Sirat an-Nabee

Prophet Muhammad, صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ,  lived for approximately 62 to 63 solar years (63 lunar/Hijri years).

• Born: c. 570 CE (Year of the Elephant) in Mecca, Arabia.

• Died: June 8, 632 CE (12 Rabi' al-Awwal, 11 AH) in Medina, Arabia.

Key Milestones

• Age 0–40 (570–610 CE): Raised in Mecca; worked as a merchant; married Khadijah bint Khuwaylid at age 25.

• Age 40 (610 CE): Received the first revelation of the Qur'an in the cave of Hira.

• Age 52 (622 CE): Migrated from Mecca to Medina (The Hijrah), marking the start of the Islamic calendar (1 AH).

• Age 63 (632 CE): Passed away in Medina after delivering the Farewell Sermon during his final pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada').

Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum

Al-Sira Al-Nabawwiyyah (Ibn Kathir)

Sirat Un-Nabi)

Here is the approximate timeline in years (both CE and AH) for the first three generations of Islam:

1. Sahabah (The Companions)

• Timeline: 0 AH – 100/110 AH (c. 610 CE – 710 CE)

• Duration: Spans roughly 100 years, beginning with the start of the Prophet Muhammad's revelation in 610 CE and concluding with the death of the last surviving Companion, Abu al-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathilah al-Laythi, around 710 CE (100–110 AH).

2. Tabi'un (The Successors)

• Timeline: 30 AH – 180 AH (650 CE – 795 CE )

• Duration: Spans roughly 145 years. While the earliest Tabi'un emerged around the mid-7th century as younger followers studied under senior Companions, the era concluded with the death of the last major figures who had met a Companion, such as Khalaf ibn Khulayd around 795 CE (180 AH).

3. Tabi' al-Tabi'in (The Successors of the Successors)

• Timeline: 100 AH – 220 AH (720 CE – 835 CE)

• Duration: Spans roughly 115 years. This era began as students began studying directly under the Tabi'un and closed around the early-to-mid 9th century, marking the end of the foundational three generations.

(Note: These date ranges naturally overlap because older members of a subsequent generation lived alongside younger members of the preceding generation.) 

The generation following the Tabi' al-Tabi'in is most commonly referred to by hadith scholars and historians as Atba' Tabi' al-Tabi'in (Arabic: أتباع تابعي التابعين), which translates to the "Followers of the Successors of the Successors."

In broader historical and biographical context, scholars also use two other key terms for this era:

• Kibar al-A'immah (The Senior Imams): Used in biographical works (ilm al-rijal) to refer to the major foundational scholars and compilers of this period, which included figures like Imam Al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Imam Yahya ibn Ma'in.

• Asr al-Tadwin (The Era of Compilation/Codification): Referring to the historical era (roughly 800–900 CE / 190–280 AH) rather than the generation itself, as this was the golden age when the major hadith collections—including the Kutub al-Sittah—were compiled and systematically organized.

While the Tabi' al-Tabi'in represents the final layer of the foundational three generations explicitly mentioned in the famous prophetic narration ("The best of people are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them"), Atba' Tabi' al-Tabi'in designates the fourth generation that preserved and organized that legacy.