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Muhammad was respected in Medina as he would frequently solve disputes. He was nicknamed Al-Amin, or The Truthful One, and was well loved by all. His followers claim he was never known to lie, cheat, or steal, though those were all common practices by the pagans of his time and continues to be so in Islam to the present day.<ref>[http://www.billionbibles.org/sharia/taqiyya.html Taqiyya]</ref> Everyone, including his enemies like [[Abu Jahl]], claimed his lineage to Ishmael and Abraham.

Muhammad was respected in Medina as he would frequently solve disputes. He was nicknamed Al-Amin, or The Truthful One, and was well loved by all. His followers claim he was never known to lie, cheat, or steal, though those were all common practices by the pagans of his time and continues to be so in Islam to the present day.<ref>[http://www.billionbibles.org/sharia/taqiyya.html Taqiyya]</ref> Everyone, including his enemies like [[Abu Jahl]], claimed his lineage to Ishmael and Abraham.

When he was about 40 years old, Muhammad's supposed early revelations from the Angel [[Gabriel]] spoke of a need to return to the [[monotheism]] of [[Abraham]]; however, Muhammad was unsure of himself upon seeing what seemed to be the Angel [[Gabriel]] and rushed to his house, terrified. He told his wife [[Khadija]] of the events, and she assured him that God wouldn't let this happen to such a humble man. Khadija later went on to see her uncle, a Christian scholar who, after reviewing his religious texts (note that these texts are not the texts of today, as the Christians of Mecca and the Arabs were not Pauline or Roman Christians), claimed Muhammad was the next prophet. This as well as the Jews in Medina, who were also expecting a new prophet, albeit a prophet from the Jewish tribe; Muhammad's claimed prophethood was an unpleasant surprise to many of them and hence they rejected him. In this way Muhammad saw himself at an early age as reviving an ancient faith, a perceived correction to Christianity and Judaism, and restoring his people to what he saw as their rightful position as the true founders and heirs of monotheism. In these revelations, submission to the will of their claimed god — [[Allah]] — was critical.  Muhammad's fledgling religion continued to develop throughout his life, through periodic revelations often relating directly to events currently facing his new faith. At one point, he admitted to being possessed by the devil.<ref>http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2011/10/muhammad-and-satan_24.html</ref>

When he was about 40 years old, Muhammad's supposed early revelations from the Angel Jibril spoke of a need to return to the [[monotheism]] of [[Abraham]]; however, Muhammad was unsure of himself upon seeing what seemed to him to be the Angel [[Gabriel]] and rushed to his house, terrified. He told his wife [[Khadija]] of the events, and she assured him that God wouldn't let this happen to such a humble man. Khadija later went on to see her uncle, a Christian scholar who, after reviewing his religious texts (note that these texts are not the texts of today, as the Christians of Mecca and the Arabs were not Pauline or Roman Christians), claimed Muhammad was the next prophet. This as well as the Jews in Medina, who were also expecting a new prophet, albeit a prophet from the Jewish tribe; Muhammad's claimed prophethood was an unpleasant surprise to many of them and hence they rejected him. In this way Muhammad saw himself at an early age as reviving an ancient faith, a perceived correction to [[Christianity]] and [[Judaism]], and restoring his people to what he saw as their rightful position as the true founders and heirs of [[monotheism]]. In these revelations, submission to the will of their claimed god — [[Allah]] — was critical.  Muhammad's fledgling religion continued to develop throughout his life, through periodic revelations often relating directly to events currently facing his new faith. At one point, he admitted to being possessed by the devil.<ref>http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2011/10/muhammad-and-satan_24.html</ref>

The faith caught on slowly, winning only a few converts in Mecca (the first being his wife, Khadija). In 622 A.D, under increased pressure and ostracism from elders in Mecca, Muhammad began the [[hijra]], an organized exodus of his followers from Mecca to the city of [[Medina]].  [[Muslims]] date the formation of their ideology to the ''hijra'' itself, even beginning their dating system at this point.

The faith caught on slowly, winning only a few converts in Mecca (the first being his wife, Khadija). In 622 A.D, under increased pressure and ostracism from elders in Mecca, Muhammad began the [[hijra]], an organized exodus of his followers from Mecca to the city of [[Medina]].  [[Muslims]] date the formation of their ideology to the ''hijra'' itself, even beginning their dating system at this point.