B.+Muhammad



Muhammad was born in the year 570 in the town of Mecca in western Arabia. He was the only son of Abd Allah bin Al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. His father Abd died before Muhammad was born, so he was raised by his mother Amina. When Muhammad was five or six, he became an orphan after his mother suddenly died of an illness. In his early twenties, Muhammad entered the service of a wealthy Meccan merchant, a widow named Khadija bint Khawalayd who eventually became his wife though they were nearly 15 years apart in age. They bore six children, two sons who died in infancy and four daughters. (Encyclopedia of World Biography: Muhammad). Muhammad made long retreats to a mountain cave outside town where he fasted and meditated because he was disturbed by Mecca’s idols and materialistic ideals. One time Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabrielle and was told powerful revelations that forever changed his life. Eventually, he would tell these messages (which would later be compiled into Qur’an) to his tribe thus creating the religion of Islam.

Muhammad and his followers traveled to Yathrib (later named Medina) and created the first Muslim community and converted thousands into Muslims and used their military strength to conquer and convert the people of Mecca. Muhammad’s teachings and army converted most people of the Arabian Peninsula. On June 8, 632 AD Muhammad died of a brief illness and was buried in a mosque in Medina. Within a hundred years Muhammad's teaching and way of life would spread as far east as Indo-China and as far west as Morocco, France and Spain and eventually create Islam, the fastest growing religion to date. (PBS Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet 1).