Islam - Muhammad

1. Muhammad was born in Mecca in AD 570.

2. He was the last prophet that Allah sent to the world.

3. His father died before he was born and his mother when he was six.

4. He was raised by his uncle and became, first a shepherd, and later a tradesman.

5. He earned a reputation for honesty, fairness and integrity and was known as the ‘trustworthy’.

6. At the age of twenty-five he married a wealthy Meccan widow called Khadija and had many children.

7. In his thirties Muhammad often visited a cave in Mount Hira, on the outskirts of Mecca, to meditate.

8. It was here that Muhammad was visited by an angel, Jibreel.

9. Jibreel brought messages to Muhammad from Allah, these were later recorded in the Muslim holy book, the Koran.

10. Muhammad realised he had been chosen as the messenger of Allah.

11. He started to teach the local community.

12. His teachings threatened the Meccan way of life so his followers were persecuted.

13. Many were whipped, stoned and beaten.

14. Muhammad and his followers left Mecca for Medina, which was then known as Yathrib.

15. They left all their wealth, livestock and homes behind, which were then claimed by the Meccans.

16. The year in which it occurred - AD 622 - is the date at which the Muslim calendar begins.

17. In Medina Muhammad proved himself to be a great politician and statesman as well as a prophet.

18. The people of Medina battled against the Meccans.

19. In AD 630 Muhammad had enough followers to march to Mecca and conquer it.

20. Mecca became the capital of Islam in the world.

21. The Muslims in Medina were worried that Muhammad would leave them and stay in his birthplace.

22. Muhammad, however, decided to return to Medina.

23. He became ill and, at the age of sixty-three, died.