What was the most important aspect of Muhammads rise to power in Arabia? Was it his religious innovations? Was it his political savvy? Was it the way he empowered a new community? Was it something else? You might want to think about this question in the context of these others: how did Muhammads upbringing shape his later life? How did other religious traditions influence Muhammads ideas? To what degree was the movement around Muhammad driven by economic or social factors? Did the nature of Muhammads message itself play a large role in the creation and expansion of his movement? Would his religious interventions have succeeded without his political vision? Was all of that superseded by his abilities as a military strategist and general?
