The Rise of Islam

Over history Western Asia has given birth to some of the worlds greatest & most powerful civilizations known to man

In the seventh century one such group rose to spread its influence across the world…..The Arabs

The Arabs lived on the Arabian Peninsula which consisted of mainly desert

The Arabs were nomads who were constantly on the move in search of water & food

They organized themselves into tribes ruled by sheikhs who were chosen by the leading families or the council of elders

Although the tribes were independent they retained a loose connection to each other

On the oasIs & rain fed areas the Arabs lived as sheep herders & farmers

With the domestication of the camel they were able to populate more of the desert

The camel also allowed for trade to expand & trade routes to be developed as well as towns along those routes

Most early Arabs were polytheistic or believed in many gods with the highest being Allah

Their religious beliefs can be traced back to Abraham who is believed to have built a house of worship called the Kaaba located at Makkah

Here is located the Black Stone which is believed to be the cornerstone of Kaaba laid by the prophet Adam

During this period a man was born in Makkah to a merchant family & later orphaned at the age of five

Over time he would become a caravan manager & marry a rich widow named Khadija

Over time Muhammad would become troubled over the greediness of the wealthy Makkans

Worried he began making visits to the hills to meditate where during one of these visits it is believed that the Angel Gabriel visited him revealing revelations from God

Gabriel told Muhammad to recite what he was told

He believed that Allah had already revealed himself through Moses & Jesus-and thus through the Christian & Hebrew religions, however, he was receiving the final revelations of Allah

The written words of these revelations became the Quran or the holy book of the Islamic faith

The word Islam means “peace through submission to the word of Allah”

The Quran contains ethical guidelines & laws by which the followers of Allah are to follow

Those that practice Islam are called Muslims & believe in one God, Allah, & that Muhammad is his prophet

Once Muhammad returned home his wife, Khadija urged him to follow Gabriel's message, & she became the first to convert to Islam

Muhammad then set out to convince the people of Makkah about the truth of his revelations

This was not easy as the wealthy feared that his attacks might upset the political & economic structure

After 3 years Muhammad had become discouraged by persecution & the failure to get acceptance of his message as only 30 were followers of his message

In 622 or year 1 of the Islamic calendar Muhammad left Makkah with his followers & settled in Yathrib, later named Madinah (City of the Prophet)

The journey is known as the Hijrah In Madinah he began to win support as well as in the desert

from the Bedouins These groups of people would form the first practicing

community of Muslims Submission to the will of Allah meant also to Muhammad, his

prophet, thus he became not only the religious leader but the political leader as well

His skills allowed him to put together a strong army to protect his followers

In 630 he & 10,000 of his military returned to Makkah The city surrendered with most of the people converting to

Islam Muhammad declared the Kaaba a sacred shrine to Islam Two years after his triumph return to Makkah Muhammad

died All Muslims are encouraged to make at least one trip to

Makkah in their lifetime which is known as the hajj

Islam is a monotheistic religion with Allah being the supreme God

It emphasizes salvation & hope for the afterlife for those who subject themselves to the Islamic teachings or will of Allah

Unlike Christianity Islam does not consider its first preacher, Muhammad, to be divine, but rather a prophet who was a man like other men

Muslims believe that man rejected Allah’s earlier messages & messengers & now sent his final revelations through Muhammad

Islam is a direct faith that stresses the need to obey the will of Allah which means practicing acts of worship known as the Five Pillars of Islam: belief, prayer, charity, fasting, & pilgrimage

Belief-Muslims believe in one God, Allah, & Muhammad is his

messengerPrayer-Five times a dayCharity-Give to the poorFasting-During Ramadan Muslims

refrain from food & drink from sunrise to sunset

Pilgrimage-Each Muslim is expected to make the pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in their lifetime

Those that follow the law go to eternal paradise

Islam is not just a set of religious beliefs but a way of life

After Muhammad’s death scholars developed a set of codes known as the shari’ah which provides believers with a set of laws to guide their lives

This is based on interpretations of the Quran

This regulates all parts of life including the family, politics, life, business, & moral conduct

There is no separation between religious matters & political or civil matters

In addition to the Five Pillars Muslims are expected to practice honesty & justice as well not to partake in eating pork, gambling, drink alcoholic beverages, or engage in dishonest behavior