Chapters 1-10 Summary and Analysis

In Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, Martin Lings traces the life of Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Using ancient sources, Lings discusses Muhammad's life from his birth to his death, including the revelations that Muhammad receives from God and the opposition to Islam with which Muhammad and his followers had to contend. Lings paints an image of life in ancient Mecca and how Islam changes the relationships and daily life of the individuals in the region.

In chapter one, God tells Abraham that his descendants will be many. His wife, Sarah, gives Abraham her maid as a second wife. Hagar, the maid, gives birth to a boy named Ishmael. Thirteen years later, Sarah gives birth to Isaac. Sarah becomes jealous of Hagar and makes her former maid and Ishmael leave the household. God guides Hagar and...