Download Introduction to Islam - Mrs. Julia Jane Winslow

Introduction
to Islam
Arabs
Arabs live on the
Arabian peninsula,
now part of what we
know as the Middle
East
 Arabs traded along
the Silk Road with the
Chinese and the
Romans
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Arabs continued
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Arabs are considered to
be the ancestors of
Abraham and his son
Ishmael
They believe that
Abraham and Ishmael
built a shrine at Makkah
or Mecca called the
Kaaba
The cornerstone of this
sacred shrine is called the
Black Stone
Arabs worshiped a
supreme god, called Allah
The Life of Muhammad
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Muhammad was born in
570 AD to a merchant
family
Muslims believe that
Muhammad received
revelations from God
while meditating
Muhammad believed that
Allah (God) had revealed
himself through Moses
(Judaism) and Jesus
(Christianity)
He believed Allah’s final
revelations were for him
Quran
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Muhammad’s revelations
were written in a book
called the Quran, which
are the holy scriptures of
Islam
The word Islam means
“submission to the will of
Allah”
Islam has one God, Allah
Muhammad was his
prophet
Muhammad’s Mission
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Muhammad set out to convince the people of
Makkah (Mecca) that his revelations were true
After 3 years of preaching he only had 30
followers
Muhammad and his followers moved to Madinah
or Medina; “city of the prophet”
His journey to Medina is known as the Hijrah
His journey began in 622 AD, this year is the
first year in the Muslim calendar
In Medina
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Muhammad gained a lot of
supporters in Medina
In 630 AD, Muhammad
returned to Mecca with 10,000
soldiers
Many residents converted to
Islam
Muhammad declared the
Kaaba to be a sacred shrine
In 632 AD Muhammad died
Now, all Muslims are
encouraged to make a
pilgrimage called the hajj to
Mecca
Teachings of Muhammad
Islam is monotheistic
 Allah created everything
 Islam offer salvation and the hope of an
afterlife to its followers
 Unlike Jesus in Christianity, Muhammad is
not considered to be divine
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To obey Allah’s will, Muslims must follow an ethical
code called the Five Pillars of Islam
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Those who follow the law are guaranteed a place in paradise
Arab Empire
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Muhammad’s death left his followers
with a problem of succession
Some of his closest followers chose
Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-inlaw to lead (Sunni)
He was named caliph, or successor
to Muhammad
Others felt that Muhammad’s
cousin, Ali, should be the next
prophet (Shia)
Arabs began to conquer other
peoples
Arabs were great fighters because
they believed if they were killed in
battle they were assured a place in
paradise
Arab Expansion
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Arabs expanded their
culture and religion
throughout the Middle
East, Northern Africa, and
Southern Europe
By 725 AD Spain became
a Muslim state
By 732 AD they had
conquered the southern
and eastern parts of the
Roman Empire
Baghdad became a center
for trade
Conquerors
In 1055 AD a group called
the Seljuk Turks took
control of the empire
under their leader the
sultan
(They became Muslim)
 During the 1200’s a group
called the Mongols, under
their leader Genghis Khan
invaded
 The Mongols destroyed
Baghdad because they
hated Islam
 Mongols eventually
converted to Islam as well
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