The Prophet Muhammad is the most important human being in Islamic history, second only to Allah in terms of reverence. For Muslims he was the last prophet, who conveyed God's final message, and is therefore often referred to as The Prophet or the Messenger, the initial capital letters differentiating him from other prophets and messengers. Muslims see him as the restorer of monotheism in a world that was returning to polytheism and idolatry; Monotheism is the main belief of Muslims and is the first pillar of Islam, along with the acceptance that Muhammad is its messenger. He is also known as a diplomat, philosopher, military general and orator. His name is alternatively spelled Muhammed or Mohammed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Muhammad was born in Mecca (in present-day Saudi Arabia) in 570 AD. Orphaned at an early age, he was raised by his uncle, Ibn Talib, chief of the Banu Hashim clan in the Quraysh tribe that dominated Mecca. He was therefore born into a powerful and influential society. He worked as a merchant and shepherd and married at the age of 25. By the age of 40 he had become disillusioned with Meccan life and began retreating annually to a cave to meditate. During his retreat in 610 AD, during the month of Ramadan, he received his first revelation from God, through his messenger, the angel Gabriel. The message stated that there was only one God and that Muhammad must surrender to him (the Arabic word for surrender is Islam). Gabriel also declared that Muhammad was a prophet and that he must spread the word. This was the first of many revelations that Muhammad received during his lifetime, and these revelations form the basis of the Quran. Upon his subsequent return to Mecca, Muhammad gained few followers in the city, his first followers being his wife Khadija and his wife. cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib. He was treated with suspicion and hostility by the rest of Meccan society and attracted persecution. To escape this persecution, he sent some of his followers to Abyssinia (roughly equivalent to modern-day Ethiopia), while he and his followers left for Yathrib (later called al-Madinah l-Munawwarah, "The Radiant City" by Muhammad ; currently known simply as Medina) in 622 AD It is this event, known as Hijrah, that is the starting point of the Islamic Hijri calendar. During this period, the Arabian Peninsula was a rather inhospitable place and cities could only develop near oases. However, Mecca and Yathrib were the two most important settlements, each with relatively large populations. While Mecca was a mercantile and tribal center, Yathrib was an important agricultural city.