Many of us think that “Islam was started by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).” But to be honest, this is a misconception. Islam was not founded by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but he is one of the last prophets sent by Allah.
Is Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) the Founder of Islam?
Islam did not begin with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but with the first human being – Adam (peace be upon him). That is, Islam has existed since the first day of mankind.
What is Islam?
The word “Islam” comes from the Arabic language. Its meaning is – “Surrender to Allah, follow His commands, and live in peace.”
That is, Islam is a way of life that teaches man to be at peace with Allah, himself, and society. Islam is not just a religion, but a way of life given by Allah.
Islam began with Adam (peace be upon him)
In the Quran, Allah says:
“Indeed, We created Adam.”
(Quran – Surah Al-Hijr 15:28)
Allah created Adam (peace be upon him) as the first human being and the first Prophet. He was the one who taught his children to worship Allah.
Therefore, Islam did not begin with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but with Adam (peace be upon him).
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself said:
“The example of me and the Prophets before me is — A man built a beautiful building, but left out a single brick in one corner. People say — ‘If only this brick had been put in, the building would have been complete!’ That last brick is me.”
(Hadith: Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 3535)
This makes it clear that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not the founder of a new religion, but the final messenger of all the previous prophets.
All the prophets conveyed the same message
Allah sent many prophets at different times, to different communities
—such as Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and finally Muhammad (peace be upon him).
But all these prophets did not come with different religions. They all conveyed the same message — “There is only one Allah. Worship Him.”
The Quran says:
“And We sent to every nation a messenger, giving them one message — ‘Worship Allah and avoid false gods.’”
(Quran – Surah An-Nahl 16:36)
That is, the Prophets Jesus (PBUH), Moses (PBUH), Abraham (PBUH) and Muhammad (peace be upon him) — all were representatives of the same religion — Islam.
The word “Islam” is not exclusive to Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Many people think that the word “Islam” was coined by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). But the Quran also uses the word “Islam” for previous prophets.
For example, the Quran says about Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham):
“When his Lord said — ‘Submit!’ He said — ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.’”
(Quran – Surah Al-Baqarah 2:131)
And it goes on to say:
“And Ibrahim said to his sons and Jacob — ‘Allah has chosen for you this religion (Islam)’.”
(Quran – Surah Al-Baqarah 2:132)
This makes it clear that the word “Islam” was also used in earlier times. That is, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the reviver of that religion, not the founder.
Why did the misunderstanding arise?
Many Western historians or people outside Islam when they studied the history of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), they thought that — “Just as Buddhism was started by Gautam Buddha, so Islam must have started by Muhammad (peace be upon him).”
But Islam has a different view. In Islam, a prophet is not the creator of a religion, but the Messenger of God.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself said:
“Many messengers have come before me. I am the last of them, and there will be no messenger after me.”
(Hadith: Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 23408)
This means — Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last messenger in the chain of messages of Allah, who came to complete the messages of all the previous messengers.
One religion – one message
The Quran says:
“Religion with Allah is only Islam.”
(Quran – Surah Al-Imran 3:19)
And in another place it is said:
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him.”
(Quran – Surah Al-Imran 3:85)
This does not mean that previous Prophet's teaching were wrong, (now their teachings are not available in original form) but rather that all the prophets preached the same basic message — “There is only one Allah.”
Muhammad (peace be upon him) conveyed this message again clearly to the people.
Muhammad (peace be upon him)– The Last Prophet
The Quran says about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
“Muhammad is not the father of any of you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Last of the Messengers.”
(Quran – Surah Al-Ahzab 33:40)
That is, Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last Messenger. No new Messenger, new religion or new message will come after him.
The Islam they preached is the final and complete form of the path preached by all the prophets — Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus (peace be upon them)
One Allah, One Religion for Humanity
In the eyes of Islam, humanity is one. Allah created all humans from a single pair — Adam and Eve (peace be upon them).
The Quran says:
“O mankind! We created you from a single male and a female, and made you into tribes and nations, that you may know one another. The most honorable in the sight of Allah is the most righteous.”
(Quran – Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13)
That is, Islam considers all humans to be part of one family. There is no superiority or inferiority among them — the difference is only in virtue and goodness.
Revival of Islam – The Role of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Over time, people forgot the true message of Allah, added false gods to it, changed religious books. Then Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) — who re-established the original religion of Islam before the people. He said:
“My example and that of the Messengers before me is like the last brick in the wall of a house.”
He completed Islam, he did not create a new religion. An important verse in the Quran states:
“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”
(Quran – Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:3)
This verse shows that Allah completed the religion – through Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Conclusion
Islam is not a religion that was established by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Rather, Islam began with the first human being, Adam (peace be upon him).
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last messenger and the final guide of that religion.
All the messengers conveyed the same message — “There is only one Allah. Worship Him.”
Islam is the religion given by Allah to mankind for all times, for all societies, and for all people. It is not limited to any caste or religion.
Muhammad ﷺ did not create a new religion, but gave the final and complete form of Allah's message to the world.
Key Points (Short Recap)
The founder of Islam is not Muhammad (peace be upon him), but it has been going on since Adam.
The meaning of Islam is to surrender to Allah and live in peace.
All the prophets gave the same message – “There is only one Allah.”
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last prophet (Quran 33:40).
According to Quran 5:3, Islam was completed during the time of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Islam is the original religion of all mankind.
References
Qur'an – Surah Al-Hijr 15:28
Qur'an – Surah An-Nahl 16:36
Qur'an – Surah Al-Baqarah 2:131-132
Qur'an – Surah Al-Imran 3:19, 3:85
Qur'an – Surah Al-Ahzab 33:40
Qur'an – Surah Al-Maida 5:3
Qur'an – Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13
Hadith – Sahih Bukhari (Hadith No. 3535)
Hadith – Musnad Ahmad (Hadith No. 23408)
Recommended Books to Deepen Your Understanding
Here are a few authentic and inspiring books you can read for free (PDF format):
The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq AI-Makhturn) Download pdf
Concept of Prophethood in Different Religions Download pdf
The Scientific Truths of The Quran Download pdf
The Noble Quran English Translation Download pdf
Each book offers a new window into the compassion, justice, and humanity of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh.
Tags: Islamic history, Prophet Muhammad, Adam the first man, Islam explained, Islamic belief, Quran teachings, Hadith quotes, truth about Islam, Dawa education, religion of peace, Islam for all humanity, Islamic knowledge
No comments: