Prophet Muhammad Islam Brief History and Teachings

1. Prophet Muhammad Islam Brief History and Teachings

2. Arabia in 600 AD • Populated by various Arabic-speaking people • Bedouin - organized in tribes • Caravan meerchants and agriculturalists, living either in oases in the north, or in the more fertile and thickly settled areas to the south • Intense tribal loyalties & warfare • Arab culture revered oral story telling • Majority of Arabs followed polytheistic religions & worshipped idols • Few tribes followed Judaism, Christianity or Zoroastrianism • City of Mecca was a religious & trade center • Rich mixtures of culture • Ka'aba - temple founded by Abraham • Yearly pilgrimage to site • Much social injustice & economic disparity

3. Muhammad (570 – 632) • Born at Meccainto the Quraysh tribe • Orphaned at an early age & raised by uncle • Illiterate but very articulate & well liked • Became a successful merchant – traveled north • Married older wealthy widow at 25 - Khadijah • Saw a crisis in Arab society • 610 AD….the divine call • Visited while meditating in cave by the Archangel Gabriel who commanded him to recite verses sent by God • Revelations continued for the next 22 years • Revelations collected in the Quran • Revelations directly related to the needs of the Arab people • First memorized the verses & passed them to his wife & close relatives • Small band of followers would memorize the recitations • First converts – wife, cousin Ali, kinsman Abu Bakr • Starts preaching in 612 • New recruits mainly from slaves and lower classes • Night journey to Jerusalem

4. Muhammad • 612-622 AD - in Mecca preaching and gaining followers • Seen as a trouble maker for attacking the establishment • Attempts to assasinate him • AD 622… the Hejira to Medina • Request to resolve dispute between rival tribes • With followers moved to neighboring city of Medina • Year 622 as the start of the Muslim calendar • 622-630 AD---in Medina • Becomes leader of city Develops concept of Ummah - community • Mecca and Medina in conflict • Unites the surrounding tribes 630 – Mecca captured without fight • Cleansed the Kaaba of idols • 632 – first Hajj or pilgrimage • By his death in 632, Muhammad had united the entire Arabian peninsula

5. MECCAN PERIOD To establish Oneness of God Warner Giver of Glad Tidings Day of God MEDINAN PERIOD Social Order Law & Justice Equity Ummah

6. Religion of Muhammad • Islam is the religion of submission or surrender to Allah • Simple and uncompromising faith in oneness of God • Muhammad did not believe he was preaching a new religion • Did not reject Judaism and Christianity • Sent by God in order to complete and perfect those teachings • Accepted Abraham, Moses and Jesus as prophets • Muhammad is the messenger of God • Last in a long line of prophets • Chosen by God to preach repentance and submission to God • Judgment Day – Allah rewards the faithful with a paradise filled with eternal pleasure • Warns of the inevitable apocalypse & end of the world • Humanity will be forced to atone for sins • Images of heaven (oasis) & hell (desert) • Belief in Predestination • Whatever happens, good and evil, proceeds from divine will

7. Quran - Koran • Means “Recitation” • Recitation – Communicating directly with God • Provides a guide for living as a Muslim • Revelations from God delivered through the angel Gabriel to Mohammed over 22 years • Revelations came from a heavenly book containing God’s wisdom • Mother of the Book • Final uncorrupted revelation of God • Contains 114 suras – verses • Arranged by the length of sura • Contents: Theological dogma, ceremonial regulations, laws related to social, civil and criminal behavior • Themes – Oneness of Allah, his attributes, the ethical duties of man, and coming retribution • Quran must remain in Arabic • Translations not authentic

8. Writing of the Quran None of Quran was written during Muhammad’s life • Still an oral scripture • Words of the Prophet at first memorized & written on parchment or clay by followers Zayd ibn Thabit – one of Muhammed’s secretaries • Began gathering the verses of the Quran soon after his death • Interviewed closest associates • Sorted into a type of order Uthman (644-656) Third Caliph– created an official and final version • Committee charged with compiling Quran in 651 • Wanted to avoid controversy • Collect and authenticate verses Strict criteria for authenticity • 2 eyewitnesses had to testify that each verses had been recorded in the presence of Muhammad • Then verified with companions of Muhammad • Approved verses amassed into single text • Uthman then ordered all other texts destroyed • Quran not altered since

9. Legacy of Muhammad • Concept of Ummah– Community of Allah • First attempt to create a social organization out of faith instead of tribal relationships • Vision of social justice for all • Weak & vulnerable should be protected & treated with respect • Prophet, lawgiver, religious leader, chief judge, commander of the army and civil head of state • Inspiration as role model for living divinely inspired life • By studying details of his external life Muslims stove to acquire his interior attitude of perfect surrender to God

10. Islam • Islam is open to all who accept its tenets • Prohibition against idolatry or graven images • Islam has no organized hierarchy • No religious authority, clerical elite or priesthood to act as intermediary • Mullahs (teachers) occupy positions of authority because of their knowledge of the Quran • Sunna or Hadith - written collection of Arab oral traditions concerning life of Muhammad • Address issues not specifically covered in the Quran • Sharia – Islamic Law • Three sources – Quran, Sunna and Ijtihad – analytic reasoning to cover locally raised issues • Quran prohibits alcohol and gambling • Jihad– Call for Holy War against infidels???? • Quran insists that there be no coercion in matters of faith

11. The Five Pillars of Faith 1. Profession of Faith- Shahadah “There is no God but Allah (God), and Muhammad is His Prophet.” • First and last words heard • Most repeated words by Muslims • Person a Muslim once profession is repeated 2. Prayer – Salat • Direction toward Mecca • 5 times a day – Call of Muezzin • Dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset & nightfall • Create sense of solidarity and social equality • Body posture essential • Must use Arabic • Friday noon prayer is only mandatory public prayer for all adult males 3. Charity – Zakat – purification • Compassion for the poor • 2.5 % of wealth expected

12. The Five Pillars of Faith 4. Fasting - Sawm • Ramadan – based on lunar calendar – different each year • Daylight hours during month of Ramadan 5. Pilgrimage to Kaaba in Mecca – Hajj • All those who can afford and physically fit • Ideal of equality & unity among believers • Unites cultures and ideas

13. Women in Islam • Under Arabian pre-Islamic law of status, women had virtually no rights • No limitations were set on men's rights to marry or to obtain a divorce. • Islamic law provided women with new legal rights • Reforms affected marriage, divorce, and inheritance • Islamic law restricted the polygamy • Women could obtain a divorce • Women could inherit and keep their own property • Marriage was no longer viewed as a "status" but rather as a "contract" • Law doesn't require women to wear veils

14. Islam After Muhammad • Shiites – Only descendants of Fatima or her husband Ali should succeed Mohammed • Death of Imam Hussein (son of Ali) most celebrated event in Shiite calendar • Sunnis – any follower of Islam should be eligible to lead • Division political & religious • Never settled to this day • Series of Caliphs governed the Islamic State

15. Struggle for Succession Number of conflicting parties sought to succeed Muhammad • Companions – belonged to Muhammad’s tribe or had accepted mission early • Legitimists – heir must belong to family of Muhammad • Ali paternal cousin, husband of daughter Fatima & one of first believers • Aristocracy of Quraysh – Umayyads • Held reigns of power & wealth in pre-Islamic days • Companions triumphed with selection of abu-Bakr Rashidun - Four “righteous” caliphs (632-661 AD) • All were close associates and relatives of Muhammad • Abu Bakr (632-634) Father-in-law of Muhammad and one of first believers • Umar (634-644) main military genius who carried Islam forward from the Arabian peninsula • Uthman (644-656) - empire fell into a civil war called the Fitna • In 656 Uthman is assassinated by followers of Ali • Ali  (656-661) Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin • Many refused to accept Ali as a leader • Killed by assassin Umayyad dynasty claims the caliphate – Damascus capital Abbasid dynasty – 754 – seizes caliphate • al Mansur (754-775) builds new capital at Baghdad

16. Conquest & Expansion Expansion of Islamic empire against Byzantine & Sassanid (Persian) empires Abu-Bakr –Orders jihad (holy struggle) against the "infidel" Christian or Byzantine Empire north of Arabia • Damascus becomes capital Umar • 637 – Defeated great Persian Sassanid army • 639 – Conquers Alexandria – base of Byzantine navy • 643 – Arabs to border of India Tariq ibn Zaid crossed from North Africa (Morocco) into Spain in 711 Expansion stopped in France in 732 – Charles Martel Military victories • Justice not fanaticism • No longer making war with other Arabs • Use of cavalry and camels • Remarkable mobility • High morale from religious enthusiasm Conquered peoples more open to Islam • Reduced heavy burden of taxation • No persecution of Faiths

17. The Spread of Islam

18. Islamic Unity • Arabic became language of business, government & literature • Uniform enforcement of law contributed to growth of united culture • Vast trade network extended from India to the Mediterranean

19. Rich Cultural Achievements • Many Islamic centers of culture and science • Baghdad • Cairo • Damascus • Cordoba • Alexandria • Scholarship • Produced notable scientists, astronomers, mathematicians, doctors and philosophers • Importance of reading the Qur'an produced a comparatively high level of literacy in the general populace • Heirs to Hellenistic Learning • Maintained Classical learning • Translation of Greek texts - Aristotle • Medicine • Architecture • Mosques, Palaces & Minarets • Art • Geometric patterns, calligraphy, metal work

20. Science & Medicine Muslim scientists • Saw no contradiction between religion and laws governing natural world • Scientific method born • Utilized Classical Greek medical texts • Alchemy – beginnings of chemistry Muslim medicine • Advanced techniques & ideas • Theory that disease born through air born organisms • Study of anatomy • Vascular & cancer surgery • Study of light, lenses & physiology of eye – led to camera • Use of anesthetics • Pharmacies • Hospitals – separate disease in different wards

21. Pioneers of Medicine Razi (865 – 925) – Rhazes in the West • Authored more than 100 books on medicine • First to diagnose and treat smallpox Ibn Sina (980 – 1037) – Known as Avicenna • Contributions in philosophy, music, mathematics, geography & literature • Utilized experimentation & observation • wrote Canon of Medicine– encyclopedia of medicine • Study of infectious disease • Main medical text for 6 centuries • Printed extensively throughout the West

22. Mathematics • Introduced “Arabic” numerals – originally from India • Replaced Roman numerals • Included the zero – made for complex calculations • Perfected use of decimals and fractions • Invented Algebra

23. Trade Seaborne Trade developed from Persian Gulf Began to sail to China to trade Traveled to Russia and Central Asia by land Able to travel from Europe to Asia • Silk, furs, gold and precious stones, spices, and slaves • Orange tree, sugar, and paper

24. An Ever Advancing Civilization • Abraham: Infancy/Family • Moses: Toddlerhood/Tribe • Jesus: Childhood/Love • Muhammad: Adolescence/Nation

25. Where are Muslims Today?