1. Islam

2. Background: Ishmael Abraham’s first son Hagar is his mom
Was a maid to Sarah- Abraham’s wife
When Sarah became pregnant and gave birth to her son Isaac, Hagar and Ishmael were forced to leave Abraham’s care
They survived in the desert only because an angel revealed to them a source of water- which Muslims believe was found near Mecca
Muslims are descendants of Abraham through the line of Ishmael

3. The Life of Muhammad Born in Mecca
Father died not long before his birth
Mother died when he was a child
Went to live with his grandfather
2 yrs. later grandfather died, so he went to live with uncle Abu Talib
As an adult, he was a caravan driver for a widow named Khadijah
He married Khadijah
Tradition: he was 25 and she was 40
The marriage brought financial, spiritual and emotional support to Muhammad
Together had 6 children but no boy survived into adulthood- no hereditary successor
He remarried a several times
Tradition: married some of them out of compassion, widows needed a husband for legal protection and financial support

4. 1st Vision
As a religious person, Muhammad spent time pondering and meditating.
He frequently went to caves in the hills surrounding Mecca
When he was 40, during a religious retreat in a cave at Mount Hira, he received his first revelation:
A bright presence came to him and held before his eyes a cloth covered with writings. It commanded three times that he recite what was written there:
Recite the name of the Lord who created…..

5. 1st Vision cont.
Muhammad doubted the nature of his revelation at first
He told his revelation to Khadijah who encouraged him to accept the experience as a true communication from God
He became convinced that the bright presence was the angel Gabriel
Muhammad began to share his revelations with his wife and closest friends who became the first Muslims
He proclaimed that only the One God, Allah, should be worshiped
Muhammad promoted the need for honesty, kindness, support of the poor, and protection of the weak

6. Night Journey Muhammad’s message threatened businesspeople
He and his followers were persecuted
During this stressful time, Muhammad experienced himself being carried to Jerusalem and ascending from there into paradise
This experience is called Night Journey or Night of Ascent
In his experience, the angel Gabriel guided him upward.
In the highest heaven, he encountered angels and the great prophets of the past: Abraham and Jesus, and God
This experience confirmed Muhammad’s vocation: to be a prophet and messenger of God

7. Migration Muhammad and his followers had to leave Mecca eventually
This event is called Muhammad’s migration, called the Hijra in Arabic
Hijra means flight or migration
This event marks the point at which Muhammad’s message was favorably received and the start of the Islamic community called UMMA
Muhammad’s goal was to return to Mecca
The 3 most sacred cities are Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem
Medina is known as the city of the prophet
Migration

8. Death Mohammad died in Medina
He did not consider himself to be divine but simply an instrument in the hands of God
A messenger transmitting God’s will to the human world
Muslims view Muhammad as one who showed perfection in his life, and they revere him as an ideal human being, a model for all believers

9. Prophets The prophets reveal God’s will
Link between Allah and human history
Abraham (father of Arabs-1God)
Ishmael (Ancestor of the Arabs)
Moses (ethical laws –10 commandments)
Jesus (Golden Rule)
Muslims regard Christ as one of only two humans conceived by God (Adam is the other)
Muhammad (Seal of the Prophet)

10. The seal of the prophets
Muhammad is called the “seal of the prophet”
Considered the last and greatest figure in the long line of prophets
Freed the divine message from human error and offered it, purified, to all people
His actions and his teachings constitute the Sunna= custom of the prophet

11. Scripture The name Qur’an (Koran) means “recitation” or “reading”
Oral recitation of the text has been favored
It recalls the origins of these sacred writings in the sermons of Muhammad
The name also suggests the way in which the Qur’an is best communicated
By being recited
It has been translated into many languages
Only the Arabic version is considered to be fully authoritative
The sounds of the original are considered a part of its nature and are essential to its spiritual power.
It is believed to be of divine origin
God’s word
Revealed to Muhammad during the approximately 20 years from his first revelation until the end of his life
A miracle of God: Muhammad is thought to have been illiterate

12. Koran Disciples wrote down the words of Muhammad’s revelations
The Qur’an consists of sermons, covers a wide variety of topics (money, inheritance, marriage, and divorce) and discusses figures who are found in the Jewish and Christian Bibles: Adam, Even, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, Mary, and others
The Qur’an has 114 chapters called suras
Each sura has a traditional name: “The Elephant,” “Light,” “Dawn”