Islam Spreads!

When Muhammad was in Medina, he became a spiritual and a political leader. His house became the forst mosque, or building for Muslim prayer. The year 622- the year of the hegira- became very important to the development of Islam that Muslims made it the first year in the Islamic Calender. In Medina, Muhammad reported new revelations about rules for government, society, and worship. God had told Muhammad that Muslims should face Mecca when they pray. Muslims recognized the importance of Mecca as the home of the Kaaba. They believe the Kaaba is a place of worship for one God that Abraham built. As the Muslim community grew stronger, other Arab tribes began to acept Islam as their religion.COnflict with the Meccans increased however. In 630, the people of Mecca finally gave in, and accepted Islam as their religion as well. In Mecca Muhammad destroyed the statues of Gods and Godesses in the Kaaba.

Muhammad Got the Boot

As more and more people started to listen to Muhammad's teachings, the rulers of Mecca began to get more and more concerend. They threatened Muhammad and his small group with violence. They even wanted to kill Muhammad. A group of people from a city North of Mecca, invited Muhammad to come live in their city. Muhammad was hesitant at first, but as the threats got worse he accepted the invitation. In 622 his followers, his daughter Fatimah, and Muhammad himself had left Mecca and went to Medina. The city Medina was named after Muhammad. Medina means "The Prophet's City" in Arabic. Muhammad's move to Mecca was documented in Muslim history as the hegira, or journey.

Polytheism and Monotheism

Muhammad's techings were new to Arabs, beacuse before he was spoken to by the Angel, Arabs worshipped and believed in many Gods (Polytheism) at shrines, or a place at which people worship a saint or God. An example of a shrine is the Kaaba which is located in Mecca. People traveled there every year on a journey a.k.a the hajj every year on a pilgrimage, a journey to a sacred place. Muhammads teachings upset the people of Arabia. They did not like being told to stop worshipping their Gods and Godesses. Muhammads new religion seemed like threat to people who made money from the yearly visits to the Kaaba. Many merchants thought that they would lose business if people didn't worship their Gods in at the Kaaba.

Allah

Muhammad taught that there was only one God, Allah, meaning "The God" in Arabic. It is a monotheistic religion based on a belief in one God. Even though all three religions believe in one God, the teachings are not the same. Muhammad taught that prophets Abraham, Jesus, and Moses lived in earlier times. Muslims though, do not believe Jesus was the son of God. Muhammad respected Jews, and Christians because their holy bookstaught many of the same things Muhammad taught.

Muhammad's Teachings

Most Muhammad's teachings were a lot like the teachings of Judaism and Christianity. There was a slight problem for Muhammad though, his teachings challenged and upset the people of Arabia. These changes brought changes to the aspect of life in Arabia.

Muhammad Becomes A Prophet

Muhammad brought a different religion to the life and times of Arabia. Muhammad often went to the hills to pray and meditate. One day was he was about 40, Muhammad was meditating in cave. an angel appeared and spoke to Muhammad, telling him to "Recite!Recite!" Confused Muhammad asked the angel what it is that he should recite. the angel answered. " 'Recite the name of your Lord who created, created man from clots of blood! Recite! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One, Who by the oen taught man what he did not know.' "-From The Koran, translated by N.J. Dawood. (Page 60, chapter 3: Holt World History) Muslims believe that God had spoken to Muhammad throuhg that angel, and made him a prophet, a person who tells a message from God. At around 613 Muhammad began to tell people about the Angel he heard in the cave. The messages Muhammad recieved from the basis of the religion called Islam. The follower of Islam is called a Muslim. These messages were collected in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.

Muhammad Grows

At age 25 Muhammad married a wealthy business owner named Khadijah. The caravan trade made Mecca rich. But very few people in Mecca were wealthy. Poor peoples had rough lives. Normally though, wealthy people helped the poor. But as Muhammad was growing up, many merchants started to ignore the poor and keep their wealth to themselves.