Prophet+Muhammad(B)

**The Prophet Muhammad **


The Prophet Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca (in Arabia) in 570 a.d. The people of Mecca worshiped idols, which was not something that Muhammad approved of in his later life. He was 40 when he had a vision in a cave, while he was meditating, in which an angel proclaimed him "messenger of God" and gave a him a message to convey to the people of Mecca. The message was that there will be only one God on the Last Day, and all people will be raised from the dead so they can be assigned to heaven or hell. His revelations and teachings were accumulated in the Qur'an. Muhammad preached to the Meccans and obtained followers who are now called Muslims. Most of the wealthy Meccans did not like Muhammad's teachings because they criticized their attitudes and politics.

Muhammad's clan leader did not accept his religion but did not disown him because it would be considered disgraceful. Later when that leader died, the new leader did not guarantee Muhammad's or his followers safety. Consequently, he and his followers moved to Yathrib (later changed to Medina because of the move there) where they accepted and swore to protect them. When he emigrated there, September 24, 622 a.d., marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Muhammad and his followers engaged in war against Mecca. Many battles were fought, but it was a struggle on both sides. Finally, Muhammad marched over 10,000 men on Mecca. Most of the Meccans then accepted Islam, and it was widely spread through Arabia. Muhammad is known as the founder of Islam and the great prophet of Allah.

Works Cited
 * “File:Muhammad 3.jpg.” WIkimedia Commons. WIkimedia Foundation, 19 Sept. 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2010. .
 * “Muhammad.” The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1996. 152-154. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 18 Mar. 2010.
 * “Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah.” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. Ed. John Bowker. N.p.: Oxford UP, 2000. N. pag. Oxford Reference Online. Web. 8 Mar. 2010.