Chapter 8 The Prophet Muhammed

8.1 Introduction Who was the founder of Islam? Muhammad was born in 570 in Mecca, on the Arabian Peninsula. What’s so special about Arabia? Arab tradition stated that it was in this region where God tested Abraham’s faith. Abraham built a house of worship there called the Ka’ba. Mecca was a prosperous city where people worshipped many Gods at the time of Muhammad’s birth. How many God’s do Muslims believe in? Muhammad believed in one God as did his followers, Muslims. Mecca became Islam’s most sacred city and the Ka’ba became the center of worship.

The Grand Mosque

The Ka’ba

8.2 What Was Arabia Like During Muhammad’s Time? Makkah was a dry, rocky valley that gained wealth through trade. By the 6th C. Makkah had became prosperous through trade, and a few families had come to rule the city. Do you think these families shared the wealth? Makkah was the religious center where the cube-shaped Ka’ba was. Most Arabs were polytheistic.

6th Century Mecca

8.2 Continued There was no central government in Arabia; Arabs pledged loyalty to clans and tribes. Arabia was not united as a nation, but shared common culture and language.

8.3 What Was Muhammad’s Early Life Like? As a child, Muhammad bounced around between family members until his uncle, a respected merchant, took charge of him. Guess what Mahammad was to become? His uncle groomed him to become a trader and people b/g to call him al-Amin, “the Trustworthy.” At 25 he married Khadija and fathered several children.

What Makkah used to look like

8.4 What Was the Call to Prophethood? How did he receive his call? In 610 while praying in a cave, he received the call to be a prophet from the Angel Gabriel. Khadija b/c the first convert to Islam. What are the basic beliefs? Believed in one God, the God of Abraham, Moses, & Jesus. Taught to treat others w/ compassion & justice. Gabriel revealed messages to him for next 22 years, and he taught them to his friends. What were the group of followers known as? Small group of followers called Muslims (those who surrender to God) formed in Makkah. What is their holy book called? Followers wrote down his teachings in the Koran, the holy book of Islam.

Hira Cave

Inside the cave

What do you think this is?

8.5 Why Did Muhammad’s Teachings Meet with rejection? In 613 he b/g teaching other Makkahns to believe in 1 God, and that the rich should share their wealth with the poor. How do you think the rich felt about that? Most Makkahns rejected his teaching b/c they didn’t want to share their wealth, they feared people would stop making pilgrimages to Makkah, and they thought he would seize power. How could they attack his TRADER/MERCHANT clan? Powerful Makkahns b/g to boycott Muhammad’s clan (for 3 years) to break Islam, but they failed to do so. But guess who died… Muhammad reported that in 619 he was flown to Jerusalem on a horse where he met and prayed with Jesus, Abraham, and Moses, and then met God.

Maybe it looked like this?

Makkahns didn’t want this to end

8.6 What Was His Life Like From Madina to the End? In 622 Muhammad moved to Medina; the journey b/c known as the hijrah. Why did he have to move to medina? There he converted more Arabs & emphasized faith over family ties, and respect towards Jews and Christians b/c they were “people of the book” who believed in 1 God. In 624, Muslims and Makkahns started fighting, but made up when Islam grew too powerful & Makkahns surrendered. What do you think the Muslims did to Makkah? Muslims destroyed idols & rededicated the Ka’ba. He died in 632.

8.7 What Were the 4 Calyphs? Abu Bakr b/c the first caliph, or Muslim ruler. What was the Muslim government called? Under his leadership, Muslims united Arabia, spread Islam beyond the peninsula.

Umar became the next calyph. What did he do? He included lands in Persia, Iraq, E. Med., and N. Africa into the empire. He set up governments and tax systems there. How did he treat other religions? He let Christians and Jews worship how they liked, and made treaties with the Egyptians and Nubians.

Next caliph was Uthman. What did he do? He united Muslims with an official version of the Koran. What happened to him? People were upset with him and they killed him.

Ali Ibn Abi Talib b/c the 4th caliph. What did he do? Umayyads challenged his rule which led to a Muslim civil war. He negotiated his way out of the war. What happened to him? His own supporters who weren’t happy with the negotiation killled him.

8.8 What Was the Umayyad Dynasty? After the death of Ali, an Umayyad claimed to be caliph. Muslims who accepted him were called Sunnis (majority). Others called Shi’a (minority) refused to accept him. So what do you think happened? Mu’awiyah moved capitol to Damascus and Umayyad Dynasty ruled for 100 years. The Muslim lands took on an Arab culture. How? What else did the Umayyads do? They expanded into Spain and parts of France. They made huge advances in art, science, technology, and literature.