The worst year of Muhammad's life begins with the loss of Khadija and Abu Talib. A breakdown of what may have killed them and the impact of Muhammad, Islam, and the political situation in Mecca.

Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?

Did He not bring their stratagem to naught,

And send against them swarms of flying creatures,

Which pelted them with stones of baked clay,

And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?

The story of Moses... from the river to the burning bush to the edge of the Promised Land. The Islamic Moses skips the most famous plague of the Bible, gives the surah of the cow its name, hits an angel -- and then takes a mysterious journey with a man in green.

The Prophet said, "Allah has appointed an angel in the womb, and the angel says, 'O Lord! A drop of discharge (i.e. of semen), O Lord! a clot, O Lord! a piece of flesh.' And then, if Allah wishes to complete the child's creation, the angel will say. 'O Lord! A male or a female? O Lord! wretched or blessed (in religion)? What will his livelihood be? What will his age be?' The angel writes all this while the child is in the womb of its mother."

The Quraysh take their best shot at annihilating Mecca's Muslims - and their tribesman - in a three-year boycott. The boycotted take refuge on the outskirts of Mecca as the rest of the city tries to starve them into submission. The siege is broken, at last, when it is revealed the other Meccans simply so not have the will to maintain the blockade.

For the taming of Qureysh.

For their taming (We cause) the caravans to set forth in winter and summer.

So let them worship the Lord of this House,

Who hath fed them against hunger and hath made them safe from fear.

Joseph is kidnapped, ends up in Egypt, has some problems with a eunuch and resists some epic temptation. The story of Joseph is told in surah 12, which is actually named Yusuf - the Arabic word for Joseph. The story of Joseph was always special to Muhammad, and this episodes details why.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allah said:

"Part of the perfection of one's Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him."

The controversial story of the Satanic Verses -- where the story came from, why it matters (or doesn't matter) and how believable the story actually is. Did Satan really try to sneak an extra verse past Muhammad? Or is it just an apocryphal legend? And what are the theological implications of this?

Hast thou observed him who belieth religion?

That is he who repelleth the orphan,

And urgeth not the feeding of the needy.

Ah, woe unto worshippers

Who are heedless of their prayer;

Who would be seen (at worship)

Yet refuse small kindnesses!