Muhammad

• Target: You will understand why Muhammad is so important to Muslims.

Penney Page 8-9

• You may decide to use Penney, page 8,9.

• This presentation goes into more depth about the political and social background in Arabia at the time of Muhammad.

• I went through this presentation with my more able sets and then did the tasks in Penney.

The Social background • Arabs were tribal – groups of people

with common ancestors • Mecca was an important point on the

trade route for merchant caravans • Muhammad’s great grandfather,

Hashim, had established a trading system in central Arabia – where trading freely took place.

• These people called themselves the people of Allah and agreed not to fight each other in return for a chare of the profits from the trade caravans.

• However, although this brought more money into the area, it was not being divided fairly. Some clans made lots of money, whole others did not.

• Disputes between clans were dealt with by vendetta – you kill one of my clan, and I will kill one of yours or through war.

• Women had low social standing, and were often killed at birth.

The political background

• Arabia was an imposingly advanced and civilised society.

• It had an advanced agricultural system based on irrigation.

• It had its own philosophies, literature etc.

• There was a good standard of living

Muhammad’s early life

Born 570 CE – a prestigious year

Because of his family,

Muhammad had

connections throughout

Arabia

Father died

before he was

born

Mother died when he

was 6 years old Grandfather died when

he was 8 years old

Muhammad put

into the care of his

Uncle, Abu Talib –

leader of the

Hashemite clan

‘Did we not find

thee an orphan

and shelter thee’

Sura 93

Shepherd

during early

years

Merchant

- part of

trading

caravan

Mark of prophet

between his shoulder

blades

Wise and just

Preparation for prophet hood

• Had techniques of trading, diplomacy, and warfare. • Trading manager for Khadijah at age of 21. • However was illiterate • Known as al’Amin – the trustworthy one, and as’Sadiq – the truthful. • Muhammad did not practice polygamy until after Khadijah’s death,

and then he took wives to build bridges between clans, and also widows – to give them protection.

• Sons of Muhammad and Khadijah died – it was the daughters who produced the grand children.

• Muhammad had contact with monotheists – he found polytheism more and more offensive.

• Good at solving problems and dealing with crises.

Rise and Warn!

Meccan polytheism was

wrong ‘there is no God but

God’

Muhammad was not being

called to bring a new religion to

Arabia – but rather bring

Arabia back to the religion of

Islam – which was the original

religion

The Arabs would be judged

by God on their religion and

way of life – therefore they

had better repent and

change to a good life of

honesty and concern for the

poor.

Morning and

evening prayers

established facing

Jerusalem –

prostrating

themselves as a

sign of submission

to God

At first only Muhammad and his close family observed this message.

Idol worship would be

abolished

Why Muhammad left

Mecca in 622CE

Muhammad saw the

pledges by the converts

from Yathrib as a sign

from God that he was to

leave

The reaction of the

Meccans when

news of the 2nd

pledge leaked out

seemed to confirm

this view because if

the Meccans were

against it, God must

be for it.

Islam could never be

just a religion –it had

to be a complete way

of life, and it meant

that politics had to be

part of religion –

Muhammad was

given the opportunity

to be the political

leader of Yathrib as

well as Prophet

Muhammad must have

been worried about the

safety of his followers in

Mecca and he would be

able to protect them in

Yathrib

He must have been

desperate to be

able to preach

openly the

revelations from

God

NB. Yathrib

becomes Medina

after the Hijra.

Medina means ‘City

of the Prophet’

The Hijrah (departure) 622CE

• Before going to Medina himself, Muhammad sent 70 Meccan followers with their wives and children to ensure he had a base there.

• The Meccans realised that Medina could become a strong anti-Mecca community and threatened Muhammad’s life

• When Muhammad arrived at Medina he behaved like a statesman – establishing a new community

• Muhammad had been accepted by both the tribes within Medina – the Aws and the Khazraj – he now ended the blood fued between them.

• He created a Muslim state based on himself and the Qur’an.

Muhammad and Mecca

• Mecca was not happy with the power and leadership that Muhammad had not only in Medina but throughout Arabia.

Muhammad decided

that he had to ensure

success against Mecca

He made sure the

Muhajirun (Muslims

from Mecca who were

with him in Medina)

were trained for war by

organising raids of

trading caravans which

did not usually involve

bloodshed in the locality

of Medina

He used various

military methods

to defend Medina

against Mecca

and then to

conquer Mecca

itself

He used missionaries to convert the Meccas, but made it

plain that Mecca had nothing to fear from Islam, indeed

they had much to gain and the Hajj were centred on

Mecca. It was therefore the centre of Islam

Muhammad and Mecca

Eventually Muhammad conquered Mecca, and it became the centre of Islam.

Muhammad and the rest of Arabia

• Muhammad’s aim was to convert the whole of Arabia – missionaries were sent out to talk about Islam.

• An attempt to make an alliance was then made and often cemented with a marriage between the clan leader’s daughter and either Muhammad or a leading Muslim

• Almost all the tribes of Arabia accepted the supremacy of Muhammad and Islam.

• However some chose to desert Islam once the prophet had died.

• Nevertheless Muhammad had successfully challenged the idea of tribal separation and leadership in Arabia. Muhammad had united Arabia under one leader by making them acknowledge one religious faith.

The significance of the life of the Prophet • Muhammad was ‘the seal of the prophets’ who was given the

final revelation of God in a way that could never be distorted.

• He renewed Islam in Arabia and established the first Muslim state

• He is the great exemplar – the one whose life is the perfect example for all Muslims to follow

1) Think of three qualities that Muhammad had that made him ideal to be a prophet.

2) What happened on the Night of Power? 3) What was polytheism and why did Muhammad

reject it? 4) Why was Muhammad a threat to Mecca’s

power? 5) How did Muhammad convert the Meccan’s?

(Think of more than one strategy) 6) How did Muhammad unite the people of

Arabia?

Key Words In This Lesson

• Polytheism

• Monotheism

• Polygamy

• Monogamy

• Using some of the above words, explain why Muhammad did not agree with the Meccan people with their form of worship.