The Origins Of Mahomet
Mohamet, or “Abu l-Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hashimi al-Qurashi”, transliterated simply to Mohammed, Muhammed, or just Muhammad. Muhammad was the last in a long line of prophets according to the Islam religion, and the greatest of all of them. He is also regarded by the Muslims as the messenger and prophet of God, being the central human figure in all of the Islamic religion. According to the Bahá’í Faith, he is also a manifestation of God. Muhammad was also active in life as a diplomat, philosopher, scholar, merchant, orator, legislator, general and reformer. The best source of information in relation to Muhammad is the Qur’an. The second best sources of information coming from the historical writers in the third and fourth centuries B.C. during the Muslim era. Most of the sources regarding when he was born agree that he was born around 570 CE, in the city of Mecca in Arabia. At a very young age, he was orphaned and raised mostly by his uncle. Afterwards, he was sent off to work under a merchant.
He was married by the time he was twenty-six, however, eventually he grew tired and unsatisfied with life in Mecca. Because of his discontent he retreated into a cave, to meditate and reflect on his previous life up until that point. According to the Islamic legends and traditions, it was at this time that Muhammad experienced his “First Revelation” from God. Afterwards he emerged from the cave and began preaching to others that ‘God is One…. Complete surrender to God is the only way to Him,’ etc. For three years he told the story of his first revelation, gaining only a few followers at first. When trying to convince others that he was a prophet of God, he was usually met with hostility. To escape persecution and possible martyrdom, he and his followers migrated to Medina. this event is known as the Hjira, and it marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Muhammad united many conflicting tribes there, and after gaining nearly ten thousand followers, he conquered Medina.