Life of Muhammad & The History of Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Life of Muhammad & The History of Islam - Essay Example In his teenage years, he married a widow but did not embrace polygamy. In those days, polygamy was a common occurrence. He developed a habit of visiting a certain cave in which one could only witness the sky and the mountains around. In later years when Muhammad turned forty, he received his first revelation from Allah. This happened in 610 CE and continued for the next twenty-two years. He began preaching the new faith to close people after two years of revelation. Later he started spreading the word to people publicly. However, he received opposition from most idol worshippers in the region. Despite the opposition, he still had many followers who listened and sought advice. The disbelievers, from the tribe of Quraysh, started an operation to stop the spread of Islam. The believers were constantly persecuted. Muhammad saw the suffering of the believers and could sometimes advice them to escape to safer regions. There was a plot to assassinate Muhammad quietly by the tribe of Quraysh but did not succeed. Many believe that a divine intervention saved Muhammad. He later fell ill and died (Allen & Toorawa 4-10). The word Islam in Arabic language means submission. The followers of the religion are referred to as Muslims. The Muslims population is about a billion worldwide (Allen & Toorawa 4). As others believe that Islam began in Mecca, where Prophet Muhammad was born, others believe that it has been in existence since the time of Adam, Abraham and Jesus. The religion is known to start spreading after the death of the last prophet Muhammad. The division after the death of Muhammad led to the formation of two groups. These groups were Shia and Sunni. The Shia believe that Muhammad named a successor, and they follow the authoritative teachings from them. On the other hand, the Sunni rely on the teachings from the hadith. These two groups became the main ones in Islam. They both believe in Quran, and the distinction is only in leadership beliefs. By the end of