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The name Muhammad means "the praised one" in Arabic. In Islam, Muhammad is known as "The Prophet" and "The Messenger". Although the Qur'an sometimes declines to make a distinction among prophets, in verse (33:40) it singles out Muhammad as the "Seal of the Prophets" (33:40). The Qur'an also refers to Muhammad as "Ahmad" (61:6) Arabic for "more praiseworthy".

Muhammad (also Mohammed, Mohamet, and other variants), 570-632 C.E., [was an Arab religious, political, and military leader who established Islam and the Muslim Ummah (community). He united the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula into a federation of allied tribes with its capital at Medina.

From the age of forty, Muhammad(pbuh) received revelations from Allah(God) delivered through the angel Jibra'il (Gabriel). The content of these revelation are known as the Qur'an, was memorized and recorded by his followers and compiled into a single volume shortly after his death. The Qur'an, along with the details of Muhammad's life as recounted by his biographers and his contemporaries, forms the basis of Islamic theology. In Islam, he is considered the last and most important prophet of Allah (God). Muslims do not regard him as the founder of a new religion but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Abraham, Moses and other prophets whose messages had become misinterpreted or corrupted over time.

Born to 'Abdu'llah ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib, Muhammad initially adopted the occupation of a merchant. The Islamic sources indicate that he was a charismatic person known for his integrity. The sources report that, in his youth, he was called by the nickname "Al-Amin" a common Arab name meaning "faithful, trustworthy," and was sought out as an impartial arbitrator. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muhammad would retreat to a cave located at the summit of Mount Hira, just outside Mecca in the Arabian Hijaz. There he fasted and prayed, and would often reflect on the troubles of Arab society that seemed to affect him profoundly. In the year 610, when Muhammad was about forty, he reported being visited in the cave by the Jibra'il (Archangel Gabrie)l who commanded him to recite verses sent by God. According to Islamic belief, these revelations continued for the next twenty-three years, until his death. The collection of these verses is known as the Qur'an. The Prophet publicly preached strict monotheism, preaching against the social evils, and warned of a Day of Judgment when all humans shall be held responsible for their deeds. He did not wholly reject Judaism and Christianity, two other monotheistic faiths known to the Arabs, but said that he had been sent by God in order to complete and perfect those teachings.

After initially ignoring Muhammad's call, the elites in Mecca, threatened by the growing popularity of his message, persecuted Muhammad and his followers. This continued, and intensified, over more than a decade. The hardships reached a new level for Muhammad after the deaths of his wife Khadija, the first woman to convert to Islam and his uncle Abu Talib, an important political protector of Muhammad. Eventually, in 622, he was forced to move out of Mecca in a journey known to Muslims as the Hijra (the Migration). He settled in the area of Yathrib (now known as Medina) with his followers, where he was the leader of the first avowedly Muslim community.

Eight years of war between Muhammad and Meccan forces followed, ending with the Muslim victory and conquest of Mecca. The Muslims subsequently removed everything they considered idolatrous from the Kaaba. Most of the townspeople accepted Islam. In March 632, Muhammad led his last pilgrimage known as the Hajj. On returning to Medina he fell ill and died after a few days, on June 8.

Under the caliphs who assumed authority after his death, the Islamic empire expanded into Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, North Africa, southern Spain, and Anatolia. Later conquests, commercial contact between Muslims and non-Muslims, and missionary activity spread Islam over much of the Eastern Hemisphere, including China and Southeast Asia.

(Some references taken from Wikipedia; Muhammad)