Who was the Prophet Muhammad?

His early life

Muhammad ﷺ was born into the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. His father died before he was born and his mother when he was six, so he was raised by his grandfather and then his uncle Abu Talib. He worked as a shepherd and later as a trader, and he was so honest that people called him al-Amin, "the trustworthy". At 25 he married Khadijah, a respected businesswoman, and their marriage lasted happily until her death.

The first revelation and the message

Around 610 CE, while he was reflecting in the cave of Hira near Mecca, the angel Jibril brought him the first verses of the Quran. His message was the same as earlier prophets like Abraham, Moses and Jesus: worship the One God, be just, and care for the weak. Islam teaches that he was the last of them:

See Do Muslims believe in prophets after Muhammad?

Mecca, Medina and the final years

In Mecca, the early Muslims faced mockery, boycotts and violence. In 622 CE the Prophet ﷺ and his followers migrated to Medina (the Hijra, which starts the Islamic calendar). There he led a community, made treaties with neighbors including Jewish tribes, and faced several battles. In 630 CE he returned to Mecca peacefully and pardoned many former enemies. He performed his farewell pilgrimage in 632 and died shortly after in Medina, where he is buried.

What kind of man was he?

The Quran calls him a mercy to the worlds:

His wife Aisha said he used to help with the housework and serve his family, and when the time for prayer came he went out to pray (Sahih al-Bukhari 676). He mended his own clothes, played with children, wept when his son died, and lived simply. See Did the Prophet ever feel sad?