Born 945, Jerusalem
Died 1000

During much of the Middle Ages, the Muslim world—those territories that embraced Islam as their religion—stretched over a vast area. It reached from the Iberian Peninsula in southern Europe, across the north coast of Africa, through the Middle East, and into central Asia and the East Indies (present-day Indonesia).

One of the duties of a devout Muslim was, at least once in his life, to make a pilgrimage or hajj to the holy city of Mecca (now located in Saudi Arabia). That was the birthplace of Muhammad (570?–632), who was believed to be the prophet to whom Allah (God) had revealed his laws, which Muhammad wrote down in the holy book of Islam, the Koran. Thus, during the Middle Ages, dedicated Muslims traveled from near and far to make their way to the sacred site.

Undertakes pilgrimages to Mecca