Muhammad in the Qur’an

The Prophet Muhammad is considered the first commentator on the Qur’an and the exemplar whose actions teach Muslims how live and act in accordance with the Qur’an. Whereas the Qur’an provides accounts of the trials that previous messengers such as Moses and Abraham faced before their prophetic missions began, there are only a few allusions to the life of the Prophet Muhammad before the onset of his prophetic mission. The function of Muhammad as a messenger of god, a spiritual guide, and a temporal leader unfolds gradually through the process of the Qur’anic revelation. Some of the earliest revelations reflect Muhammad’s hesitancy and even doubt regarding his prophetic mission, others allude to god steeling the Prophet for his mission, and others to God amending the prophet’s behavior. Verses from the Meccan period also allude to the Prophet’s developing relationship with the Qur’anic revelation, gradually becoming more accustomed to the manner in which he should receive it and work with it.