Hello! My name is Muhammad. We begin my story on the Arabian Peninsula...

The nomadic Bedouins lived here and cared for their sheep, goats, and camels. In the summertime, they moved to pastureland like this.

I was born in the seaside town of Mecca in 570 CE. Mecca was a very busy city known for its markets and trading.

A huge temple called Kaaba was also here. People worshipped pagan gods, and no weapons were allowed inside the temple.

When I was young, I worked as a shepherd for the Bedouins.

... I even led caravans of people and camels across the desert!

At 25, I met the lovely Khadija. She ran a caravan business after her previous husband died. We had 7 children together.

I hated how greedy the people of Mecca were. I was a moral person, but I was still surprised when the angel Gabriel told me that I was to be the Messenger of God!

My wife encouraged me to spread the message of Islam, meaning "to submit to God." We called our God, Allah.

Few people liked my new religion because it meant forgetting traditional Arab gods. Even merchants thought disrespecting the gods were hurt trade in Mecca.

In 615 CE, some of my persecuted followers left for Axum. Here, a Christian king protected them.

Afraid of being killed, my followers and I left Mecca for the city of Yathrib. Our journey was known as the hijra. Yathrib was later renamed Medina, meaning "city of the prophet." That same year, 622 CE became the first year of the Muslim calendar.

In Medina, I created a peaceful community for Muslims who believed in Islam. But in Mecca, they prepared for war against my people.

I defeated their armies and reclaimed Mecca. I destroyed many objects in the Kaaba and instead dedicated the temple to Allah.

I continued to spread Islam and had soon converted many Arabs. Even after I died, Islam continued to evolve.