Karen Armstrong's book, Muhammad a prophet of our time, is a biographical meticulous quest for the historical Mohammed. The biography portrays Muhammed as a human being who was fallible, passionate and complex. As a leader, he was charismatic and well endowed with spiritual and political gifts. As a prophet he used his monotheistic vision to answer the longings of his people intuitively. Karen's portrayal of the Islamic religion captivates the readers, while at the same time enlightening them with a newfound understanding of the modern Middle East, and the people of Arabian peninsula specifically.
Mecca was a commercial city in the Hijaz that was infested by capricious jinns. As a result, the people of Mecca, who lived a nomadic way, were being led astray. The situation was so bad, and the people needed the intervention of Allah. Muhammed was the man appointed by Allah to transform Mecca to glory. After the intervention it achieved astonishing success, and became an international trading center. Its financiers and merchants suddenly became so rich.
Jahaliyya is the period of time before the revelation of Qur'an was received by Muhammed. Karen describes this period as the “days of ignorance”. During this time, the pre-Islamic Arabia's Makkan society was morally bankrupt and did not recognize Allah. People worshipped idols, practiced polytheism, gambled a lot, practiced unlimited polygamy, consumed alcohol too much, and were generally violent. Being acutely aware of the sinful practices of the people during this period, Muhammed often took time to meditate and pray for the people in Cave Hira on Mount Nur. It was during one of these occasions that he received the Qur'an's first revelation.
The people of Mecca did not receive Muhammed's teachings so well. In 622 CE, he, therefore, migrated from Mecca to Medina. This migration was referred to as Hijra. Medina was a place where the Islam developed their principles and raised their children in relative peace. This holy pilgrimage is still practiced today, long after Muhammed's death. This is the same way of life that Muhammed desires that the people of Arabian peninsula should live.