9781422281109

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Allah’s Final Prophet

A s he approached his fortieth birthday, in the year 610, a man named Muhammad ibn Abd Allah left his home in the oasis city of Makka (Mecca), on the Arabian Peninsula, and made his way north to Mount Hira. Every year, Muhammad spent time alone in a cave on Mount Hira, where he prayed and fasted. This year, however, Muhammad was troubled by the state of affairs on the Arabian Peninsula. Around him he saw growing spiritual confusion and an increasingly materialistic culture that dismissed moral values. Muhammad had been born in Mecca around the year 570. He was orphaned by the age of six and worked as a shepherd under the protection of his uncle. As a young man, Muhammad worked on car- avans following the trade routes between Arabia and Syria. During this time, he probably met Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians . The prophets and scriptures of these religions offered their believers a sta- bility and coherence that the polytheistic Arab cultures did not pos- sess. At age 25 Muhammad married Khadija, a wealthy widow for

Opposite: This Turkish illustration, circa 1594, pictures Muhammad being visited by an archangel. Because Muhammad received Allah’s final message for humanity, he is revered by Muslims as the last and greatest prophet.

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