Teachings and BeliefsMohammed received the word of God, or Allah, through the angel Gabriel while living in the city of Mecca. Townspeople soon became fearful of the Mohammed's preaching and he began to receive threats. As a result, he fled to the nearby city of Medina, where people began to believe in his message. The flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Median was instrumental to the founding of the religion of Islam, and is known as the Hegira. Thus, in 622 CE Islam was founded and this date became the starting point for the Islamic calendar. Mohammed and his followers later returned to Mecca and declared a jihad, or holy war, after which he captured the city. Under Mohammed's leadership, the basic teachings of Islam were established, which are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. Every Muslim is expected to follow these rules in order to lead an ethical life:
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