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The Rise and Spread of Islam
Learn Islamic Greeting
Mu Allah Kum Absalom
Absalom Allah Kum
Geography of Arabian Peninsula
• Islam begins in the
Arabian Peninsula
• Mecca located 45
miles inland from Red
Sea on Western Side
of large desert, that
takes up most of
Arabian Peninsula
• Four trade routes
cross desert and
West Coast of Arabia
Trade
• Mecca was a crossroads
for trade in late 500’s
when Muhammad grew
up there
• Camel trains filled the city
carrying perfumes, ivory,
spices, silk, and precious
metals like gold
• Travelled north to
markets in Syria, where
goods could be ship
across the Mediterranean
to Europe, some caravan
travelled across the
desert to Mesopotamia or
Iraq
Bedouins and Merchants
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Desert home to Bedouin people, Arab
nomads who moved from one area to
another
Herded sheep, camels, and goats and
raised horses, travelled from one water hole
to the next, animals grazed on bushes,
water scarce for people and animals,
sometime so salty only animals could drink it
Bedouins acted as guides for trade
caravans, occasionally would raid caravans,
stealing the goods, Meccan traders made
agreements w/ Bedouins, Muhammad’s
grand father a wealthy merchant help make
these agreements
Used religion to seal alliances with
Bedouins, inviting them to worship in the
Kabah, a cube shaped building in the center
of Mecca, it held a large black stone, a
meteorite, sacred to Meccans, said to be
place where Abahim tried to sacrifice Ismail
the true son of promise, and many other
small statues that were family gods
Meccans guarded the Kabah because the
Kabah drew worshipers from all over Arabia
Muhammad
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Though Muhammad’s grand father
was a rich merchant, Muhammad was
born into a family in 570 in hard times,
poor
Muhammad was also an orphan,
parents died before he was 7 yrs old,
an Uncle took care of him, Muhammad
grew up to work in caravan trade,
travelled to different parts of the world,
several times to Syria, part of
Byzantine empire, reputation grew as
great caravan leader
At 25 married Khadijah a wealthy
widow he worked for who was 40, she
was impressed by his hard work and
honesty, began to manage caravans
In free time walked in hills outside of
Mecca, pondering the troubles he saw
in society, liked to be alone to pray and
think
Muhammad, Cont’d
• In 610 Muhammad went
into a cave to pray, heard
a voice of an angel say
“proclaim”, asked what he
should proclaim, answer
was the one true God,
Allah
• Frightened at first, felt
unworthy, voice told him
to recite, Quran and he
memorized and recited
what the angel told him
The Mission
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Angel said people had abandoned
the true faith, instead of
worshiping God alone they
worshipped idols and false gods
Muhammad given a mission, to
pass along all of the messages he
received from God, beginning with
the Arabs, and then the whole
world
Muhammad obeyed, people
accepted his teachings starting
with his daughters and husbands
and his wife and friends, became
Muslims- persons that submit,
faith became known as Islamsubmission to God
Hijra
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Meccans ignored Muhammad, thought new
teachings threatened old religion and gods
in Kabah, threatening their business,
thought would make Mecca less important
as a place for pilgrimage
Also taught all people brothers and sisters in
a community established by God, angered
Meccans who had slaves and felt superior to
travelers
Heckled Muhammad as he preached, threw
garbage and stones at him and followers,
attacks became more violent, forced to flee
city
People in Yathrib a city to the north invited
Muhammad to com e to their city, saw as a
wise man to settle disputes, many believed
Muhammad was a prophet
622 in middle of night Muhammad and
followers fled to Yathrib, called the hijra or
migration, year one on Muslim Calendar
Yathrib changed name to Medina, city of the
Prophet and became an Islamic center
Expansion
• Islam did not remain in city of
Medina, 630 Muhammad
returned in triumph to Mecca,
632 Muhammad died, Islam
had spread across Arabian
peninsula
• Next 100 yrs Islam moved
through conquest across North
Africa, to Spain and into
Southern France, pushed East
to India and China
• People did not like Byzantine
and Persian empires, rulers
harsh and oppressive, new
religion made sense, Muslims
expert traders, travelled all
over and took religion with
them