" ... essentially an abridgement of the account of Muhammad in [author's] ... Muhammad at Mecca and Muhammad at Medina."

Includes bibliographical references and index

I. The Gifted Orphan --- II. The Call to Prophethood --- III. Opposition and Rejection --- IV. The Emigration to Medina --- V. The Provocation of the Meccans --- VI. The Failure of the Meccan Riposte --- VII. The Winning of the Meccans --- VIII. Ruler in Arabia --- IX. Assessment

A short account of the life and achievements of one of the great figures of history, this volume also serves as an excellent introduction to one of the world's major religions. Written with objectivity, the book opens with a background chapter on the birth and the early life of the Prophet in Mecca. Dr. Watt tells of Muhammad's struggle to make his way as an untrained orphan in the city's commercial world, and his call to Prophethood as a result of visions. He recounts the writing down of the Prophet's revelations in the Qur'an (with an explanation of its passages); Muhammad's betrayal, expulsion from Mecca, and migration to Medina; and his rise to political power in Arabia. Throughout Dr. Watt makes clear the social and political background out of which Islam was born, especially the influence of Judaism and Christianity