Debating good and ill,
And if religion send
No challenge to the will,
If only greed be there
For some material feast,
How draw a line between
The man-beast and the beast?
THE BEGINNING OF ISLAM
In Mecca around 570, Muhammad was born, orphaned, and reared by his uncle. He lived in Mecca as a caravan trader and married a widow named Khadijah. Muhammad was troubled by greed and corruption of Mecca's business leaders, and often went to a hill near Mecca to meditate.
On a day during the Arab month of Ramadan, Muhammad heard a voice telling him to "recite." Terrified, Muhammad responded that he cannot recite, and the voice replied:
The Arab nation practiced an animist religion at the time, and when Muhammad preached his new message to them, they rejected Islam. Muhammad and the followers he had gathered left their home in Mecca and traveled to Medina. This emigration--hijrah (emigration)--is considered the most important event in Muslim history. The Muslim calendar begins the year it occrred, 622 C.E.
On a day during the Arab month of Ramadan, Muhammad heard a voice telling him to "recite." Terrified, Muhammad responded that he cannot recite, and the voice replied:
Recite in the name of thy Lord, the CreatorFull of fear that he had gone mad, Muhammad ran home and asked Khadijah to wrap him in a cloak. As soon as she did, he heard the voice again, this time saying:
who created man of a blood-clot.
Recite, for thy lord most generous
who taught by the pen,
taught man what he knew not.
O thou enshrouded in thy mantle,With Khadijah's help, Muhammad came to realize that this was the voice of the Angel Gabriel commanding him to proclaim God's existence to the Arabs and to warn them of an imminent judgement day.
rise and warn!
Thy lord magnify
thy raiment purify
and from evil flee!
The Arab nation practiced an animist religion at the time, and when Muhammad preached his new message to them, they rejected Islam. Muhammad and the followers he had gathered left their home in Mecca and traveled to Medina. This emigration--hijrah (emigration)--is considered the most important event in Muslim history. The Muslim calendar begins the year it occrred, 622 C.E.
MUHAMMAD AND THE ANGEL JIBREEL
There are very few images of the prophet (Muhammad) because of the Islamic prohibition on depicting human and animal forms. In the following illustration from a 16th century Turkish manuscript, the artist honors this by including a veil over Muhammad's face. He also shows the prophet surrounded by the flame of his "holiness," an image perhaps of the intensity of Muhammad's belief and his devotion to what he perceived as his divinely-appointed mission.
AFTER MEDINA
There are very few images of the prophet (Muhammad) because of the Islamic prohibition on depicting human and animal forms. In the following illustration from a 16th century Turkish manuscript, the artist honors this by including a veil over Muhammad's face. He also shows the prophet surrounded by the flame of his "holiness," an image perhaps of the intensity of Muhammad's belief and his devotion to what he perceived as his divinely-appointed mission.
AFTER MEDINA
In Medina, Muhammad formed the first ummah--a community ruled by a divine plan. After the prophet's death, Muslim scholars (ulama) developed a legal code derived from the Quran--sharia--to reulate all aspects of human behavior. The ummah aspired to serve as the ideal earthly setting in which one could prepare for judgement day.
(Right: Mourning the death of the Prophet Muhammad)
ISLAMIC BELIEFS AND INSTITUTIONS
(Right: Mourning the death of the Prophet Muhammad)
ISLAMIC BELIEFS AND INSTITUTIONS- One God, all-powerful, all-knowing, has no partner and no offspring
- God spoke to several human messengers, the last was Muhammad
- God imparted Torah to Jewish prophets, Gospels to Jesus and his disciples. These scriptures were corrupted so God sent Quran (recitation), perfected revelation
- Though Muslims believe Quran more true than Bible in its present form, they do not deny any of God's prophets, honoring Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
- There will be a day of judgement--Al-Qiyamah--when God will assess all people and consign them to Heaven or Hell
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
- Shahada -- "Submission"-- Statement of belief in God
- Salah -- Ritual prayer five times daily
- Zakat -- "Alms-giving" -- paying part of one's income to provide for the needy
- Sawm -- Fasting during month of Ramadan
- Hajj -- Pilgrimage during month of Dhu Al-Hijjah to Mecca
