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The Muslim World NOTES (622-1650 CE) The Muslim World NOTES (622-1650 CE) The Rise of Islam In Arabian town of Mecca, the marketplace echoed with the bargaining and bustle of business as usual. One corner, though, was hushed. There, a husky, black-bearded man was speaking to a handful of followers: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe, The Compassionate, the Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Judgment! You alone we worship, and to You alone we turn for help. Some bowed their heads, moved by the beauty of Muhammad’s words. His wife, Khadija, a respected merchant, had fully accepted her husband’s vision. But many had their doubts. Muhammad had once been a good merchant himself. Surely, they thought, he was now mad. In years to come, Muhammad would be recognized by millions of Muslims as the Prophet. His followers would carry the message of Islam to people on three continents and set off one of the most powerful forces in world history. Oasis Towns & Desert Life Islam appeared in the Arabian Peninsula, part of southwestern Asia. The peninsula is mostly desert, but farming is possible in scattered oases and other areas where there is enough water for irrigation. Bedouins Many Arab clans occupied the region at the time of Muhammad. Nomadic herders, called Bedouins, adapted to the conditions of the desert. Using camels, they crossed and recrosed long stretches of blistering, sandy desert in search of seasonal pasturelands. In this rugged environment, the Bedouins developed a strong tradition of hospitality and generosity toward travelers. At the same time, they acquired a strong sense of clan solidarity. Raids on scarce grazing territories led to frequent warfare. The Bedouins would be the backbone of the armies that conquered a huge empire in the 600s and 700s. Mecca Bedouins regularly traded with other Arabs who had settled in oasis towns like Mecca in western Arabia. This trade helped support a thriving economy. Mecca was a bustling market town at the crossroads of two main caravan routes. One route linked southern Arabia to India and to Syria and Palestine on the Mediterranean Coast. The other route crossed from Mesopotamia to eastern Africa. Silks, spices, and other luxuries passed through the bazaars of Mecca. Mecca was also a thriving pilgrimage center. Arabs came to pray at the Kaaba, an ancient shrine that Muslims today believe was built by the prophet Abraham. In Muhammad’s time, though, the Kaaba housed statues of many local gods and goddesses The pilgrim traffic brought good profits to the local merchants. The Prophet Muhammad Muhammad was born in Mecca about 570. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by an uncle. In his youth, he worked as a shepherd among Bedouins. Later, he led caravans across the desert and became a successful merchant. When he was about 25, Muhammad married Khadija, a wealthy older widow, who ran a prosperous caravan business. By all accounts, he was a devoted husband and a loving father to his daughters. Muhammad’s Vision Troubled by the idol worship of the Arabs and by the moral ills of society, Muhummad often went to a lonely desert cave to pray and meditate. There, when he was about 40, he heard a voice saying, “Proclaim.” According to Muslim belief, the voice was that of the angel Gabriel. “What shall I proclaim?” asked Muhammad doubtfully. The voice replied: “​Proclaim, in the name of your God, the Creator, Who created man from a clot of congealed blood. Proclaim! Your God is most generous, He who has taught man by the pen things they knew not.”​ ​The vision left Muhammad terrified and puzzled. How could he, an illiterate merchant, become the messenger of God? But Khadija encouraged him to accept the call. She became the first convert to the faith called Islam, from the Arabic word for “submission.” Muhammad devoted the rest of his life to spreading Islam. He urged people to give up their false gods and submit to the one true God. The Hijra At first, few people listened to Muhammad. His rejection of the traditional Arab gods angered Meccan merchants who feared neglecting their idols and disrupting the pilgrim trade. In 622, faced with the threat of murder, Muhammad and his followers left Mecca for Yathrib, a journey known as the hijra. Later, Yathrib was renamed Medina, or “city of the Prophet,” and 622 became the first year of the Muslim calendar. The hijra was a turning point for Islam. In Medina, Muhammad was welcomed by Muslim converts as ruler and lawgiver as well as God’s prophet. As his reputation grew, thousands of Arabs adopted Islam. From Medina, Muslims launched attacks on Meccan caravans and defeated the Meccans in battle. Finally, in 630, Muhammad returned in triumph to Mecca, where he destroyed the idols in the Kaaba. Death of the Prophet In the next two years, Muhammad worked to unite Arabs. His death in 632 plunged his followers into grief. Abu Bakr, an early convert to Islam, sternly told the faithful, “If you worship Muhammad, Muhammad is dead. If you worship God, God is alive.” Islam survived the death of its prophet. Abu Bakr was elected the first caliph​, or successor to Muhammmad. Under the caliphs, the message of Islam quickly spread far beyond Arabia. The Message of Islam Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is based on strict monotheism. Muslims believe in one all-powerful, compassionate God, whose name in Arabic is Allah. Islam also teaches that people are responsible for their own actions. “Whoever strays bears the full responsibility for straying,” states the Quran, the sacred text of Islam. Each individual will stand before God on the final judgement day and, depending on his or her actions, face either eternal punishment in hell or eternal bliss in paradise. Muslims recognize no official priests who mediate between the people and God. Five Pillars of Faith All Muslims accept five basic duties, known as the Five PIllars of Islam. 1. Declaration of Faith​: Muslims must declare, “There is no god, but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Muslims believe that God had sent other prophets, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, but that Muhummad was the last and greatest prophet. 2. Daily Prayer​: After a ritual washing, Muslims face the holy city of Mecca to pray. Although Muslims may pray anywhere, they often gather in houses of worship called ​mosques​. 3. Giving to the Poor​: Mulims must give charity to the poor. 4. Fasting during Ramadan​: Muslims must fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca​: All Muslims who are able to take a ​hajj​, or pilgrimage, to Mecca to visit the Kaaba, should do so. Pilgrims are required to wear simple clothing so they all stand equal before God. Assignment #1 Task​: After reading the notes above, answer the following questions. You will need to answer the questions for Assignment #1 in a separate Google Doc. Share your work with me upon completion of BOTH assignments (​[email protected]​). Questions 1. Read the following passage and identify two beliefs of Muslims that you can deduce from its words. Be sure to identify the words that led to your answers. In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe, The Compassionate, the Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Judgment! You alone we worship, and to You alone we turn for help. 2. What is the geography of the Arabian Peninsula like? Where is farming possible? 3. Who were the Bedouins? What were they like as a people? 4. Why was Mecca an important city to the Arab people? 5. What is the Kaaba? 6. What was Muhammad’s profession? 7. What troubled Muhammad about the Arab people? How did he deal with his troubles? 8. As Muhammad meditated, whose voice did he hear? What did the voice say? 9. What is the new religion Muhammad founded? What does its name mean? 10. To what did Muhammad devote his life? 11. What did Muhammad to that angered Meccan merchants? Why did this anger them? How did they respond to Muhammad? 12. What is the Hijra? How was it a turning point for Islam? 13. What did Muhammad do upon returning to Mecca? 14. Upon Muhammad’s death, who did the Muslims turn to for direction? What is a caliph? 15. Is Islam polytheistic or monotheistic? What name do they give to their God? 16. Watch ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgP_OSOS3IA​. Assignment #2 Task​: After reading the notes below, answer the following questions. You will need to answer the questions for Assignment #2 in a separate Google Doc. Share your work with me upon completion of BOTH assignments (​[email protected]​). What is Islam? Name of Muslims Followers Name of God Allah 1. Why are Muslims, Christians and Jews considered Abrahamic religions? Abrahamic religions are the monotheistic religions of the Middle East that trace their common origin to a person named Abraham. The three largest Abrahamic religions are Judaism (1000s B.C.E.), Christianity (30s C.E.) and Islam (600s C.E.) In the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, Christians and Jews are referred to "People of the Book" 2. What do Muslims call Christians because they are followers of monotheistic Abrahamic and Jews? Why? religions. All the Abrahamic religions were established in current-day Middle East and are connected by a common belief in the same god and recognition of many of the same prophets. 3. In what order were the Abrahamic religions established? Place of Origin 4.
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