Transcript The Prophet Muhammad & The Beginnings of Islam

The Prophet Muhammad
&
The Beginnings of Islam
Arabia Before Muhammad
Makkah (Mecca):
 Arabs:
Important trade stop and
religious center of Arabia
People settled there because of
the fresh water well
Location of Kaaba (shrine with
300 religious idols)
Population very diverse: Arabs,
Christians, & Jews
- majority of Arabia’s first inhabitants were Bedouins
- had no strong central government
Quraysh
- practiced animistic polytheism
- Powerful local tribe
- origins:
 Biblical tradition: Arabs are Semites
- Protected the Kaaba
(descendants of Noah’s son)
and its idols for a fee
 Qur’anic tradition: Arabs are descendants
of Abraham’s son Ishmael
Muhammad Spreads the Word of Allah
 Major points of Muhammad’s
public teaching
there was only one God (Allah)
and all should submit to him
all believers in God were equal
the rich should share with the poor
people should live righteously
all people would be subjected to a
Judgment Day
The Prophet’s companions credited him with miracles:
passed through the seven levels of heaven in the “Night
Journey”
brought forth a spring in Mecca
Muhammad’s preaching
angered many of the people
of Mecca
He wanted to abolish idolatry,
yet most Meccans did not want
to give up their idols
He was critical of wealthy
merchants who controlled most
of the money and power in
Mecca
Protection for the Prophet
 Born into Hashim family of the
powerful Quraysh tribe
sometime between 570 and
580 CE.
he was protected by this tribe
while in Makkah
The Emigration to Madinah (Medina)
 The Hijrah
Muhammad decided to leave Makkah after the death of his
wife and uncle
Traveled to oasis city of Yathrib
This journey (hijrah, in Arabic) marks the beginning of Islam
and the Muslim calendar
Muhammad’s Welcome
Prophet was welcomed by Jews and Arabs of Yathrib
both groups hoped Muhammad could prevent a civil war from
breaking out
renamed Yathrib, Madinaht unNabit, which means “City of the
Prophet”
believers in Islam began to call themselves Muslims (those who
submit to God’s will.)
Conflict in Madinah (Medina)
Muhammad hoped Islam could win new converts
Some Jewish leaders did not accept Muhammad as God’s
latest prophet
Jews who opposed Muhammad were expelled from Madinah
At first, Muslims to prayed in the direction of Jerusalem, but
later changed it to the Kaaba in Makkah
The Return to Makkah & the Battle of Badr
The Quraysh
As Islam grew,
the Quraysh
became hostile
towards the
Muslims
Muhammad and
his followers
Muhammad’s
army, though
tremendously
outnumbered,
won the Battle of
Badr
 Outcomes of the Battle of Badr
 Makkans laid siege on Madinah in 627, in the Battle of the Trench
 In 630, Muhammad and his supporters captured Mecca
 Idols & other pagan relics were destroyed & the Kaaba was rededicated
to Allah
 In 632, Muhammad led the hajj, commonly called “the pilgrimage of
farewell,” b/c it was his last
 every detail of his action on this event was noted & imitated by his
disciples
 the rites & ceremonies of the hajj became standard practice for all
Muslims
Islam As a Way of Life
The Five Pillars of
Faith
Muhammad’s
companions desired to
maintain an Islamic
community
Recorded his revelations
into Qur’an & his
personal deeds into the
Sunna
Sunna and Quran
provide rules and
principles for all Muslims
The most basic rules of
the Sunna and Quran
are summarized in the
five pillars
 Shahada
Profession of Faith:
“There is only one
God (Allah) and
Muhammad is his
prophet.”
 Salat
Daily Worship: Five
times a day:guided by a
precise set of rituals
 Zakat
 Almsgiving:
 2 1/2% of Muslim’s
income or 1/40 of all
they possess annually
 Sawm
Fasting from sunrise to
sunset during the holy
time of Ramadan
Hajj
Pilgrimage to
Makkah:
undertaken
once in a
lifetime;
reminder of
equality
between all
Muslims