Islam

Islam

Islam is one of the world's largest religions (Christianity would be the first) with about 950 millions followers. The prophet Muhammad started Islam in the 17th century in Arabia when he received a message from the arch angel Gabriel. In the world today Islam is one of the worlds most spread out religions. Most of the Muslims are found in the eastern parts of the world such as china, Asia, Burma, Sir Lanka, Russia, and the Middle East. Only a small percent of Muslims are found in western countries like Germany, France, Britain, Canada, and America.

The definition of Islam is: the religious faith of Muslims, based on the words and religious system founded by the prophet Muhammad and taught by the Koran, the basic principle of which is absolute submission to a unique and personal god, Allah. (Dictionary.com) and the word Islam also means submission and peace. In the Islamic Faith submission means submitting to the will of god and living in peace with ones self and ones surroundings. The essence of Islam lies in submission to god, which results in the peace of mind. (World religions S.A. Nigosian ch 15). Muslims are the followers and supporters of the Islamic faith.

Islam's start shares a common tradition with Judaism and a common biblical origin when god created the earth and Adam "the first man". The descendents of Adam are traced to Noah, who had a son named Shem. Shem's descendents are traced to Abraham and to the wives Sarah and Hagar. At that point, two familiar stories about Abraham provide the cornerstones of the Islamic religion. The first, Abraham's attempted sacrifice of his son Isaac, demonstrates Abraham's submission to the will of God in the supreme test; hence, the word Islam. The second story, concerning Ishmael's banishment, gave rise to the belief that Ishmael (the son of Abraham and Hagar) went to Mecca and that eventually from his descendants the prophet Muhammad emerged in the sixth century CE (World religions S.A. Nigosian ch 15).

Muhammad was born in Mecca at about 570 CE (Christian era). His father Abdullah Muttalib died before his birth and his mother Aminah Wahb died when Muhammad was only six. After his parents died his grandfather took him in until he died also. Muhammad's uncle took him in after that until he grew up. Muhammad and his uncle traveled to Syria where a Christian monk told his uncle that young Muhammad bore the marks of Prophethood. At the age of forty is when Muhammad first experienced his communication with the angel Gabriel. A Gabriel first word to Muhammad was to recite "in the name of thy lord who created! Created man from clots of blood! For thy lord is most beneficent, who has taught the use of the pen; has taught man that which he knew not". Muhammad was frightened by this ordeal and told his wife that either he was possessed or a prophet had came to visit him. It was then that his wife encouraged him to be the prophet of his people. Muhammad kept receiving these divine messages through out his life which gave him direction and purpose in his life. Muhammad called himself rasul'ullah or the prophet of god.

Muhammad's greatest of his opposition were the Qurayish tribe's leaders. The tribes thought of Muhammad's teachings as a threat to Mecca's society and economical way of life that they were accustomed to, and they didn't want to change from anytime soon. Since Muhammad's preaching on social justice was directed towards the upper class or "privileged", the tribe resented him and his teachings. Since the Qurayish tribes thought of Muhammad's preaching as a threat, they decided to take the necessary steps to suppress this radical faith. Muhammad was safe from their attacks of his faith because of the status of his uncle and wife in their community. In 620 both Muhammad's wife and uncle died, which stripped Muhammad's immunity away from local animosity and forced him to leave Mecca.

Muhammad's opportunity to leave Mecca came when a delegation from Yathrib asked Muhammad and his followers to be the mediator for their tribal feuds in return he will receive the same immunity he had before his uncle and wife died. After he worked out the tribal feuds, he and his followers won over the faith of the inhabitants of medina. He focused his attention to moral, social