Mohhammed
...ere collected into a book, the Koran (or Qur`an), now the holy book of Islam. The messages were understood by Muhammad to be generally identical with revelations that had come to the prophets of ancient Israel and to the founders of Christianity. It was not long before he acquired followers who accepted him as God's prophet, and in 613 he began preaching publicly in Mecca. His emphasis on the worship of one God contrasted with the Arab practice of worshipping many gods. The new religion soon came to be called Islam, meaning "submission to God," and its followers were Muslims, meaning "those who have submitted."The new religion aroused opposition in Mecca. Those who believed in many gods feared their shrines might be demolished, and Mohammed’s accusation of greedy merchants won him enemies. When Khadijah and Mohammed’s uncle both died in 619, an unfriendly uncle succeeded as head of the Hashem clan. This uncle withdrew the clan's protection from Muhammad, leaving him open to attack by his enemies. The hostilities aroused in Mecca led Muhammad to encourage his followers to emigrate to the city of Medina. He left Mecca and reached Medina on Sept. 24, 622. This flight is called hijrah in Arabic and has come into English as Hegira. It provides the starting date for the history of Islam.From that day until Muhammad was able to return to Mecca in January 630, he and his followers were in constant conflict with the merchant class and citizens of Mecca. He and his growing band of followers conducted raids on trading caravans from Mecca. Attempts by the Meccans to destroy Muhammad failed. Muhammad meanwhile became more conciliatory toward the enemy city. He was determined to unify the Arabs and turn their military prowess outward. Mecca began to decline as leading citizens moved to Medina to follow Islam. In 630 Muhammad entered Mecca with a force of 10,000, and the city submitted to him. Within two years all of Arabia was united under Islam. Muhammad died on June 8, 632. He was succeeded as leader (caliph, from khalifah, meaning "successor") by his father-in-law, Abu Bakr. A historian once said a great hero should be judged by three tests: Was he found to be of true ideals by his age group? Was he great enough to raise above the standards of his age? Did he leave anything as permanent legacy to the world at large? This list may be further extended but all these three tests of greatness are notably satisfied to the highest degree in case of prophet Mohammed. The first is: Was the Prophet of Islam found to be of true ideals by his age group? Historical records show that all the peers of Mohammed both friends or foes, acknowledged the genuine qualities, the pure honesty, the noble virtues, the absolutesincerity and every trustworthiness of the messenger of Islam in all walks of life and in every sphere of human activity. Even the Jews and those who did not believe in his message, adopted him as the mediator in their personal disputes by virtue of his perfect fairness. Even those who did not believe in his message were forced to say "O Mohammed, we do not call you a liar, but we deny him who has given you a book and inspired you with a message." His followers braved for him persecutions and danger; they trusted, obeyed and honored him even in the most excruciating torture and severest mental agony caused byremoval even unto death. Khabbab bin Arth a Muslim man was made to lie down on the bed of burning coal with the brutal legs of their merciless tyrant on his breast so that he may not move and this makes even the fat beneath his skin melt. In the middle of his tortures, being a...