The Arabs

1. The Arabs • Arab(abhar = to move or pass) • majority of Arabia’s first inhabitants were Bedouins (nomadic Arabs) • origins: Africa or Mesopotamia? • valued camels and swords above all else • had no strong central government • practiced animistic polytheism • towns developed as Arabs carried goods between the Indian Ocean & the Mediterranean, the end of the Silk Road.

2. trace their ancestors to Abraham & his son Ishmael, who were believed to have built a shrine at Makkah (Mecca) called the Kaaba (shrine with 300 religious idols) • Important trade stop and religious center of Arabia • people settled there because of the fresh water well • population very diverse: Arabs, Christians, Jews, etc.

3. The Life of Muhammad • Muhammad received revelations from God while meditating in the hills. • he believed Allah revealed himself partially through Moses (Judaism) & Jesus (Christianity) & that Allah’s final revelations were to him. • his revelations became the Quran, the holy scriptures of Islam. • Islam = “peace through submission to the will of Allah.”

4. Major points of Muhammad’s public teaching: • There was only one God (Allah) and all should submit to him • All believers in God were equal • The rich should share with the poor • People should live righteously • All people would be subjected to a Judgment Day

5. The Prophet’s companions credited him with miracles: • passed through the seven levels of heaven in the “Night Journey” • Muhammad’s companions desired to maintain an Islamic community • recorded his revelations into Qur’an; his personal deeds into the Sunna • Both provide guiding rules and principles for all Muslims

6. Quran contains ethical guidelines for Muslims (those who practice Islam) • one God = Allah; Muhammad is God’s prophet. • people in Makkah didn’t believe him, so Muhammad & some of his followers moved north to Madinah (Medina = “city of the prophet”) • Muhammad won support from residents of Madinah & surrounding Bedouin tribes. • formed the first community of practicing Muslims.

7. In 630, Muhammad returned to Makkah with ten thousand men. • city surrendered & many residents converted to Islam. • declared the Kaaba a sacred shrine. • All Muslims are encouraged to make a pilgrimage, known as the hajj, to Makkah.

8. The Teachings of Muhammad • Islam is monotheistic. • Allah is the all-powerful creator of everything. • Islam offers salvation & the hope of an afterlife to its followers. • Muhammad is not considered divine, as Jesus is in the Christian religion; he’s a prophet who conveys Allah’s final revelations. • To obey Allah’s will, Muslims must follow an ethical code comprised of the Five Pillars of Islam.

9. The Teachings of Muhammad (cont.) 1. Shahada: belief–there is no deity but the One God, & Muhammad is his messenger 2. Salat: prayer–perform prescribed prayers 5x/day 3. Zakat: charity–give part of one’s wealth to the poor 4. Sawm: fasting–refrain from food & drink from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan 5. Hajj: pilgrimage–make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in a lifetime. • The faithful who follow the law are guaranteed a place in an eternal paradise.