ISLAM AND PROPHET MUHAMMAD (S.A.W.)

• Islam


  To surrender oneself completely to God's will
• Muslim


  One who surrenders and practices Islam
• Monotheism


  The essential element of true belief for the Muslim, which cannot be compromised
• Muhammad is not considered divine in any way, he was a man with a father and mother
• Muslims are offended by being called "Mohammedans" as they do not worship Muhammad but God alone
• Muhammad


  The human instrument of God's revelation and His will for man
• Year 1 in the Muslim calendar, the year of Muhammad's emigration from Mecca to Medina


  622 A.D.
• The date of the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad

  610 A.D.
• The birth of Muhammad

  570 A.D.
• Mecca


  • A place of pilgrimage in Arabia even before the emergence of Islam
  • The center was the shrine of Kaabah containing the black stone and many idols
  • Religion at the time was the worship of divine agencies, spirits and some goddesses
• When Muhammad started to preach, he asserted that God alone existed and there were no other gods or goddesses
• Jahiliyyah


  The period of Ignorance before the emergence of Islam, when infanticide was widely practiced
• Hanif


  People who were coming to a belief in the one God
• Mecca was a meeting place of many peoples and religions, not isolated from the outside world
• Muhammad


  • Born around 570 A.D. in Mecca
  • Orphaned soon after birth
  • Married a wealthy widow Khadijah at age 25
  • Had six children with Khadijah
• First revelation to Muhammad

  1. Commanded to recite

  2. Became aware of a voice and figure on the horizon, later identified as the Angel Gabriel

  3. First word of revelation was 'Iqra' meaning 'recite'

  4. Revelation continued over 22 years until his death
• Muhammad's first reaction to the revelation was fear and apprehension, thinking he might be going mad or possessed
• Khadijah believed in Muhammad and encouraged him, after which he believed in the validity of his call as the messenger of God
• Muhammad proclaimed the oneness of God, His uniqueness and power, the folly of idol worship, and the coming judgment
• The Meccans' amusement at Muhammad's preaching soon turned to annoyance and anger as his teachings threatened their vested interests
• Muhammad left Mecca for Medina with his companion Abu Bakr and other Muslims, forming the "community of faith" or Ummah


  622 A.D.
• The Jews in Medina refused to accept Muhammad's claim to prophethood, accusing him and the Quran of being frauds
• From this time on, Islam developed into a separate religion, and Muhammad came to see his message as universal, not just for the people of Arabia
• Muhammad allowed his people in Medina to raid the Meccan caravans, consolidating his power base
• The Battle of Badr, won by the Muslims, was seen by Muhammad as a sign of God's approval of his mission as the Messenger of God
• In 628 A.D., the Meccans negotiated a settlement allowing the Muslims to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca the following year
• In 629 A.D., the Muslims performed the pilgrimage to Mecca, but the Meccans broke the treaty terms within two years, leading Muhammad to march on Mecca with his army
• Mecca surrendered to Muhammad without a fight, and he was generous in victory, with no reprisals or bloodshed
• The Battle of Badr and the Muslims

  Won in the battle
• Muhammad saw this victory as a sign of God's approval of his mission as the Messenger of God
• Muhammad decided to go back to Mecca in 628 A.D. for the annual pilgrimage


  1. Meccans were afraid to allow him to enter the city

  2. Negotiated a settlement whereby the Meccans would leave the city for three days so the Muslims might do the Pilgrimage
• The next year the Muslims did the Pilgrimage to Mecca
• The Meccans broke some terms of the treaty within the next two years, and Muhammad and his army were obliged to march on to Mecca
• There was no fight, however, and no blood was split. The city simply surrendered to Muhammad
• Muhammad was generous in victory, and there were no reprisals, nor did the emigrants claim back their property
• His first act was to purify the Kaabah of its idols, leaving only the Black Stone in place, proclaiming to all that there is only one God
• Muhammad's influence and successes now began to attract other tribes in Arabia, and soon, they all became Muslims
• Pagans were forbidden to come on Pilgrimage, and the Islamic Empire was about to emerge from Arabia
• Muhammad did not see the expansion. He did the farewell pilgrimage and died at the age of 63 in the year 632 A.D.
• His friend and now father-in-law, Abu Bakr, was appointed Caliph (successor) to rule the community