Muhammad
Muhammad was born in the city of Makkah(Mecca) around 570CE at the time of his birth the city was an important town on a trade route. This meant a lot in the life of Muhammad because it meant he was exposed to many different cultures and religions. It also meant that like many of the people in Makkah his family was a merchant family. By the time Muhammad was born his father had died and before the age of 7 his mother had died. This meant the Muhammad spent the early part of his life with his grandfather and later his uncle. Muhammad even spent his first few years with nomads. When Muhammad began living with his uncle he learned to be a trader and began traveling to distant locations. In his time as a trader he met his wife Khadijah who was also a trader. Prophet-hood While praying on Mt. Hira in a cave Muhammad was startled by the appearance of the angel Gabriel. Gabriel instructed Muhammad to recite his belief in one god. After this experience Muhammad was unsure if he believed that what had happened was real. But after another visit from Gabriel and talking with his wife he began his role as a prophet. At first he shared his new beliefs with just friends family but after some time more of his followers grew. Challenges in Makkah Because it was a caravan city along a trade route Makkah grew wealthy from trade. Many people also stopped at Makkah for the Ka'ba, a shrine originally built by Abraham. However in Muhammad's time the Ka'ba had become a shrine to the many tribal gods. Many of the people of Makkah were worried that if Islam took hold people would stop coming to the Ka'ba, hurting the economy of Makkah. They also did not like the insistence that the wealthy share their wealth with the needy. Many people rejected the teachings of Muhammad and boycotted his family's business. Madinah Muhammad eventually reached a place where his life was in danger, after the death of his clan's protector it became clear that he needed to leave Makkah. His opportunity came when some Arabs from a city north of Makkah asked him to come to their city to help make peace. He did so and relocated to the city which became known as Madinah, the city of the prophet. The trouble with the Makkans did not end once he left and after many battles Muhammad and his supporters were able to defeat them making it safe for them to travel to the city every year. |