Muhammad

Founded Islam and unified the Arabian Peninsula, reshaping the Old World.

Life

Orphan of Mecca

Muhammad was born into the Hashim clan of the Quraysh of Mecca. Orphaned young, he was raised by his grandfather and uncle; as an adult he became a merchant known for his honesty and married the wealthy merchant Khadija. At the time the Arabian Peninsula was divided among many tribes and polytheism was widespread, while Mecca, with the Kaaba and its trade routes, was a center of religion and commerce.

Revelation and migration

Around the age of forty he said he received revelation in the cave of Hira, and began preaching the one God and the Last Judgment, opposing idolatry and injustice among the tribes. Rejected by Mecca's elite, in 622 he led his followers to Medina and founded a community bound by faith; that year became Year 1 of the Islamic calendar. After several wars, he entered Mecca peacefully in 630.

Unification and legacy

By his death the Arabian Peninsula was largely unified. His words and deeds were collected as the Hadith and his revelations compiled as the Quran, forming the basis of Islamic law and faith. Within the following century, the Arab conquest carried the new religion across a vast region from Iberia to Central Asia, reshaping the cultural map of the Old World.

Legacy

Muhammad is revered by Muslims worldwide as the messenger of God and the last Prophet. The Islam he spread now has nearly two billion followers and is one of the world's three great religions. He united scattered Arab tribes into a community bound by faith, and his words and deeds became an important basis for Islamic law, ethics and social life. Non-Muslim scholars also widely acknowledge his profound influence as a religious leader and statesman, and the civilization he founded has deeply shaped world history.

Major works & achievements

• Spread Islam, preaching faith in the one God
• Migrated to Medina in 622 CE and founded the Muslim community
• Drew up the Constitution of Medina
• Entered Mecca peacefully in 630 CE and cleared the Kaaba of idols
• Unified most of the Arabian Peninsula

Did you know? The Islamic calendar takes 622 CE, the year of the migration to Medina, as its first year; it was formally established by the second caliph, Umar.

Key dates

• 570Born in Mecca
• 595Marries Khadija
• 610Says he received revelation in the Cave of Hira
• 613Begins preaching publicly
• 622Migration to Medina: the Hijra
• 624Victory at the Battle of Badr
• 628Signed the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
• 630Entered Mecca peacefully
• 632Died in Medina