Reading Sura 9, 18-21

Allat- the Goddess (sun)
Al-Uzza- the Mighty (venus)
Manat- Fate
Allah- the Creator (moon)

Muhammad claims to be:
1. prophet (judaism)
2. apostle (christianity)

THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD

- Father dies before birth, "spiritualist" mother (mom's into occult arts)
- Orphaned at age 5 and shuffled around, eventually raised by uncle
- As a youngster, he liked exploring caves
- Early vision - insides stirred (angel opens his chest etc.)
- Age 25 - 40 marries Khadijah and becomes caravan owner
- Age 40: Prophetic Call; "the night of power" that night meets the angel Gabriel, and Gabriel tells him he'll be a prophet
- Muhammad's visions: epilepsy??
- Muhammad doubted his own revelations at first and thought:
1. Maybe devils/demons were doing it. Possessed?
2. Mental illness (crazy)
3. Suicide attempts thwarted by Gabriel
- Satanic verses: Sura 53, verses 19-20
- Yathrib is 2nd Holy City (Medina - city of prophets)
- Flight to Ta-if, found no converts
- The preaching Jinn
- Flight to Medina (Yathrib) success with converts
- Caravan looting and pillaging
- Plundering of the Jews
- Defeat by the Meccans, Muhammad nearly killed at Uhod
- Muhammad regroups, rebuilds
- Treaty with Mecca
- Conquest of Mecca
- After conquering Mecca, destroyed the Kabah and 360 idols in it. He didn't like pagans.
- Allah = Yahweh = God the Father