The History on Islam
Muhammad (ca. 570–632) a respected businessman, born in Mecca, in western Arabia, last in the line of Judeo-Christian prophets, received his first revelation in 610. Muslims believe that the word of God was revealed to him by the archangel Gabriel. His revelations were collected and recorded in the holy book called the “Quran”. The “Quran” provides guidelines for proper behavior within the framework of a just and equitable society. It also states that there is no God but Allah (The God) and Muhammad is the messenger of God. The term Islam is a reference to peace and submission. Islam means submission to the will of God and the Muslims are the ones that submit.
In the first phase of Muhammad’s life he was a preacher and leader of a community of believers who had two major phases. He proclaimed his message in the city of Mecca that didn’t agree with his teachings. Mecca was a major pilgrimage center and sanctuary in the existing polytheism of Arabia, and the proclamation of monotheism threatened this whole system. Mecca was a prosperous city whose wealth and influence were based on the caravan trade and on the Kacba, a shrine and a place of pilgrimage housing the pagan deities then being worshipped by the Arabs. Muhammad's message, a new socio-religious order based on allegiance to one god—Allah—was unpopular among the leaders of Mecca, and they forced Muhammad and his followers to immigrate north to the oasis town Yathrib (Medina).
The second stage of his life began when Muhammad accepted an invitation from the people in Yathrib. They wanted him to be their judge. In 622 Muhammad and his followers moved to Yathrib and the oasis became known as the city of the prophet or simply al-Medina (the city). B...
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...movements of revolutionary opposition to the establishment of the nationalist and sometimes socialist states. Other Islamic organizations opposed to the increasing secularism and Westernization of Muslim societies adopted methods of education and mission to transform and Islamize societies.
By the end of the twentieth century the Muslim world continued to change under the influence of a new generation of active intellectuals. In the new thinking there was still an emphasis on the importance of the Islamic message for all aspects of life, but this did not mean comprehensive political programs or a demand.
Even specific movements like Islamist renewals are not monolithic or identical. But despite all these differences, all Muslims continued to affirm the basic core of the faith in monotheism. They were defined by the revelation to Muhammad and preserved in the Qur'an.
The town of Mecca was the birthplace of Islam, at first the leaders of the city refused the changing of this new religion and forced Muhammad to leave. Muhammad returned and preached to the people about what he had heard, that there is only one god. Islam spread quickly for two main reasons they are the message and military conquest.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, no one imagined that the next great world power would emerge from Saudi Arabia. Especially, because ancient empires thought that the land was worthless but they didn’t know that it had great trade routes. Trade brought them in connection with other civilizations and that’s how the city of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia became known. The city of Mecca was a mix of religious beliefs, they used to worship many gods and had their own rituals. The world of Islam took place in Mecca where Muhammad was born in 570 CE. He became known as “the Prophet,” he was meant to be God’s final prophet. The main two groups of Islam are the Shia and Sunni; which they were created after Muhammad’s death. The Islam religion as
law, whose descendants were seen by the Shiites as the appropriate leaders. However, after Ali became the fourth caliph, he was assassinated.
When Muhammad was 40 years old, he was commanded by God, through his angel, Gabriel, to declare his identity to the idolaters and polytheists of the complete world, and to deliver the message of peace to an embattled humanity. In response to the current command of heaven, Muhammad launched the significant program known as Islam which was to change the destiny of mankind forever.
But irrespective of the different manifestations and different practices, finally all streams of Islam find their mission and identity in their beloved prophet, religious history and sacred texts As it is such sources that will finally define and guide Islam of the future as it goes on spreading around the world, we must consider them as seriously as a serious Muslim does (Wilson). We should understand what is there in Islamic texts and instances and life of their prophet for understanding the growth and nature of Islam. On such historical-theological foundation, then we can best understand and contrast the objectives and state of Islam in today’s world for its true mandates and motivations.
Due to the restrictive nature of Mecca, Muhammad was unable to convert many. Those who did convert converted individually, not in groups, whilst their clans remained as their basic social links. For Islam to succeed Muhammad needed to migrate to a more convenient place, where he could form spiritual and political leadership, preach openly and convert Muslims in groups. Yathrib would provide this and Muhammad's migration would begin a new era. Muhammad’s unacceptance in Mecca and thus his decision to take the Hijrah to a place where Islam could bloom attaches meanings of determination and perseverance to the Hijrah. Islam was unappealing to the majority in Mecca and preaching it came at a huge cost, but the prophet did not give up and attempt to settle back into the restricting nature of pre-Islamic Mecca, he was determined that Islam was going to be a success and that his revelations would be heard.
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print.
Throughout his life, the Muslim ummah, Arabic for “community” began, which was the basis for the Empire.
His life and actions were very important to the creation of the religion. I would say that his policies changed quite a bit under different situations of his career as a prophet. At the begging he had a small following that consisted of mostly of middle class that was upset with the injustices in society. They were expelled from Mecca and begin raiding caravans under the pretense that they had been robed of their belongings when they were expelled from Mecca. Mohammad tell them that their battle is holy and dieing doing the will of Allah is respectable and will be rewarded in the after life. After the battle of Badr in 624 c.e. the muslims having smaller forces but knowing that god is on their side attack a larger group of meccanMuslim warriors become highly feared and began winning battles even if out numbered. Qur’an (4:74) “Let those who fight in the path of God who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoever fight in the path of God, whether he be slain or victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward” This attracts more support for Mohammad’s movement not only from idealist who would fight under the protection of god and the benefits of this in the afterlife but also from people that wanted to reap the benefits of the pillaging that was going on gaining numbers in his movement.
Many contemporary and former Islamic parties, religious movements, and radical groups across the world assume that the Quran requires establishing an Islamic state based on the instructions of the Quran and the hadiths. Therefore, they are so active and vibrant in the political sphere to realize this idea. They also commonly consider Islam as an unchangeable and essentialist political framework to carry out this command. Hence, many Islamic movements by and large have emerged through the
Centered around revelations of the Prophet Muhammad, Islam was founded thousands of years ago. According to Mary Fisher, author of Living Religions, followers of Islam are commonly referred to as Muslims (Fisher, 2008 p. 381). Very similar to the structures of both Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a monotheistic religion, where worshipers believe in a single God, commonly referred to as Allah, according to Mary Fisher (Fisher, 2008 p. 386). In fact, many Muslims recognize some of the prophets from Judaism and Christianity, such as Moses and Jesus, as messengers of God, according to Mary Fisher
The prophet Muhammad had a significant impact on the rise and spread of the religion Islam. According to World Civilizations, Muhammad “began receiving revelations transmitted from Allah,” and later these revelations became holy scripts in the Quran. Muhammad started off with very few followers but as the faith of Allah started to spread, he gained more followers and he became a threat to Mecca’s rulers. As mentioned in World Civilization, “in 622 Muhammad left Mecca for Medina where his skilled leadership brought new followers.” In Medina, Muhammad became the religious authority in the area and he used this power to conquer Mecca, a holy place for Islamic believers. By the time of his death, he was able to have created a religious empire that controlled all of the Arabian Peninsula.
After ‘The Year of Sorrow’ in which both Muhammad’s uncle- Abu Talib and wife- Kadijah died Muhammad is warned by the angel Gabriel that the situation is getting too dangerous for him in Mecca. “Muhammad knew the faith must find expression in a community which would insure its external force and the opportunity to prevail against opposition” (Cragg). It is at this point that Muhammad is invited to become a leader in Medina (622ce).
When people think about Mecca one of the first things that might come to their heads is the pilgrimage or the black stone. Muhammad is one of the reasons that Mecca is what it is today. Muhhamad was a prophet born 570 in Mecca. He was orphaned as a child and sent to ended up living with his uncle. Muhhamad would get away from everything by going to the desert to meditate. One night while alone at Mt. Hira he was visited by an angel named Gabriel. After this Muhhamad began to accept Allah and started to believe. Some of the things Muhhamad believed was Jihad, holy struggle. He also began to believe you live for Allah. He believed all those who did would be rewarded and the rest punished. Not everyone believed the way Muhammad did. People at first thought that his teachings were a threat to the religious and material order. He was accused of making up what the Angel Gabriel had told him. He got followers from the poor and people who thought they were being unequally treated. Muhhamad took these people and then left and went to Medina to find more followers. He then returned to Mecca later and took over the city and converted everyone to Islam.
In this book , Esposito provides a succinct, up-to-date survey of the Islamic experience, an introduction to the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its origins to its contemporary resurgence. He traces the emergence and development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics. He discusses the formation of Islamic belief and practice (law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism), chronicling the struggle of Muslims to define and adhere to their Islamic way of life. Equally important is the essential information Esposito provides on the contemporary world of Islam, from Muslim responses to the challenges of colonialism and modernization to the reassertion of Islam in politics and society.