Unleashing the Beast

66 / U NLEASHING THE B EAST

from Arabia. He claimed he saw a series of visions and revelations that became the basis for the Islamic holy book called the Koran. Mohammed, meaning "the praised one," Was born in the year 570 A.D. Mohammed was from the Quraysh tribe, who claimed to be direct descendants from Abraham through his son, Ishmael. Mohammed's father, Abdullah, died before Mohammed was born. His mother, Amina, died when Mohammed was six. He was raised by his uncle, and traveled with caravans throughout Syria and Arabia. At age 25, he married a wealthy widow named Khadija and had six children through her. Mohammed lived near Mecca a settlement in Arabia. It was a community situated at the crossroads of the main north/south and east/west caravan routes. Arabian merchants filled the area with beds, food, stables for camels and other services. Mecca also contained a 140 feet deep well with crystal clear water, which drew people from far and near to Mecca. Called Zam Zam, the well was believed to cure illnesses. The other distinguishing mark of Mecca was a large black rock, different from all others in the area. No one knew how it got there, and the caravans were afraid of it. (It was probably a meteorite.) Those living in Mecca built a large cube-shaped stone building over the rock called the Ka'ba (meaning "cube" in Arabic). The local people charged visitors for the privilege of kissing the rock for good luck. Before Mohammed's time, Mecca had become a tourist attraction for caravans. Each year pilgrims traveled to Mecca to drink from the special springs and