Transcript Mohammed

The Rise of Islam
The Arabs
▪ Nomadic people who lived in the Arabian Peninsula, a harsh
desert with little water
▪ Organized into loosely connected, independent tribes
▪ A sheikh led each tribe.
▪ Polytheistic, but Allah (Arabic for “God”) was the supreme God.
▪ They traced their ancestry to
Abraham and his son
Ishmael, who were believed
to have built a shrine called
the Kaaba at Makkah (Mecca).
The Life of Mohammed
▪ Born into a merchant family in Makkah.
▪ While meditating, Mohammed received revelations from God.
▪ Mohammed did not separate political and religious authority
Emergence of a Leader
▪ Mohammed attempted to spread a monotheistic religion across
Asia, Africa and Spain.
▪ The revelations of Mohammed form the basis of the Islamic
religion.
▪ Mohammed became a Muslim—“one who submits to the will of
God.”
▪ Mohammed spread the new religion of Islam, which united people
of the Empire
Islam: “Surrender to Allah (God)”
▪ Beliefs, traditions, and customs of Islam
▪ Mohammed is recognized as a prophet.
▪ There was an acknowledgment of Judeo-Christian prophets,
including Moses and Jesus.
▪ Allah (Arabic word for God) is the creator of heaven and Earth.
▪ Qur’an (Koran), the Islam holy book meaning the word of God,
contains the word of God as revealed to the prophet Mohammed.
▪ Five Pillars of Islam
▪ Creed: “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his Prophet.”
▪ Prayer: Five times a day facing Mecca
▪ Alms given to the poor
▪ Fasting during Ramadan
▪ Pilgrimage to Mecca for those financially and physically able
Diffusion of Islam
▪ Mohammed declared a jihad—a holy war undertaken by Muslims
against unbelievers.
▪ Islam claimed Mecca and portions of Arabia.
▪ Expansion continued after Mohammed’s death, but Islam also
spread through trade and travel, not just through conquest.
Division of Islam
▪ After the prophet’s death, there was division between the Sunni
and the Shi’a over the issue of who should rule.
▪ Islam is more a way of life than a set of beliefs.
▪ After the prophet’s death, Muslim scholars drew up a law code
called the shari’ah.
▪ It provides guidelines for daily living, and much of it comes from
the Quran.
▪ Muslims must follow sound principles, such as honesty and
justice.
▪ Muslims may not gamble, eat pork, drink alcoholic beverages, or
be dishonest.