Mohammed

The Birth of Islam: The Third Monotheistic Religion
MOHAMMED, known as the Prophet of Islam, was born in Mecca on the 20th of April 570AD. The main job of his tribe was trade. The Islamic Prophet led a simple and poor life. His house, built of mud walls and leaves for a roof, was often dark because his family could not afford lamp oil. At times he did not even have the flour to make bread. Mohammed's parents died when he was young and he was raised by his uncle.
Mohammed was illiterate (could not read) but from an early age he showed an ability for concentration; he was able to focus on things. He was a serious child and never took part in pranks or games. When he grew up he earned a great reputation for his honesty. He always fulfilled his promises. He was extremely trustworthy.
One day, Mohammed went with his uncle to Israel on business. On the journey he met a Christian monk, who immediately recognized in the young boy a future prophet. When Mohammed was twenty-five years old he married Khadija, a rich widow of Mecca, she was forty.
THE BIRTH OF ISLAM
Mohammed frequently went to a cave in the desert three miles from Mecca, where he would spend months in prayer and meditation. One morning, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and said: "Rise, for thou art the Prophet of God. Go forth and preach in the name of thy Lord. Your God is merciful."
Then Mohammed heard a voice - the voice of the Lord. Mohammed wrote down what the voice said and this became the Koran, the holy book of Islam. The Koran is different from the bible because the bible was written by people, Muslims believe that the Koran was written by God through Mohammed.
When he told his wife of the vision he had, she said, "You never tell a lie. Therefore, you may follow the voice." Khadija was the first follower of Islam.
Mohammed delivered public speeches on his faith to a large number of people, claiming there was only one God and denouncing the evil of drunkenness and greedy actions. Though some turned away, others were converted by the power of his words.
Once, when he proclaimed that there was only one God to a group of Polytheistic worshippers they attacked him and he had to be saved by his followers. He was abused and insulted often in public.

THE SPREAD OF ISLAM
Mohammed fled from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. when he learned that a tribe there was planning to kill him. The Muslim calendar begins on the day of this flight, known as the Hijra. The people of Medina accepted Mohammed's faith easily because it was plain, simple and direct. With their help and with an army of men the Prophet later returned to Mecca, where he conquered the city and succeeded in converting his relatives and the rest of the citizens. He then sent disciples to other parts of Arabia in order to convert the entire peninsula to the new faith.
Today, Mecca is the most important city in Islam, and Medina is second.
COMPASSION IN ACTION
Mohammed served the widows and orphans, the poor, sick, old and homeless. He was humble and simple. Although he was a Prophet with a large following he worked along with others like an ordinary worker during the construction of the first mosque at Medina.