MGH 9.1: The First Muslims

MGH 9.1: The First Muslims

Early Arabs were nomads who believed in many gods. In the seventh century, Muhammad founded the Islamic religion on the Arabian Peninsula. Over 1,000 years after Islam began, the cultural, artistic, and scientific contributions of Muslims continue to enrich our daily lives.

The Arabs

• Arabs living in the Arabian Peninsula experienced harsh desert environments and led nomadic lives due to the hostile environmental conditions.

• They eventually organized into tribes, each ruled by a sheikh who was chosen by a council of elders from leading families. 

• Arabs lived as farmers and sheepherders on the oases; after the domestication of the camel, they expanded into caravan trade. 

The Arabs

• Early Arabs worshipped Allah along with other tribal gods. 

• The city of Makkah became important to new trade routes when southwest Asian routes became dangerous.

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The Life of Muhammad

• Muhammad was born in Makkah to a merchant family. He managed a caravan and married a wealthy widow.

• Troubled by the greediness of the elite, he began going to the hills to meditate. He was said to have received revelations from God there. The revelations eventually became the Quran, which is the holy book of Islam, the religion practiced by Muslims. According to Islam, Allah is the one God, and Muhammad is his prophet. 

The Life of Muhammad

• He and followers went to Yathrib in a journey that is known as the Hijrah and the year it occurred is year 1 in the official calendar of Islam. 

• Since Muslims had no separation between religion and politics, Muhammad also became a political leader, and Makkah surrendered to him and his army in A.D. 630 and converted to Islam.

The Teachings of Muhammad

• In the religion of Islam, Allah is the only divine God, Muhammad is a prophet, and the Quran is the sacred book of Islam. 

• Muslims are expected to follow the will of Allah by practicing acts of worship known as the Five Pillars of Islam: belief, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage. 

• Muslim scholars developed a law code known as the shari’ah to provide believers with a set of practical laws to regulate people’s daily lives and behavior.