Transcript The World of Islam

Basic Facts of Islam
• Islam is the third in succession
of the three great monotheistic
faiths born in the Middle East (Judaism,
Christianity, Islam)
• Islam is the second largest religion in world (1.2
billion adherents)
• Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world
The Rise of Islam
The Arabs
Arose in the Arabian Peninsula and influenced Western
Asia and beyond.
They were a nomadic, Semitic-speaking people who
lived in the arid climate of the Arabian Peninsula.
The environment was harsh, they were organized into
tribes and were led by a sheikh who was chosen from
a council of elders. The tribes were independent, but
worked together
Early Religion
-Most Early Arabs were polytheistic,
many recognized a chief, or supreme
god who they called Allah which is
Arabic for “God.”
-Allah was symbolized by a sacred stone, each tribe
had their own stone, but there was one central stone
called the Black stone which was placed in the shrine
called the Kaaba.
-This shrine was located in the city of Makkah
(Mecca) in what is now Saudi Arabia.
The Life of Muhammad
Muhammad was born in
Makkah in present-day Saudi
Arabia to a merchant family.
His parents died when he
was young and he ended up
living with his uncle who was
a merchant and he became a
caravan manager.
Muhammad in
Arabic Calligraphy
Muhammad married an older widow named
Khadija.
Over time, he found the richness and corruption
of the merchants and townspeople to be
troubling.
He decided to visit the hills to meditate.
Muslims believe that while he was meditating
in the hills he received revelations from God
through the Angel Gabriel.
Muhammad’s Revelation
Muslims believe the Angel Gabriel told
Muhammad to recite what he heard, it was
believed that Allah had already revealed
himself through Moses and Jesus, but now
had a final revelation for man.
This final revelation became the religion of
Islam. Which means submission to the will of
God.
The Quran (Koran)
The revelations to Muhammad were written
down by scribes and became known as The
Quran, which is the holy book of Islam.
The Quran contains ethical
guidelines and laws by which
Muslims (followers of Islam)
should live their lives.
The Nature of The Quran
The Quran is written in Arabic, which was the language
of Muhammad.
The Quran is considered to only be true when it is
written in its original language. Translations are
thought to lose the true meaning of the original
words which are believed to be a direct revelation
from God.
The Muslim observance of Ramadan is to commemorate
the recording of the holy text.
After the Revelation
After Muhammad received his revelation he went to
his wife Khadija, she was his first convert to the
new religion.
He began to try to convert the people of Makkah to
his message, but he was unsuccessful. After three
years he was forced to go to the city of Yathrib,
which later became Medina. This flight, or
migration, is known as the Hijrah and marks the
beginning of the Muslim calendar. This was in the
year 622 CE.
Acceptance in the city of the Prophet
In Yathrib, renamed Medina (which means the city of
the prophet) Muhammad was accepted and gained
followers.
One of the groups which converted to the new
religion of Islam were the Bedouins who were
desert Arabs. This new community became the first
to practice the religion.
After several years, Muhammad became both a
spiritual and political leader, there was not an idea
of the separation of church and state. He raised an
army and conquered the city of Makkah.
Ka’bah
• Ka’bah- cube shaped
building that was built by
Abraham to honour God
• Viewed as Adam’s original
place of worship
• Was filled with idols as
people in Arabia followed
polytheism
• Muhammad- received
revelations that led to
Islam and monotheism
(and removal of idols)
• Site of hajj- pilgrimage to
Mecca