When was the founder of Islam chosen?

Answer 1

Muḥammad was born in Mecca (Arabic, Makkah), Saudi Arabia, about 570 C.E. His father, ‛Abd Allāh, died before Muḥammad's birth. His mother, Āminah, died when he was about six years old. At that time the Arabs practiced a form of worship of Allāh that was centered in the Mecca valley, at the sacred site of the Ka‛bah, a simple cubelike building where a black meteorite was revered. According to Islāmic tradition, "the Ka‛bah was originally built by Adam according to a celestial prototype and after the Deluge rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael." (History of the Arabs, by Philip K. Hitti) It became a sanctuary for 360 idols, one for each day of the lunar year.

As Muḥammad grew up, he questioned the religious practices of his day. John Noss, in his book Man's Religions, states: "[Muḥammad] was disturbed by incessant quarreling in the avowed interests of religion and honor among the Quraysh chiefs [Muḥammad belonged to that tribe]. Stronger still was his dissatisfaction with the primitive survivals in Arabian religion, the idolatrous polytheism and animism, the immorality at religious convocations and fairs, the drinking, gambling, and dancing that were fashionable, and the burial alive of unwanted infant daughters practiced not only in Mecca but throughout Arabia."-Surah 6:137.

Muḥammad's call to be a prophet took place when he was about 40 years of age. He had the custom of going alone to a nearby mountain cave, called Ghār Ḥirā', for meditation, and he claimed that it was on one of these occasions that he received the call to be a prophet. Muslim tradition relates that while he was there, an angel, later identified as Gabriel, commanded him to recite in the name of Allāh. Muḥammad failed to respond, so the angel 'caught him forcefully and pressed him so hard that he could not bear it anymore.' Then the angel repeated the command. Again, Muḥammad failed to react, so the angel 'choked him' again. This occurred three times before Muḥammad started to recite what came to be viewed as the first of a series of revelations that constitute the Qur'ān. Another tradition relates that divine inspiration was revealed to Muḥammad like the ringing of a bell

Answer - I (faro0485) personally disagree with the above answer, as it doesn't have any sources and uses opinions of people ("my favourite scholar said this...").

In the Quran chapter 7: verse157, it tells about the leader of the Muslims.

those who shall follow the Apostle, the unlettered Prophet whom they shall find described in the Torah that is with them, and in the Gospel: who will enjoin upon them the doing of what is right and forbid them the doing of what is wrong, and make lawful to them the good things of life and forbid them the bad things, and lift from them their burdens and the shackles that were upon them. Those, therefore, who shall believe in him, and honour him, and succour him, and follow the light that has been bestowed from on high through him-it is they that shall attain to a happy state."

And again in quran chapter 61: verse 6

And when Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O children of Israel! Behold, I am an apostle of God unto you, to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to give [you] the glad tiding of an apostle who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad." But when he [whose coming Jesus had foretold] came unto them with all evidence of the truth, they said: "This is spellbinding eloquence!"