BY EMILY, NATALIE AND NATHAN EARLY ISLAM

Muhammad was born in 570. He founded the religion of Islam. He is considered by Muslims to be the messenger and prophet of God. He was an active social reformer, diplomat, merchant, philosopher, orator, legislator, military leader, humanitarian and philanthropist. WHO IS MUHAMMAD?

 After Muhammad’s death, the Islamic faith was used as a political force. Wars of expansion followed closely upon his death. Muhammad’s caliphs made Islam into a system of government as well as a religion. The caliphs sent out their well-trained armies to spread the faith and also the Muslim control over areas In the Middle East. By 636, Syria and Northern Palestine had fallen to Muslim forces. By 641, all of Palestine, Mesopotamia and Persia had also surrendered to Muslim forces. In 711, Muslim armies crossed from Western Northern Africa over the strait of Gibraltar to Spain and within a decade, the armies had captured nearly the entire Iberian Peninsula. POLITICAL DIVISION

Muslims practice the religion of Islam. Muslims also accept the Qur’an as the word of God given to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. Muslims believe that the Qur’an contains God’s actual words, so it cannot be changed. Moses and Jesus are prophets according to Muslims. By the end of the eighth century, the supreme leader of the Islamic world was still caliph. He had absolute power over everyone. The caliph was considered to be the head of faith, but also the commander of the army and the chief lawmaker and judge. Islamic law, called the sharia, is based on the Qur’an and the hadith, which is a collection of Muhammad’s statements and actions when he lived. Religious beliefs, duties and good works were all important elements of Islam. POLITICAL DIVISION

Since Muhammad didn’t have a son to be the next caliph, Muslims couldn’t agree on who should take on the role of being the caliph. A lot of people thought that Ali, the husband of Muhammad’s daughter Fatimah, should be the head of faith (caliph). A lot of Muslims thought that the leadership should stay within the family of the caliph. This disagreement resulted in a war between Ali and his supporters (Shia) on one side, and the Umayyad family along with Muhammad’s wife Aishah on another. Ali defended himself and his supporters against the enemies at the battle of the camel in the year 656. He was assassinated in 661 and the Umayyad family of Damascus took control. The political division of Islam that still remains today, is the Shia (supporters of Ali) and the Sunni (the supporters of Aishah and the Umayyad family). POLITICAL DIVISION

The Qur’an has 114 chapters, 6236 verses and 79,934 words! It contains commandments and parables.

1 ST CALIPHS A Caliph is an Arab word meaning "successor" or a spiritual leader of Islam, claiming succession from Muhammad. Abu Bakr was the closest friend and companion of Muhammad and was the first Muslim Caliph. He was also on of the first men to convert to Islam. Abu Bakr ruled for 2 years to be beaten by 'Umar. 'Umar was a Caliph for a decade (10 years). He established many of the basic practices of Islamic government and also established the first public treasury and a sophisticated and financial administration.

Another fraction of Islam preferred Muhammad's son- in-law Ali as a caliph, but Ali eventually submitted, and Abu Bakr took over the government of all Muslim Arabs. Abu Bakr died in his sixties, possibly from poison but also just as likely from a natural cause. Before he died, he got named a successor. Several generations later, after rivalries led to murder and war, Islam would be split into two parts: the Sunnis, who followed the Caliphs, and the Shiites, who thought that Ali was the real heir of Muhammad and would only follow leaders descended from him. 1 ST CALIPHS

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