Who Was Muhammad?
The content and structure of this section is largely based off of Mark Gabriel’s Jesus and Muhammad. I strongly encourage anyone reading this essay to read through Gabriel’s book in its entirety. My writing will focus on Muhammad’s life timeline, which is interesting in and of itself, but it is incredibly valuable to see the life of Muhammad side by side with the life of Jesus. Gabriel does just that.
Early Days (AD 570-594, 0-24 y/o)
570 (-) Birth and infancy
Muhammad was born in AD 570 in the town of Mecca – a mountain town in the high desert plateau of western Arabia. His name comes from the Arabic verb hamada, meaning "to praise, to glorify." Muhammad's father died before he was born, and Muhammad was the only child born to his mother, Amenah.
575 (5) Muhammad becomes an orphan
Because her husband had died, Muhammad's mother took her baby and went to live with her family. They were together for six years until she got a high fever and died. Then Muhammad went to live with his grandfather, Abdul Al-Muttalib, in Mecca. His grandfather’s family was part of the Quraysh tribe, the most powerful tribe in Mecca. Mecca was Arabia's most important pilgrimage center and Abdul Al-Muttalib its most respected leader. He controlled important pilgrimage concessions and frequently presided over Mecca's Council of Elders. This tribe controlled the main place of worship for all of Arabia, a temple filled with idols known as Al-Ka'ba. Muhammad's grandfather had the honor of serving as the caretaker for Al-Ka'ba. He was in charge of repairs and cleaning.
All tribes believed in a supreme god, but they were not sure who this supreme god was. They looked for a mediator to help connect them to this supreme god. So they made di...
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...m: Fasting
Ritual fasting is obligatory during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk during this month, and are supposed to be especially mindful of other sins. The fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek nearness and to look for forgiveness from God, to express their gratitude to and dependence on him, and to atone for their past sins.
Zakāt: Giving Alms
Muslims are expected to give alms to the Muslim community that amount to 2.5% of one’s income. The principle of knowing that all things belong to God is essential to purification and growth. Zakāt is obligatory for all Muslims who are able to do so. Currently,Muslims are living under secular governments and must pay taxes to them. So the zakat is in addition to their secular taxes. Because there is no central Islamic state, each person must choose where to give his money.
There are two declarations of faith in Islam: That there is only one God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. In Memories of Muhammad, Omid Safi explores the ways in which Muhammad – both the historical and spiritual Muhammad – is remembered, commemorated, and contested by Muslims throughout the centuries. Safi focuses on the movements and moments in Muhammad’s life and after his death that for many Muslims best exemplify the teachings of Islam. He succeeds in opening up the dialogue to correct the negative portrayals of Muhammad and the religion of Islam, calling it a “Muhammad problem” in his introduction. Furthermore, he provides a book that is accessible and intelligible to both Muslims and non-Muslims, drawing from historical and spiritual sources, and addresses relevant issues contested between Muslims in relation to other religions, presenting Muhammad as a historical figure and one who is beloved by the Umma.
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.
Muhammad was born in Mecca, in around 570 C.E. Mecca was a great city for trading, and most of Muhammad’s relatives were traders and business people. He belonged to the Banu Hashim clan, a prominent familiy of Mecca, but the clan was not prosperous during Muhammad's early life. He became an orphan at the age of 6 as his father, Abdullah, died before Muhammad was born, and his mother, Amina, died of illness. His grandfather and uncle looked after him during his early years. He later worked as a merchant or a shepherd, and married at the age of 25. Muhammad married a widow named Khadijah and joined her in business. He started off very poor, but then he became a very skilled trader and manager.
Muhammad, Mother Tynetta. A Historical Look at the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. 1+. 28 March 1996. Nation of Islam. 10 March 2004. .
3) Five Pillars of Islam- The Five Pillars of Islam are five important actions that all Muslims must complete during their life. Muslims must recite the profession of faith, pray five times a day facing Mecca, give alms, fast during the month of Ramadan, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca. The Five Pillars of Islam are the base for the whole religion of Islam. The pilgrimage to Mecca is the only one that is not required; if a person is not able to go at all, they are not required to.
The last Prophet and founder of Islam, Muhammad, was one of the most influential leaders that ever lived. When, his mother was sixth months pregnant on him, Abdullah, his father passed away in a caravan trip between Medina and Mecca to illness. Amina, his mother hated him because she accused Muhammad of bringing bad luck which caused his father’s dead. Once he was born she would gave him to a Bedouin woman named Haleema. As the Arabian tradition, Haleema took Muhammad with her to live in the desert because it was considered healthier for infants. However, after couple of years she would return Muhammad back to his mother Amina; when Muhammad turned sixth she also passed away because of illness. It was then when he became an orphan, but then he was brought up for two years under the guardianship of his grandfather Abdul Muttalib.
The two largest religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, were implemented by two of religions most powerful leaders, Jesus and Muhammad. Without question, both Jesus and Muhammad have affected humanity powerfully. As religious leaders both men laid down the principles upon which Christianity and Islam are founded yet today. However, while Jesus performed miracles and arose from the dead, thus proving to his followers he was God, Muhammad performed no such feats, and made no such claims. In fact, Muhammad’s only claim was that he was the last prophet sent from God.
This week the two readings for class are from “The Emergence of Islam” by Gabriel Said Reynolds. The two readings center on Muhammad and his life as a biblical prophet from his birth around 570 CE until his death in 632. The first reading outlines his life as a young boy and his journey as he grows older and begins to introduce Islam to his native town of Mecca. As a child there were several instances in which he was publicly recognized as having prophethood. A Christian hermit noticed a cloud above Muhammad’s head as he walked and upon further contact with each other discovered a mark between the prophet’s shoulder blades that was described as, “the seal of prophethood.” This encounter represents Islam as the corrective missing puzzle piece
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).
had embraced Islam. He was born in Kufa in 80 (698 A.D.). He was born
Lings, Martin. Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources. Revised edition. Bartlow, Cambridge, UK: Islamic Texts Society, 1991.
I am always fascinated with other people's cultures. The New York or Californian culture always amazes me although these states are in the United States. These areas of the nation seem very different than Texas. I do not have any friends that have recently moved here from another culture so, I set out to my neighborhood Stop N Go. The clerks at this convenience store are all from other countries. One clerk whom I have talked to many times, named Sohail Shah, always spoke of Pakistan. I often listened to his stories of being in the Karachi police force or of Pakistan's different customs. Sohail Shah, a thirty year old male clerk at the Stop N Go located on North Braeswood near Chimney Rock, has been in the United States for four years. He moved here with his wife and two children to "escape punishment". Sohail claims he was in the secret police protecting the president when many governmental changes were made. Many of his co-workers were put in jail for many years for reasons he would not openly discuss. He has to work two jobs because his wife does not work. According to Mr. Shah, she will never work. In Pakistan, women are to stay home and raise children. Currently, Sohail is observing the holy month of fasting called Ramadan. This is observed during the ninth month of the Islamic year and is ordained by the Koran, the Islam holy book. The fasting begins every morning at dawn and ends immediately at sunset.
Muhammad's qualities facilitated him to be successful at the beginning to spread the word of God.
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It is an Arabic word, and translates as purification or growth. It is generally thought of as a tax, as the contributor should pay 2.5% of their wealth to charity. However, Zakat is valued not because of the money given, but the motive behind it. The intentions for giving Zakat should be pure, and simply about pleasing Allah, and earning good deeds.
Ramadan is a very special month in the Islamic life. It is consider being a blessed month by the muslins. It is practice in the ninth month of every year and it is place on the Islamic Lunar calendar. It is also very important in the Islamic life because it focus on fasting (sawm or siyam) observe from sunset to sunrise. Which the muslin minds are place on reflection and discipline. During this month of fasting helps make it to contribute to God’s blessings, to help the poor and answer their needs, to repent for their sins, to make stronger their moral characters and to remember that all their glory goes to God. The fasting is usually base on abstinence of drink, food and some different physical needs between the daylight hours. Sometimes,