Islam Began in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia

Section C: Islam

Part one

Islam began in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia.

Cultural context

Many of the Arabs who settled in Saudi Arabia were desert people who had wandered from place to place searching for water and grass for their animals.

Many Arabs settled in Mecca, a city which was an important centre for trading routes. There were many markets here.

Arabs were animists (they believed in good and bad spirits). They were polytheists(they believed in many gods) and they worshipped idols in the Ka’ba(a black stone believed to be brought to Mecca by Abraham). There was a Zamzam (a holy well) near the Ka’ba.

They had their own tribal beliefs and ways of life.

Part two

Muhammad

He was born in Mecca.

He was orphaned as a child as his uncle raised him.

Muhammad married Khadijah and they had 6 children.

He was a successful business man but he was troubled by the corruption in Mecca.

Muhammad often prayed on his own and he realised that there was only one God.

The night of power and excellence was when an angel appeared to Muhammad while he was praying in a cave on Mount Hira. Muhammad was told by the angel that he was a prophet. The messages Muhammad received from God later became the Qur’an.

Muhammad began to preach to the people of Mecca that there is only one God and that people should live good lives.

The people of Mecca disliked Muhammad’s message and Muhammad was forced to go to the city of Medina- this journey is known as the Hijra.

A mosque was built in Medina and the people here accepted his message.

Muhammad eventually returned to Mecca with an army. He had all the idols removed from the Ka’ba. The Ka’ba then became a shrine to Allah.

Muhammad died in 632 CE.

Qur’an (The sacred text of Islam)

It has 114 surahs (chapters).
It is treated with great respect-Muslims wash their hands before touching it and it is kept ona special stand.
A revelation is a vision contained in a message.
Muhammad’s revelations form the Qur’an. They are the exact words of God.

Development of the Qur’an

God’s message is revealed to Muhammad.

Muhammad recites the messages word for word.

He passes the messages onto his followers. They learn the messages off by heart. Scribes write down some of the messages.

After Muhammad dies the oral and written sources are collected together.

This is how the Qur’an is written.

Part three

Festival / At the end of.... / Why? / Visit mosque
and pray? / Share a meal, visit family and friends?
Eid-ul-Fitr / Ramadan / Muslims fast for one month during Ramadan.Eid-ul-Fitr is a joyful festival to mark the end of a period of self-discipline. / 
Special prayers are said to Allah for a successful fast. / 
Celebration meal.
Eid-ul-Adha / Hajj / On the last day of the hajj an animal is sacrificed to recall the sacrifice Abraham was prepared to make. / 
Special prayers are said in the mosque. / 
A lamb is sacrificed and meat is given to the poor.

Rituals

-A ritual is a symbolic action that helps people express what is deeply important.

-A ceremony is a series of formal acts that take place on a ritual occasion.

Birth: words from the Qur’an are whispered into the baby’s ear when the child is born. When the baby is seven days old the Aqiqah ceremony takes place. The baby’s hair is cut, the hair is weighed and its weight in gold/silver is given to the poor. The baby is named.

Marriage:Marriage may be arranged by parents and a contract is drawn up. The ceremony is short and simple. Verses are recited from the Qur’an.

Death: Burial takes place within 24 hours. The body is wrapped in white sheets and taken to the mosque. Prayers are said. The body is buried facing Mecca.

Place of worship: Mosque

Friday is the holy day of the week for Muslims.

Men go to the mosque for prayer (women may go too). Men and women worship in separate areas.

A mosque may have the crescent moon and star symbol of Islam on the top. A minaret is a tall narrow tower from where a muezzin calls people to prayer.

People remove footwear, cover their heads and perform wudu(ritual cleansing which means washing feet, hands, arms and head) before prayer.

The main prayer hall is bare- there are no statues, candles, etc. The walls are decorated with lines from the Qur’an.

The mihrab is a small arch pointing towards Mecca.

The minbar is a small pulpit for sermons.

The imam leads the prayer.

Prayer

Part four

Important people and key moments in the development of Islam.

570 Muhammad is born.

595 Muhammad and Khadijah get married.

610 The angel Gabriel appears to Muhammad (the night of power and excellence).Muhammad receives many messages from the angel. He learns them off by heart. He teaches the people of Mecca that there is only one God and he condemns the worship of idols in the Ka’ba.

622 Muhammad is forced to flee to Medina (Hijra).

630 Muhammad returns to Mecca with an army. The people convert to Islam and the idols are removed from the Ka’ba.

632 Muhammad dies.

Expansion

Islam spread rapidly.

By Muhammad’s death Arabia had converted to Islam.

Islam spread into the countries beyond Arabia.

100 years after Muhammad’s death Islam spread as far east as India, as well as northern Africa, Spain, Portugal and northern Europe.

300 years after Muhammad’s death the cities of Cairo, Baghdad and Cordoba were places of learning for Muslim scholars (especially maths, science, medicine and the arts).

Islam spread to Palestine, a city sacred to Christians and Jews. During the Middle Ages the three religions fought battles around Jerusalem. A mosque was built on the old site of the Jewish Temple.

Islam also spread to Turkey and beyond during the 17th century. This became known as the Ottoman Empire.

Schism

A schism is a division. In this case arose over who should succeed Muhammad as leader after his death. Some felt that it should be Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law while others felt is should beAbu Bakr, Muhammad’s friend.

Part five

Key points

Muhammad is the major prophet of Islam.

The followers of Islam are Muslims.

Muslims believe in one God. The main beliefs are the Six Articles of Faith and the Five Pillars.

The Qur’an is the sacred text.

Friday is the holy day of the week.

Mosque is the place of worship. Wudu (ritual washing) must take place before prayer.

Muslims pray 5 times a day.

Muslims go on pilgrimage to Mecca.

Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha are the main festivals.

An imam leads prayer in the mosque.

Day to day, Muslims obey the Five Pillars, follow a dress code and they follow dietary laws (which includes not drinking alcohol).

Ceremonies mark birth, death and marriage.

The star and crescent moon is the symbol of Islam.

Conflict and dialogue with other religions

Over the centuries there has been much conflict between Jews, Muslims and Christians in Palestine.

The Three Faiths Forum (Jews, Muslims and Christians) tries to establish links between the three religions in Ireland.

Pope Benedict XVI met with Muslim leaders in May 2009.

Links with Christianity

□Both religions are monotheistic.

□Abraham is an important figure in both religions.

□Prayer and pilgrimage are vital for believers of both religions.