Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims?

1. Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims? Listen to the story of the ‘night of power’ • Can you think of a time when you had to do something which you were a bit afraid to do? • How do you think Muhammed would have felt? • Try writing down your response to the story. You could do this: • In the first person • From the point of view of another character • In the form of a poem • You could also copy out the Shahadah and write a description of the beliefs which it describes. Unit 5a

2. Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims? Where and when did Muhammed live? Muhammed was born in about 570CE, in a place called Makkah, which nowadays is in a country called Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia Makkah Unit 5a

3. Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims? Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the word of God. Because of this, it cannot be changed or edited, and Muslims have to learn Arabic to be able to read it. In the homes of Muslims, the Qur'an is always treated with respect. It is kept in a special place and often placed on a wooden stand for reading, like the one in the picture. How does the way that Muslims treat the Qur'an show how they feel about it? Think about objects in your home which are special to you. How do you treat these objects? Unit 5a

4. Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims? Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the final revelation of Allah. They believe that Muhammed is the messenger who was given the responsibility of telling the rest of the people of the world about this revelation. Find out about the meaning of revelation. Can you create an acrostic using the word ‘revelation’? Think about responsibilities which you have in your life, at home or at school or elsewhere. How seriously do you take these responsibilites? What are the good and bad points of being responsible for something? Unit 5a

5. Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims? Many of the things which Muhammed did or said were recorded in writings and sayings called the Hadith Here is an example of writing from the Hadith (in Arabic) The Hadith helps Muslims to understand the meaning of the Qur'an, and to understand how to use what the Qur’an teaches them in their everyday lives. Why do you think the events of Muhammed’s life are important for Muslims nowadays? Look at a story or saying from the Hadith What lessons do you think it teaches Muslims? How do you think it would help them in their day to day life? Unit 5a

6. Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims? Muslims believe that all animals and humans were created by God. Many Muslims believe that they should not draw pictures or make models of people and animals, as only God can create these things. This means that Muslims mainly use paintings and carvings of shapes and patterns for decoration, rather than pictures of people or animals. Unit 5a

7. Unit 5a: Why is Muhammed important to Muslims? Think about how special Muhammed is.to Muslims What special qualities did Muhammed have? What are the sort of qualities needed for a religious leader? Who is special in your life? Who influences the things you do, what you think, eat, drink, wear, how you spend your time? Why do these people influence you? Where do you think their values have come from? Unit 5a