Page 205 - Western Civilization A Brief History, Volume I To 1715 9th - Jackson J. Spielvogel

symbolized by a sacred stone, and each tribe had its own stone. All tribes, however, worshiped a massive black meteorite—the Black Stone—that had been placed in a central shrine called the Ka’aba (KAH-buh) in the city of Mecca.
In the fifth and sixth centuries C.E., the Arabian pen- insula took on new importance. As a result of political disorder in Mesopotamia and Egypt, the usual trade routes in the region began to change. A new trade route—from the Mediterranean through Mecca to Yemen and then by ship across the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean—became more popular, and com- munities in that part of the Arabian peninsula, includ- ing Mecca, began to prosper from this caravan trade. As a result, tensions arose between the Bedouins in the desert and the increasingly wealthy merchant classes in the towns. Into this intense world came Muhammad (moh-HAM-mud or moo-HAM-mud).
Muhammad
Born in Mecca to a merchant family, Muhammad (ca. 570–632) was orphaned at the age of five. He grew up to become a caravan manager and eventually married a rich widow who was also his employer. In his middle years, he began to experience visions that he believed were inspired by Allah. Muhammad believed that although Allah had already revealed himself in part through Moses and Jesus—and thus through the He- brew and Christian traditions—the final revelations were now being given to him. Out of these revelations, which were eventually written down, came the Qur’an (kuh-RAN or kuh-RAHN) or Koran, which contained the guidelines by which followers of Allah were to live. Muhammad’s teachings formed the basis for the reli- gion known as Islam, which means “submission to the will of Allah.” Allah was the all-powerful being who had created the universe and everything in it. Humans must subject themselves to Allah if they wished to achieve everlasting life. Those who became his fol- lowers were called Muslims, meaning “practitioners of Islam.”
After receiving the revelations, Muhammad set out to convince the people of Mecca that the revelations were true. Discouraged by the failure of the Meccans to accept his message, in 622 Muhammad and some of his closest supporters left the city and moved north to the rival city of Yathrib, later renamed Medina (“city of the Prophet”). The year of the journey to Medina, known in history as the Hegira (hee-JY-ruh) (“departure”), became year 1 in the official calendar of Islam.
Muhammad, who had been invited to the town by a number of prominent residents, soon began to win support from people in Medina as well as from mem- bers of the Bedouin tribes in the surrounding country- side. From these groups, he formed the first Muslim community. Muslims saw no separation between politi- cal and religious authority; submission to the will of Allah meant submission to his Prophet, Muhammad. Muhammad soon became both a religious and a politi- cal leader. His political and military skills enabled him to put together a reliable military force, with which he returned to Mecca in 630, conquering the city and con- verting the townspeople to the new faith. From Mecca, Muhammad’s ideas spread quickly across the Arabian peninsula and within a relatively short time had resulted in both the religious and the political unifica- tion of Arab society.
The Teachings of Islam
At the heart of Islam was its sacred book, the Qur’an, with the basic message that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet. Essentially, the Qur’an contains Muhammad’s revelations of a heavenly book written down by secretaries. Consisting of 114 chap- ters, the Qur’an recorded the beliefs of the Muslims and served as their code of ethics and law.
Islam was a direct and simple faith, emphasizing the need to obey the will of Allah. This meant following a basic ethical code consisting of the Five Pillars of Islam: belief in Allah and Muhammad as his Prophet; standard prayer five times a day and public prayer on Friday at midday to worship Allah; observance of the holy month of Ramadan (the ninth month on the Mus- lim calendar) with fasting from dawn to sunset; making a pilgrimage—known as the hajj (HAJ)—to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime); and giving alms to the poor and unfortunate. The faithful who observed the law were guaranteed a place in an eternal paradise.
Islam was not just a set of religious beliefs but a way of life as well. After the death of Muhammad, Muslim scholars drew up a law code, called the shari’a (shah- REE-uh), to provide believers with a set of prescriptions to regulate their daily lives. Much of the shari’a was drawn from the Qur’an. Believers’ behavior was subject to strict guidelines. In addition to the Five Pillars, Mus- lims were forbidden to gamble, to eat pork, to drink alcoholic beverages, and to engage in dishonest behav- ior. Sexual practices were also strictly regulated. Mar- riages were to be arranged by parents, and contacts between unmarried men and women were discouraged.
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