The young man was Muhammad bin Abdullah, now known as the prophet of Islam. The wealthy caravan owner was Khadija. Fifteen years after their marriage, Muhammad was meditating in a cave when a being who called himself the angel Gabriel appeared to him. This revelation was the beginning of Islam. MUHAMMAD’S CITY Let’s look at the city in which Muhammad lived—Mecca. This city still exists in present-day Saudi Arabia. The people who lived in Mecca during Muhammad’s time were: ✹ Mostly Arabic tribes