Raised in a foster family, Muhammad spent his younger years as a shepherd. He later referred to Jesus and earlier prophets when saying, "every prophet was in his youth a shepherd."1 Abdullah, who was Muhammad's father, died before ever having the chance to see his son. Muhammad's mother, Amina, was greatly distressed by the task of raising a child alone and soon found a caretaker who took him in.2 Muhammad's youth progressed without much incidence. Many legends were later created to give Muhammad's childhood more significance then what it deserved. A story was told of how one day Muhammad's foster brother witnessed him being tossed down by angels who then ripped open his chest and removed a black clot from his heart. The story has a basis in the verses of the Quran, the holy book of Islam.1 When he was si

It is he who hath taught man to use the pen.

Read: for thy Lord is the most beneficent.

Who hath created man from clotted blood.

It wasn't until Muhammad was around 40 years old, when a remarkable transformation occurred. He had recently begun ascetic practices and frequent meditation in the mountains. It was here that he made spiritual contact with the Messenger of Allah, Gabriel. The angel carried scriptures and instructed Muhammad:

x years old, Muhammad was returned to his mother, and later transported to Yathrib, an oasis in which close family lived. Muhammad's mother perished during the journey, but he succeeded with the help of the family servant, Baraka.3 Living with his uncle, Muhammad longed for access to the outside world. He began to take notice of caravans and traveling salesmen. After a few years, Muhammad himself was becoming quite a successful traveling merchant.4 During these trips, he undoubtedly came into contact with merchants of Jewish and Christian beliefs, thus affecting his outlook on religion. In his young adulthood, Muhammad started to work for a widow named Khadjira. Even though she was much older than he, they grew fond of each other and married in the year 595 C.E.5

"Read, in the name of thy Lord who hath created,

Muhammad's revelations brought turmoil to Mecca, to say the least. In the beginning, he had trouble convincing people of the new faith. In fact, Muhammad's early followers were

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 975
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)