Foundations of Islam Learning Target: Today we will be learning about Muhammad, how Islam was established, what Muslims practice, and how Islam relates to other religions Success Criteria: I can explain how Muhammed founded Islam I can name 2 important cities from Muhammed’s background I can describe the link between Islam & 2 other religions I can define what the Quran is I can name 2 of the Five Pillars of Islam

Foundations of Islam Muhammad was born into a poor merchant family in Mecca He became a caravan trader who met many people of different religions like Christianity and Judaism who practiced monotheism or belief in one God Most Arabs at the time were polytheists which means belief in many gods At 40, the angel Gabriel came to Muhammed in a vision and told him to recite verses that Allah was revealing to Muhammad He was also told to teach others his revelations, and he began to gain followers

Foundations of Islam Arabic rulers didn’t like Muhammed and his teachings because they thought he was threatening their authority In Mecca, Arabs worshipped at the Kaaba, a black box with idols inside Arab rulers feared that the spread of Muhammed’s teachings would end the pilgrimage to Mecca They began to harass Muhammed and his followers so they fled to Medina where he gained many new followers The escape from Mecca to Medina became known as the hijra, and it is the first year on the Muslim calendar

Foundations of Islam After many new followers converted to Islam, Muhammad led them all back to Mecca where a war broke out He reclaimed the city of Mecca for Allah and made it the most holy city The idols in the Kaaba were destroyed & it is now a holy place for Muslims Muhammed used wise policies, tolerance, & force to spread Islam A few years after he died, Islam was practiced all of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa

The Quran The holy book of Islam is the Qur’an, and it is the word of Allah that was revealed to Muhammad It provides guidelines on how to live and emphasizes the importance of jihad which means “the struggle to defend the faith” Since it was revealed to Muhammad in Arabic, Muslims believe if the Quran has been translated out of Arabic it is not a Quran at all Over time, a code of law called Sharia Law was created by Islamic scholars based on the Quran

The 5 Pillars of Islam To obey the will of Allah, Muslims must perform acts of worship known as the five pillars Belief: Claiming there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet Prayer: Pray 5 times a day facing the city of Mecca Charity: Paying zakat which is an annual tax to help the poor Fasting: Muslims eat and drink nothing from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan Pilgrimage: If at all possible, travel to Mecca at least once in your life

A Father of Many Nations/Religions Judaism Abraham and Sarah Hagar Isaac Ishmael Christianity Jacob/Judah Islam Muhammed Jesus

Similarities in Beliefs (Muslims, Christians, & Jews) All 3 religions are monotheists Monotheism in the belief in ONE god All 3 religions believe God spoke to people through prophets Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet