7 The 100 Most Influential World Leaders of All Time 7

Muhammad

(b. c. 570, Mecca, Arabia [Saudi Arabia]—d. June 8, 632, Medina)

M

uhammad—also known as the Messenger of God
(Rasūl Allāh) or the Prophet (al-Nabī)—founded
the religion of Islam and the Muslim community. Although
biographical statements occur in the Qur’an, most of what
is known about Muhammad’s life comes from the Hadith,
hagiographies (especially Ibn Ish·āq’s mid-8th-century
Sīra), and Muslim histories (such as al-T·abarī’s Kitāb al-
rusul wa’l-mulūk, 9th–10th century). The life, teachings,
and miracles of the Prophet have been the subjects of
Muslim devotion and reflection for centuries.
Muhammad (in full, Abū al-Qāsim Muhammad ibn
‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abd al-Mut·t·alib ibn Hāshim) was born
after the death of his father, ‘Abd Allāh, and was first placed
in the care of his mother and his paternal grandfather, and,
after their deaths, his uncle Abū T·ālib. During his early life
in Mecca, his merchant activities resulted in his marriage
in about 595 to the wealthy widow Khadīja, who bore him
at least two sons, who died young, and four daughters. The
best known of these daughters was Fāt·imah, whom he
gave in marriage to his cousin ‘Alī to repay the kindness of
Abū T·ālib. Until Khadīja’s death in 619, Muhammad took
no other wife.
In about 610, while meditating in a cave in the moun-
tains outside Mecca, Muhammad had a vision of a majestic
being (later identified with the angel Gabriel) and heard a
voice saying to him, “You are the Messenger of God.” This
marked the beginning of his career as prophet. From this
time, at frequent intervals until his death, he received
messages that he believed came directly from God or
through Gabriel. Around 650 the messages were collected
and written in the Qur’an. Muhammad’s later experiences