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Social Studies 9R – Mr. Berman
Aim #2: How did Muhammad develop and spread the Muslim religion?
Reading adapted from the Metropolitan Museum of Art website
(http://www.metmuseum.org/learn/for-educators/publications-for-educators/art-of-theislamic-world/unit-one/the-prophet-muhammad-and-the-origins-of-islam)
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Introduction
The rise of Islam is intrinsically linked with the Prophet Muhammad, believed by Muslims
to be the last in a long line of prophets that includes Moses and Jesus. Because
Muhammad was the chosen recipient and messenger of the word of God through the
divine revelations, Muslims from all walks of life strive to follow his example.
Early Life
Muhammad was born into the most powerful tribe in Mecca (in modern day Saudi
Arabia), the Quraish, around 570 A.D. The power of the Quraish derived from their role
as successful merchants. Several trade routes intersected at Mecca (the area circled on
the map), allowing the Quraish to control trade along the west coast of Arabia, north to
Syria, and south to Yemen.
Mecca was home to several polytheistic religions whose gods were thought to protect its
lucrative trade. After being orphaned as a young boy and being raised by his grandfather
and uncle, he worked for several years as a merchant. He was eventually hired by
Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage of her caravans to Syria. They
eventually married and had seven children.
1. Where was Muhammad born? Why will this be a perfect location for Muhammad
to eventually start and spread a new religion (consult the map)?
2. What were Muhammad’s early years like?
3. When Muhammad was growing up, what religious beliefs did most people have
in Mecca? Why?
Divine Revelations
When he was roughly forty, Muhammad began having visions and hearing voices.
Searching for clarity, he would sometimes meditate at Mount Hira, near Mecca. On one
of these occasions, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and instructed him to recite
"in the name of [your] lord." This was the first of many revelations that became the basis
of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. These early revelations pointed to the existence of
a single God (called Allah), contradicting the polytheistic beliefs of the pre-Islamic
Arabian Peninsula. The angel Gabriel told Muhammad that it was now his responsibility
to spread this monotheistic belief in the one true god throughout the Arabian Peninsula
and the world.
Initially overwhelmed by the significance of what was being revealed to him, Muhammad
found unflinching support in his wife and slowly began to attract followers. His followers
became known as Muslims, and the religion they followed was called Islam
(“submission to the will of Allah”). His strong monotheistic message angered many of the
Meccan merchants. They were afraid that trade, which they believed was protected by
the polytheistic gods, would suffer. From that point forward, Muhammad was ostracized
in Mecca. For a time, the influence and status of his wife and his uncle, Abu Talib, the
chief of the clan, protected Muhammad from persecution. After they died, however,
Muhammad and his followers were in constant danger.
4. What did Muhammad learn when he was visited by the Angel Gabriel? How was
his life changed by this event?
5. Why did Muhammad encounter so much opposition to his ideas in Mecca?
The Hijrah and the Spread of Islam
Emigration became the only hope for Muhammad and his followers' survival. In 622, they
headed to Medina, another oasis town, where they were promised freedom to practice
their religion. The move from Mecca to Medina is known as the hijrah—the flight—and
marks year 1 of the Islamic calendar.
Medina was a community plagued by constant wars and conflicts between different
tribes. Muhammad’s new religion of Islam offered the people of Medina a way to
overcome their rivalries and finally achieve true unity and peace. As a result, thousands
of people began to convert to Islam, and for the first time, Muhammad’s new religion
became a major force on the Arabian peninsula. The conflict with the Quraish in Mecca
continued, and eventually war broke out between the Quraish and Muhammad’s
followers. Although Muhammad’s forces were initially outnumbered, they won several
incredible victories on the battlefield and eventually conquered Mecca in 630.
Muhammad and his followers destroyed all the pagan idols in the Kaaba, the city’s main
temple, but otherwise treated the people of Mecca with mercy and did not slaughter
them. Muhammad now controlled the governments of both Mecca and Medina and could
continue to spread the belief in the one god Allah without any interference. It was the
beginning of a Muslim empire that would soon spread across the Arabian peninsula and
beyond…….
6. What was the Hijrah? Why did it lead to Muhammad ultimately gaining thousands
of new followers?
7. How did Muhammad ultimately treat Mecca after he conquered the city? Why do
you think he behaved in this way?
8. Concluding Question: Based on what you have learned about Muhammad in
this reading, how are his actions and accomplishments similar to those of Jesus?
How are they different?