The Rise of Islam

Objectives:

• Know the early development of Islam.

• Know the importance of Mohammed to Islam.

• Know the importance of Mecca to Islam.

• Know the importance of Medina to Islam.

• Know the Five Pillars of Faith.

Islam started on the Arabian Peninsula

The Bedouin people were tribal and nomadic

• Some had settled down into towns and engaged in trading.

• To understand the origins of Islam, you have to understand some economic factors.

• Oases were scattered. Where they were you had cities or towns. Trade routes would go from city to city, following the oases.

• One of these cities was Petra in modern day Jordan, which your book mentions.

• I mention it only because this structure, the Treasury of Petra, was featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

• Another important city on one of the trade routes was Mecca.

• Mecca was also a religious center.

• It held a building called the Kaaba that, legend has it, was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Contained within were many idols.

• Because Mecca was a religious center, fighting and weapons weren’t allowed. That enabled more effective trading to take place as rivals couldn’t feud.

Mohammed

• Was born into a well-to-do family around 570 or 571 in Mecca.

• In 610, he was meditating in a cave (as was his tendency), when he had a revelation.

• An angel named Gabriel appears to him and starts giving him the Koran (Quran).

• Mohammed is hesitant at first, but with prodding from his wife and her cousin, becomes convinced that God had spoken to him through the angel and that he was the fulfillment of prophecy – the last prophet.

• By 613, Mohammed is publicly preaching what has been revealed to him.

• This causes problems, though. Much of Mecca’s economy is built on people visiting the Kaaba and its idols as part of a pilgrimage. If Mohammed’s new religion starts taking root, then people will stop coming and their economy will fall apart.

• This is somewhat similar to the complaints Paul faced when he threatened the trade surrounding the cult and Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, I neglected to mention.)

• So the city’s leaders are getting cheesed off. So are the people of his own tribe who didn’t like him insulting their traditional religion.

In Muslim tradition, Mohammed also takes a tour of hell and heaven during this time.

• He’s taken from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night on the back a strange beast called the Buraq. From there, he goes to heaven and is shown around by Moses.

• The site from which Mohammed is believed to have ascended is the third holiest site in Islam and is where the Dome of the Rock is in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount.

• This same rock is believed by Jews to be the slab upon which Abraham bound Isaac and nearly sacrificed him (in Islamic tradition, it was Ishmael). And that it was the rock in the Holy of Holies upon which the Ark of the Covenant was put.

• There are several assassination attempts on Mohammed’s life and he decides to get out of Mecca while the gettin’s good. He heads to Medina in 622. (He’s been having revelations all during this time too).

• This event is known as the hijra.

• While in Medina, he gets rival factions to settle down. Many convert to Islam. Others, especially most of those of the Jewish faith, refused.

• Eventually war erupts between the Medina faithful and the Meccans.

• Mohammed started raiding caravans headed to Medina.

• Believed this piracy was justified because the Meccans had appropriated the property of the Muslims when they fled to Medina.

• The pivotal battle is the Battle of Badr.

• 300 Muslims confront 1,000 Meccans.

• Mohammed takes up a defensive position and relies on range weapons such as slings and arrows.

• The Muslims also had religious fervor on their side while the Meccans weren’t too enthusiastic.

• About 70 Meccans are killed and another 70 are taken prisoners. Only 14 Muslims fall.

• War continues and Mohammed conquers Mecca in 630.

• He spares the populace that had opposed him and most convert to Islam.

• He proceeds to destroy all the idols in the Kaaba.

• Hence, Islam takes root.

Beliefs

• There is but one God (Allah) and Mohammed is His messenger.

• Good and evil exist and the sinful will be punished for their sins.

Five Pillars of Faith

• These are required of all Muslims.

1. Faith

• Must confess that there is no God but Allah and that Mohammed is His messenger. This is all it takes to convert and it is constantly reaffirmed.

2. Prayer

• Must pray five times a day at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and in the evening.

• Must be in Arabic.

• Must face Mecca.

• Ritual cleansing is done first because you’re on holy ground wherever it is you’re praying.

3. Alms

• All Muslims must donate to the poor.

4. Fasting

• Must fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

• Ramadan shifts from year to year because it’s based on the lunar calendar where each month is only about 28 days long.

5. Pilgrimage

• The hajj

• Must be done once in every Muslim’s life who is able.

• Is a pilgrimage to Mecca and to the Kaaba.

• Each pilgrim wears a simple draping garment so that everyone is equal.

• Different parts to it, but it culminates with walking seven times around the Kaaba to replicated Mohammed riding seven times around it when he conquered Mecca.