ISLAM: A HISTORY
Introduction
"In
the name of Allah..."
In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
These words are called the exordium, or passage, which is the
start of every sura, or chapter, in the Qur'an, the holy book of
Islam. It is recited often, including every time a Muslim eats or
drinks, begins a journey, and enters a building. Though this
simulation is about the history and culture of the Arabs, it is
impossible to understand it without understanding the influence of
Islam. Today with more than a billion believers, Islam is the
world's second largest religion. Only Christianity is larger.
Prophet Muhammad has been called the most influential man in
history. With this much influence, the religion of Islam cannot be
ignored.
Then where are the Christian
beliefs about Jesus? Why is it that no where is the simple fact
that Christians believe Jesus died for our sins? How are the
Christian beliefs of America's forefathers expunged from America's
history books?
Arabia The area in
southwest Asia, between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, is
called the Arabian Peninsula. The people who live there are known
as Arabs. Largely a desert region, the peninsula stretches for
about a million and a quarter square miles. Some areas, such as
Yemen, feature well-watered fertile mountains in its interior.
Bedouins Before and after
the establishment of Islam, many Arabs were Bedouins, or nomads of
the desert. Bedouins lived in tents woven from goat or camel hair
and spent most of their time traveling in the desert in search of
good grass and water for their herds and camels, sheep, and goats.
Bedouins also staged raids on other desert peoples and fought over
pastures and wells. Arabs also were farmers, craftsmen, and
merchants. Today, Bedouins are but a small minority of the Arab
population, as most Arabs live in cities and surrounding urban
areas.
Religion
Before God revealed His
message to Prophet Muhammad, the Arabs worshiped many gods.
They believed spirits dwelled in rocks and trees. Arabs sometimes
made statues of their gods. Each Arab town and tribe believed in
different gods. Each Arab town and tribe believed in different
gods and basically did what they thought was right. There were
organized religions in this region, however. Judaism and
Christianity had been present in Arabia for several centuries.
Jews and Christians had participated in many caravans and their
influence was strong throughout the Arabian peninsula. This was
Arabia in 570, the year in which the
Prophet Muhammad
was born.
Muhammad - the
prophet of Islam
Prophet Muhammad
was born in 570 in Mecca which is located about halfway down
western Arabia near the Red Sea. During
Prophet Muhammad's
time, it was important trading stop between the Arabian Sea and
the Mediterranean Sea.
Prophet Muhammad's father died a few months before he was
born. When Prophet Muhammad
was six, his mother died, and he was raised by his grandfather and
eventually by his uncle, Abu Talib. As a young man,
Prophet Muhammad
traveled in trading caravans between Mecca and Syria.
[acknowledged as Prophet six times
in one paragraph]
Angel Gabriel directs
Prophet Muhammad When Prophet Muhammad was 25, he
married Khadija, a rich widow. Prophet Muhammad became very
successful in the caravan business and was known for his honesty
and wisdom. Prophet Muhammad, however, was troubled by the
drinking, gambling, and corruption in Mecca and other Arabian
cities. While meditating in a cave in the desert, he had a vision
of an angel. He was told by the angel Gabriel to be the apostle of
God and to "warn" the people. From this date, around 610, Prophet
Muhammad spent the rest of his life preaching the faith of Islam.
At first people laughed at him, but eventually Prophet Muhammad
became an important religious leader in the region. In 622 he
migrated to Medina, a central event in the establishment of Islam.
Eight years later he led an army into Mecca; the city surrendered
without bloodshed. He destroyed the idols inside the ancient Kaaba.
Mecca was now the center of Islam, and Prophet Muhammad was the
leader. God's revelations were written down over a period of 23
years which today constitutes the Qur'an, the holy book of
Muslims. When Prophet Muhammad died in 632, Islam was a religion
about to shake the foundations of the Asian, African, and European
worlds.
["God" indicates "God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob" which is NOT the same as Allah! It is highly
offensive every time "God" is used to translate "Allah"!]
1.
Introduction "You will become Muslims"
2.
Bribery, Grade Threats & Peer Pressure
3.
Islamic names children chose to "become Muslims"
4.
Glossary
5.
Glossary2 Muhammad factually defined as "Prophet of God"
6.
Quran/Koran - Children to define its teachings into
their life today
7.
Verses from the Qur'an
Islam History -
more beliefs given as facts
