1. Word ListTimeline Abu’l-Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, of the clan of Hashim, of the tribe of Quraysh a.k.a. “al-Amin” (the trustworthy) AminaAbu TalibKhadija Mt. Hira’ c. 570 Birth of Muhammad

2. Word ListTimeline hanifs Qur’an/Koran ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib Zayd ibn Haritha Abu Bakr ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab 610 Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power, 27th Ramadan) 611 Muhammad starts preaching in Mecca.

3. Qur’an 96: 1-5: 1. Read in the name of thy Lord who created. 2. Created man from a blood-clot. 3. Read, for thy Lord is the Most Generous, 4. Who taught by the pen, 5. Taught man that which he knew not.

4. Meccan Objections to Muhammad 1. Muslim community as threat to tribal solidarity 2. Allah as challenge to Ka‘ba and idols. Threatening prosperity of Mecca 3. Fear for fate of dead relatives 4. Muhammad’s prophet-hood as threat to position of tribal leaders incl. Abu Lahab

5. Timeline 615 Some Muslims emigrate to Abyssinia (Axum/Ethiopia). 619 Deaths of Abu Talib and Khadija. Abu Lahab head of Hashim. Muhammad rebuffed by Ta’if and Bedouin. 620 Muhammad approached by representatives from Yathrib.

6. Word ListTimeline ‘Aws vs. Khazraj Banu Qurayza Banu’l-Nadir Banu Qaynuqa‘ 622 Muhammad makes agreement with Yathribis. 16/7/622 Start of hijra and Muslim calendar 24/9/622 Muhammad arrives in Yathrib.

7. Word List al-Madina (the city/Medina) Madinat al-Nabi (the city of the Prophet) muhajirun (migrants)ansar (helpers)