lahs previous prophets. The revelation came in the form of verses of what was to become the Quran, spoken to him by the angel Gabriel. At first Muhammad was deeply troubled and frightened by his experience, but his wife Khadija and several of his relatives and close friends were convinced that the revelation was authentic. Thus his first converts were his close friends and family. Muhammad then experienced two years where he received no revelations, but after his temporary silence, a new revelation, the Sura 93, commanded Muhammad begin his mission and speak publicly about the new religion. The revelations compiled in the Quran would be committed to memory by Muhammads followers and would be integral to the success of Islam. The most frequent cause of conversion was the Quran itself (Muhammad 125). Throughout Muhammads life, by simply reciting the Quran people would immediately allow Islam to enter their hearts and join him. Even today, Muslims state that the miracle of the Quran consists in its ability to have [its] effect on people today, even those who are not native Arabic speakers (Muhammad 127). God spoke through Muhammad, and His words came over people in a way that allowed them to see that these were Gods words and that Muhammad must be a true prophet. In effect, Muhammad was very frightened when he received his first revelationsuncertain of their legitimacy and that which he was supposed to do after receiving them. Therefore, Muhammad spent two years doing nothing until he was commanded to go out and spread the word. While he spread his message, the single most important factor in Muhammads success in gaining followers was the immediate and awesome effect the Quran had on those who heard it. Siddharthas life had taken a different course. In about the year 528 BCE, after six years of searching for peace through asceticism and other religious endeavors, the Siddhartha came to the grove known today as Bodh Gayā ...
