The founder of Islam is Muhammad ibn Abdallah. Muhammad received revelations ranging from the year 610 to the year of his death in 632. These revelations first came to him from the angel Gabriel. The angel Gabriel spoke to him in Arabic from Allah. From these revelations, Muhammad formed the Koran, the holy book of Islam. In the beginning of the Islamic faith peace and tolerance towards those who did not believe in Islam were taught. These ideals have been corrupted since the death of Muhammad causing people to misinterpret this religion.
Muhammad was born in 570, raised by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, and later by his uncle, Abul Talib. Growing up Muhammad was known for his honesty and wisdom. When Muhammad was 12 monk Bahira at Bisra foreshadowed Muhammad's future, stating that he would become the prophet of God. Later in his life, around the age of forty Muhammad had his first revelation from Angel Gabriel or Jibril. Muhammad was frightened by this and tried to run away, but Angel Gabriel assured him that her words were the words of God and that he is His prophet. Muhammad would be the final prophet and would deliver the "perfect message from God to all humanity.".
The Koran, often referred to as the Qur"an by scholars because it is more like the Arabic pronunciation, means the reading. Because he was not able to read or write, when Muhammad received the revelations he dictated them to secretaries and companions who wrote them down, or they remained unwritten until after Muhammad's death. Many assume that his companions understood and recorded his words perfectly, which is highly unlikely. Some surahs or chapters of the Koran became oral traditions before they were written down. In all of the occurrences of Muhammad's revelations throughout the 23 years which he received them, were not put together and organized as it is in the Koran, until about 12 years after his death in 644.
