1. Islam: The Rise

2. Deserts, Towns, and Trade Routes
The Arabian Peninsula is a crossroads for three continents- Africa, Europe, and Asia.*
Arab nomads, called Bedouins, organized intro tribes called clans. The Bedouins way of life would become part of Islamic life.
By the early 600’s, many Arabs had chosen to settle in an oasis or in a market town.* Larger towns near the West coast became market towns for local, regional, and long-distance trade goods.
Many towns in the Arabian Peninsula were formed from the settlement of people around natural springs that supplied fresh water to people. Mecca became a center for this.
Over 360 gods were worshiped in the Kabba
Muhammad would have a vision in He had been acting strange and wanted to spend days on end meditating in a mountain cave. After days of meditation, he was visited by the Archangel Gabriel whom spoke to him the word of Allah. The things Gabriel said would be written down in the Quran, or the Muslim Holy Book.

3. Mecca
During certain holy months, caravans stopped in Mecca, a city in western Arabia.*
The brought religious pilgrims who came to worship at an ancient shrine in the city called the Ka’aba.*
Soon the Ka’aba contained over 360 idols brought by many tribes.
The belief in one God, called Allah in Arabic, was known on the Arabian Peninsula when Muhammad was born in 570 C.E.*

4. Muhammad
Muhammad, born into a wealth family, tried living a businessman-type of life.
Around 40, he had a revelation from the archangel Gabriel while meditating in a cave outside of Mecca.*
Gabriel told Muhammad that he was the messenger of Allah.*
Muhammad began teaching that he was the last prophet and that Allah was the one and only god and other gods must be abandoned.

5. Beginnings*
Those that believe in the basic principal that Allah is the one and only God are called Muslims, or one who has submitted.
Islam means “submission to the will of Allah.”
Muhammad was met with hostility and driven out of Mecca to Yathrib, or Medina, in 622 with a small band of followers. This is called the Hijirah.
In Medina Muhammad attracted more followers, acted as a peace maker between warring tribes, and eventually returned to Mecca in 630 with 10,000 followers.
The Prophet destroys the idols in the Ka’aba and had the call to prayer made from its roof. Most converted to Islam and joined the umma, or community. Muhammad died 2 years later.

6. Organization of Islam The Five Pillars:*
Profession of Faith- “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.”
Prayer- Five times a day facing Mecca in a Mosque.
Alms- Charity to those less fortunate
Fasting- During Holy month of Ramadan
Pilgrimage- Physically and financially able Muslims should perform the Hajj at least once in his or her life.
Call to prayer played through loudspeakers in Mecca.
Prayer can take place in the holy site of a Mosque.
Pilgrimage to Mecca. There, there is prayer surrounding the Kabba.
Muslims are to “live their religion.” Almost all aspects of life are dictated such as what to eat, wear, worship, and drink.

7. A Way of Life
Carrying out the Five Pillars ensures that Muslims live their religion while serving in their community.*
Believers are forbidden to eat pork or to drink intoxicating beverages.
Friday afternoons are set aside for communal worship.
Islam has no priests, unlike other religions. It does, however, have a scholar class called the ulama, which includes religions teachers who apply the words and deeds of Muhammad to everyday life.*

8. Organization
The Quran contains the Holy Word of Islam. This was written by Muhammad’s followers after his death.*
The Quran is written in Arabic. Only Arabic versions are considered to be the true word of Allah. Wherever Muslims carried the Quran, Arabic became the language of worshipers and scholars.*
What is the impact of having only one language accepted in a religion?
Differences: The God Christians and Jews worship is the same as Allah. However, Jesus is viewed as a prophet to Muslims and not as the Son of God.
The Quran is a perfection of the earlier revelations seen in the Bible and the Torah.
Muhammad is the final prophet and the Quran is the final book.

9. Organization Continued*
Muslims believe that Muhammad’s mission as a prophet was to receive the Quran and to demonstrate how to apply it in life.
Followers should follow Muhammad’s life, or example, this is called the Sunna.
The guidance of the Quran and Sunna was assembled into the law body known as Shari’a. This regulates life, family, morals, business and community.

10. Links to Judaism and Christianity
Allah is the same God that is worshiped in Christianity and Judaism.*
However, Muslims view Jesus as a prophet rather than the Son of God.*
The Quran is the word of Allah as revealed to Muhammad. The Torah and the Gospels are the words revealed to Moses and New Testament writers.
Shari’a law dictates that Muslim leaders extend religious tolerance to Christianity and Jews.*

11. Homework
Page 268 3,4,5