Muhammad-How+His+Teachings+Were+Received

When Muhammad first received his revelation, he was shocked and petrified as he ran out of the cave in which the angel Gabriel first spoke to him and looked back to see the angel everywhere. The burden of the revelation was enormous and for three days, Muhammad refused to recite the Koran and preform what God told him to do, but finally, the prophet accepted. When he informed his family of his revelation, they thought his experience was absurd, all but his cousin, Ali, who was the only one who supported him and accompanied him on his escape to Medina. The first to respond to his message were the downtrodden, oppressed, people who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. People like the poor, slaves, and women with no protection. Though once his message got out, there was conflict with the Meccan leaders which caused Muhammad to flee the city.
 * Reaction to the Revelation:**

The way Mecca got their business was by the Kaaba which housed multiple gods to which the tourists and civilians would come and pray to and then sell or buy their goods in the market. Muhammad taught monotheism which is the worship of only one god named Allah and this message said that the multiple gods in Mecca were fake and not real. This angered the Meccan leaders because business would be lost and Mecca would no longer be a tourist site. This caused his tribe, the Quraysh, to split down the middle in where their beliefs were and Muhammad was forced to flee Mecca.
 * Conflict with Meccan leaders:**

One night, Muhammad was awaken by the angel Gabriel and they went from Mecca to Jerusalem over night. Gabriel took him up into the heavens where he met all different prophets from the past and enters the Divine Presence, receiving knowledge about the truth of the religion. When Muhammad returns and says he has just gone on a weeks worth journey and met God all in one night, his followers begin to doubt him and lost their faith and more enemies are formed who want to get rid of him. They decide to get a youth from every clan and come in the night to get rid of him, but Muhammad has be forewarned about the ambush and flees with Ali to Yathrib which is also known as Medina.
 * The Night Ascension:**

Link to Jesus: //Muhammad and Jesus were both disliked by the authorities for their religious messages and and what they brought to the people. Muhammad's message challenged that of Mecca by preaching monotheism where Mecca preached polytheism. Jesus brought crowds which were the greatest threat to the Roman rule than anything else.//

Link to Moses: //Moses and Muhammad are both frightened and overwhelmed by the responsibility and power of the task when God gives them their orders.// //At first, they both back down and will not accept the task God has put before them, but in the end, they agree and carry out what they are asked to do.// //Both of the leader's authority is also challenged and faith is lost among both groups of followers. When Moses goes to the top of Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, the people become impatient and frustrated, challenging his authority and doubting an invisible God. When Muhammad has his Night Ascension in one night when normally, it would have taken a week, the people begin to doubt him and lose their faith.

Sources: •Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet video http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/ •http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar372820&st=moses •http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar288000&st=jesus •Brennan, Luann, and Castronova. Frank V. 2nd ed. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1998. •Willis, Jim. The Religion Book Places, Prophets, Saints, and Seers. 1st ed. Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press, 2004. •Ellwood, Robert S., and Gregory D. Alles. The Encyclopedia of World Religions. New York, NY: Book Builders Incorporated, 1998.//
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