The Rise of Islam!

What was life like on The Arabian Peninsula before Muhammad was born? Before Muhammad was born, the majority of Arabs were Bedouins, or nomads Nomads spent a lot of time searching for grass and water for their livestock Bedouins would fight other groups in order to gain access to oases and springs The Bedouins most valuable resources were their swords and camels

WHAT RELIGION DID NOMADS PRACTICE? Bedouins believed in many gods (aka polytheism) Each tribe had its own religion. By 500 CE, over 360 idols were worshipped by the different tribes of Arabia. However, their gods did not offer people guidance for proper moral conduct.

WHY WAS MECCA IMPORTANT TO TRIBES’ RELIGIONS? Local tribes would often travel to Makkah to worship their gods Some of the tribes enclosed idols of their gods in a cube-shaped shrine called a Kaaba Because Makkah brought so many people of different faiths together, there was little social unity in the city

WHY WAS MECCA AN IMPORTANT TRADING CITY? Makkah was located in a narrow valley surrounded by mountains Its livelihood depended entirely on trade Traders would stop in Mecca on their way to Constantinople to get food and water By the late 6 th century, Makkah had become the most important trading city in all of Arabia The Quraysh tribe helped make Makkah a powerful trading city

STAND UP, HAND UP, PAIR UP 1. STAND UP 1. LISTEN FOR THE QUESTION: WHY DO YOU THINK NOMADIC TRIBES HAD DIFFERENT BELIEFS AND RULES? 1. FIND A PARTNER TO HIGH FIVE 2. DISCUSS THE QUESTION AND YOUR ANSWER WITH YOUR PARTNER 3. PUT YOUR HAND UP WHEN YOU ARE DONE TALKING TO YOUR PARTNER 1. FIND A NEW PARTNER WHO ISNOT IN YOUR GROUP AND REPEAR #1-5.

What was Muhammad’s Early Life Like? Between 570 and 580, Muhammad was born into a powerful family of the Quraysh tribe He was born in Mecca Muhammad was raised by his grandfather and uncle He travelled with his uncle’s caravan to Syria and Jerusalem

What did Muhammad notice during his travels?  During his trips, Muhammad traveled to Mecca and noticed that most of the wealth belonged to only a few people  He also noticed that many rich traders were ignoring the poor and keeping their wealth for themselves  Muhammad became concerned with the changing values in Mecca

When did Islam Begin?  Because he was concerned by the changing values in Mecca, Muhammad often went to the hills to meditate  One day, when he was about 40 years old, an angel spoke to Muhammad while he was meditating  This angel’s name was Gabriel  The messages that Muhammad received from Gabriel, were from God, and form the teachings of Islam

What is Islam?  Islam is a religion founded by the prophet Muhammad  It is a monotheistic religion (belief in one god). God is referred to as Allah.  The holy book of Islam is the, Qu’ran  The Qu’ran is a collection of messages that Muhammad received from God

What were Muhammad’s Teachings?  Muhammad’s teachings stress 5 main points  1. Allah was the only God  2. All people who believed in Allah were equal  3. The rich should share their wealth with the poor  4. People should strive to live righteously, or morally  5. Everyone is subject to Judgement Day

Why did many people not want to follow Muhammad’s teachings?  He was asking people to worship only one god. This upset nomads who were polytheistic  Muhammad taught that all people should give to the poor. This upset rich traders.  Muhammad taught that everyone, rich or poor, who worshipped Allah were equal. This upset rich traders who wanted to be more powerful than others.  Muhammad wanted to abolish idolatry, the practice of worshipping beings other than God

Why did Muhammad have to leave Mecca?  Slowly Muhammad’s teachings began to influence people and the rulers of Mecca became more and more worried  The rulers started to threaten Muhammad and his followers and even planned to kill him  In order to stay alive, Muhammad had to leave Mecca. He went to a city in the north called Medina (muh-DEE-nuh)

What happened in Medina?  Muhammad became a political and spiritual leader  His home became the first mosque, or building of Muslim prayer  While in Madinah, Muhammad gained more believers and converts to Islam  After years of fighting with Meccans and tribes, Muhammad and his followers defeated their opponents and Islam became the main religion of Mecca

What Changes were made in Mecca?  Muhammad rededicated the Kabba to the worship of one God, Allah  He also destroyed the idols which had previously been placed in the shrine  The Kaaba became the religious center for all Muslims