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ISLAM. EARLY BEGINNINGS. A prophet named Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. He was orphaned at age 6 and raised by an uncle and grandfather Muhammad’s uncle was a trader and Muhammad went with him on his travels Muhammad grew to dislike the traditional worship of the tribes people
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EARLY BEGINNINGS • A prophet named Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. • He was orphaned at age 6 and raised by an uncle and grandfather • Muhammad’s uncle was a trader and Muhammad went with him on his travels • Muhammad grew to dislike the traditional worship of the tribes people • Muhammad met Jews and Christians who worshipped one God and he grew to respect them and their beliefs
Muhammad the Prophet • At age 40 Muhammad was meditating on Mt Hira near Mecca • Muhammad heard a voice say, “ You are the Messenger of God.” • Muhammad believed that God spoke to him through the angel Gabriel • He then began preaching that there is only one God named Allah and all other gods must be rejected
MEDINA: CITY OF THE PROPHET • Some people in Mecca did not like Muhammad speaking against the long held traditions • They threatened to kill Muhammad • In 622 AD Muhammad moved north to Medina with his followers • This date marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar • In Medina Muhammad laid the foundation of the Islamic faith • Islam means “peace through the submission to the will of God” • A Muslim is one who believes in Islam
RETURN TO MECCA • In 630 AD Muhammad returned to Mecca • He had 10,000 followers with him • He was able to capture Mecca without much resistance • Mecca became the center of the Muslim world
THE KA’ABA • It is a holy shrine believed to have been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael as an altar to God • It is located in the center of Mecca • Upon his return, Muhammad reclaimed the shrine • He cleaned it and rededicated it to Allah • It is the center of Islam to this day • It is the place of the annual pilgrimage and direction of prayer for Muslims from all corners of the globe
MUHAMMAD’S DEATH • In 632 AD Muhammad lead a pilgrimage to Mecca • He gave his final speech here • He urged kindness and respect towards others; especially women • Muhammad died shortly after this speech • He is buried in Medina
SPREAD OF ISLAM • Between 636 and 639 AD Muslims conquered and converted many countries around them • These included Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, and Mesopotamia • In less than 50 years the Muslim borders were from Spain to China • This was half of the known civilized world at that time • Muslims were tolerant of existing religions • Especially monotheistic religions like Judaism and Christianity • Muslims did not try to force others to convert to Islam
QUR’AN • The Qur’an is the Muslim holy book • It is a code that tells how to live your life so you can have a place in heaven • It is believed that Muhammad’s speeches were messages from God • Muhammad could not write; so at first the messages were given orally • After Muhammad’s death his followers wrote down his words in Arabic • This became the first written form of the Qur’an • It has 114 chapters called surahs
BELIEFS • There is no other God but Allah • Muhammad is his prophet • God is all powerful and all knowing • There is a Judgment Day where one’s soul will enter heaven or hell depending on how one lived their life • Muhammad is the last in a line of prophets which include Abraham and Jesus
PRACTICES Five Pillars These are the 5 duties all Muslims must perform to demonstrate their submission to the will of God • Faith- Believe and say, “There is not God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet” • Prayer- Pray in Arabic five times a day, at specific times, and facing Mecca 3. Alms-Give to the poor and needy 4. Fasting- Fast during the month of Ramadan each year, avoiding all food and beverages between sunrise and sunset 5. Hajj- If possible, make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca once during a lifetime
MUSLIM COMMUNITY SPLITS • The Muslim community splits over how to choose a leader after Muhammad died • There are two main Sects: • Sunni’s- 90%-believe any Muslim who follows Muhammad's example may be ruler • Shiites-10%- believe only a descendant of Muhammad and Ali ( Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law) may be a ruler • The division between the Sunni and the Shiites continues to cause conflict in the Muslim world today
FACTS • Islam is the second largest world religion • It is the fastest growing religion • There are 1.2 billion Muslims today • There are 43 countries with Muslim-majority populations