The Elected Leader

He was appointed Caliph through a process of consultation and careful deliberation.  On his deathbed, Omar ibn Al Khattab appointed a council of six men to choose a new leader...

http://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/about-muhammad/story-of-the-prophet-muhammads-son-law-uthman/

Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) marriage to Lady Khadijah was a happy marriage that lasted for 25 years. When they married, he was 25 years old and she was 40, though some reports suggest she was younger than 40 – perhaps 35 years old.

Muhammad and Khadijah loved each other greatly, and their marriage was a source of peace and contentment for them both.

They had four children together: Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kalthoum, and Fatimah. They also had two male children, Al-Qasim and Abdullah, who both died as infants.

During the first 15 years of their marriage, Muhammad’s status and reputation grew year after year and by the age of 40 he was known in Makkah as “the truthful, the trustworthy.”

At the age of 35, he gave a wise judgment that prevented war breaking out among the tribes of Makkah. At that time, these tribes had joined hands to rebuild the Ka’bah, but when the time came to put the black stone back in its place, they differed and were about to fight to have this honor.

Before fighting broke out, they agreed on arbitration to be decided by the first person to enter the Ka’bah area. And it so happened that this person was none other than Muhammad.

And he provided them with a genius solution, as explained by Ibn Kathir:

[… The Prophet] asked them to bring a garment and place it on the ground. He placed the Black Stone on it. He then requested that each of the leaders of the Quraysh hold the garment from one side and all participate in lifting the Black Stone, moving it to its designated area. […]. (Tafsir ibn Kathir)

Searching for God and the Start of the Revelation

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had been searching for God for many years. He would sometimes go into seclusion in the Cave of Hira’ in Makkah, which oversees the Ka’bah. He would take enough food and supplies to spend several days worshiping, reflecting and contemplating.

When he was 40 years old, he started seeing visions which would come true as daylight. He continued seeing these visions for six months and spent more time in seclusion until the Truth descended upon him suddenly one night while he was in the cave of Hira’.

An angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied:

I do not know how to read.

Principle 1: Have a Sincere, Unwavering Intention

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Each person will be rewarded for what he intended” (Muslim).

This calls for determination in the heart to continuously act or to abstain from something only for God’s sake.

A sign of having sincere intentions is that one does not change his resolve for fleeting reasons; what is done for God, the Truth, should not be forsaken to please His creation...

http://aboutislam.net/spirituality/10-principles-seeking-path-god/

About five thousand British people convert to Islam every year, and most of them are women.

A British newspaper called The Guardian featured a story about six women who converted to Islam.

They share personal reflections on why they converted, and what challenges they faced...

http://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/my-journey-to-islam/what-really-makes-women-convert-to-islam/