1. The Rise of Islam

2. First of all… The religion is Islam
Followers of the religion are called Muslims
The youngest of the three major monotheistic religions
Began in the Arabian Peninsula

3. Deserts, Towns, and Trade Routes
Arabian Peninsula is crossroads of three continents: Africa, Europe, Asia
Very little fertile land; most is desert
Bedouins (Arab nomads) organized into tribes (clans)
Fertile area and oases were settled by Arabs in the early 600s
Trade routes connected Arabia to major ocean and land trade routes
Trade routes also carried information and ideas from areas outside of Arabia

4. Arabian Peninsula
Today

6. Mecca City in western Arabia
People came to worship at a shrine called the Ka’aba, where 360 idols were worshipped
Many Jews and Christians lived on the Arabian Peninsula, so monotheism, the concept of one God (Allah, in Arabic), was known

7. Muhammad, Prophet of Islam
Around 610, while he is meditating, Muhammad believes the angel Gabriel tells him that he is a messenger, or prophet, of Allah
Muhammad begins teaching that Allah is the one and only God and that all other gods must be abandoned
Religion is Islam meaning “submission to the will of Allah”
People who followed Muhammad were called Muslims, “one who has submitted”

9. The Hijrah Muhammad begins preaching publicly in Mecca
Many Meccans don’t like his message, fearing that if people abandon the traditional Arab gods, Mecca will no longer be a pilgrimage center
622, Muhammad and his followers leave Mecca and move to Yathrib; journey is known as the Hijrah
Islam attracts many more followers
Yathrib renamed Medina

11. Return to Mecca
In Medina, Muhammad joins his group with Arabs and Jews as one community
Becomes both a political and religious leaders
Attracts more converts
Becomes a military leader and in 630, leads 10,000 followers back to Mecca
Destroys the idols in the Ka’aba and rededicates it to Allah
Becomes the holiest site in Islam
Muhammad dies two years later

12. Beliefs and Practices of Islam
Main teaching – there is only one God, Allah
There is good and evil and each person is responsible for the actions of his or her life
All Muslims must carry out five duties, known as the Five Pillars of Islam

13. The Five Pillars of Islam
Faith – “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”
Prayer – pray 5 times a day, facing Mecca (either in a mosque, the Islamic house of worship, or wherever you are)
Alms – give money to the poor
Fasting – fast from sunup to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, commemorating when Allah revealed the Qu’ran to Muhammad
Pilgrimage – perform the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once

15. A Way of Life Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol
Friday is the day of worship
No priests or religious authorities; Muslims worship Allah directly
Imams lead worship

16. Sources of Authority
Allah expressed his will through Gabriel who revealed it to Muhammad
Revelation were collected in a holy book called the Qur'an
Written in Arabic, considered the only true version
Arabic helped united conquered people as Islam spread
The Sunna, or Muhammad’s example, is the best model for living
Body of law, Shari’a, regulates family life, moral conduct, and business and community life

18. Links to Judaism and Christianity
Allah is the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians
Muslims view Jesus as a prophet, not the son of God
Muhammad believed to be the final prophet
All three religions believe in heaven and hell and a day of judgment
Muslims trace their ancestry to Abraham, as do Jews and Christians
All are considered “people of the book”
Shari’a requires religious tolerance to Christians and Jews