Final answer:
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, a city known for its sacred idols in the Kaaba. At the age of forty, he received a visit from the angel Gabriel, who instructed him to recite the word of God. This made him a prophet and he sought to unite his people through the worship of Allah.
Step-by-step explanation:
Muhammad, the founder of the Islamic faith, was born in the wealthy caravan city of Mecca, which had a reputation as a sacred place due to its housing of idols and statues of many gods in the Kaaba, a cube-like black shrine for prayer. The wealthy merchant class in Mecca used to sell idols to pilgrims visiting the holy city. At the age of forty, Muhammad was meditating in a local cave when he received a visit from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel instructed him to recite the word of God. This ability to quote the word of God made Muhammad a prophet, or messenger of God. He believed that by worshiping one god, Allah, it would unite his people. Muhammad called his followers Muslims, meaning 'followers of Islam', and his new religion focused on mercy and kindness at its core.