Islam was gradually revealed to humanity by a number of earlier
prophets, but the final and complete revelation of the faith was made
through the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the 7th century CE.
Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia in 570.
He was a deeply spiritual man, and often spent time in meditation on Mount Hira.
One night in 610 he was meditating in a cave on the mountain when he
was visited by the angel Jibreel who ordered him to "recite". After
some difficulty Muhammad (pbuh) found that he was reciting words which
he came to understand were the words of God.
During the rest of his life Muhammad (pbuh) continued to receive these
revelations. The words were remembered and recorded, and form the text
of the Holy Qu'ran, the Muslim scripture.
Preaching
Realising that God had chosen him as his messenger Muhammad began to
preach what God had revealed to him.
The simple and clear-cut message of Islam, that there is no God but
Allah, and that life should be lived in complete submission to the
will of Allah, was attractive to many people, and they flocked to hear
it.
The Hijrah
Muhammad's (pbuh) popularity was seen as threatening by the people in
power in Mecca, and Muhammad (pbuh) took his followers on a journey
from Mecca to Medina in 622.
This journey is called the Hijrah (migration) and the event was seen
as so important for Islam that 622 is the year in which the Islamic
calendar begins.
The Return to Mecca
7 years late Muhammad (pbuh) had gained so many followers that he was
able to return to Mecca and conquer it.
From this time on he was generally accepted as the true final Prophet
of God (pbuh).
Muhammad continued to lead his community both spiritually and in
earthly matters until his death in 632.
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