Download By Michael Stahl

Islam
Islam
By Michael Stahl
The religion of Islam is the second most highly practiced religion in the world. Only Christianity
has a greater following than that of Islam. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people, almost onequarter of the planet’s population, are members of the Islamic faith. Practitioners of Islam are
called Muslims, most of whom live in Africa, the Middle East, and the southern portions of
Asia, though some groups can also be found in the Orient, Russia, and North and South
America. Muslims believe in only one God. And they, similarly to Christians, have based their
entire belief system on the foundations of teachings from a prophet – Muhammad.
Muhammad is believed to have been born during the late sixth century, close to the year 570
AD, in the Arabian city of Mecca. He died on June 8, 632, but not before leaving his mark on
history and humanity. Muhammad was a man of deep faith and upon returning home after a
particular prayer retreat in his fortieth year, he informed others that he had indeed received a
revelation – a message from God. One statement he relayed to the people who began to
follow him was that “God is one.” This has been interpreted as meaning that there is only one,
unique and universal God in existence. The Muslim name for God is “Allah.” Allah, to all
Muslims, represents everything that is good and it was He who Muhammad said commanded
the creation of all things in the universe. Allah is so great that humans cannot truly
comprehend Him or His reach of influence. In addition to that, Muhammad preached that
mankind’s mission in life must be to worship Allah and make a genuine effort to be good in
order to reach Paradise or “Jannah,” the Muslim word describing “heaven.” It is in Jannah,
during the afterlife, that everything a person desires in life on Earth will exist.
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Islam
Upon gaining a number of followers, Muhammad began to be treated with hostility from other
tribes in his very own home city. Many rejected his teachings. Then, in 622 AD, he led those
who chose to follow him, many of whom were feeling dejected upon not being accepted into
other clans, on a migration to a neighboring area called Medina, which became known as the
Hijra event and marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar. The Hijra sparked a time of
tremendous growth in the Islamic religion, as Muhammad’s number of followers grew to
nearly 10,000 in the eight years following. Still, Muhammad was a man away from his home,
which was a burden on his mind.
In Mecca, local officials who detested the Islamic migrants began to take hold over whatever
property Muhammad’s followers still had in Mecca. Obviously, this angered all of the newly
converted Muslims in Medina who were shaping their religion under the guidance of
Muhammad, their spiritual leader. Soon thereafter, Muhammad organized his followers into a
small fighting force and launched attacks on his homeland in an effort to regain his people’s
property and resources. Muhammad proved to be a strong military leader as well, thus
quieting doubters about him and his mission. However, the attacks on Mecca made the
leaders of that city desire vengeance.
The Meccans launched counterattacks against the Muslims. During one battle, The Battle of
Uhud, Muhammad’s own uncle was slaughtered. The Muslims lost that battle, but refused to
completely give up the fight and Muhammad saw to it that his uncle Hamza would become a
“martyr.” A martyr is a person who dies while refusing to accept the beliefs of others and
fights for their own. Hamza became a Muslim symbol for their right to practice Muhammad’s
Islamic religion, a right they clearly would attempt to gain at any cost.
For years the Muslims of Medina had conflicts with Meccan armies. Truces were written and
broken. Muhammad’s numbers grew though and eventually, he had an army of ten thousand
soldiers. He ordered his troops to march on Mecca for one last, fateful battle. In the year 630
AD, Muhammad finally won back control of his home city of Mecca. The residents of Mecca,
now realizing the might of Muhammad and of Islam, began to practice the religion too. The
fighting was not over though. Threats came at Mecca from across the Arabian Peninsula.
However, Muhammad in fact succeeded in soon uniting the entire peninsula under Islam.
Finally, in the year 632 AD, ten years after his first migration into Medina and soon after the
wars had ended, Muhammad led his followers on a pilgrimage, starting a new Islamic
tradition, the Hajj. At his Farewell Sermon, Muhammad instructed his people to end all feuds
and conflicts. In the new Islamic community, there would be peace. He also spoke in favor of
equality and respect for all other human beings. Muhammad would die in Medina in his wife’s
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Islam
home just a few months later, after falling ill. Mecca, the city that he once fled from and would
later take back by force is considered the holiest of cities in the Islamic religion and a
pilgrimage there, still referred to as the Hajj, is required for all Muslims.
The Islamic religious core quickly began compiling all of the teachings of Muhammad into one
book. They tracked down all known writings and transcripts of Muhammad’s speeches,
sermons, and lessons. The book became known as The Quran (pronounced: kor-AHN), a word
that translates from Arabic to “the read.” Muslims believe that the words in The Quran
summarize the teachings of God as told to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel, messages
that were transmitted over the course of about twenty-three years of Muhammad’s life,
beginning during that important prayer retreat of Muhammad in the year 609 AD.
It is The Quran that Muslims look to, not only for spiritual guidance, but solutions to all the
problems of mankind. Because of this and its poetic style, Muslims stand firm that The Quran
is a one-of-a-kind manuscript and could never actually have been written by man without the
help of God. In the 114 chapters of the book, called “suras,” the Islamic belief structure is
outlined, with lessons on how one must live their life, what rewards await them should they
follow their faith properly, and a history of Muhammad, who is often not referred to by name,
but instead as “The Prophet.” Much else is explained about how to be faithful in the religion of
Islam and many theologians, or historians who study religion, have observed a good number of
similarities between Muslim, Christian, and Jewish beliefs.
All three faiths believe in one all-powerful God, as a matter of fact, it is a common God. Thus,
these religions have been referred to as the three “Abrahamic Religions,” for they are all
rooted in the covenant God made with Abraham in which God promised him land, followers,
and blessings should Abraham lead a life of sincere and flawless virtue. The religions generally
begin to differ with the introductions of the prophets Jesus Christ, whom Jews do not believe
was a true prophet, and Muhammad, whom both Jews and Christians feel was a false prophet.
Like Jesus Christ, the Christian prophet, Muhammad delivered lessons from God that have
been followed for more than a millennia. In these religions, acceptance of God and proper
observations of His words and wishes will lead to an eternal afterlife of happiness. Human
beings have ability to do right, but all of these religions also recognize mankind’s sinful actions
as well. Damnation in hell will be the consequences of a rejection of God and His teachings.
Religious holidays are observed in all of these faiths as well, with some being days of rest, selfsacrifice, or feast.
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Islam
Many conflicts and wars between these groups have been attributed to religious differences.
However, historians actually credit political views as the reasons behind a good number of
those fights, and wars fought through history that may have appeared to be based in religion,
were more likely fought over land, resources, or power.
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Questions: Islam
Name:
Date:
1. What happened when Muhammad was approximately 40 years old?
A
B
C
D
He informed others that he had received a revelation from God.
He led those who chose to follow him to Medina.
The number of his followers grew to 10,000.
He fell ill and died.
2. The author describes the sequence of events in Muhammad’s life. Which of the
following events occurred before the Battle of Uhud, in which Muhammad’s own uncle
was slaughtered?
A Muhammad died in Medina in his wife’s home after falling ill.
B Muhammad led his followers on a pilgrimage and delivered his Farewell
Sermon, instructing his people to end all feuds and conflicts.
C Muhammad led his followers to Medina where they began to shape their religion
under Muhammad’s guidance.
D Muhammad won control of Mecca and succeeded in uniting the Arabian Peninsula.
3. The Islamic religious core quickly began compiling all of the teachings of Muhammad
into one book after Muhammad died. They tracked down all known writings and transcripts
of his speeches, sermons, and lessons to create The Quran. Muslims look to The Quran for
spiritual guidance and the solutions for the problems of mankind.
What can be concluded about Islam based on this information?
A
B
C
D
Islam
Islam
Islam
Islam
spread only after The Quran was created.
became a religion after Muhammad died.
is deeply rooted in the teachings of Muhammad.
is based on different interpretations of Muhammad’s teachings.
4. Which of the following words best describes the early beginnings of Islam?
A
B
C
D
tumultuous
peaceful
surprising
mysterious
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Questions: Islam
5. What is this passage mainly about?
A
B
C
D
the differences of the three “Abrahamic Religions”
religious conflicts in Mecca and Medina
Muhammad and Islam
wars among different religions
6. Read the sentence: “All three faiths believe in one all-powerful God; as a matter of
fact, it is a common God.”
What does the phrase “as a matter of fact” most nearly mean?
A
B
C
D
instead
actually
regardless
in my opinion
7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.
_____________ Islam, Christianity, and Judaism have differences, they are all rooted in
the covenant God made with Abraham.
A
B
C
D
Since
Because
Although
However
8. List at least two similarities that Islam shares with Christianity and Judaism.
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Questions: Islam
9. Local officials in Mecca began to take hold over whatever property Muhammad’s followers
still had in Mecca after they migrated to Medina. What did Muhammad do soon thereafter?
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10. Explain an important characteristic Muhammad had that made him a strong leader.
Use information from the passage to support your answer.
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