Islam is generally considered to have been founded in the early 7th century CE, when the Prophet Muhammad began receiving revelations in Mecca around the year 610 CE.

Quick Scoop: When Was Islam Founded?

Most historians and Islamic tradition point to 610 CE as the key founding moment, when Muhammad received his first revelation from the angel Gabriel in a cave near Mecca. These revelations continued and later formed the Quran, the holy book of Islam.

Another crucial date is 622 CE , the year of the Hijrah (migration) from Mecca to Medina, which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar and the formation of the first organized Muslim community (ummah). By the time of Muhammad’s death in 632 CE , Islam had spread across much of the Arabian Peninsula.

Simple timeline

  • Around 570 CE: Birth of Muhammad in Mecca.
  • 610 CE: First revelation in the Cave of Hira near Mecca; commonly taken as the start of Islam as a distinct faith.
  • 622 CE: Hijrah to Medina; start of the Islamic calendar and the first Islamic community-state.
  • 632 CE: Death of Muhammad; Islam is firmly established in Arabia.

Different viewpoints on “founded”

  • Many scholars and textbooks: Islam “began” or was “founded” with the first revelation in 610 CE.
  • Some historians emphasize 622 CE, since that is when an Islamic state and community were formed, giving Islam social and political structure.
  • Muslim belief: Islam is not entirely new in the 7th century, but a restoration of the original monotheistic faith of earlier prophets like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

So if you need a one-line answer for “when was Islam founded,” the most common response is: in 610 CE in Mecca, with Muhammad’s first revelation , with 622 CE as the start of the organized Muslim community and calendar.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.