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The Rise of Islam
Objectives:
• Know the early development of Islam.
• Know the importance of Mohammed to Islam.
• Know the importance of Mecca to Islam.
• Know the importance of Medina to Islam.
• Know the Five Pillars of Faith.
Islam started on the Arabian Peninsula
The Bedouin people were tribal and nomadic
• Some had settled down into towns and engaged in
trading.
• To understand the origins of Islam, you have to
understand some economic factors.
• Oases were scattered. Where they were you had
cities or towns. Trade routes would go from city to
city, following the oases.
• One of these cities
was Petra in modern
day Jordan, which
your book mentions.
• the Treasury of
Petra, was
featured in Indiana
Jones and the Last
Crusade.
• Another important city on one of the trade routes was
Mecca.
• Mecca was also a religious center.
• It held a building called the Kaaba that, legend has
it, was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael.
Contained within were many idols.
• Because Mecca was a religious center, fighting and
weapons weren’t allowed. That enabled more
effective trading to take place as rivals couldn’t
feud.
Mohammed
• Was born into a well-to-do family around 570 or 571 in
Mecca.
• In 610, he was meditating in a cave (as was his
tendency), when he had a revelation.
• An angel named Gabriel appears to him and starts
giving him the Koran (Quran).
• Mohammed is hesitant at first, but with prodding
from his wife and her cousin, becomes convinced
that God had spoken to him through the angel and
that he was the fulfillment of prophecy – the last
prophet.
• By 613, Mohammed is publicly preaching what has
been revealed to him.
• This causes problems, though. Much of Mecca’s
economy is built on people visiting the Kaaba and its
idols as part of a pilgrimage. If Mohammed’s new
religion starts taking root, then people will stop
coming and their economy will fall apart.
• This is somewhat similar to the complaints Paul
faced when he threatened the trade surrounding
the cult and Temple of Artemis in Ephesus
• So the city’s leaders are getting cheesed off. So are
the people of his own tribe who didn’t like him
insulting their traditional religion.
In Muslim tradition, Mohammed also takes a tour of hell
and heaven during this time.
• He’s taken from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night on the
back a strange beast called the Buraq. From there, he
goes to heaven and is shown around by Moses.
• The site from which Mohammed is believed to have
ascended is the third holiest site in Islam and is where
the Dome of the Rock is in Jerusalem on the Temple
Mount.
• This same rock is believed by Jews to be the slab
upon which Abraham bound Isaac and nearly
sacrificed him (in Islamic tradition, it was
Ishmael). And that it was the rock in the Holy of
Holies upon which the Ark of the Covenant was
put.
• There are several assassination attempts on
Mohammed’s life and he decides to get out of Mecca
while the gettin’s good. He heads to Medina in 622.
(He’s been having revelations all during this time too).
• This event is known as the hijra.
• While in Medina, he gets rival factions to settle
down. Many convert to Islam. Others, especially
most of those of the Jewish faith, refused.
• Eventually war erupts between the Medina faithful and
the Meccans.
• Mohammed started raiding caravans headed to
Medina.
• Believed this piracy was justified because the
Meccans had appropriated the property of the
Muslims when they fled to Medina.
• The pivotal battle is the Battle of Badr.
• 300 Muslims confront 1,000 Meccans.
• Mohammed takes up a defensive position and
relies on range weapons such as slings and
arrows.
• The Muslims also had religious fervor on their
side while the Meccans weren’t too enthusiastic.
• About 70 Meccans are killed and another 70 are
taken prisoners. Only 14 Muslims fall.
• War continues and Mohammed conquers Mecca in 630.
• He spares the populace that had opposed him and
most convert to Islam.
• He proceeds to destroy all the idols in the Kaaba.
• Hence, Islam takes root.
Beliefs
• There is but one God (Allah) and Mohammed is His
messenger.
• Good and evil exist and the sinful will be punished for
their sins.
Five Pillars of Faith
• These are required of all Muslims.
1. Faith
• Must confess that there is no God but Allah and that
Mohammed is His messenger. This is all it takes to
convert and it is constantly reaffirmed.
2. Prayer
• Must pray five times a day at dawn, noon,
afternoon, sunset, and in the evening.
• Must be in Arabic.
• Must face Mecca.
• Ritual cleansing is done first because you’re on holy
ground wherever it is you’re praying.
3. Alms
• All Muslims must donate to the poor.
4. Fasting
• Must fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
• Ramadan shifts from year to year because it’s based
on the lunar calendar where each month is only
about 28 days long.
5. Pilgrimage
• The hajj
• Must be done once in every Muslim’s life who is
able.
• Is a pilgrimage to Mecca and to the Kaaba.
• Each pilgrim wears a simple draping garment so that
everyone is equal.
• Different parts to it, but it culminates with walking
seven times around the Kaaba to replicated
Mohammed riding seven times around it when he
conquered Mecca.