Muhammad

Muhammad was an Arab religious leader who founded Islam, one of the world's largest religions. He was born around 570 CE in the city of Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia. He died in 632 CE in the city of Medina. Muslims believe Muhammad was the final prophet sent by God, whom they call Allah. Today, more than 1.9 billion people follow the religion he taught. That is about one out of every four people on Earth.

Muhammad's early life was hard. His father died before he was born, and his mother died when he was six. He was raised by his grandfather and then his uncle. As a young man, he worked as a merchant, traveling with caravans across the Arabian desert. People in Mecca came to call him al-Amin, which means "the trustworthy one." When he was about 25, he married a successful businesswoman named Khadijah.

Muslims believe that when Muhammad was 40, the angel Gabriel began visiting him in a cave outside Mecca. The angel gave him messages from God. Muhammad recited these messages to his followers, who wrote them down. Together, the messages became the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The Quran teaches that there is only one God, that people should pray, give to the poor, and treat one another with kindness and justice.

Muhammad's teachings upset many people in Mecca. The city earned money from pilgrims who came to worship many different gods at a shrine called the Kaaba. Muhammad's message of one God threatened that business. In 622 CE, Muhammad and his followers fled to the city of Medina. This journey is called the Hijra. Muslims count their calendar from this year.

In Medina, Muhammad became both a religious leader and a political leader. He set up rules for how the community should live. After several years of conflict, he returned to Mecca peacefully in 630 CE. He cleared the Kaaba of its old idols and rededicated it to the worship of one God. By the time he died two years later, most of the Arabian Peninsula had accepted Islam.

Within a hundred years of his death, Islam had spread from Spain to India. Muslims today try to follow Muhammad's example in daily life, from how he prayed to how he treated strangers. They also show deep respect by adding the phrase "peace be upon him" after his name. Out of respect, most Muslim art does not show his face at all.