WHO ARE THE BEDOUINS?
WHAT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TOWNS?
Arabs normally lived in villages where they farmed and lived near oases or in the mountain valleys. Some of the villagers were merchants who transported goods across the desert. By around 500, Arabian merchants handled most of the trade between India and the Mediterranean Sea. Soon enough Mecca became the largest and richest of them all. It was a crossroads for merchants and also an important religious site. Arabians also worshipped many gods, but the most important was Allah. Allah was considered to be the creator.
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WHAT WAS MUHAMMAD'S MESSAGE?
A guy named Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570, he was an orphan. As a teenager, he worked as a caravan leader and eventually became a successful merchant. In around 610, he said he was visited by an Allah, which means God. Inspired, Muhammad returned to Mecca. He told people only to worship the one true God and that all people were equal and that the rich should share their goods. Muhammad was also very powerful about the fact that wealth was not as important as leading a good life.
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WHAT OPPOSITION WAS THERE TO ISLAM?
Slowly Muhammad got people to believe that his message was true. Many of the first people to become Muslim were poor because they were attracted to the fact that goods would be shared. Wealthy merchants and religious leaders thought he was trying to take away their power and money. They made his life very hard and beat and tortured his followers. In 622, Muhammad and his followers left Mecca and moved to a place called Medina. This journey became known as the Hijrah.
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WHAT TYPE OF GOVERNMENT DOES MUHAMMAD SET UP?
The people of Medina accepted Muhammad as God's prophet and ruler. He applied the laws he believed God had given to all areas of life. He used these laws to settle disputes among the people. He also required all Muslims to place loyalty to the Islamic state above loyalty to their tribe. Muhammad's soldiers then conquered Mecca and he made it a holy city of Islam. Two years later, Muhammad time and Islam was already spreading to all of Arabia.
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WHAT DOES ISLAM TEACH?
Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have some beliefs in common. Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe in one God. Muslims are expected to follow God's laws if they want to be blessed in the afterlife. Jews, Christians, and Muslims also believe that God spoke to people through prophets. For Muslims, early prophets were Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. For Christians however, Jesus is seen as the Son of God.
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WHAT IS THE QURAN?
Muslims write down the message that Muhammad said he received from Allah. These writings became the Quran, or holy book of Islam. For Muslims, the Quran is God's written word. The Quran instructs Muslims on how they should live their life. They're told to be honest and treat others fairly. They are told to honor their parents, show kindness to their neighbors, and give generously to the poor. Many other rules apply to how Muslims should and shouldn't eat.
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WHAT ARE THE 5 PILLARS OF FAITH AND SUNNA?
Muslims are expected to fulfill the 5 Pillars of Faith. They are: 1. (Belief) Muslims must declare that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet. 2. (Prayer) Muslims must pray 5 times a day facing towards Mecca or east. 3. (Alms) Muslims must give to the poor. 4. (Fast) Muslims must not eat from dawn until dusk during the month of Ramadah. 5. (Hajj) Muslims must visit Mecca once in their life if they can.
Scholars also created a law code that explains how society should be run. This code is taken from the Quran and the Sunna. The Sunna law code covers all areas of daily life. So, the combination of the Quran and Sunna guides all of Muslim daily life. |