2. Muhammad Muhammad was born in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) Regarded as Prophet of Islam Mecca during Hajj 570 AD: The Kabba was regarded as the house of God built by the prophet Abraham. The black stone was sent to Prophet Abraham by the Angel Gabriel to stand on while reaching to build the higher stones of the Kabba. Abraham built it, thus Muslims worship the God of Abraham. Mecca was a pagan city. Muhammad tore out all the idols and restored it back to what Abraham built.

4. At this time, millions of Muslims visit the cities each year, and additional tourist traffic would simply add to the congestion and detract from the spirituality of the pilgrimage visit. All through the year Muslims are making pilgrimage and are considered to be taking a very sacred journey. Restricting access to Mecca (Makkah) and Medina (Madinah) is intended to provide a place of peace and refuge for Muslim believers and preserve the sanctity of the holy cities.

6. Islam began around 622 CE in Southwest Asia. In Arabic, Islam means “surrender to the will of Allah” (God). Followers of Islam are called Muslims, and the Prophet is Muhammad. Muslims believe that there is only one god (Allah) and that Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet of Islam. Other prophets include Abraham, Moses, & Jesus.

7. The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) is the center of Islam.

8. In 610 CE, Muhammad was regarded more than just a merchant among his people. According to Muslims, Muhammad lived his life in purity and virtue among the people of Mecca and this was acknowledged even by his most staunch enemies. He was known among them as Al-Sadiq (the Truthful) and Al-Amin (the Faithful), and whenever there was a dispute between the tribes of Mecca they sought his help and wisdom in resolving it. Muhammad often meditated in the Cave of Hira. While there, Muhammad received a message from the angel Gabriel, the messenger of Allah. The angel Gabriel sent revelations to Muhammad for 22 years. Muhammad became known as a prophet of Allah, and he continued to receive messages until his death. These messages form the basis of Islam and were eventually written into the Qur’an (the Muslim holy book).

9. Eventually, others began to listen to Muhammad’s messages and this angered Mecca’s rulers. They tortured his followers and threatened to kill Muhammad, so he & several hundred of his followers fled to nearby Medina. Muhammad became a political and spiritual leader in Medina. Eventually, all of the Arabian Peninsula came to accept Muhammad’s teachings and turned to Islam.

10. Muhammad died in 632 CE, but Islam continued to spread. Muslim armies conquered empires throughout Southwest Asia, Northern Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula (Europe). Today, there are 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. 1 in every 5 people in the world is Muslim. Islam is the second largest religion in the world (behind Christianity). *It is the fastest growing religion.

11. The Kaaba at al-Haram Mosque during the start of Hajj

12. The Muslim holy book is the Qur’an (Koran). It states how people should live their lives. Collection of revelations, sacred text of Islam It describes the Five Pillars of Faith (obligations all Muslims must fulfill in their lifetime).

13. Reading the Qur’an Muslims believe that the Koran was the direct word of God revealed to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. Muslims read the Koran from right to left. God spoke to Muhammad through the angel, Gabriel. Muhammad could not read or write. Muhammad memorized what Gabriel revealed to him and began preaching about the messages. Muhammad dictated the Koran to scribes. The Koran is believed to be the actual word of God. Leaders are called Mullahs, Meuzzin, or an Imam (priest) Qur means “recite this”, thus the Koran means recitation. Muslims must be able to speak Arabic to read the Koran (madrasa). But if they can’t, they can still read translations of the Quran in their native language. Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet and was sent to preach exclusively to the Jews; believe that He will return to judge everyone, including Muslims.

15. Pages of the Qur’an

16. Boys reading the Qur’an at a mosque during Ramadan

17. Profession “There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger.” Prayer Pray formally five time a day. Almsgiving Pay a specified amount of money to assist the poor and sick. Fasting During Ramadan, no eating, drinking, & smoking from dawn to sunset. Pilgrimage Make at least one visit to Mecca (if possible).

19. Ramadan celebrates the time when the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad. It’s the 9 th month of the Islamic calendar, and lasts for 29-30 days. Muslims fast during daylight hours during this month. Prayer, reading the Qur’an, and charity are important parts of Ramadan.

20. Unlike the other religions, in Islam the Qur’an gives instructions on how laws should be enacted. The governments of Muslim countries follow the Shari'a, or religious law. In some countries, this creates a theocracy, a type of government in which religious leaders are in control (Example: Iran and the Grand Ayatollah)

22. Prayer at Mount Arafat Hajj is not complete unless you make it to the afternoon prayers at Mt. Arafat.

23. Station of Abraham The Station of Ibrahim is the rock upon which Ibrahim stood while erecting the Kaaba. His son, Ishmael, helped him erect the Kaaba by passing Ibrahim the rocks.

24. The Kaaba

25. Turkish seamstresses are hired to make a velvet cloth for the Kaaba every year. They use gold/gilded thread, and the Kaaba is washed. At the end of Ramadan, seamstresses start making the new curtain for the next year.

26. Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away class distinction and culture so all are equal before God. It is called a Ihram, the two seamless white sheets of cloth.

29. minaret

30. minarets

33. Someone is always watching!

34. Location of the Zamzam Well Zamzam- well that sprang up in the middle of the desert so Hagar and Ishmael could drink from it.

35. Dome of the Rock Jerusalem, Israel

36. The Dome of the Rock Earliest Islamic monument, begun 684 AD. An octagonal plan. This is the site where Muhammad was taken to heaven by the angel Gabriel and deemed the messenger of Islam. According to Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad made a night- time trip to the city of Jerusalem (isra’), visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque (near the Dome of the Rock), and from there was raised up into heaven (mi’raj). Muhammad came face-to-face with previous prophets and received instructions about the number of prayers the Muslim community should observe each day. Muslims perceive this Event (Isra’ and Mi’raj) as a miraculous journey.

39. After Muhammad’s death, followers fought over who would be his successor and become the next leader. This fight caused Muslims to split into two groups: 1.Shi’a 2.Sunni

40. Shiites believe that the supreme leader (called the Caliph) must be a blood relative of Muhammad. Roughly 10% of the world’s Muslims are Shi’a. This branch of Islam is found mostly in Iran and some parts of Iraq (southern Iraq). This is the religion of most Persians (ethnic group in Iran).

41. Sunnis believe that the supreme leader (Caliph) does NOT need to be related to Muhammad. This is the major branch of the religion, representing about 90% of the world’s Muslim population.