Chapter 5 Islamism

• Prophet Muhammad


  Founder and chief prophet of Islam and the source of the Quran
• His name


  Highly praised
• Born in Mecca


  570 AD
• Prophet Muhammad


  • His father died before his birth
  • He lost his mother at the age of six
  • Raised primarily by his uncle, for whom he worked as a shepherd
  • At 9, he joined his uncle on a caravan to Syria
  • Worked as a camel driver between Syria and Arabia
  • Established a career managing caravans on behalf of merchants
  • Came into contact with people of many nationalities and faiths, including Jews, Christians and pagans
  • At 25, employed by Khadija, a wealthy Meccan widow 14 years his senior
• Divine Revelation


  1. Regularly visits a cave in Mount Hira, on the outskirts of Mecca, to seek solitude and contemplation

  2. At 40, he returned from one such visit telling his wife he had either gone mad or become prophet, for he had been visited by an angel

  3. Angel Gabriel appeared to him and said "Proclaim!"

  4. He became confident he had indeed been chosen as the messenger of Allah and began to proclaim as he had been commanded
• His message


  Convert from pagan polytheism, immorality and materialism, repent from evil and worship Allah, the only true God
• He was only a prophet, he simply preached with what he received
• His teachings threatened the Meccan way of life, both moral and economic, he and his followers experienced heavy persecution
• Hegira


  1. Had gained followers in the city of Yathrib, 280 miles north of Mecca

  2. The city was in need of a strong leader, and a delegation from Yathrib proposed that Muhammad take the job

  3. His escape from Mecca, is the year when the Muslim calendar started, 622

  4. Yathrib was later renamed as Medinat al-Nabi, "the City of the Prophet" and now known simply as Medina, "the City."
• Battle for Mecca


  1. People from Medina began several years of battle with Muhammad's former home city

  2. In 624, the Muslims won their first battle against the Meccans

  3. In 627, the Meccans attacked Medina, and Medina came out on top
• Muhammad died, having conquered nearly all of Arabia for Islam

  632
• By 634, Islam had taken over the entire Arabian peninsula, and had reached the Atlantic in one direction and the borders of China in the other
• Islamic Holy Days


  • The Islamic New Year
  • Prophet Muhammad's Birthday
  • The Celebration concluding Ramadan
  • The Celebration Concluding the Hajj
• The Islamic New Year

  Begins in the first month Muharram, and is counted from the year of the Hegira the year in which Muhammed migrated from Mecca to Medina
• Prophet Muhammad's Birthday


  Commemorated with recollections of Muhammd's life and significance
• The Celebration concluding Ramadan


  Eid al-Fitr, "The Festival of Breaking the Fast"<|>Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques
• The Celebration Concluding the Hajj


  Eid al-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice<|>Commemorates the prophet Abraham's willingness to obey Allah by sacrificing his son Ishmael<|>Begins on the 10 day of Dhu 'L-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar<|>Lasting for three days, it occurs at the conclusion of the annual Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca<|>Symbolises obedience to Allah and its distribution to others is an expression of generosity, one of the five pillars of Islam
• The Five Pillars of Islam

  • The Testimony of Faith
  • Prayer
  • Giving Zakat (support of the needy)
  • Fasting the Month of Ramadan
  • The Pilgrimage to Mecca
• The Testimony of Faith


  "There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger (prophet) of God."<|>Means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and God has neither partner nor son<|>Called the Shahada, a simple which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam
• Prayer


  Perform five prayers a day<|>Does not take more than five minutes to perform<|>Direct link between the worshipper and God<|>No intermediaries between God and the worshipper<|>Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night<|>Pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities
• Giving Zakat (support of the needy)

  Meaning "Purification" and "Growth"<|>Giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people
• Fasting the Month of Ramadan


  All Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations<|>Beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification<|>A fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life
• The Pilgrimage to Mecca


  An obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it<|>Two million people go to Mecca each year from every corner of the globe<|>The annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar
• Major Branches of Islam

  • Sunni
  • Shi'a
• Sunni


  Constitute between 85 to 90 percent of the world's Muslims<|>Believe that it was for the believers to form a committee to choose the next leader after Muhammad, and that it should be a decision made by the community
• Shi'a


  Constitute between 10 to 15 percent of the world's Muslims<|>Believed that Muhammad's cousin, Ali should have become the leader of the Muslim community, and that there is a line of leaders from his lineage, that should be leaders of the Muslim community