Huston Smith: Islam 1

Seal of the Prophets:
* Muhammad emerged as the perfect candidate for prophet for 3 reasons: he was a humble and modest human being, times were ripe for change, and his character was in agreement with what God had to say.
- Muhammad is the "seal of the prophets", the last in the line of God's messangers.
- Mecca was living a hedonistic and greed motivated life along with tribal factions starting wars on a frequent basis. The situation was grave and Muhammad knew it. He wanted a way to repair the broken systems of his society.
- Muhammad was a man (important for all prophets that they are human) of outstanding moral conduct.
- He received the revelation initially from the Arch Angel Gabriel declaring God as one and powerful, the creator.
- Muhammad's teachings disrupted society and did not set well with the leaders of Mecca because they threatened their profits and their leisurely lifestyles. Also, they did not sit well with the people of Mecca because it challenged a social order that had been in effect for decades.

The Migration that Led to Victory:
*The migration is regarded as one of the most important events in Islamic history because it saved the religion as well as helped to spread the word of Allah and outline Muhammad as an even more worthy prophet in the subsequent years of his leadership in Medina.
- Meccan nobility began by mocking the Muslims, then by assaulting them in the streets and eventually moved up to full fledged persecution. However, in the face of such adverse conditions, the Muslims had a conviction about them that allowed them to retain the faith.
- Through pilgrimages and Muhammad sending families of the Islamic community on mini migrations to escape persecution, the messages of Muhammad had reached a small population of important people in the town of Yathrib (Medina).
- Yathrib asked Muhammad to come to their city and help them clean up their act (they were experiencing several of the same problems as in Mecca). He eventually ended up as the head of state in Medina.
- He was revered as an excellent head of state, a testament to his character, for he was able to weave the 5 major tribes of the area into one community, achieving a level of peace between such diverse a group (Jews, Polytheists, Muslims, etc.) never seen in the region.
- He is now considered one of the most (if not the most) influential person in history, successfully spreading his word far and wide, a feat that found its roots in the migration.