Download October 13(14), 2004

Islam: Origins and Faith
I.
Rise of Islam
a. Arabian Peninsula
i. cultures living in the Middle East were in constant contact
ii. the Middle East served as a bridge between Africa, Asia, and Europe
iii. goods were traded and ideas were spread
b. nomadic groups constantly crossed the Arabian Peninsula
i. by the early 600s, Arabia served as a trading crossroads
ii. Mecca became an important “trade stop” (during holy months, caravans stopped
in Mecca to worship – at the Ka’aba)
iii. the Ka’aba contained over 360 idols (brought by many tribes); many different
gods were worshiped
II.
Muhammad
a. born in Mecca in 570 A.D.
i. born into the clan of a powerful Meccan family
ii. orphaned at the age of 6
iii. took great interest in religion
b. revelation occurred to him at age 40
i. the angel Gabriel called out to him while he was meditating in Mecca
ii. came to believe that Allah spoke to him through Gabriel
c. Prophet Muhammad
i. taught that Allah was the one and only God; all others must be abandoned
ii. close friends and relatives became Muhammad’s first followers
d. Muhammad left Mecca
i. small band of supporters followed him to Medina
ii. he worked to gain followers of Islam in Medina
e. Return to Mecca
i. in 630 A.D., the Prophet marched 10,000 of his followers to the outskirts of
Mecca
ii. the Meccans surrendered
iii. Muhammad went to the Ka’aba and destroyed the idols
iv. most converted to Islam
III.
Islamic Beliefs
a. Monotheistic – one God (Allah)
b. holy book = Qur’an (Koran)
c. Five Pillars of Islam  each Muslim is responsible for carrying out five duties
i. Faith
1. recognize Allah
2. recognize Muhammad as the Prophet
ii. Prayer
1. Muslims must face toward Mecca five times a day to pray
2. this is to bring Muslims closer to Allah
iii. Alms
1. responsibility to help the less fortunate
2. must give alms (charity) to the poor
iv. Fasting
1. during holy month, Ramadan (month in which Muhammad saw
Gabriel)
2. eat and drink nothing between dawn and sunset
v. Pilgrimage
1. all Muslims perform the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
2. only have to do this one time in their lifetime
3. all wear identical clothing to stand as “equals” before Allah