Chapter VI, Islam, The Seal of the Prophets, Summary and Analysis

The world into which Muhammad was born was tribal and difficult. The scarcity of material goods gave rise to the tradesmanship the Arabic people became known for. In the sixth century A. D., the area around Mecca was perverse and without moral restraint. In 570 A. D., Muhammad was born into that society. Tragedy struck early in life when Muhammad became orphaned and went to live in the house of an uncle whose fortunes began to decline as Muhammad grew older, and he was forced to work hard tending flocks. By tradition, he was pure-hearted and sensitive to human suffering from an early age. At maturity, he became a caravan trader and at the age of twenty-five he married a wealthy widow, Khadija, and began fifteen years of...