1. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 570 A.D. 1. Born in Mecca 2. His names derives from the Arabic verb hamada, meaning “to praise, to glorify” 3. He came from a family of merchants and traders 4. Member of the Hashim clan; clan was very poor and did not share in the wealth of the city of Mecca’s merchant class

2. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 575 A. D. 1. Orphaned at an early age 2. Placed under the care of his grandfather and later his uncle, Abu Talib 3. Learned the customs and traditions of the nomads of the Arabian desert 4. Learned how to be a shepherd and later, he travels with his uncle on trading expeditions 5. At the age of 12, he would experience the world outside of Arabia (582 A. D.)

3. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 595 1. Became known as a trustworthy merchant 2. Took on new duties and responsibilities 3. Manages caravans for Khadijah, a wealthy widow 4. She proposes marriage and they wed when he is 25 5. They have 6 children, however, only his daughter, Fatimah, has children to carry on his bloodline

4. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 610 A. D. 1. Receives his revelation from God during the month of Ramadan 2. He later identifies the visitation to be from the Angel Gabriel 3. His message is from Allah (God) 4. He is told to “recite, recite, recite…” 5. Muhammad is declared: “You are the messenger of God.”

5. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 613 A. D. 1. Muhammad begins to preach Islam publicly in Mecca 2. His preaching is met with skepticism as the Meccans are polytheistic believers 3. He is accused of plagiarizing the “tales of the ancients” 4. The Meccans ask for miracles, but Muhammad gives them none 5. The Meccans reject his calling, but the Muslims stand firm in their beliefs 6. Muhammad’s clan is faced with boycotts and starvation, but they do not recant their faith

6. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 620 A. D. 1. Muhammad experiences his “Night Journey” on a winged horse to Jerusalem 2. During this experience he meets with the other prophets 3. He is taken through the seven levels of heaven where Muhammad meets God

7. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 622 A. D. 1. Growing animosity between Muslims and the pagan believers forces Muhammad and his followers to flee to Medina 2. This experience is known as the “Hijrah”, which marks the beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar 3.Muhammad begins his metamorphosis from a preacher to a political and military leader

8. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 624-627 A. D. 1. Muhammad rallies with the people of Medina to fight the Meccans 2. Three decisive battles are fought: a. Battle of Badr (victory) b. Battle of Uhud in 625 (defeated) c. Battle of the Trench in 627 (victory)

9. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 628 A. D. 1. Muhammad and the Meccans sign a treaty 2. Islam is recognized as a new force in Arabia 3. Meccans break the treaty a year later 630 A. D. 1. Muhammad and his army conquers Mecca 2. He is aided by other tribal people

10. TIMELINE: Muhammad’s Life 631 A. D. 1. Consolidated most of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam and his control 632 A. D. 1. Muhammad returns to Mecca to perform a pilgrimage (Hajj) 633 A. D. 1. He returns to Medina and after a brief illness, he dies 2. He is buried in the mosque of Medina