XV. The Origins of Islam
A. Mohammad was born in 570 CE and lived in Mecca.
He lived during a time of lawlessness and violence. The
Arabs worshipped 360 different gods. Mohammad was
a camel driver and later became a merchant. During this
travels, he met Khadija who was also a merchant and later
became his wife.
B. Mohammad liked to retreat from the violence of the
world by fasting and praying in Mt. Hira.
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In 610 CE, he heard a voice telling him to “Proclaim”. The voice
was from the angel Gabriel.
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Gabriel took Mohammad to The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
where he entered heaven.
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Mohammad’s conversations with Allah will become the Koran, the
Islamic Holy Book.

It is his duty as the last prophet to spread the word of Allah.
His wife Khadija’s position as a merchant protects Mohammad as
he is spreading the new faith.
1. Koran – Islamic Holy book
2. Muslims believe that the Koran contain the exact
word of God as it was revealed to Mohammad.
3. The Koran is the authority on ALL subjects –
Religion, politics, law, economics, and social life.
4. Koran was originally only written in Arabic. There
are other versions today.
C. Over the next 12 years, Mohammad proclaimed that there
was only one God, Allah. He was stoned and jeered. However,
he did gain 45 followers.
D. Why did the Arabs reject the idea of one God?
Merchants were afraid that the yearly pilgrimage would
stop.
E. The two leading towns during this time period were Mecca
and Yathrib. They linked the southern tip of Arabia with the
Mediterranean Sea. Mecca also benefited from the constant flow
of pilgrimages to the Ka’ba.
1. Ka’ba
Sacred shrine which housed the images of the many Arab gods.
2. Black Stone
Sacred meteorite sent from
heaven.
F. After the death of Khadija, Mohammad and his followers were forced to leave Mecca.
In Yathrib, Mohammad is welcomed as a respected leader. The city will change its name
to Medina, “the city of the prophet”.
1. Hejira –
The migration of Mohammad and his followers from Mecca to
Medina.
G. Hejira becomes the turning point for Islam. It marks the beginning of
expansion. People of Mecca are fearfully that the pilgrimages will end. They eventually
went to war and Mecca is defeated. In 628 CE, Mohammad returns to Mecca. He
proclaims “Truth has come and falsehood has vanished.” Mohammad goes to the
Ka’ba and removes the 365 statues of the gods. He destroys all of the
statues. Allah is the only god that is now worshipped in the Ka’ba.
Mohammad also dedicates the Black Stone to God. Mohammad is poisoned and
dies in 632 CE. He calls all of his followers to a hillside for a farewell speech. He
declares that he does not want to be worshipped. They are not to make statues or paint
pictures of him. There is only one God to be worshipped and it is Allah. He picks his
successor as Abubakr.
XVI. Beliefs of Islam
A. The basic teachings of Islam is that there is “No god but AllAh; MohAMMAd
is the prophet of AllAh.” Islam means the “Submission to the will of
Allah” and following the Five Pillars. There are one billion Muslims in the
world and many more people are choosing the religion. It is the fastest
growing religion in the United States (and in the world).
B. Five Pillars of Islam
1. _____________ Muslims must proclaim their belief in one
God and accept that God revealed his message to Mohammad.
Honor must be given to the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
Mohammad is considered the last and the most important
prophet. Mohammad is to be honored but not worshipped as a
God.
2. _____________ Pray five times a day. During prayer, one
must face the holy city of Mecca. Prayer is conducted at dawn,
noon, late afternoon, sunset, and evening. Each prayer time
takes 10 – 15 minutes. The five daily prayers are:
Fajr - From dawn until just before sunrise
Zuhr - After midday until afternoon
Asr - From late afternoon until just before sunset
Maghrib - After sunset until daylight ends
Isha -Night until midnight or dawn
3. _____________ -Almsgiving – Giving to charity. People should give money,
clothing and food to various charities. The basic concept is the rich giving to the poor.
In Saudi Arabia, you are required to give 10% of your income.
4. _____________ -Fasting during Ramadan. Ramadan is the
ninth month of the lunar year and is 30 days long. You are
required to fast from dawn to dusk. One must also give up
worldly pleasures during the daylight hours.
All who
are able are required to make the journey at least once. All
pilgrims are equal during the hajj.
5. _____________ -Pilgrimage to Mecca.
•Many people critique Islam by saying that it does not tolerate other religions when
it clearly states in the Qur’an:
•“…and He does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with
anyone who has not fought you for your faith or driven you out
of your homes: God loves the just.”
•Perhaps the qur’anic verse they rely on the most is verse 5:51 which says:
•“You who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as
allies: they are allies only to each other. Anyone who takes
them as an ally becomes one of them – God does not guide
such wrongdoers.”
•However, the Jews and Christians talked about here are clearly just the ones who
are against the Muslim camp, as is clear from the following verses up to 5:59 :
•“You who believe, do not take as allies those who ridicule your
religion and make fun of it…”
C.
What you do on a pilgrimage?
Upon entering Mecca pilgrims
enter a state of IHRAM or purity.
They change their clothes to
simple garments to signify a
state of holiness and equality.
1. Archway - Wash hands
and feet five times a day in
well water which comes
from the ZamZam.
6. Some people believe that jihad is the sixth pillar. Jihad is a person’s
inner struggle to achieve spiritual peace as well as any battle in the defense of
Islam.
 The concept of jihad has led the creation of many Islamic fundamentalist
groups.
• FUNDAMENTALISMthe interpretation of every word in the sacred texts as literal truth.
• EXTREMISTA person who holds extreme or fanatical political or
religious views, esp. one who resorts to or advocates
extreme action.
• TERRORISTA person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of
political aims.
2. Place of Abraham – Flat stone where Abraham
prayed.
3. Ka’ba – It is a cube building that is considered the
center point of Islam. Inside there are torches, log
benches and a ladder to the roof. It does not
contain any pictures or altars. Once you have
arrived at the Ka’ba, you are to begin the tawaf.
Tawaf – Circling the Ka’ba seven (7) times.
4. The Holy Black Stone - It is a meteorite
that God sent to Abraham as a sign. You are to
kiss, touch, or wave at the stone.
Story of Abraham
*Abraham was married to Sarah and they had
a son named Isaac. Abraham also had another
son with his slave Haagar. Their son was
named Ishmael. Abraham went into the desert
with Haagar and Ishmael. Abraham returned to
the city and left Haagar and Ishmael in the
desert. Ishmael was dying of thirst so Haagar
was running between to mountains praying for
water. At her feet, water appears through the
sand. It is known as the ZamZam. To thank
God for the water, Abraham builds the Ka’ba.
5. On the second day, you are to complete the Rite of Sa’y, Haagar’s search
of water.
1. Walk the length of the corridor seven (7) times.
2. Jog between the green pillars.
3. Carried inside.
6. Once that is complete, you are to go the Mountain of Mercy. There you
are to stand for three hours in the midday sun. It is the reenactment of
Mohammad giving his farewell speech.
Pilgrims gather near
the Mount of Mercy
on the Day of Arafat.
7. Throwing pebbles at Pillars is also completed. You are to throw seven
pebbles at three pillars. It is the reenactment of Ishmael driving the devil
away.
8. Field of sacrifice is the place to make the sacrifice of goats. This is an
reenactment of Abraham sacrificing a lamb.
9. Lastly, you are to make a trip to Medina to visit the plain grave of
Mohammad for three days.
D. There are other rules that also must be followed by Muslims.
1. No alcohol.
2. No pork.
3. No gambling.
E. Purdah is a practice of secluding women from public. It may include wearing
certain clothing, restrictions in the home or nothing at all. The level of
observation depends upon where you live.
1. The entire body must be covered except for the eyes and hands.
2. The dress should be loose so body definition can not be seen.
3. The material must be thick enough not to see through or see the
shape of the body.
4. The dress should not resemble a man’s.
Various styles of female dress
Blue Mosque, Istanbul
Judaism, Christianity & Islam- A Comparison
JUDAISM
ISLAM
CHRISTIANITY
XVII.Common Beliefs among religions
A. There are some common beliefs within Islam, Judaism,
and Christianity.
1. All three religions are monotheistic.
-All believe in the same supreme being.
2. They all have a final judgment day.
-All believe that the wicked will be punished
with suffering and the faithful will be rewarded
with eternal life.
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3. All accept the Torah and Old Testamentp]99
4. All set moral or ethical standards for their followers.
5. All must honor their parents, be honest, kind, and protect the
weak.