ABSTRACT
Mu˙ammad is the central figure in Islam. Chosen by God to receive the revelation of the Qur<ån, he has been taken by all Muslims to be the ideal man, the perfect embodiment of what it means to be a Muslim. Having lived a fairly normal existence in sixth-century east central Arabia, at the age of forty Mu˙ammad revolutionized his society in ways which were both unexpected and long-lasting.
