A New Faith “Islam”

Introduction The cultures of the Arabian Peninsula were in constant contact with one another for centuries One set of shared ideas became a powerful force that would change the world, and unite the region That force was the religion of Islam

Trade Influences Islam The Arabian Peninsula is a crossroads for 3 continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa In the desert, lived people called “Bedouins” – they organized into clans which provided them support and security The Bedouins followed the ideals of loyalty to family, courage, and warrior skills By the 600s, trade routes connected the 3 continents Arab traders brought spices and incense as well as new ideas

Mecca – an Important City During certain times of the year, the traders would stop in Mecca to worship at the “Kaaba” This was a holy shrine The Arabs associated it with Abraham who was a Hebrew prophet The Arabs followed the idea of one God and they called him “Allah”

Muhammad Muhammad was born into a clan of a powerful family He was orphaned at the age of 6 He was then raised by his grandfather and uncle He received little schooling and began working as a trader at the age of 25 His manager was a woman named Khadija Khadija was a 40 year old widow – and she and Mohammad would eventually marry

Muhammad’s Revelations He had always taken a great interest in religion He spent a lot of time alone, praying, meditating, and fasting Once, while praying in a cave in Mecca, he heard a voice It was the voice of the angel Gabriel - he told Mohammad that he was a messenger of Allah Mohammad believed that Allah was speaking to him through Gabriel Mohammad was also convinced that he was the last prophet

Mohammad’s Teachings Muhammad’s wife and family members were his first followers He began to preach that: Allah was the one and only God People who agreed with Islam were to be called Muslims Islam means: “submission to the will of Allah” Muslim means: “one who has submitted”

The Hijrah By 613, Muhammad’s preachings were met with much resistance In 622, he fled to “Yathrib” – a city north of Mecca (this city would later be renamed “Madinah”) The people there welcomed him and soon he had gained 10,000 followers This movement from Mecca to Yathrib is referred to as the “Hijrah” – because it was a turning point for Mohammad winning followers

The Return to Mecca In 630, Mohammad went back to Mecca to fight and convert the people there When he arrived the people of Mecca surrendered, they destroyed all of their past idols, and pledged their loyalty to Mohammad Mohammad would die 2 years later at the age of 62, but he had succeeded in unifying the entire Arabian peninsula under Islam