rs (Let Us Reason Ministries Islam, 2009).
             Islam developed in the Middle East in the 6th century based on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was born in 570 A D. in the city of Mecca. Muhammad became an orphan at an early age after the loss of both of his parents. Muhammad was raised by his uncle and became a shepherd. He married at the age of 25 and lived a normal life in the city of Mecca. In 610 A.D. he went on one of his routine visits to a cave in Mount Hira, where he would go for solitude and contemplation. While there the angel Gabriel spoke to him about spreading the teachings of God (A Brief History of Islam, n.d.). At first Muhammad only shared his experience with his family but soon he shared them with anyone who would listen. During his first three years of teaching he only gained 40 followers in Mecca. His teachings threatened Meccan way of life. He and his followers were stoned, beat, and imprisoned for their love of Allah. Muhammad received news that he had gained followers in the city of Yathrib which was 280 miles north of Mecca. Yathrib was in need of a strong leader and Muhammad was just the person for the job.
             Muhammad took his followers and migrated to the city of Yathrib in 622 which marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar (A Brief History of Islam, n.d.). Yathrib was later renamed Medina, which means "city of the Prophet" (The Beginning of Islam, n.d.). With Muhammad as their new leader, battles soon began between Medina and Mecca. Muhammad had a small army but was still able to win the first battle over Mecca. He viewed this as a sign that Allah was on their side. In 630 Muhammad and his arm marched into Mecca and defeated the city and took over. Muhammad died two years later having conquered nearly all of Arabia for Islam. The death of Muhammad did not stop the spread of Islam. It spread across the Atlantic in one direction and the borders of China in the...