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Muhammad Muhammad was born in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) Founder of Islam Mecca during Hajj 570 AD: Mecca was a pagan city. The Kabba (black stone) was filled with idols. The black stone was built by Abraham and was a rock that fell out of the sky. Abraham built it, thus Muslims worship the god of Abraham. Muhammad tore out all the idols and restored it back to what Abraham built.

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Islam began around 622 CE in Southwest Asia. In Arabic, Islam means surrender to the will of Allah (God). Followers of Islam are called Muslims, and the founder is Muhammad. Muslims believe that there is only one god (Allah) and that Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet of Islam. Other prophets include Abraham, Moses, & Jesus.

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The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) is the center of Islam.

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In 610 CE, Muhammad was an Arab merchant in Mecca who was concerned about how rich merchants refused to help the needy. He went to meditate on this in the Cave of Hira. While there, Muhammad received a message from the angel Gabriel, the messenger of Allah. The angel Gabriel sent revelations to Muhammad for 22 years. Muhammad became known as a prophet of Allah, and he continued to receive messages until his death. These messages form the basis of Islam and were eventually written into the Quran (the Muslim holy book).

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Eventually, others began to listen to Muhammads messages and this angered Meccas rulers. They threatened to kill Muhammad, so he & several hundred of his followers fled to nearby Medina. Muhammad became a political and spiritual leader in Medina. Eventually, all of the Arabian Peninsula came to accept Muhammads teachings and turned to Islam.

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Muhammad died in 632 CE, but Islam continued to spread. Muslim armies conquered empires throughout Southwest Asia, Northern Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula (Europe). Today, there are 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. 1 in every 5 people in the world is Muslim. Islam is the second largest religion in the world (behind Christianity. *It is the fastest growing religion.

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The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque during the start of Hajj

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The Muslim holy book is the Quran (Koran). It states how people should live their lives. Collection of revelations, sacred text of Islam It describes the Five Pillars of Faith (obligations all Muslims must fulfill in their lifetime).

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Reading the Quran Muslims believe that the Koran was the direct word of god and Muhammad. Muslims read the Koran from right to left. God spoke to Muhammad through the angel, Gabriel. Muhammad could not read or write. Muhammad memorized what Gabriel revealed to him and began preaching about the messages. Muhammad dictated the Koran to scribes. The Koran is believed to be the actual word of god. Qur means recite this, thus the Koran means recitation. Muslims must be able to speak Arabic to read the Koran (madrasa) Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet and was sent to preach exclusively to the Jews; believe that He will return to judge everyone, including Muslims.

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Profession There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger. Prayer Pray formally five time a day. Almsgiving Pay a specified amount of money to assist the poor and sick. Fasting During Ramadan, no eating, drinking, & smoking from dawn to sunset. Pilgrimage Make at least one visit to Mecca.

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Ramadan celebrates the time when the Quran was revealed to Muhammad. Its the 9 th month of the Islamic calendar, and lasts for 29-30 days. Muslims fast during daylight hours during this month. Prayer, reading the Quran, and charity are important parts of Ramadan.

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Boys reading the Quran at a mosque during Ramadan

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Unlike the other religions, in Islam the Quran gives instructions on how laws should be enacted. The governments of Muslim countries follow the Shari'a, or religious law. This creates a theocracy, a type of government in which religious leaders are in control.

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Prayer at Mount Arafat Hajj is not complete unless you make it to the afternoon prayers at Mt. Arafat.

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Station of Abraham The Station of Ibrahim is the rock upon which Ibrahim stood while erecting the Kaaba. His son Ishmael helped him erect it, by passing him the rocks.

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The Kaaba

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A Turkish seamstress is hired to make velvet cloth for the Kaaba every year. Use gold/gilded thread. Kaaba is washed. At end of Ramadan, they start making the new curtain for the next year.

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Mosques minaret

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minarets

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Someone is always watching!

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Location of the Zamzam Well Zamzam- well that sprang up in the middle of the desert so Hagar and Ishmael could drink from it.

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Dome of the Rock Jerusalem, Israel

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The Dome of the Rock Earliest Islamic monument, begun 684. Octagonal plan. Site where Muhammad was taken to heaven by the angel Gabriel and deemed the messenger of Islam. The story says that Muhammad actually died in Medina and was taken by horse to Jerusalem and ascended to paradise from the Dome of the Rock.

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After Muhammads death, followers fought over who would be his successor and become the next leader. This fight caused Muslims to split into two groups: 1.Shia 2.Sunni

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Shiites believe that the supreme leader (called the Caliph) must be a blood relative of Muhammad. Roughly 10% of the worlds Muslims are Shia. This branch of Islam is found mostly in Iran and some parts of Iraq. This is the religion of most Persians (ethnic group in Iran).

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Sunnis believe that the supreme leader (Caliph) does NOT need to be related to Muhammad. This is the major branch of the religion, representing about 90% of the worlds Muslim population.

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