Who was Mohammed?
Mohammed was a prophet whose teachings form the basis of the Islamic religion. He was born in Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, around AD570. People throughout this region worshipped many gods, but Mohammed was influenced by the Christian and Jewish view of one god.
Mohammed had a vision in which the archangel Gabriel instructed him to proclaim that Allah was the one true god. When Mohammed started teaching in Mecca, people felt that he was threatening their religion. He fled to Medina, where he built the first mosque. Mohammed’s growing influence led the people of Mecca to attack Medina, but they were defeated. In AD630 Mohammed entered Mecca, destroyed the pagan idols and established the city as the centre of Islam.
What is the Koran?
The Koran is the holy book of the Islamic religion. It contains the words of Allah as revealed to Mohammed by the archangel Gabriel in a series of visions. The Koran is a series of verses describing the ways in which Muslims should conduct their lives. It specifies daily prayers, and emphasizes the need for brotherly love and charity between Muslims. The Koran describes Abraham, Moses and Jesus as prophets, and Mohammed as the final prophet before the Day of Judgment when all people will have to account to Allah for their former lives.
Muslims do not worship Mohammed, but show him the greatest respect. They believe that the Koran is the word of Allah and was not composed by Mohammed.
Pictures Credit: Google