MAIN SECTS OF ISLAM
According to Islamic belief, Allah has sent various Prophets to the world at different times and different places to guide the people on the righteous path. The names of the following Prophets are mentioned in the Holy Quran: Adam, Sheth, Idris, Nuh (Noah), Hud, Salih, Lut, Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail, Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Shuaib, Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ilyas, Al-Yasa (Elisha), Musa (Moses), Aziz (Ubair or Ezra), Ayyub (Job), Dhul-Kifl (Isaih or Kharqil Bin Thauri), Yunus (Jonah), Zakariya (Zachariah), Yahya (John the Baptist), Isa (Jesus Christ) and Muhammad.
Prophet Muhammad is considered as the messenger of Allah and the last of all Prophets who restored Islam to its pristine purity. Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 AD at Makkah. At the age of 40, Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from Allah through the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) in a cave at Mount Hira near Makkah. The revelations continued for 23 years, and they are collectively known as the Quran. Although, Prophet Mohammed was hardly able to read or write, he began to dictate those inspired words beginning with "There is but one God, the Allah". He began preaching these revelations to the common populace in Makkah. However, there were many people in Makkah who were opposed to Prophet Muhammad's teachings as they did not believe that he was a Prophet. In spite of severe opposition, he continued to preach and the number of his followers steadily increased. However, as the persecution from unbelievers continued to increase and became more severe Allah commanded Prophet Muhammad and his followers to migrate from Makkah to Madina. Thus, in 622 AD, Prophet Muhammad decided to leave Makkah and undertook the great migration or Hijra to a town called Yathrib, which later came to be known as Medina. This emigration marks the beginning of the Muslim Calendar.
In Medina, Islam began to flourish and before Prophet Muhammad died at the age of 63, Islam had spread to the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula, up to Spain in the West and as far into the east as China. As a mark of respect to the Prophet, the Muslims use the words 'Peace Be Upon Him' after his name.
