Download The Beginnings of Islam

6th Grade Social Studies
The religion of Islam, based on the teachings
of Muhammad, spread across the Arabian
peninsula and far beyond to become a major
world religion.
 Christianity
had
grown around the
Roman Empire and
spread into North
Africa and
Mesopotamia.
 Judaism, which had
also grown in the
eastern
Mediterranean,
reached as far as
the oasis towns of
western Arabia.

In the same region of
Arabia, a new religion
called Islam was born.
Islam means “submit to
the will of God” in
Arabic, the Arab
language.
 Followers of Islam are
called Muslims- which
translates “ones who
submit to God.”
 The stories and
teachings of Islam have
been written down in
the Quran, the most
important book of
Islam.

 According
to Muslim tradition, a boy named
Muhhamad was born in the oasis city of
Mecca about A.D. 570.


Raised by and uncle who was a trader
In time Muhammad mastered the skill of leading
caravans
 Muhammad’s
skills
caught the eye of a
wealthy widow and
merchant, Khadija.


On her behalf, Muhammad
traveled to the Fertile
Crescent to trade goods
When he returned from
his journey, they married
 His
marriage to Khadija is said to have given
him wealth and respect in busy Mecca, where
they lived.
 Mecca lays on the main trading route through
western Arabia.
 Attracted other visitors because of the
Kaaba, Mecca’s temple.

Honored the gods and goddesses worshipped by
the people of Mecca
 Muhammad
often went to a mountain cave
near Mecca to pray.

When he was 40, “something” happened that
would change the history of Arabia
 Muslims
believe that Muhammad received a
message from Allah.


Allah is the Arabic word for God
Over many years, Allah is said to have given
other messages to Muhammad
 Muhammad
set out to teach people in Mecca
about Allah.

Over the next three years, his group of followers
slowly grew
 He
criticized the Meccans’ way of life and
their belief in MANY gods.

His disagreement w/ city leaders is said to have
caused him and his followers to leave Mecca in
622
 Moved
over 200 miles from Mecca to another
oasis town, Medina.


Muhammad’s hijra- Arabic for “migration” –
marked a major turning point in Islamic history
The year of the hijra, 622, marks the starting
point of the Islamic calendar
A prophet’s mosque in Medina.
 In
624 Muhammad led attacks on Meccan
caravans, cutting off Mecca’s source of
riches.
 Later, w/ peace agreements, he is said to
have won Mecca’s surrender.
 After his victory in 630, Muhammad
destroyed the statues of the gods and
goddesses in the Kaaba and proclaimed
Mecca a Muslim city.

It is holy to Muslims to this day
 In
Islamic belief the Quran contains Allah’s
teachings to Muhammad.



The most important teaching was that there was
only one God in the universe- Allah
Serves as a guide for Muslims, as the Bible does
for Jews and Christians.
Through its words, Muslims learn about Allah’s
teachings
 Daily
confession of
faith (shahada)
 Daily ritual prayer
(salat)
 Paying the alms tax
(zakat)
 Fasting during the
month of Ramadan
(sawm)
 Pilgrimmage to
Mecca (hajj)
 During
the 100 years after the death of
Muhammad, the Islamic community grew
steadily.


AD 750, followers of Islam could be found from
Spain all the way to the Indus Valley (India).
Arabic became the common language in many
Islamic lands.
 Around
5 million Muslims live in the United
States today.
 Muslim customs often vary from one country
to another.


Nearly all Muslims honor the end of Ramadan
with a joyful feast.
People wear new clothes to celebrate the
beginning of the month following the long fast.
 Millions
of Muslims from around the world
still make the pilgrimage to the holy city of
Mecca every year.

Muslims everywhere view the pilgrimage as one
of the most important events in their lives.
 At
home Muslim women take time to teach
their children about the Quran.

Muslim families have celebrations when sons or
daughters memorize large parts of the Quran.
 The
modern city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, is
the center of a world-wide Muslim
community.
 For almost 1,400 years Islam has been
anchored in both the life of Muhammad and
the teachings of the Quran.

The religion of Islam has shaped civilizations and
human achievements.
 According
to Muslim belief, Muhammad, the
founder of Islam, lived from AD 570 to 632.
Muhammad preached that there was only one
God- Allah.
 Muhammad journeyed from Mecca to Medina
to 622. This event is called the hijra.
Muhammad went on to become a powerful
leader in Medina. Later the returned and
proclaimed Mecca a holy city.
 Muslims
believe that the sacred book of
Islam, the Quran, contains holy teaching that
Muhammad received from Allah.
 The 5 Pillars of Islam from the Quran instruct
Muslims about how they should honor Allah in
their lives.