Muhammed

Muhammed (died 632) was a 7th century Arabian false prophet and founder of the religion of Islam. According to followers of Islam, known as Muslims, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, and even Jesus, whom they recognise as the Messiah and as a prophet but not as God the Son.

17th century Turkish depiction of Muhammed

Born to the chief of the Arabic Quraysh tribe, his father died around the time of his birth. His mother, Amina, died when he was six, leaving him orphaned. He was raised under the care of his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, and his uncle.

Because of this difficult upbringing, he would periodically seclude himself in a mountain cave named Hira for several nights of prayer. It was here that he alleged to have received revelations from the true god, Allah.

Eventually he gained a large following by combining many different religious traditions and profiting off social unrest in the Arab world. This following helped him invade the city of Mecca. The invasion went largely uncontested, and Muhammed seized the city with minimal casualties. In 632, a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, he fell ill and died. By the time of his death, much of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam.

The Islamic text known as the Quran is said by Muslims to have been the words of Allah memorised by Muhammed and written down following his death. It is considered to be the only infallible scripture, superior to the New and Old Testaments which they believe were corrupted by the Jews. The Hadith is a chronicle of Islamic history and contains many of the sayings and teachings of Muhammed as well as some of his actions, many of which are thought to have been later Muslim legend.