The Arabian Peninsula, The Prophet Muhammad, And the Birth of Islam (570 – 632 AD)

The Arabian Peninsula Why was this a good location for trade and the spread of ideas? – climate – Mecca

Arab life in the 600s AD How did Bedouins live? - nomads - herders - clans Where were settled communities located? - oases - market towns - coastal areas

Mecca at the Birth of Muhammad The Ka’aba – Who built it? Abraham – How was it used? Over 360 idols for traders and religious pilgrims Belief in one god - Allah

What were Muhammad’s Revelations? Through the Angel Gabriel 1)Allah is the one God 2)Muhammad receives the Qur’an in Jerusalem What’s up with this painting?Why is this a controversial location?

Why were Muhammad’s ideas unpopular in Mecca? What is going on in this painting? Abu Bakr – Muhammad’s first convert – Father of Khadijah – 1 st Caliph (“successor”) – Qur’an recorded under his rule

How was the Hijrah a Turning Point? 200 mile escape to Yathrib, renamed Medina (“city of the Prophet”) – Muhammad builds first mosque – Attracts converts – Muslim calendar (this year is 1433 A.H.)

Why was Muhammad’s return to Mecca important? In 630 AD, Muhammad’s forces capture Mecca – He removes the idols from the Ka’aba – He unifies much of the peninsula under Islam by his death two years later

The 3 Holiest Places in Islam - Know their names and locations