Prophet Muhammad Islam Brief History and Teachings Arabia

Prophet Muhammad Islam Brief History and Teachings

Arabia in 600 AD § Populated by various Arabic-speaking people – Bedouin - organized in tribes – Caravan meerchants and agriculturalists, Intense tribal loyalties & warfare § Arab culture revered oral story telling § Majority of Arabs followed polytheistic religions & worshipped idols § City of Mecca was a religious & trade center – Rich mixtures of culture – Ka'aba - temple founded by Abraham – Yearly pilgrimage to site – Much social injustice & economic disparity

Muhammad (570 – 632) § § § § Born at Mecca into the Quraysh tribe Orphaned at an early age & raised by uncle Illiterate but very articulate & well liked Became a successful merchant – traveled north Married older wealthy widow at 25 - Khadijah Saw a crisis in Arab society 610 AD…. the divine call – Visited while meditating in cave by the Archangel Gabriel who commanded him to recite verses sent by God – Revelations continued for the next 22 years – Revelations collected in the Quran – Revelations directly related to the needs of the Arab people – First memorized the verses & passed them to his wife & close relatives – Small band of followers would memorize the recitations § First converts – wife, cousin Ali, kinsman Abu Bakr § Starts preaching in 612 § New recruits mainly from slaves and lower classes

Muhammad § 612 -622 AD - in Mecca preaching and gaining followers – Seen as a trouble maker for attacking the establishment – Attempts to assasinate him § AD 622… the Hejira to Medina – Request to resolve dispute between rival tribes – With followers moved to neighboring city of Medina – Year 622 as the start of the Muslim calendar § 622 -630 AD---in Medina – Becomes leader of city – Mecca and Medina in conflict 630 – Mecca captured without fight – Cleansed the Kaaba of idols § 632 – first Hajj or pilgrimage § By his death in 632, Muhammad had united the entire Arabian peninsula

Religion of Muhammad § Islam is the religion of submission or surrender to Allah § – Simple and uncompromising faith in oneness of God Muhammad did not believe he was preaching a new religion – Did not reject Judaism and Christianity – Sent by God in order to complete and perfect those teachings – Accepted Abraham, Moses and Jesus as prophets – Muhammad is the messenger of God – Last in a long line of prophets § Chosen by God to preach repentance and submission to God

Islam § Islam is open to all who accept its tenets § Prohibition against idolatry or graven images § Islam has no organized hierarchy – No religious authority, clerical elite or priesthood to act as intermediary – Mullahs (teachers) occupy positions of authority because of their knowledge of the Quran § Sunna or Hadith - written collection of Arab oral traditions concerning life of Muhammad – Address issues not specifically covered in the Quran § Sharia – Islamic Law – Three sources – Quran, Sunna and Ijtihad – analytic reasoning to cover locally raised issues § Quran prohibits alcohol and gambling § Jihad – Call for Holy War against infidels? ? § Quran insists that there be no coercion in matters of faith

The Five Pillars of Faith 1. Profession of Faith - Shahadah “There is no God but Allah (God), and Muhammad is His Prophet. ” – First and last words heard – Most repeated words by Muslims – Person a Muslim once profession is repeated 2. Prayer – Salat – Direction toward Mecca – 5 times a day – Call of Muezzin – Dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset & nightfall – Create sense of solidarity and social equality – Body posture essential – Must use Arabic – Friday noon prayer is only mandatory public prayer for all adult males 3. Charity – Zakat – purification § Compassion for the poor § 2. 5 % of wealth expected

The Five Pillars of Faith 4. Fasting - Sawm § Ramadan – based on lunar calendar – different each year § Daylight hours during month of Ramadan 5. Pilgrimage to Kaaba in Mecca – Hajj § All those who can afford and physically fit § Ideal of equality & unity among believers § Unites cultures and ideas

Islam After Muhammad § Shiites – Only descendants of Fatima or her husband Ali should succeed Mohammed – Death of Imam Hussein (son of Ali) most celebrated event in Shiite calendar § Sunnis – any follower of Islam should be eligible to lead – Division political & religious – Never settled to this day § Series of Caliphs governed the Islamic State

Struggle for Succession Number of conflicting parties sought to succeed Muhammad § Companions – belonged to Muhammad’s tribe or had accepted mission early § Legitimists – heir must belong to family of Muhammad – Ali paternal cousin, husband of daughter Fatima & one of first believers § Companions triumphed with selection of abu-Bakr Rashidun - Four “righteous” caliphs (632 -661 AD) § § – All were close associates and relatives of Muhammad Abu Bakr (632 -634) Father-in-law of Muhammad and one of first believers Umar (634 -644) main military genius who carried Islam forward from the Arabian peninsula Uthman (644 -656) - empire fell into a civil war called the Fitna – In 656 Uthman is assassinated by followers of Ali (656 -661) Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin – Many refused to accept Ali as a leader – Killed by assassin Then began a series of Caliphates.

The Spread of Islam

Rich Cultural Achievements § Many Islamic centers of culture and science – Baghdad – Cairo – Damascus – Cordoba – Alexandria § Scholarship – Produced notable scientists, astronomers, mathematicians, doctors and philosophers – Importance of reading the Qur'an produced a comparatively high level of literacy in the general populace § Heirs to Hellenistic Learning – Maintained Classical learning – Translation of Greek texts - Aristotle § Medicine § Architecture – Mosques, Palaces & Minarets § Art – Geometric patterns, calligraphy, metal work

Where are Muslims Today?