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Rory Kemp
Kimberly Dyer
History 134
April 19th, 2015

M13: Muhammad before Islam

Born in 570 in Mecca, Arabia, Muhammad came into a world far different from the one
he left behind. When he was born, Arabs were polytheistic, worshipping many gods, and there
was no single religion that unified them. His mother and father belonged to a family that was a
branch of the ruling tribe of Mecca. Unfortunately, Muhammads father died before he was born,
which led to his mother being his main guardian. However, his uncle and grandfather proved to
play large roles in his life. Seyyed Nasr explains in his article Muhammad: Prophet of Islam,
that because of this, the emphasis in Islamic society on generosity to orphans is related to the
childhood experiences of Muhammad as well as to his subsequent love for orphans and the
Qurnic injunctions concerning their treatment. As a baby, Muhammads mother sent him into
the desert to become acquainted with nature and his inner instincts. But by the time he was 6, his
mother too passed away.
According to the article Mohammed and the Birth of Islam, At the age of 12,
Mohammed entered the family business, the caravan trade, and was off on what many believe
were journeys to the outside world, including Syria, where he had contact with Christians, Jews,
a host of other faiths, and peoples from all over the world who came to the region to trade. This
may have been what began Muhammads open mindedness when it came to other religions and
cultures that allowed him to later embrace them all into Islam. As he grew older, he began to
work assisting his uncle as a merchant. This led to him meeting his wife. The article History of
Muhammad explains A widow, Khadija, considerably older than Muhammad, has sufficient

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faith in him to entrust him with her business affairs; and when he is twenty-five, they marry. For
the next fifteen years or so he lives the life of a prosperous merchant. But he develops one habit
untypical of merchants. The article goes on to explain that Muhammad would often travel to
nearby secluded mountains to meditate and pray. In 610 on Mount Hira, Muhammad received a
vision in which the archangel Gabriel spoke to him, telling him gods commands. This message
involved caring for the poor and worshipping a single god amongst other things. Afterwards,
Muhammad began to spread this message in Mecca. Unfortunately, the people opposed to his
teachings began plotting to assassinate him, causing him to flee the city. According to the article
Muhammad and the Faith of Islam, In 629, Muhammad returned to Mecca with an army of
1500 converts to Islam and entered the city unopposed and without bloodshed. Before his death
two years later, he forcefully converted most of the Arabian Peninsula to his new faith and built a
small empire. This began the religious revolution in the region that caused Islam to become one
of the dominant religions of the world.
Muhammad came from small beginnings, being orphaned at the age of 6, from which he
learned compassion and inner peace. He was a well-respected member of society for being
honest and noble. But when he received his divine vision, he became more than that to people
and gained followers rapidly. Born in a polytheistic, divided part of the world, he eventually
changed Arabia into a powerful Islamic empire.

Works Cited
History of Muhammad. History World. N.D. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Muhammad and the Faith of Islam. Ancient Civilizations. Ushistory.org. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Nasr, Seyyed. Muhammad: Prophet of Islam. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.
Shirley, Steven. Mohammed and the Birth of Islam. Study.com. Web. 19 Apr. 2015.