508 Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib
Mudejares’ right to toleration or even existence. This was
enforced by the Spanish Inquisition.
Further reading:L. P. Harvey, Islamic Spain, 1250 to
1500 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990); Geor-
giana Goddard King, Mudéjar (London: Longmans,
Green, 1927); François-Auguste de Montêquin, Com-
pendium of Hispano-Islamic Art and Architecture (Saint
Paul: Minn.: Hamline University, 1976).
Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib
(Mohammad)(571–632)founder of Islam, prophet
Muhammad was the son of Abd Allah, son of Abd al-
Muttalib of the Hashemite clan. He was a member of the
Quraysh tribe, who controlled the town of MECCAin the
early 7th century. They had settled there about 150 years
before. Most of what we know of Muhammad is from a
sacred tradition whose oldest writings belong to the
period of the ABBASID Caliphate of BAGHDAD. Some
Quranic passages relate to him and even name him dur-
ing his prophetic period at Mecca and MEDINA.EXTANT BIOGRAPHY
A biography of his whole life is not really possible.
According to tradition as a young man he had the traits
of an ideal prophetic figure as awaited prophet, such as a
quasi-miraculous birth, a purification by angels during
childhood, and as a boy recognition as a prophet by a
Christian monk. Muhammad was said to have been an
orphan from birth. He belonged to a clan who had fallen
on hard times and were living off the exploitation of sea-
sonal pagan pilgrims. More powerful rival clans were
engaged in the trans-Arabian caravan trade. The poor
future Prophet first married a wealthy patroness, Khadija,
a widow much older than he, in 595. He would also be a
man without a surviving son.REVELATION
A divine revelation took him by surprise around 610. He
received his message on Mount Hira from the angel
Gabriel and later recorded and compiled it into the
QURAN. He always placed himself in the tradition of early
prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. However,
he had explicitly received what was to be the final and
comprehensive message from GOD, or Allah. This message
was to be the culmination of all previous revelations, and
his teachings were the final message. Among the earliest
aspects of this revelation, there was an appeal to reform
and to return to the traditional values of tribal society. It
also, and most importantly, involved an absolute belief in
a single god. Muhammad was rejected and rebuked by his
own tribe as it violently refused to believe the message of
the inspired Muhammad. Accused of betraying the ances-
tors of the tribe, he was expelled it around 619.HEJIRA
In 622 he fled to Medina with his followers, to a clan to
whom he was related: This flight is AL-HIJR(the hejira).
He then entered politics. Over the next 10 years, Muham-
mad received recognition for his message because of suc-
cessful raids, seemingly divinely favored, against Meccan
caravans, nomads, and those of other hostile cities. The
city of Mecca finally surrendered to him and his mes-
sage, almost without a fight, in 630. He won a battle that
same year at Hunayn against the great nomad tribes of
western Arabia. He then imposed conversion to ISLAMas
a condition for any alliance with Medina. PAGANISMwas
banned and new laws reflecting his message were estab-
lished. He also stressed that humanity was one family
under God. This emphasis a strong exerted check on the
earlier and common tribal rivalries and WARFARE. BeforeMuhammad, on his camel, bidding farewell to his fiancée.
Persian miniature, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (Snark / Art
Resource)