Muhammad ibn Abdullah

Muhammad ibn Abdullah (c. 570 – 632 CE), known as the Prophet Muhammad, was the founder of Islam and one of the most influential figures in human history. Born in Mecca in present-day Saudi Arabia, he grew up in the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula (Jahiliyyah period) and eventually became a merchant. According to Islamic tradition, beginning around age 40, Muhammad received revelations from God (Allah) through the archangel Gabriel, which he spent 23 years delivering orally to his followers. These revelations were later compiled into the Quran, Islam's holy scripture. Muhammad's preaching emphasized strict monotheism, social justice, charitable obligation, and moral reform—principles that challenged the polytheistic and socially stratified norms of 7th-century Arabia. Despite initial persecution, his message gradually gained followers, and he established the first Muslim community in Medina in 622 CE (the Hijra), marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Over approximately a decade, Muhammad united most of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam through both spiritual persuasion and military campaigns. He established Sharia (Islamic law), created a new social order based on Islamic principles, and laid the institutional foundations for Islam's expansion. By his death in 632 CE, Islam had become a major religious and political force. Muhammad's profound impact on world civilization includes founding a world religion with nearly 2 billion adherents, establishing enduring legal and ethical frameworks, and fundamentally shaping the course of world history for nearly 1,500 years.