The Rise of Islam

 Over history Western Asia has given birth to some of the worlds greatest & most powerful civilizations known to man  In the seventh century one such group rose to spread its influence across the world…..The Arabs  The Arabs lived on the Arabian Peninsula which consisted of mainly desert  The Arabs were nomads who were constantly on the move in search of water & food  They organized themselves into tribes ruled by sheikhs who were chosen by the leading families or the council of elders  Although the tribes were independent they retained a loose connection to each other

 On the oasIs & rain fed areas the Arabs lived as sheep herders & farmers  With the domestication of the camel they were able to populate more of the desert  The camel also allowed for trade to expand & trade routes to be developed as well as towns along those routes  Most early Arabs were polytheistic or believed in many gods with the highest being Allah  Their religious beliefs can be traced back to Abraham who is believed to have built a house of worship called the Kaaba located at Makkah  Here is located the Black Stone which is believed to be the cornerstone of Kaaba laid by the prophet Adam

 During this period a man was born in Makkah to a merchant family & later orphaned at the age of five  Over time he would become a caravan manager & marry a rich widow named Khadija  Over time Muhammad would become troubled over the greediness of the wealthy Makkans  Worried he began making visits to the hills to meditate where during one of these visits it is believed that the Angel Gabriel visited him revealing revelations from God

 Gabriel told Muhammad to recite what he was told  He believed that Allah had already revealed himself through Moses & Jesus-and thus through the Christian & Hebrew religions, however, he was receiving the final revelations of Allah  The written words of these revelations became the Quran or the holy book of the Islamic faith  The word Islam means “peace through submission to the word of Allah”  The Quran contains ethical guidelines & laws by which the followers of Allah are to follow  Those that practice Islam are called Muslims & believe in one God, Allah, & that Muhammad is his prophet

 Once Muhammad returned home his wife, Khadija urged him to follow Gabriel's message, & she became the first to convert to Islam  Muhammad then set out to convince the people of Makkah about the truth of his revelations  This was not easy as the wealthy feared that his attacks might upset the political & economic structure  After 3 years Muhammad had become discouraged by persecution & the failure to get acceptance of his message as only 30 were followers of his message

 In 622 or year 1 of the Islamic calendar Muhammad left Makkah with his followers & settled in Yathrib, later named Madinah (City of the Prophet)  The journey is known as the Hijrah  In Madinah he began to win support as well as in the desert from the Bedouins  These groups of people would form the first practicing community of Muslims  Submission to the will of Allah meant also to Muhammad, his prophet, thus he became not only the religious leader but the political leader as well  His skills allowed him to put together a strong army to protect his followers  In 630 he & 10,000 of his military returned to Makkah  The city surrendered with most of the people converting to Islam  Muhammad declared the Kaaba a sacred shrine to Islam  Two years after his triumph return to Makkah Muhammad died  All Muslims are encouraged to make at least one trip to Makkah in their lifetime which is known as the hajj

 Islam is a monotheistic religion with Allah being the supreme God  It emphasizes salvation & hope for the afterlife for those who subject themselves to the Islamic teachings or will of Allah  Unlike Christianity Islam does not consider its first preacher, Muhammad, to be divine, but rather a prophet who was a man like other men  Muslims believe that man rejected Allah’s earlier messages & messengers & now sent his final revelations through Muhammad

 Islam is a direct faith that stresses the need to obey the will of Allah which means practicing acts of worship known as the Five Pillars of Islam: belief, prayer, charity, fasting, & pilgrimage Belief-Muslims believe in one God, Allah, & Muhammad is his messenger Prayer-Five times a day Charity-Give to the poor Fasting-During Ramadan Muslims refrain from food & drink from sunrise to sunset Pilgrimage-Each Muslim is expected to make the pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in their lifetime  Those that follow the law go to eternal paradise

IIslam is not just a set of religious beliefs but a way of life AAfter Muhammad’s death scholars developed a set of codes known as the shari’ah which provides believers with a set of laws to guide their lives TThis is based on interpretations of the Quran TThis regulates all parts of life including the family, politics, life, business, & moral conduct TThere is no separation between religious matters & political or civil matters IIn addition to the Five Pillars Muslims are expected to practice honesty & justice as well not to partake in eating pork, gambling, drink alcoholic beverages, or engage in dishonest behavior