Trace the lives of Jesus and Muhammad Historically?
The religion of Islam is based on the revelations of God passed on to Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel. The man, who would become the prophet, was born into a life that was not different from any other. After the death of his parents, he was sent to the Bedouin tribe of which his grandfather was a member to be raised there. Upon the death of his grandfather, he was sent to live with his uncle, Abu Talib who would become his guardian and protector. Muhammad would go on to work as a shepherd before becoming the manager of a caravan. It was while working for the caravan that he married the owner Khadija, who while 15 years his senior would go on to become his life partner. At the age of forty during periods of retreat, Muhammad began having his first vision. This vision and the ones that followed were interpreted to be verses and the direct word of God. They were compiled into the holy text of Islam, the Qu'ran. Islam is defined as the "submission" to one God, and the revelations revealed to Muhammad outlined a means of praising this one God. The visions included verses such as "the understanding that only through devotion to one and only one God and through righteous observance of the revealed law could people attain salvation in the after- life." 9 These laws included practices of regular prayer, almsgiving and charitable treatment of the poor, modesty with the opposite sex, and the rejection of idols and false Gods. Muhammad preached his revelations to people in Mecca and gained a small group of followers, including his wife. Initially his Uncle, although not a believer himself but a prominent man in the town, was able to protect Muhammad from criticism. However, after his death, Muhamma ...