In 610 AD, Muhammad had an experience that would forever change his life and the life of millions the world over, for this was the night of The Prophet's first revelations from Allah through Gabriel.

While there are many different accounts of that day, the one by the author Ibn Ishaq is particularly memorable. Here is an excerpt:

Gabriel: Read!

Muhammad: What shall I read?

Gabriel: Read in the name of thy Lord who created, Who created man of blood coagulated. Read! Thy Lord is the most beneficent, Who taught by pen, Taught that which they knew not unto men.

After these revelations from Gabriel, Muhammad told his wife. She prompltly consulted a hanif (holy man) she knew for verification. The hanif pronounced his verdict: Muhammad had been visited by the same heavenly force that Moses had. Also, he was to be the prophet of the people.

By 613 AD Muhammad was preaching publicly. He spoke of the following issues:

• The Oneness of God
• Allah was the creator and ruler of the universe
• All believers were equal in the eyes of God
• The rich must share with the poor
• Man's destiny was in God's hands
• Every man was responsible for his actions; one's deeds on earth would be held accountable in the afterlife

The Prophet's first converts were his wife, Khadija; his cousin, Ali; a slave that he had freed, Zayd; and his future father-in-law, Abu Bakr. Many from the ranks of the poor and downtrodden joined him as they were attracted to his message of equality in the eyes of God.

While these people embraced Muhammad's meassage, the Quraysh, the tribe that governed Mecca, ridiculed, but feared, him. Their trepidation stemmed from the idea that if Muhammad won a large number of religious followers, he would gain considerable political strength.