MUHAMMAD and the

RISE OF

ISLAM

Essential Question:Who was Muhammad and how did Islam unite the Arab people?

Overview of Islam

Around the year 600 CE, a new monotheistic religion called Islam began on the

Arabian peninsula

This new faith was founded by the Prophet Muhammad

His followers, called Muslims, spread Islam

throughout the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe

Overview of Islam

By the year 750 CE, Muslim leaders had

built an Islamic Empire

Overview of Islam

The Islamic Empire connected

diverse people through religion

and trade

Muslim scholars focused on learning and developed

numerous cultural achievements that are still

used today

Today, Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion;

it has more than 1 billion followers

throughout the world (second only to Christianity)

Overview of Islam

MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

What was Arabia like before Muhammad?

Arabia, the Birthplace of Islam The Arabian Peninsula is a desert

region with little fertile soil or

farming

Most Arabs lived in desert tribes

which were centered around

families and were ruled by

clans

Arabia was not united under a

single government, but Arabs did have

a common language (Arabic)

Most Arabs were polytheistic, having

an Animist-type religion; some

followed Christianity or Judaism

Arabia, the Birthplace of Islam

Arabia, the Birthplace of Islam Arabia was the intersection of three continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe) so it was an important region for trade;

they were also exposed to much cultural diffusion

One of the wealthiest trade cities in Arabia

was Mecca

The Ka’aba (“The Cube”) was a 43 foot high cube structure that held statues of hundreds of gods

Mecca was also a religious city

Arabs made pilgrimages to Mecca

to visit the Ka’aba; violence between the

warring Arab tribes was forbidden within 20 miles of the Ka’aba

This law of non-

violence helped make Mecca an even more valuable trade city (since merchants

could peacefully do business there)

Who was Muhammad?

Early Life of the Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570 CE; part of a poor clan, he was

orphaned at a young age and raised by his grandparents

Early Life of the Prophet Muhammad

As an adult, Muhammad became

an honest and successful merchant

He married a wealthy widow and

started a family

What happened to Muhammad in 610 CE?

Muhammad and Islam

Muhammad’s work brought him into contact with Jewish and Christian

merchants, so he was exposed to their religions

Muhammad had a vision of the angel Gabriel in 610

CE; he was told by Gabriel that he was a prophet sent

to Earth by God

Muhammad and IslamHe began preaching a new monotheistic religion that worshipped the same God as the God of the Jews and

Christians, but in a different way

This religion Muhammad originated was called Islam, which means “submission to the will of God”

The Monotheistic Religions

As this “family tree” illustrates, the leading

figures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are distantly related as

descendants of Abraham (the “father”

of the Hebrews)

Basic Ideas of Islam

MUSLIM SYMBOL FOR “ALLAH”

Followers of Islam are called Muslims, which means “one who has

submitted to God”

Muslims believe in the “one true God” (same as Jews and Christians)

and call God “Allah”

Basic Ideas of Islam

Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last of God’s prophets, so his word is final and unchangeable

The words and teachings of Muhammad are recorded in the Qur’an (or Koran), the

sacred book of Islam

How did people in Arabia respond to Muhammad’s new religion?

The HijrahBy the year 613,

Muhammad began preaching his new ideas in

the city of Mecca

Many people were attracted to Islam

However, some people feared Muhammad’s

popularity; they felt that Islam would spread

elsewhere and Mecca would lose its status as the

only holy city in Arabia

The Hijrah

Some Meccans violently attacked Muhammad

and his followers

After several years of attacks, Muhammad and his followers fled

Mecca and went to the city of Medina

This migration of the Muslims to Medina was

called the Hijrah

The Hijrah

In Medina, Muhammad gained many more new converts

These new Muslims put Islam above their families and clans

One thing Muhammad taught Muslims was respect for Jews and Christians (who he called

“People of the Book”)

How did Muhammad react to violenceby non-Muslims in Mecca?

What did Muhammad do after he gained converts and returned to Mecca?

Muhammad’s Return To Mecca

In the year 630, Muhammad

returned to Mecca; he had 10,000

soldiers with him and he conquered

the city

Muhammad’s Return To MeccaHe destroyed all of the statues of gods in the

Ka’aba, leaving only the statue for Allah

This time, the people of Mecca all converted to Islam

Muhammad’s Return To MeccaMuhammad died in the year 632

What happened to Islam after Muhammad’s death?

The Islamic Empire

After Muhammad, the new Muslim leaders created an empire centered on IslamThe Islamic Empire was based in Arabia

and their well-trained soldiers conquered neighboring regions

The Islamic Empire

The massive empire they conquered led to great wealth for

Muslims and opportunities to

spread Islam

MuhammadJesus

Moses

Compare the roles of Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad in the development of the 3 major monotheistic religions:

Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.Match the terms from the word bank with the

appropriate prophet.