In 570AD Muhammad was born in Mecca. When he was a child his mother took him to visit the place his father was buried. Muhammad's mother grew very sick and passed away during this journey. Muhammad became an orphan at the age most kids start kindergarten.
Without his parents Muhammad was placed with his paternal grandfather for a few years. He then lived with his Uncle in the place of his birth. He lived here until he was in his early twenties.
When Muhammad was in his early twenties he met his wife to be. Her name was Khadija bint Khawalayd, and they were married a few years later. Muhammad and his wife lived in Mecca.
After a few years Muhammad noticed that the people of Mecca were becoming greedy and materialistic. This upset Muhammad and he would often travel away from his hometown. During his travels he would fast and meditate by himself. He had many visions during his practices.
During one of his most vivid visions Muhammad was instructed to recite prayers that were attributed to god. Muhammad did not immediately tell the people of Mecca about his visions out of fear.
When Muhammad finally went public with his visions and experiences he did attract some followers. Although he believed he was instructed to recite his prayers he and his followers were not taken seriously. After some time Muhammad and his followers were persecuted and violently attacked.
After 10 years of practicing his beliefs an assassination attempt on Muhammad's is reported. His uncle and his beloved wife also passed away. After these events Muhammad and his followers decided to travel to Medina because a civil war was raging there at the time. Muhammad remained in Medina for 6 years. There he built the first known Muslim community in Medina.
Muhammad's reputation was controversial amongst the Meccan people. This caused conflict for several years. After 3 long years of conflict a treaty allowing Muslims to move freely through Arabia was signed. In 630AD the Muslims had become very large and powerful. They walked on Mecca and they had so many followers the Meccans conceded the Muslim religion. This peaceful event was the uniting of the first largest Muslim community. Only 2 years later Muhammad died and was buried in Medina
Muhammad's life and death had a strong influence on history. His life was dedicated to teaching and living by his beliefs. Over the course of his life he was known as a prophet by many. His life and his work was very powerful and stilled important today.
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