa (a wife of Muhammad), becomes the second caliph after Abu Bakr’s death.

Battle of Yarmūk 13 • 634

The Muslims defeat the Byzantine forces in Syria.

Burning of Codices (Masāhif ) 30 • 650

As disagreement grows over the content of the Qur’ān, ‘Uthmān forms a committee to unify it. Once the committee completes its work (second compilation), ‘Uthmān commands that all other masāhif be burned around this date.

Fourth Caliph 35 • 656

‘Alī Ibn Abī Tālib, Muhammad’s cousin and husband of his daughter Fātima, becomes the fourth caliph after the assassination of ‘Uthmān during escalating social tension among Muslims.

Schism of Sunnīs and Shiites 40 • 661

‘Alī is assassinated and political power transfers from Medina to Damascus, marking the beginning of division within the ranks of Muslims. This led to the later schism of Muslims to Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnīs hold ‘Alī as the Seal of the (four) Caliphs, whereas Shiites believe ‘Alī is the only rightful caliph.

Predominant Reader 90 • 709

Hafs Ibn Sulaymān al-Asadī (d. AH 180/ AD 796) becomes one of the seven sanctioned readers whose reading of the ‘Uthmānic codex becomes the most predominant.

Prominent Reader 110 • 728

Born ‘Uthmān Ibn Sa‘īd Ibn ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Sulaymān but better known as Warsh, this esteemed Egyptian Qur’ānic reader (d. AH 197/AD 812) eventually emigrated to Medina to develop and transmit the reading of his teacher Nāfi‘.

Early Important Commentator 224 • 839

Born nearly 200 years after Muhammad’s death, Muhammad Ibn Jarīr al-Tabarī (d. AD 923) becomes the earliest, most prominent exegete and commentator of the Qur’ān. Seven Readings 245 • 859

Ibn Mujāhid limits the readings of the Qur’ān to only seven and leads a campaign to abolish all other readings.

Preeminent Commentator 604 • 1208

Born nearly 600 years after Muhammad’s death, Abū ‘Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Al-Qurtubī (d. AD 1272), distinguished Islāmic scholar and writer, produces Tafsīr al-Qurtubī, a 20-volume work that introduces a new investigative approach to Qur’ānic commentary.

Numbering of Verses (first) 1250 • 1834

German Orientalist, Gustav Leberecht Flügel, adds the first verse-numbering system to the Qur’ān.

Warsh Reading Publication 1323 • 1905

Al-Tha‘labīya Press publishes the reading of Nāfi‘ as told by Warsh, a reading used primarily by Muslims living in western North Africa.

Numbering of Verses (Current) 1342 • 1925

Al-Azhar Islāmic University in Cairo modifies the verse-numbering system and publishes a printed copy of the Qur’ān based on the reading of Hafs.

Hafs Reading Publication 1342 • 1925

Al-Azhar Islāmic University in Cairo publishes the reading of ‘Āsim as told by Hafs., the reading used today by the majority of Muslims worldwide.