Download After eight years of warring with Mecca and finally

After eight years of warring with Mecca and finally conquering the city
in 630 CE, Muhammad united Arabia into a single Islamic state.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Discuss the rise of Islam under Muhammad
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Muhammad created the first Islamic state when he wrote theConstitution of Medina, a formal
agreement between Muhammad and all of the significant tribes and families ofMedina, including
Muslims, Jews, Christians, and pagans.
The Battle of Badr was a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's
struggle with his opponents among the Qurayash in Mecca.
The Battle of Uḥud in 625 CE was the second military encounter between the Meccans and the
Muslims, but the Muslims suffered defeat and withdrew.
After eight years of fighting with the Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000
followers and conquered the city of Mecca, destroying the pagan idols in theKaaba.
By the time of Muhammad's death unexpected death in 632 CE, he had united Arabia into a single
Muslim religious polity.
With the rise of Islam, Sharia law emerged from the teachings of the Quran and the life of
Muhammad as both a moral code and religious law.
TERMS [ edit ]
Hadith
a report of the teachings, deeds and sayings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, which helped to
unify the Islamic state
Farewell Pilgrimage
the last and only Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 632 CE
Constitution of Medina
a formal agreement between Muhammad and all of the significant tribes and families of Medina,
including Muslims, Jews, Christians, and pagans, which formed the basis of the first Islamic state
Ummah
the collective community of Islamic peoples
Hijab
a veil that covers the head and chest, which is particularly worn by a Muslim woman beyond the
age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family, as mandated by
Sharia law
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The Constitution of Medina
Upon his arrival in Medina, Muhammad unified the tribes by drafting the Constitution of
Medina, which was a formal agreement between Muhammad and all of the significant tribes
and families of Medina, including Muslims, Jews, Christians, and pagans. This constitution
instituted rights and responsibilities and united the different Medina communities into the
first Islamic state, the Ummah.
While praying in the Masjid al­Qiblatain in Medina, Muhammad received revelations that he
should be facing Mecca rather than Jerusalem during prayer. Muhammad adjusted to the
new direction, and his companions praying with him followed his lead, beginning the
tradition of facing Mecca during prayer.
The Masjid al­Qiblatain, where Muhammad established the new Qibla, or direction of prayer
Muhammad received revelations that he should face Mecca, rather than Jerusalem, in 624 CE.
Beginning of Armed Conflict
Economically uprooted with no available professions, the Muslim migrants began raiding
Meccan caravans. They initiated armed conflict with Mecca under Muhammad's Quranic
verses that permitted Muslims to fight the Meccans. As a result of these attacks, they
acquired wealth, power and prestige while working towards the ultimate goal of conquering
Mecca.
Battle of Badr
In March 624, Muhammad led three hundred warriors in a raid on a Meccan merchant
caravan. The Muslims set an ambush for the caravan at Badr, but a Meccan force intervened
and the Battle of Badr commenced. Although outnumbered more than three to one, the
Muslims won the battle, killing at least forty­five Meccans. Muhammad and his followers saw
the victory as confirmation of their faith and Muhammad said the victory was assisted by an
invisible host of angels. The victory strengthened Muhammad's position in Medina and
dispelled earlier doubts among his followers.
A map of the Badr campaign
The Battle of Badr in 624 was a key battle in the early days of Islam and a turning point in Muhammad's
struggle with his opponents among the Qurayash in Mecca.
Battle of Uhud
To maintain economic prosperity, the Meccans needed to restore their prestige after their
defeat at Badr. Abu Sufyan, the leader of the ruling Quaryash tribe, gathered an army of
three thousand men and set out for an attack on Medina. Muhammad led his Muslim force to
the Meccans to fight the Battle of Uhud on 23 March. When the battle seemed close to a
decisive Muslim victory, the Muslim archers left their assigned posts to raid the Meccan
camp. Meccan war veteran Khalid ibn al­Walid led a surprise attack, which killed many
Muslims and injured Muhammad. The Muslims withdrew up the slopes of Uḥud. The
Meccans did not pursue the Muslims further, but marched back to Mecca declaring victory.
Map of the battle, showing the Muslim and Meccan lines respectively.
The Battle of Uḥud in 625 CE was the second military encounter between the Meccans and the Muslims,
but the Muslims suffered defeat and withdrew.
For the Muslims, the battle was a significant setback. According to the Qur'an, the loss at
Uhud was partly a punishment and partly a test for steadfastness.
Conquest of Mecca and Arabia
After eight years of fighting with the Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000
Muslim converts and marched on the city of Mecca. The attack went largely uncontested and
Muhammad took over the city with little bloodshed. He destroyed the pagan idols in the
Kaaba and then sent his followers out to destroy all of the remaining pagan temples in
Eastern Arabia. In 632, a few months after returning to Medina from the Farewell
Pilgrimage, Muhammad fell ill and died. By the time of his death, most of the Arabian
Peninsula had converted to Islam, and he had united Arabia into a single Muslim religious
polity.
Early Reforms under Islam
Muhammad was first a rebel in Mecca, then a statesman in Medina. Islamic social reforms in
areas such as social security, family structure, slavery, and the rights of women and children
improved the status quo of Arab society. Muhammad's message refocused perceived identity,
world view, and the hierarchy of values in the Arabian Peninsula. Economic reforms required
an alms tax for the benefit of the poor and as Muhammad's power grew, he demanded that
tribes who wished to ally with him implement the zakat in particular.
The Hadith and Sharia Law
The Hadith was a report of the teachings, deeds and sayings of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad. The hadith literature was compiled from oral reports that were present in
society around the time of their compilation, well after the death of Muhammad. Sunnah,
which consists of what Muhammad believed, implied, or tacitly approved, was recorded by
his companions in the hadith. With the hadith, the new universal authority and sense of
brotherhood among Muslims replaced allegiance to the tribal sunnah.
Sharia law describes the the moral code and religious law in Islam. There are two primary
sources of sharia law: the precepts set forth in the Quranic verses, and the example set by the
Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Sharia deals with many topics addressed by
secular law, including crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as
sexual relationships, hygiene, diet, prayer, everyday etiquette, and fasting. Adherence to
Islamic law is a historical distinguishing characteristic of the Muslim faith, and through the
centuries Muslims have devoted much scholarly time and effort on its elaboration. Sharia
underwent fundamental development, beginning with the reigns of caliphs Abu Bakr(632–
34) and Umar (634–44), during which time many questions were brought to the attention of
Muhammad's closest comrades for consultation.
Use of Sharia in the judicial system for countries in the modern world
Use of sharia by country. Green: Muslim­majority countries and members of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation where sharia plays no role in the judicial system. Yellow: Countries where sharia applies in
personal status issues (such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody), but otherwise have a
secular legal system. Purple: Countries where sharia applies in full, covering personal status issues as
well as criminal proceedings. Orange: Countries with regional variations in the application of sharia.
The Hijab (the Veil)
The dress code described by Sharia law includes the hijab, a veil that covers the head and
chest, which is particularly worn by a Muslim woman beyond the age of puberty in the
presence of adult males outside of their immediate family. It can further refer to any head,
face, or body covering worn by Muslim women that conforms to a certain standard of
modesty. The term hijab in Arabic literally means "a screen or curtain" and is used in the
Quran to refer to a partition.
Hijab can also be used to refer to the seclusion of women from men in the public sphere, or it
may embody a metaphysical dimension. There are disagreements among religious scholars
about the extreme requirements of this practice; the enforcement of these requirements
varies regionally and as governments change in Islamic countries.
Modern­day Muslim women wearing hijab
Collage of images displaying the following, from left to right: 1. American Muslim females enjoying Iftar
in Patterson, New Jersey. 2. Two young Iranian women walking down the street, one talking on a
mobile phone. 3. An Afghan school girl sings a prayer in celebration and for blessing during a ground
breaking ceremony in the village of Dar Bhabba in the Nangahar province.