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Life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
This timeline follows the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from his birth in Makkah to his death in Madinah, in eighteen periods. Each event is tied to the Quran or to a numbered hadith so that you can check it yourself. Where scholars differ on a date or detail, we say so.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026
Periods of his life (18)
- Lineage and Birthabout 570 CE (53 years before the Hijrah)Muhammad ﷺ was born in Makkah into the noble clan of Banu Hashim of Quraysh, a descendant of the Prophet Ismail, in the Year of the Elephant.
- Childhood and Orphanhoodabout 570–583 CEOrphaned at a young age, he was raised among Banu Sa'd in the desert, then under the care of his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib and his uncle Abu Talib.
- Youth and Workabout 583–595 CEHe worked as a shepherd and then as a trader, and became known among Quraysh as al-Amin, the trustworthy.
- Marriage to Khadijahabout 595–610 CEHis marriage to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid began a loving family life and a partnership that supported him in the first years of prophethood.
- The First Revelation and the Early Call610–about 613 CEAt the age of forty he received the first revelation in the cave of Hira, followed by a quiet call to Islam and then the open proclamation.
- Persecution and the Migration to Abyssiniaabout 613–616 CEAs the call spread, Quraysh tortured the weak believers and harassed the Prophet ﷺ, and some Muslims sought refuge with the just king of Abyssinia.
- The Boycott, the Year of Sorrow and Ta'ifabout 616–620 CEQuraysh boycotted his clan for about three years, then the Prophet ﷺ lost Abu Talib and Khadijah, and the people of Ta'if rejected him.
- The Night Journey and the Ascensionabout 620–621 CE (scholars differ on the date)In one night the Prophet ﷺ was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and then up through the heavens, where the five daily prayers were prescribed.
- The Pledges of al-Aqabah and the Hijrah620–622 CE (1 AH)Islam reached the people of Yathrib through two pledges at al-Aqabah, and the Prophet ﷺ then migrated to the city that became known as al-Madinah.
- The First Years in Madinah1–2 AH (622–624 CE)In Madinah he built the mosque, united the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and set up the first institutions of the Muslim community.
- Badr and Uhud2–3 AH (624–625 CE)The Muslims won a decisive victory at Badr, then faced a hard trial at Uhud when part of the army left its post.
- The Trench, Banu Qurayza and the Slander5–6 AH (627–628 CE)Madinah withstood a siege by a large coalition, and the Muslim community endured a heavy personal trial.
- Hudaybiyyah, the Letters to the Kings and Khaybar6–8 AH (628–629 CE)A peace treaty opened the way for Islam to spread, and the Prophet ﷺ wrote to the rulers of the region.
- The Conquest of Makkah, Hunayn and Ta'if8 AH (630 CE)The Prophet ﷺ returned to Makkah with a large army and entered it in peace, cleansing the Kaaba of idols.
- Tabuk and the Year of Delegations9 AH (630–631 CE)After the conquest, delegations from across Arabia came to Madinah, and the Prophet ﷺ led his last great expedition to Tabuk.
- The Farewell Pilgrimage10 AH (632 CE)In his only Hajj as Prophet, he delivered his great sermon at Arafah and the religion was declared complete.
- His Illness and DeathSafar–Rabi' al-Awwal 11 AH (632 CE)After a short illness, the Prophet ﷺ passed away in the house of Aisha, and Abu Bakr steadied the Muslims.
- His Character and Daily Lifeacross his whole lifeThe Quran and the companions describe a man of great character, mercy, humility, courage and generosity.
How the sources are used
Sources are chosen in this order: the Quran first, then the hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim, and then other collections such as al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Malik. The sirah books, mainly Ibn Ishaq as transmitted by Ibn Hisham, are used only for details not found in the hadith, and these are marked as “recorded in the sirah books.” Dates in the Christian era are approximate, and hadith numbers follow the hadith library of this website.
Hadith numbers follow the hadith library on this site, and each source opens its hadith there. Details that are not in the hadith collections are marked as coming from the sirah books.
General information for learning, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
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Common questions
When and where was Prophet Muhammad ﷺ born?
He was born in Makkah on a Monday, in the Year of the Elephant, around 570 CE (some say 571). When asked about fasting on Mondays he said: “On it I was born, and on it revelation was sent down to me” (Sahih Muslim 1162e). The day most often given is 12 Rabi' al-Awwal, though scholars differ and some give the 2nd, 8th or 9th.
How old was he at the first revelation, and how long did he live in Makkah and Madinah?
He was forty when the first revelation came. Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما said he was sent at forty, stayed thirteen years in Makkah, then migrated and lived ten years in Madinah, and died aged sixty-three (Sahih al-Bukhari 3902). Anas رضي الله عنه gave ten years in Makkah and a death age of sixty (Sahih Muslim 2347a), but most scholars prefer the first account.
How old was the Prophet ﷺ when he died?
Most scholars say he was sixty-three. Aisha رضي الله عنها reported that he died aged sixty-three (Sahih al-Bukhari 3536), and Mu'awiyah رضي الله عنه said the same in a sermon (Sahih Muslim 2352b), as did Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما (Sahih al-Bukhari 3902). He died on a Monday in Rabi' al-Awwal of 11 AH, about June 632 CE (Sahih al-Bukhari 1387).
Where is the Prophet ﷺ buried?
He is buried in Madinah, in the room of Aisha رضي الله عنها, where he died; the room is now beside and within the Prophet's Mosque. Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said he had heard the Prophet ﷺ say that Allah does not take a prophet except in the place where he would like to be buried (Jami at-Tirmidhi 1018). Aisha رضي الله عنها added that his grave would have been placed in the open had it not been feared that it would be taken as a mosque (Sahih Muslim 529). Abu Bakr and Umar رضي الله عنهما were later buried beside him, as historians record.
How many battles did the Prophet ﷺ take part in?
Zayd ibn Arqam رضي الله عنه said the Prophet ﷺ led nineteen expeditions (Sahih al-Bukhari 4404), and Buraydah رضي الله عنه said that he fought in eight of the nineteen (Sahih Muslim 1814a). Counts differ because scholars define a battle differently; many sirah scholars count nine in which fighting took place, including Badr, Uhud, the Trench, Khaybar, the conquest of Makkah, Hunayn and Ta'if. He also sent many other expeditions without leading them.
When does the Hijri calendar begin?
The Hijri calendar counts from the Hijrah, the Prophet's migration from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. Sahl ibn Sa'd رضي الله عنه said that the Muslims did not count from his mission or his death but from his arrival in Madinah (Sahih al-Bukhari 3934). Historians record that the calendar was formalised in the time of Umar رضي الله عنه, with the first of Muharram of the first year falling in mid-July 622 CE.