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The Origins and Evolutions of the Religion
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Arabia in the 7th century
CE was a place of many
religions.
Christians, Jews,
Zoroastrians, and various
pagan faiths coexisted
across the landscape.
In the city of Mecca was a
religious shrine called the
Ka’ba (the cube.)
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Pilgrims would visit this
shrine, which they
believed to house their
deity, and worship there.
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Muhammad, the prophet,
was born around the year
570 CE.
During his early life,
Muhammad was a
respected and successful
trader in Arabia.
In the year 610, at the age
of forty, Muhammad was
meditating in a cave at
Hira (outside of Mecca)
when the angel Gabriel
appeared before him.
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Gabriel told Muhammad
to recite the word of God.
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Muhammad’s prophecy began to gather a small
group of devoted followers in Mecca.
The Quraysh, a powerful family in Mecca, felt
threatened by Muhammad’s message.
Muhammad and his followers fled the city of
Mecca and traveled to the city of Yathrib.
Once arriving in Yathrib, Muhammad changed the name
of the city to Medina, “the city of the prophet.”
 This journey by Muhammad from Mecca to Medina is
known as the Hijra.
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 Dates in the Muslim calendar are all calculated from the Hijra
in 622 CE, which is therefore 1 AH (After Hijra.)
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A period of missionary, political, and military
activity then followed.
Muhammad was able to eventually defeat the
Quraysh and gain control of Mecca.
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Muhammad entered the Ka’ba and destroyed the
religious idols at the shrine – thereby dedicating the
entire city to God.
By the time of Muhammad’s death in 632 CE,
Islam was established in most of the Arabian
Peninsula.
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Muslims believe that Muhammad was God’s
final prophet and that the revelation given to
him has never been corrupted, so there is no
need for further revelation.
Islam – “to submit”
Muslim – “one who submits”
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Islamic societies are governed by the following:
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The Koran – the actual word of God
Hadith – Stories and teachings from Muhammad
 Some hadiths are widely accepted and supported by
Islamic scholars; others are strongly disputed or refuted
(e.g. 72 virgins)
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Shariah – Islamic law
 Based on interpretation and various widely
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The death of Muhammad brought many questions
to Islam – primarily who would lead the people
next.
The leader of Islam is called a Caliph.
Some of his followers believed that the faith
should be chosen democratically based on merit
(these will be known as Sunnis).
Others wanted to follow the leadership of Ali,
Muhammad’s son-in-law.
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Sh’ia Muslims believe that the teachings of Islam should
be led by a hereditary successor of Muhammad.
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Muslims believe the Koran
(or Qur’an) was written by
God and revealed to
Muhammad at intervals from
the time of his first vision at
the age of 40 until he died at
the age of 62.
The Qur’an was assembled
from the teachings of
Muhammad and collected
into one volume after his
death.
The Koran is read and
studied in the original Arabic
(translations are never used
in worship.)
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The first pillar of Islam is
the daily prayer (salat) –
occurs five times during
the course of the day.
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Before sunrise
After midday
Late afternoon
At sunset
At night
Daily prayer is called by
the muezzin (worship
leader) using the
minaret, a large mosque
tower.
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A mosque is a Muslim place of worship.
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The second pillar of Islam is the payment of
alms (zakat) to the poor.
Zakat is a tax on the community which is
distributed to the poor to ensure their care and
protection.
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The third pillar of Islam is the month-long
Muslim fast (sawm) during the month of
Ramadan.
During Ramadan an adult Muslim refrains
from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset.
This period of fasting is designed to create a
sense of community and to clear the body in
order to be filled with the sprit of God.
Eid al-Fitr (the breaking of the fast) is celebrated
at the end of Ramadan and is one of the most
important holidays in Islam.
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The fourth pillar of Islam is the pilgrimage to Mecca
(Hajj.)
If they can afford it all Muslims are expected to
perform the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their
lifetime.
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The fifth pillar of Islam is the declaration of
faith (shahadah.)
The declaration of faith claims, “There is no
god but God and Muhammad is his prophet.”
The Arabic word for God is Allah.
These words are repeated in daily prayer and
are written on Muslim buildings.
This is the core belief of Islam as defined by the
prophet himself.