The Arabian Peninsula
Mostly desert
Few oases of fertile land for agriculture
Crossroads of three continents: Africa, Europe,
Asia
Early Inhabitants
Bedouins  Arab nomads
Tribes & groups called clans
Provided security & support
Ideals of courage & loyalty to family
600s – Arabs settled near oases or markets
Mecca
Important trade city
Ka’aba  ancient shrine (Black Rock)
Brought religious pilgrims for worship
Associated w/Abraham
Contained over 360 idols, worship of many gods
Origins of Islam
Muhammad – Meccan
businessman
Received revelation from
angel Gabriel outside
the Cave of Hira in 610
Proclaim! In the name of they Lord
and Cherisher, who created man out
of a mere) clot of congealed blood.
Proclaim! And thy Lord is most
bountiful. He who taught (the use
of) the pen taught man that which he knew not.
He was one of the prophets
Religion of Islam
Arabic term for God = Allah
Islam = “submission to the will of Allah”
Muslim = “one who has submitted”
Abraham’s Genealogy
HAGAR
ABRAHAM
Ishmael
12 Arabian
Tribes
SARAH
Isaac
Jacob
12 Tribes of
Israel
Esau
The Prophetic Tradition
Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Jesus
Muhammad
The Hijrah
622 - migrated from Mecca to Yathrib – known as
the Hijrah
Yathrib was renamed Medina
It is from this year that the Muslim calendar begins
(1 A.H.)
Attracted many
followers in Medina
Return to Mecca (630 AD)
Muhammad became military leader – conquered
Mecca
Umma = Muslim religious community
Muhammad died at age 62 w/no plans for his
succession
The golden gate outside
Muhammad’s tomb
Swords belonging to Prophet
Muhammad
The Dome of the Rock
The Five Pillars
The World
of Islam
1
2
3
4
5
The Five Pillars of Islam
1) Shahada – “there is no God
but Allah and Muhammad
is the messenger of Allah”
2) Salat – Pray 5x’s a day facing
Mecca
3) Zakat – almsgiving to the poor & sick
4) Sawm – fasting during Ramadan
Festival of Eid-Al-Fitr –
celebration at end of Ramadan
5) Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca
Mosque = Islamic house of worship
The Mosque
The Muslim place of worship.
The Qur’an
Muslims believe it contains the
word of God.
114 suras (chapters)
In the name of Allah,
the compassionate,
the merciful.
Written
in Arabic.
 An Afghan artist and his students display an oversized page from the
Koran at the Naser Khusro Balkhi Library during an opening ceremony in
Kabul, Afghanistan, on Jan. 12, 2012. The Naser Khusro Balkhi Library was
founded by The Aga Khan Foundation in Kabul.
(MSNBC) Shah Marai / AFP - Getty Images
Islamic Way of Life
No priests – only authority is Allah
Purpose of serving the community
No pork, alcohol
Ulama – scholar class
Imams
Sunna – Muhammad’s example as
model for proper living
Shari’a = Islamic body of law
The Spread of Islam
Easy to learn and practice
No priesthood
Teaches equality
Non-Muslims, who were “Peoples of
the Book,” were allowed religious
freedom, but paid additional taxes
Easily “portable”  nomads & trade
routes
Jihad (“Holy War”) against pagans
and other non-believers (“infidels”)
Muslims in the World
Today
Countries with the Largest Muslim
Population
1. Indonesia
183,000,000
6. Iran
62,000,000
2. Pakistan
134,000,000
7. Egypt
59,000,000
3. India
121,000,000
8. Nigeria
53,000,000
4. Bangladesh
114,000,000
9. Algeria
31,000,000
10. Morocco
29,000,000
5. Turkey
66,000,000
* Arabs make up only 20% of the total
Muslim population of the world.