ISLAM Three of the great religions of the world have a number of things in common. These religions are one-god centered. They worship a personal God. Two of them, Christianity and Islam, stem from the third, Judaism. The religions are alike in several other ways, too. They are religions of the Semitic peoples, and came from Mesopotamia. A prophet made each well-known to the common people. The Arabian peoples descended from Abraham, through Ishmael, while the Jews descended from Abraham through Isaac, so the two faiths claim a common ancestor. Both Christian and Jewish communities were in the religions occupied by the early Muslims. Many Jews from these communities were wealthy and had much power. It was not strange, then, that these communities had a great effect on Mohammed and that the religions have similarities. Islam is a religion of the prophet Mohammed (The Prophet) and has a sacred book, the Koran. The crescent is its symbol. Islam is a religion of the desert and the Arabs. Many nomadic tribesmen lived in the desert. Hunger and poverty drove them to more fertile areas. They raided caravans which carried spices and goods for trade. Even so, they were a scattered people. Mohammed changed that. He brought them together in spirit. Festivities Ending Ramadan Members of the Tarabin Bedouin tribe in Egypt prepare food for a three-day festival that marks the end of the Islamic holy month, Ramadan. During Ramadan adult Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. AP/Wide World Photos/Ruth Fremson
Islam is more than a religious faith. It is also a Middle Eastern system of devotion to a country (Saudi Arabia). Muslims who followed Islam began to extend their power in the seventh century. They added country after country to their list of conquered lands. They first ruled North Africa. Then they added parts of the Middle East and Far East. They advanced into Spain, Italy, and the Balkans. Wherever they went, they took their faith. In the eleventh century, Christians faced the threat of Muslim expansion to the north and west. The Christians counter-attack is known as the Crusades. They were concerned that the Muslims would control Jerusalem, a city in the country of Palestine which is sacred to Christians and is also considered a holy city by Muslims. The rivalry between Muslims and Christians has never really ended. Though the number of Christians is greater, Muslims are gaining in strength. Spread of Islam In the 7th and 8th centuries the religion of Islam spread through conversion and military conquest throughout the Middle East and North Africa. By 733, just 100 years after the death of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, an ordered Islamic state stretched from India in the east to Spain in the west. Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The prophet Mohammed was born in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in A.D. 570. Not very much is known about him. It is said that when he was twenty-five, he began to manage the caravans of a wealthy widow. She later became his wife and greatest supporter. When he was forty, he began having visions. He felt he had a mission from God. His first revelations were brought by the angel Gabriel. These revelations are called Ramadan. (Ramadan later became a religions event celebrated by Muslims.) Then Mohammed began to reveal his message. His first convert, Abu Bakr, later became an important Islamic leader.
Mohammed attacked the primitive belief of animism (a belief that within every object lives a spirit). He also attacked belief in many gods (polytheism). Merchants at Mecca were angry when Mohammed spoke against these practices. Many of them made money from these beliefs. They threatened him. Mohammed fled to Medina in A.D. 622, fearing for his life. In Mecca, Mohammed had been a private person. He preached a new faith against the indifference or anger of the ruling powers. But in Medina, he was first a chief, then a ruler. He had political and military authority as well as religious authority. Mecca, Saudi Arabia The al-haram Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, holds the holiest shrine of Islam, the Kaaba. As the birthplace of Islam s founder, the Prophet Muhammad, Mecca is considered a holy city. It is a pilgrimage point for Muslims worldwide, who are expected to visit the city at least once if they are able to do so. Photo Researchers, Inc./Mehmet Biber For ten years, the Prophet ruled over the Muslim community in both war and peace. He instructed them in the Islamic faith. His influence was increased by persuasion and by arms. By the year A.D. 630, Mecca was conquered and brought into the Muslim faith. In A.D. 632, Mohammed died after a short illness. He had achieved great things. To the people of western Arabia, he had brought religion based on monotheism. He had brought the believers a book of revelation called the Koran. It became a guide to thought, faith, and conduct for millions. He established a new community and a new state, wellorganized and well-armed. The five important concepts of the Islam faith are called the Five Pillars. They are:
1. God is all-powerful. 2. The faithful Moslem hopes to go to paradise. All others are condemned to lasting punishment. On the day of judgment, the dead have their bodies restored to them. Then they pass over a narrow bridge to heaven or hell. It will be an endless fire for all persons but those who believe in God. The believer will be restored to eternal youth and strength. 3. There is no person between God and man. Every man is his own church. There are no priests. There is only the prophet Mohammed. 4. God hates abuse and injustice. He requires kindness to orphans and the poor. One must give money to help them. God (Allah) is merciful and caring. 5. Alcohol and pork are forbidden. A very big part of Islam, like Christianity and Judaism, is a faith of a book. To Muslims, the Koran is their religion. It is a book of laws. It also contains rules for military, commercial, and social procedures. It is said that the Koran was written by rays of light on a tablet next to God s throne. From this tablet, the angel made many things known to Mohammed. The original Koran is written in Arabic, and it has been translated into English and other languages. The Qur an The inscription on buildings of verses from the Qur an symbolizes the living presence of the holy book in Islamic society. This tower with decorative Qur anic inscriptions is in Delhi, India. Corbis/Gillian Darley/Edifice In order to reach paradise, Muslims have to recite a creed every day. The creed is, I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Mohammed is his messenger.
A Muslim must also perform five duties in his/her lifetime. These duties are: 1. Saying the Creed of belief in one God, angels, the revealed books, the prophet Mohammed, and the day of judgment. 2. Saying a set of prayers. 3. Taking part in the fast of the religious holiday Ramadan. No one is supposed to eat or drink during the time from daybreak to sunset for an entire month. 4. Giving money to the needy. 5. Making a journey to Mecca, the holy city. Prayer is praise. Prayer is used to request forgiveness. It is never used to ask for anything. It takes place at dawn, morning, afternoon, evening, and nightfall. Worshippers are called to prayer by a powerful and penetrating voice from the minaret (tower) of the mosque (their religious building). To worship, one must assume a certain position to pray. Those who pray must remove their shoes but do not uncover their heads. In the mosque, prayers are held by an Imam. Worshippers who are not at the mosque may use a prayer mat and complete their devotions alone. Prayers are said facing Mecca. Friday is the Sabbath, or day of worship. Mohammad s birthday is another religious holiday. Source: Kent County Core Curriculum