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Muhammad was born in the town of Mecca in Western Arabia. He was the only son of Abd allah bin al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. His name derives from the Arabic verb hamahda, meaning "to priase, to glorify"
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When Muhammad was five his morther took him to Yathrib, to stay with relatives and visit his father's grave there. On the way back to Mecca, his mother became ill and died. Halima, his nurse, returned to Mecca with Muhammad and gave him to his grandparent's to be raised.
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Mecca had turned into a very materialistic town full of idolatry whch didn't sit well with Muhammad. He started making many trips to a mountain cave outside town where he would fast and meditate. One occasion, he had a number of indistinct visions. He then was visited by an overwhelming precense and was told to recite beautiful, yet forceful, words that were gradually attributed to God.
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He had many similar experiences to the first revelation and finally started sharing his messag to his tribe.These teachings he taught were gathered all together and later would become the Qur'an.
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Muhammad and a few hundred followers left Mecca and traveled to Yathrib, the town where his father was buried. The leaders of this town were going through a tough civil war and they invited Muhhamad to mediate. Muhammad remained here for six years after the civil war ended.
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Adter his pilgrimage across the Arabian peninsula he returned to Medina. Three months after returning he died of a brief illness. His body is burried in the mosque in Medina
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When he was in his early twenties he started wo rowk for a wealthy Meccan merchant named Khadija, his distatant cousin. She became fond of his honesty and character and proposed to him. At the time of their wedding, Mahhamad was twenty five and she was nearly forty.
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He often traveled with a local merchant, Abu Talib, to trade centers across the Muslin world. On one occasion he traeled as far north as Syria. Older merchants became fond od him and gave him the nickname: El amin meaning the one you can trust.
