Page 30 - World Religions I - Islam

• Valuable land and much booty fell into the hands of the Muslims. The direction of prayer was
changed in AD 624 from Jerusalem to Mecca. The Masjid al-Qiblatain (Mosque of the Two Qiblas),
originally constructed in Medina in AD 623, is historically the place where Muhammad commanded
a change in the direction of prayers. The mosque contained two prayer niches (mihrab): one facing
Jerusalem and later one facing Mecca. Recent renovations have removed the original qibla (direction
of prayer) facing Jerusalem, leaving only the qibla facing Mecca.
• Muhammad began to claim Abraham and Ishmael as the founders of the Ka'aba and of Arabian
monotheism, and thus independent of—and prior to—both Judaism and Christianity.

Return to Mecca

• After two years of enforcing the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, tensions between Medina and Mecca once again arose.
o The Quraish attacked a tribe under Muslim protection, breaking the truce.69
o In AD 630, Muhammad marched on Mecca with a large force and took the city with little resistance.
• He declared amnesty for all past offenses except for ten people. Six of them were pardoned; three were
put to death for war-related offenses; one young woman was executed for composing satirical verses
against Muhammad.70
• He removed all idols from the Ka'aba, established the pilgrimage as a solely Islamic ritual, and
prohibited idolaters from making pilgrimages to Mecca from then on.71 72 73
• At this time, Muhammad modified his attitude towards Christians.
o Muhammad's armies were reaching out to areas occupied by Christians (or had some acquaintance with
Christianity).
• Many of these lands were north of Mecca and were valuable due to their importance of the Syrian trade
in the Meccan economy.
• Since many of the Christian territories were unwilling to convert, it was necessary to define their
relation to Islam: they must pay tribute or take the consequences.
o "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been
forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are)
of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya [tribute or tax] with willing submission, and
feel themselves subdued." - At-Tawbah (The Repentance) 9:29 (trans. Yusuf Ali)
• In March of AD 632, Muhammad participated in the pilgrimage, which was to be his last.
o Some Muslim scholars claim that the final verse of the Qur'an (5:67) was revealed during this time.
o Muhammad's address to the pilgrims has since become known as the "Farewell Sermon", and the
pilgrimage is known as "The Farewell Pilgrimage" (Hujjat al-Wada').
Death

Muhammad died suddenly in AD 632 at the age of 62, apparently after suffering from poisoning.

• In AD 628, Muhammad led an attack on the Jewish settlement of Khaibar.
o Following the conquest of Khaibar, a Jewish woman named Zaynab prepared a meal for Muhammad
and some of his men. Unknown to the Muslims the woman had poisoned the meat that was served.
Some sources claim that Zaynab was executed for her crime,104 while others claim that Muhammad
pardoned her.105
• Zaynab poisoned the food in order to test whether Muhammad was actually a prophet.
o She claimed that if he were a prophet, then the poison would not harm him ; and if he were
74
a liar, she would relieve the people of him.75
• Muhammad spit out the majority of the meat and only partially ingested some.
• A companion of Muhammad, Bishr ibn al-Bara, ate the meat and died almost immediately of
poisoning.76
29