By: Jack, Cameron, and Scott

 Sometime between 570 A.D. – 580 A.D. Muhammad was born.  When he was 5 years old he was cared for by a woman in the desert.  His mother died soon after, and he was adopted by his grandfather and uncle.

 When he was no longer a child he tended to sheep for a wealthy widow.  When he was 25, Muhammad married the widow who was 40.  After 24 years, the widow died in 619.  They had 7 children, 3 boys and 4 girls.  All 3 boys died. Only 1 girl lived long enough to marry.

 During a retreat to a cave outside of Makkah, Muhhamad heard a voice tell him to recite.  The voice told him to “Recite-in the name of thy Lord! Who created man from blood coagulated. Recite! Thy Lord is wondrous kind. Who by the pen has taught mankind things they knew not (being blind).”  A wise man told him God had chosen him as a prophet.

 Gabriel told Muhammad that he must spread the word of the oneness of God.  Muhammad taught that there was one God.  Many of the prophets recognized by Muslims are the same as the Jewish and Christians.  It is believed that each prophet had a miracle.  Muhammad’s miracle was the Qur’an itself.

 To escape the wrath of God, the sinner must throw himself upon God’s mercy (submission) meaning “Islam”.  Whenever the name of a prophet is mentioned, Muslims say “May peace be upon him.”