Muhhamad

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Muhammad's life was a major turning point in Middle East History. He changed many aspects of there way of life. Even today the teachings of Muhammad are still preminent, all over the world.

                The way you can fully understand how Muhammad changed the Middle East is to find out how life was before Muhammad. The way of life was pastoralist or the people were divided into tribes. The tribes were either nomadic or they settled down. The tribes that were nomadic were usualy in one family keeping there wealth to themselves. The only way for them to get more wealthy was to attack other tribes and steal there wealth. The only times these nomads stopped was to restock on water and food. The people who settled down usualy were former nomads who fould a water hole and never left. At first these people were only family groups, but with time others joined and they built cities. Both tribes worshiped idols as there gods.

Some were the size of statues while others were the size of a doll.

They were either keep in the caravan for nomads or there house for settlers. The Arabs were semites which meant that they spoke the language of there family or tribe. The most common of the languages were Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Syriac, Akkadian and Assyrian.

        Then came 570 C.E the year that Muhammad was born.

During his life he would change the whole way of living for the region. It was said that during his child hood he prayed to only one god. He said that there is no need to pray to idols because the supreme being was all around. He was laughed at and regared as a fool. For that reason he was never taught to read or write.

        It is said that one day while he was at home with his wife Bibi Khadija that he suddenly felt like taking a nap in the middle of the day. This was odd because he usualy never takes naps. During his nap angel Gabriel came to him. In the Quran it describes that the angel was One terrible in power, very strong; he stood poised, being on the higher horizon, then drew near and suspended hung, two bows'-length away, or nearer then revealed to his servant that he revealed.(53:5-10)         Then in 610 C.E during the month of Ramzan Muhammad went to Mt.Hira to meditate. It is said that Muhammad spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain (This is now the major Muslim holiday known as Lait-Ul-Qadr or night of power.) When he was up on the mountain he once again met Angel Gabriel. This time the angel told him to read. Muhammad replied I can not read. The angel once again said read and Muhammad once again replied that he could not. Then the angel should him the light and suddenly, Muhammad could read. When Muhammad came down from the mountain he had writen the Quran. The Quran was his interpretation of Allah's (God's) message.

It is said that the first version was written on stone, in Arabic and over 1,000 pages long.

        When Muhammad revealed his message to Mecca he quickly found many followers. He also found that he had many enemies. He soon feared for his life and had to leave Mecca for the city of Medina. There he spread his message and many people listned. Soon he had more followers then enemies. One of his best followers was Hazrat Ali who married his daughter Bibi Fatima. Hazrat Ali fought battles in the name of Allah for Muhammad.

Without hazrat Ali's tactfull planing many people say that the Muslims would have been crushed by the non believers. Soon the Muslims controlled most of the region including Mecca. Muhammad and his followeres went back to Mecca where they built the first official Mosque.

        Then it is said came a bitter-sweet day of Gadere Khom. During that day Muhammad said he was going to die. He said he was leaving two things for the people.

The Quran to follow and Hazrat Ali as the Imam to make sure that Islam stays on the right path. Later that day Muhammad died in his bed with Hazrat Ali by his side.

        Muhammad changed the history of the region in many ways. The most important was he formed Islam which is now the second biggest religion in the world. It also wiped out belief in idols in the area. He also taught chariety and humbleness which are now major factors in the way of life there today. That is how Muhhamad's life was a turning point in history.

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