Muhammad and the beginning of Islam
Around 570 AD, a man called Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Mecca > Aged around forty, Muhammad (pbuh) claimed that he received revelations from God. His revelations were recorded in the Quran.
- Muhammad (pbuh) was a prophet: a messenger from God. His main message was that there was only one God called Allah.
- The Quraysh, managers of the Ka'aba in Mecca, resisted his monotheistic teachings , seeing Islam as a threat to their wealth due to the pilgrim trade centered around the Ka'aba.
In 622 AD, life in Mecca became too dangerous for Muhammad (pbuh). Together with his followers, the Muslims, he fled to a city called Medina.
This key event is known as the Hijrah. The year of the Hijrah represents the first year of the Islamic calendar and the creation of the Muslim community, the Ummah.