Who is Mohammad from The Essential Rumi and what is their importance?

Mohammad is the man who brought Islam to the world. Sent by God to the Arabian people, Mohammad developed a reputation in his hometown of being wonderfully gentle and kind and rather wise. God spoke to him through a powerful angel, who communicated God's desire that Mohammad write a holy book for God, to share with the Arabian people and others of the Earth.

This upset Mohammad because he was illiterate. The angel, however, assured him not to worry about such a detail. The entire Holy Q'ran is the result of this effort, and the Q'ran is the foundation of the Muslim faith. Rumi was an Arabian Muslim.