IslamMr. Bach

Accelerated World History

Prophet Mohammed (570 – 632)

• Was a merchant on caravan routes outside of Mecca and Medina (modern day Saudi Arabia)

Birth of Islam

•Starting in 610 AD, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mohammed and revealed a vision of God to him.

The Koran

•Mohammed writes the Koran, the Holy Book of Islam, between 610 – 632 AD.

Exile of Mohammed

•Raises a small band of converts in Medina

Siege of Mecca: 622 - 630

• Destroyed Pagan idols in the city

• Mecca and Medina become center of the Muslim world

Pilgrimage to Jerusalem

•Mohammed ascends to heaven in 631 AD from Jerusalem

Islam after Mohammed

•Schism – followers differed over who should be Mohammed’s successor

•Caliph – leader of the Muslim community

Sunni Islam and Shi’a Islam

•Islam covered 2/3s of the known world by 1500 AD.

•Today: Sunni = 85%, Shi’a 15% (Iran)

What does it mean to be Muslim?

•The Five Pillars of Islam

Pillar #1

•The Koran is the word of God and Mohammed is his Prophet.

Pillar #2

•Prayer 5 times per day towards Mecca.

Pillar #3

•Set aside part of your income for charity (tithing)

Pillar #4

•Fasting during Ramadan

Pillar #5

•Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

Other Beliefs of Islam

•Recognize Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as great prophets

•But Mohammed is the last and greatest of the prophets.

Two Worlds

•Dar-al-Islam: The Islamic World–Also called the Muslim Ummah

•Dar-al-Harb: the House of War (Infidels)

People of the Book

•Jews and Christians–Often times treated as Dhimmis (second class citizens)

–Had to pay taxes and not as many rights as Muslims.

Shari’a

• Strict Islamic Law– The law of God

– given in the Koran

• Present in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and elsewhere today.