Section 1: The Origins of Islam

By Silvia Camara

Main Idea

Muhammad, a merchant whom Muslims believe was the last prophet, reported that he received messages from God. The religion he taught, Islam, drew many followers.

Key Terms and People

Bedouins: small groups of nomadic peoples in Arabia

Muhammad: prophet of Islam whom Muslims recognize as Allah;s messenger to all humankind. His teachings form the basis of Islam

Hegira: Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina

Islam: a monotheistic religion whose prophet is Muhammad and whose holy book in the Qur’an. The term means “achieving peace through surrender to God”

Muslims: followers of Islam

Key Terms and People

Qur’an: sacred text of Islam

Five Pillars of Islam: behaviors and obligations that are common to all Muslims, which include the profession of faith, the performance of the five daily prayers, the giving of alms, the requirement to fast, or the Journey to Mecca, or Hajj

Mosque: a building for Muslim prayer

Jihad: “struggle for the faith”. Can be thought of as an individual or communal strugggle. The term embraces notions of defending the Muslim community and holy war.

The Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula is a harsh land with a vast interior.

Was sparsely populated 1,500 years ago by small bands of bedouins

Farming was limited but commerce flourished because trade routes passes through the peninsula.

Towns that depended on trade grew.

Mecca

Was the most important of merchant towns near the Red Sea.

Mecca served as a trade center and also had religious functions.

The Kaaba is at its center and in the 500s was already considered sacred.

On its walls was a stone, possibly meteorite.

Inside the Kaaba small statues of local gods they worshipped but Allah was supreme.

Muhammad the Messenger

Born around 570 Muhammad ibn Abd Allah, he lost both his parents and was raised by his uncle Abu Talib.

Was a successful merchant. At 25 he married an older widow and had 6 children, all who died young except his daughter Fatimah.

Had always been a religious man and had the habit of leaving his home to live for extended periods of time in a cave to pray and reflect.

In 610 he was commanded by and angel to speak revelation from Allah.

Muhammad the Messenger

He was unsure of the meanings of the visitation but after more visits from the angel Muhammad concluded God had chosen him.

He moved in 622 from Mecca to Yathrib (Mecca) and his journey came to be known as the hegira

Muhammad spent a decade building up his community of fellow believers which grew rapidly. They were called Muslims and followed the religion of Islam.

He fought against the Meccans who wanted him stopped. The Meccans lost and Muhammad controled Mecca.

Basic Ideas of Islam

Writings of Muhammad’s revelations were collected into the Qur’an.

The Qur’an lays our the Five Pillars of Islam:

Profession of faith.

Performance of five daily prayers

Giving of alms

Requirement to fast

Journey to Mecca

Basic Ideas of Islam

The Qur’an provides guidelines for moral behavior and relationships among people.

There is also a requirement of Jihad, or the struggle to defend Islam and convert people.

The Sunna is a record of Muhammad’s daily life, behavior, and teachings. Means “tradition”.

The Sharia is a legal system that reflects the various rules by which all Muslims should live

Muslims are told to respect Jews and Christians as “people of the book” because they share tradition of prophets from God.

What Was Arabia Like at the Time of Muhammad’s Birth?

The Arabian Peninsula is a harsh land with a vast desert interior. Some 1,500 years ago, Arabia was sparsely populated. In the desert, small bands of bedouins. Commerce flourished and towns grew.

Why Was Commerce Lively In Arabia?

In Arabia, farming was limited, but commerce was lively because trade routes converged at the Arabian Peninsula.

Why was Mecca an Important Town?

The most important of these towns was Mecca, near the Red Sea. Besides being a trade center, Mecca also had a religious function. At Mecca’s heart was a large cube-shaped structure called the Kaaba. The site drew many religious pilgrims. Many gods and goddesses were worshipped in Mecca. They called the supreme God Allah.

What were Muhammad’s Messages and How were they

Received?

He awoke from sleep to find himself in the presence of an angel who commanded him to speak messages, or revelations, from Allah—God. Muhammad reported many messages from the angel. Among them was that Allah was the one and only true and all-powerful God. Other messages included instructions about how people should live if they hoped to please Allah and live in paradise after death.

How do Judaism and Christianity fit into the teachings of Islam?

Like the Jewish and Christian faiths, Islam is monotheistic—having only one God. The Qur’an teaches that Allah, the name of God in Arabic, is the same as God in the Jewish and Christian traditions. Muslims believe that the sacred texts of Judaism and Christianity also come from Allah—but that the Qur’an carries the greatest authority because it represents God’s final message to humanity.

why did Muhammad and his followers move to Yathrib?

Some powerful Meccans did not accept his teachings. They disliked his criticism of their traditional beliefs in many gods. Only the protection of Muhammad’s uncle Abu Talib kept him safe. When Abu Talib died in 619, Muhammad knew that he and his followers were not safe in Mecca. In search of a new home, Muhammad visited the nearby city of Yathrib, where people were open to his preaching. In 622 Muhammad moved from Mecca to Yathrib, which came to be called Medina, “the Prophet’s city.”

What are some basic ideas of Islam?

he Qur’an lays out five basic acts of worship that are central to Islam and that Muhammad himself fulfilled. These acts are called the Five Pillars of Islam. Following the guidelines for moral behavior and relationships with people outlined in the the Qur’an, jihad, following the Sunna and Sharia, and respecting other religions.

Who wrote the Qur’an?

As Muhammad gained political power, the revelations continued. Since Muhammad could not read or write, he recited the revelations. His followers memorized the words and some followers wrote them down. These writings, which Muslims believe are direct revelations from God, were collected years later into the Qur’an , the sacred text of Islam.          

Why are Muslims to read the Qur’an in Arabic?

Muslims believe that only in its original Arabic language can one know the full meaning and beauty of the text. The Qur’an has been translated into other languages, but Muslims do not consider these translations to be true representations of the Qur’an.

What is the hadith?

Each of the individual reports in the Sunna on Muhammad’s actions is known as a hadith

What is the difference between the Sharia and the Sunna?

The record of Muhammad’s behavior and teachings is known as the Sunna, which means “tradition.” It includes hundreds of individual lessons or reports on Muhammad’s actions.

Over time, Muslims developed a legal system that reflects the various rules by which all Muslims should live. This system is called Sharia

Why might there be differences in the interpretations of Sharia

Sharia law has never become standardized, but it does outline a method of reasoning and argument for legal cases. Numerous schools of thought contributed to the creation of Sharia law, which is not recorded in a single book. It is made up of opinions and writings over several centuries. Differences in interpretation vary among the many people within the Islamic world.