The Origins and Spread of

Islam
How did Islam originate and spread?
Introduction
In History Alive! The Ancient World, you learned about several major
religions, including Judaism and Christianity. In this lesson, you will explore
Islam, a religion that emerged in the Middle Ages.
Muhammad, born around 570 C.E., founded and taught the faith called Islam,
which became one of the major religions of the world. In the centuries after his
death in 632 C.E., Islam spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond.
Muhammad's birthplace, Mecca (Makkah), was an ancient place of worship.
According to tradition, many centuries before Muhammad was born, God tested
the prophet Abraham's faith by ordering him to leave Hagar and their infant son
Ishmael in a desolate valley. As Hagar desperately searched for water, a miracle
occurred. A spring, which became known as Zamzam, bubbled up at her son's
feet. According to Islamic beliefs, Abraham built a house of worship at the site,
called the Ka'bah. Over time, people settled near it.

By the time of Muhammad's birth, this settlement, or Mecca, was

a prosperous city at the crossroads of great trade routes. Many people came to
worship at the Ka'bah. However, instead of honoring one God as Abraham had
preached, the worshippers at the Ka'bah honored the many traditional gods
whose shrines were there.
According to Islamic teachings, Muhammad was living in Mecca when he
experienced his own call to faith. Just as Abraham did,
Muhammad proclaimed belief in a single God. At first, Islam was met with
resistance in Mecca. But Muhammad and his followers, called Muslims,
eventually attracted a great number of followers. Mecca became Islam's most
sacred city, and the Ka'bah became a center of Islamic worship. You will learn
more about the vast Muslim empire.

1. Arabia in the 6th Century

 Islam has its roots in Arabia, where Muhammad was born. To understand
Islam's beginnings, it is important to first look at the time period in which
Muhammad grew up.
The town of Mecca, Muhammad's birthplace, was located in a dry, rocky
valley in western Arabia. Mecca did not have agriculture, but instead gained
wealth as a center of trade. Merchants traveling along caravan routes stopped
at the city's market, where they bought spices, sheepskins, dates, and other
wares from townspeople and nomads.

By the time Muhammad was born, Mecca was a prosperous city. Merchant
families brought goods into Mecca from faraway places, growing wealthy
through trade with Yemen (southern Arabia), Syria, and kingdoms in Africa. Over
time, a handful of clans, or families, had come to rule the city. These families
refused to share their fortune with the weaker, poorer clans who lived there.
Mecca was also a religious center. According to the Qur'an (koor-AHN), the
holy book of Islam, Abraham had built the cube-shaped shrine, the Ka'bah,
centuries before to honor God. In Muhammad's day, according to Islamic
teaching, most Arabs followed polytheism, and the Ka'bah housed hundreds of
statues of different gods. Pilgrims from all over Arabia came to worship at
Mecca.
Many Arabs lived a nomadic life in the desert environment. But some Arabs
led a more urban and sedentary lifestyle in towns like Medina. However, there
was no central government in Arabia. Instead, Arabs pledged loyalty to their
clans and to larger tribes. These tribes sometimes fought each other to capture
territory, animals, goods, watering places, and even wives. When someone from
one tribe was killed during a raid, his family was honor-bound to avenge that
death. This led to long periods of fighting among tribes.
Although Arabs on the peninsula were not united as a nation, they shared
cultural ties, especially language. Arabic poetry celebrated the history of the
Arab people, the beauty of their land, and their way of life. Poets and singers
from different tribes competed at gatherings held at the markets and during
pilgrimages. This was the culture into which Muhammad was born.

2. Muhammad's Early Life

As you have learned, around 570 C.E., an infant named Muhammad was born
in Mecca. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad's early life was
ordinary. Few people who were not members of his clan, the Hashim, noted his
birth. His father had died before his birth, and his clan was not very wealthy.
However, the Hashim had some prestige, as they belonged to the leading tribe
in Mecca.
Following custom, Muhammad's mother sent her baby to live with a family of
nomads in the desert. There, the young boy learned about traditional Arab
values, such as being kind to strangers and helping orphans, widows, and other
needy members of society.

When Muhammad was about six, he returned to the city and to his mother.
They had little time together, because she soon died, so Muhammad was left in
the care of his grandfather, a highly regarded leader of the Hashim clan. Upon
the grandfather's death, Muhammad's uncle, Abu Talib, a respected merchant,
became head of the clan and took charge of the orphan.

As a boy, Muhammad tended his family's flocks of sheep and goats. When he
was about 12 years old, he accompanied his uncle on a trading journey far north
to Syria, where Muhammad gained his first experiences outside Arabia.
As Muhammad grew up, he took on more duties and made more trading
journeys. He became a merchant who enjoyed a reputation throughout Mecca
for his honesty. People called him al-Amin, which means “the Trustworthy.”
According to Muslim teachings, Muhammad was still a young man when he
began managing caravans for a widow named Khadijah, who ran a trading
business. Muhammad earned her great profits. Impressed with his abilities and
honesty, Khadijah proposed marriage. Muhammad accepted her offer, and when
he was about 25, they married. Muhammad and Khadijah had several children,
but only their daughter Fatima had children of her own. She continued the
bloodline of Muhammad.

3. The Call to Prophethood

For the next 15 years, Muhammad made his living as a merchant. In addition
to enjoying success in business, he also cared about spiritual matters, often
spending time at prayer and meditation in the mountains around Mecca. He was
concerned about the effects of wealth and the worship of idols on his city.

In about 610 C.E., Muhammad went to one of his spiritual retreats in a cave
in the mountains. There, according to Islamic teachings, Muhammad received
the call to be a prophet, or messenger of Allah. Allah is the Arabic word for
God. The same word for God, Allah, is used by Arab Jews and Arab Christians.
Muhammad later described the remarkable events of that night. He told of
being visited by the angel Gabriel who brought revelations, or revealed
teachings, from God. Gabriel also told Muhammad, “You are the messenger of
God.”
According to Islamic tradition, at first Muhammad feared that he might be
going mad. But Khadijah consoled Muhammad and expressed her faith that God
had chosen him as a prophet to spread his words to the people. Khadijah
became one of the first converts to Islam.

Islam is based on monotheism, or the belief in a single God. This God,

Muhammad taught, was the same God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Through
Gabriel, God instructed Muhammad to teach others to practice compassion,
honesty, and justice.
Muslim tradition teaches that the angel Gabriel continued to bring God's
messages for about the next 20 years. At first, Muhammad confided these
messages only to family and friends, including his cousin Ali and his close friend,
Abu Bakr (ah-BOOH BAHK-uhr). Gradually, a small group of followers developed
at Mecca. They were called Muslims, which means “those who surrender to
God.” For Muslims, Islam was a way of life and the basis for creating a just
society.
Though Muhammad apparently could neither read nor write, he said that the
messages from Gabriel were imprinted on his mind and heart. His followers also
memorized them, and eventually some even wrote down these words and
collected them in the Qur'an (also spelled Koran), the holy book of Islam. The
poetic style of this book helped lend credibility to Muhammad's claim that it
contained the words of God. It also attracted new believers to Islam.

4. Muhammad's Teachings Meet with Rejection

Around 613 C.E., Muhammad began to preach to other Meccans. He taught
that people must worship the one God, that all believers in God were equal, and
that the rich should share their wealth. He urged Meccans to care for orphans
and the poor and to improve the status of women.
Although some members of different clans, including Muhammad's, and
social classes converted to Islam, most Meccans rejected Muhammad's
teachings. Some Meccans did not want to share their wealth and feared that if
Muhammad grew stronger, he would seize political power. Merchants worried
that their businesses would be hurt if people stopped coming to Mecca to trade
while visiting the shrines of their gods. Muhammad's monotheistic teachings
also disturbed Arabs who did not want to give up their gods.
To prevent the spread of the prophet's message, some Arabs called
Muhammad a liar, and some persecuted his followers. Despite this treatment,
the Muslims refused to give up their faith. Muhammad was also protected by
Abu Talib, the head of the Hashim clan, so anyone who harmed a member of the
clan would face Abu Talib's vengeance.
As the number of Muslims increased, the powerful clans of Mecca started
a boycott to pressure Muhammad's followers into giving up Islam. For three
years, the Hashim clan suffered as Meccans refused to do business with them.
Although they were threatened with starvation, the boycott failed to break their
will. These difficult years, however, took their toll on Abu Talib and Khadijah. In
619, these trusted family members died.
While these losses were terrible for Muhammad, that same year, he reported
a miraculous event. Muslim tradition tells the story of the Night Journey in which
a winged horselike creature took Muhammad to Jerusalem, the city toward
which early Muslims had directed their prayers. Jerusalem was already holy to
Jews and Christians. According to Muslim teachings, Muhammad met with earlier
prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Then the creature guided
Muhammad through the seven levels of heaven, and Muhammad met God. To
this day, Jerusalem is a holy city for Muslims.

5. From the Migration to Medina to the End of His Life

With Abu Talib's death, Muhammad lost his protector. As Muslims came
under more attacks, Muhammad sought a new home. A group of Arab pilgrims
from a town called Yathrib visited Mecca and converted to Islam. They asked
Muhammad to move to Yathrib to bring peace between feuding tribes and, in
return, they pledged to protect him.

In 622, Muhammad and his followers left Mecca on a journey known as

the hijrah (HEEJ-rah). Yathrib was renamed Medina (also spelled Madinah), short
for “City of the Prophet.” The year of the hijrah later became the first year of the
Muslim calendar.
 Over the next several years in Medina, Muhammad developed a new Muslim
community as more Arabs converted to Islam. Muslims pledged to be loyal and
helpful to each other. They emphasized the brotherhood of faith over the ties of
family, clan, and tribe. Even though Muhammad and the Qur'an criticized Jews
and Christians on some aspects of their beliefs, Muhammad asked his followers
to respect Christians and Jews. Like Muslims, these “People of the Book” believe
in one God, and Muhammad asked that they be treated as lawful members of
society.
As the community in Medina grew and became stronger, the Meccans felt
increasingly threatened. In 624, fighting broke out between the Muslims and
Meccans, and the Muslims won that battle. A few years later, the Meccans
staged a siege of Medina, but failed to capture the city.
Victories against the Meccan troops—and the ideas of charity, generosity,
and forgiveness that Muhammad preached—convinced other tribes to convert to
Islam. As Islam spread across Arabia, the Meccans agreed to a truce that would
allow the Muslims to make their pilgrimage to Mecca. Around 630, however,
they broke the truce. In response, Muhammad's army marched on Mecca, and
the city's leaders surrendered without a battle. Muhammad and his followers
entered the city, destroyed the idols (statues of gods) at the Ka'bah, and
rededicated the shrine solely to one God. Muhammad then forgave his former
enemies. The war had ended.

In March 632, Muhammad led his final pilgrimage to Mecca. In the town of his
birth, he delivered his final sermon. He reminded Muslims to treat each other
well and to be faithful. Shortly after his return to Medina, Muhammad died.
6. The Four Caliphs
By the time of Muhammad's death, most of central and southwestern Arabia
was under the control of Muslims. Now, his followers had to choose a new leader
to preserve the community. After much debate, Abu Bakr, Muhammad's friend
and father-in-law, was selected.

Abu Bakr became the first caliph (KAY-lif), or Muslim ruler. He and the three
leaders who followed him came to be known to a large group of Muslims as the
“rightly guided” caliphs. These caliphs were said to have followed the Qur'an
and the example of Muhammad. The Muslim government led by the caliphs was
called the caliphate.
 When some tribes tried to break away, Abu Bakr used military force to
reunite the community. He also completed the unification of Arabia. Then
Muslims began to carry the teachings of Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula.
After Abu Bakr died in 634, Caliph Umar (ooh-MAR) continued to expand the
Muslim empire by conquest, which allowed Muslims to gain new lands and
resources. By 643, the Muslim empire included lands in Iraq, Persia, the eastern
Mediterranean, and North Africa. Umar established governments and tax
systems in all these provinces. Among the taxes was one levied on Jews and
Christians and other non-Muslims. Umar often let Jews and Christians practice
their beliefs as they liked within their own homes and places of worship, but
more often forced other religions to convert. In Egypt, treaties allowed for
freedom of worship in exchange for the payment of tribute. Later, Muslims
completed similar treaties with the Nubians, a people who lived to the south of
Egypt.

Upon Umar's death in 644, Uthman, who was a member of the Umayyad
(ooh-MY-ed) clan, became the third caliph. He attempted to unite Muslims by
overseeing the creation of an official edition of the Qur'an. But he also awarded
high posts to relatives, and people in the provinces complained that he ruled
unfairly. Discontent spread, and rebels killed Uthman in 656.
Ali ibn Abi Talib (AH-lee i-ben ah-bee TAH-lib), Muhammad's cousin, and his
daughter Fatima's husband, agreed to become the fourth caliph. Some
important Muslims challenged his rule, which led to civil war. Ali sent forces
against them, fought two major battles, and won one. But when he ended the
other through negotiation, he lost supporters. In 661, one of these former
supporters murdered Ali.

7. The Umayyad Dynasty

Soon after Ali's death, Mu'awiyah (mooh-AH-wee-YAH), the leader of the
Umayyads, claimed the caliphate. Most Muslims, called the Sunnis (SOOH-neez),
came to accept him. But a minority of Muslims, known as the Shi'ite (SHEE-eyt),
or “party” of Ali, refused to do so because they believed that only people
directly descended from Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and son-in-
law Ali should be caliph. The schism between the Sunnis and Shi'ite lasts to this
day.
Mu'awiyah put down a revolt by Ali's supporters and held on to the caliphate.
He also founded the Umayyad dynasty. In 661, the Umayyads moved their
capital to Damascus, Syria, from where the caliphs ruled the huge Muslim
empire for close to 100 years.
Slowly, the lands of the Muslim empire took on more elements of Arab
culture. Muslims introduced the Arabic language. Along with Islam, acceptance
of Arabic helped unite the diverse people of the empire. In addition, Arabs took
over as top officials, and people bought goods with new Arab coins. While it was
not policy to force conversion to Islam, some non-Muslims began to embrace the
new faith for a variety of reasons, including personal belief in the message of
Islam and social pressure to join the people of the ruling group.
The Muslim empire continued to expand. The Umayyad caliphs sent armies
into central Asia and northwestern India. In 711, Muslim armies began their
conquests of present-day Spain. However, at the Battle of Tours in 732, forces
under the Frankish king Charles Martel turned the Muslims back in France. This
battle marked the farthest extent of Muslim advances into Europe, outside of
Spain.
Muslims held on to land in Spain, where Islamic states lasted for almost 800
years. Muslims in Spain built some of the greatest cities of medieval Europe.
Their capital city, Cordoba, became an intellectual center where Muslim, Jewish,
and Christian scholars collectively lived and interacted. Through their work,
Muslim culture made important advances in arts, science, technology, and
literature.

Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned about the life of Muhammad and the early
spread of Islam. Muhammad and his followers unified Arabia and
created a great empire.
Arabia in the 6th Century When Muhammad was born, Arabia was not
politically united. But Arabs did share ties through trade, as well as the Arabic
language and culture.
The Life of Muhammad Born in Mecca, Muhammad became the prophet of
Islam after he received revelations from the angel Gabriel, which were recorded
in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. However, many in Mecca opposed Islam. In
the year 622, Muhammad and his followers moved to Medina, where they
established a Muslim community. By the time Muhammad died in 632, people
throughout Arabia had accepted the teachings of Islam and the Qur'an as the
words of God.
The Four Caliphs and the Umayyad Dynasty The caliphs who followed
Muhammad greatly expanded the lands under Islamic rule, despite struggles
over leadership and civil war. In 661, the Umayyad caliphs moved their capital
to Syria. By the mid-700s, the Muslim empire included Spain, North Africa, the
Middle East, and parts of Asia and India. Along with the Arabic language, the
acceptance of Islam helped unify this vast empire.

Learning About World

Religions: Islam
How do the beliefs and practices of Islam shape Muslims'
lives?
Introduction
If you visited a city in a Muslim country today, you may notice things that
reflect the teachings of Islam. In some cities, you would hear a call to prayer five
times a day. While some people hurry to houses of worship, others simply
remain where they are to pray, such as their homes or even in the street. You
might see people dressed modestly and many women wearing head scarves.
You would discover that many people there do not drink alcohol or eat pork. You
might learn how Muslims donate money to support their houses of worship and
many charities. Soon, you would come to understand the ways in which Islam,
one of the world's major religions, is practiced as a complete way of life.

This lesson explores the basic beliefs and practices of Islam, the religion
founded by the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. Like both Christianity
and Judaism, Islam has a holy book that followers use in their practice. The holy
book of Islam is called the Qur'an. Muslims rely on the Qur'an and Sunnah
(SOON-ah)—the example of Muhammad—for guidance in their religious belief.

Central to Muslim practice are the Five Pillars of Islam: declaration of faith,
prayer, charity, fasting, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Both the Qur'an and
the Sunnah lay out the foundation for these practices. You will also study the
idea of jihad (jee-HAHD). Jihad represents Muslims' struggle with internal and
external challenges as they strive to please God. Finally, you will examine
shari'ah (sha-REE-uh), or Islamic law, which covers practices toward God and
toward other people. This lesson will help you understand how the beliefs and
practices of Islam shape the daily lives of Muslims across the world.

1. Background on Islam
Since the time of Muhammad, Islam has had an impact on world history.
Islam spread rapidly throughout the Middle East, across North Africa to Spain,
and across Central Asia nearly to China. In addition to sharing a common faith,
Muslims also belonged to a single Islamic community, called the ummah (UH-
mah), that blended many peoples and cultures.
Islam is the world's second largest religion, after Christianity. One out of four
people in the world is Muslim. Most people in the Middle East and North Africa
are Muslim, but Muslims live in nearly every country of the world. In fact, the
majority of Muslims live in Asia, in nations such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and
the southeast Asian country of Indonesia. Islam is also one of the fastest-
growing religions in the United States.
Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have much in common. For instance,
members of all three faiths are monotheists (they believe in one God) and trace
their origins to Abraham. Their scriptures, or sacred writings, all include such
figures as Adam, Noah, and Moses. Muslims also believe that all three religions
worship the same God.
Muslims consider Jews and Christians to be “People of the Book.” Muslims
believe that God revealed messages to Moses, Jesus, and others that were
compiled into holy books, just as the Qur'an came from God to Muhammad. The
Qur'an states that God earlier revealed the Torah (Judaism) and the Gospel
(Christianity) as a source of guidance for people.
For Muslims, however, the Qur'an contains God's final revelations to
humanity. They believe that its messages reveal how God wants his followers to
act and worship.

2. The Qur'an and the Sunnah

Two foundations of Islam are the Qur'an and the Sunnah. According to
Muslim teachings, God describes his laws and moral teachings, or the “straight
path,” through the Qur'an. Regarded as the direct word of God, the book holds a
central position for Muslims everywhere, and even inspires Muslim art, poetry,
and literature.
The Qur'an contains passages that Muslims believe Muhammad received
from the angel Gabriel. Muhammad and his followers recited and memorized
these verses. Because Muhammad apparently could not read or write, scribes
wrote down these passages. The Arabic of the Qur'an is notable for its beauty.

In about 651 C.E., Caliph Uthman established an official edition of the Qur'an.
He asked those with different versions of the Qur'an to destroy them so that
there would be no confusion between those and the official edition. The Qur'an
used today has remained largely unchanged since then.
Muhammad described the Qur'an as God's “standing miracle.” Muslims honor
the spoken and written Qur'an. Most Muslims today do not let copies of the
sacred book touch the ground, and they handle the Qur'an in special ways. Most
Muslims memorize at least certain parts of the Qur'an in Arabic, and some even
memorize the entire book. The memorized parts may be recited in daily prayer
or during special occasions. Its verses accompany Muslims throughout their
lives, from birth to death.

The Sunnah (“practice”) is the example that Muhammad set for Muslims
during his lifetime. What Muhammad did or said in a certain situation has set a
precedent, or guideline, for all Muslims. For instance, Muhammad told his
followers to make sure that their guests never left the table hungry,
underscoring the importance of hospitality. He also reminded children to honor
their parents when he said, “God forbids all of you to disobey your mothers.” For
Muslims, the Sunnah is second only to the Qur'an in religious authority.
About 300 years after Muhammad's death, thousands of reports about the
prophet had spread throughout Muslim lands. Called hadith (“reports” or
“tradition”), these accounts provided written evidence of Muhammad's Sunnah
through his own words and deeds. Scholars looked into each story and
organized the ones that they could verify into collections. These collections
remain important sources for Muslim beliefs, laws, and history.
The most basic acts of worship for Muslims are called the Five Pillars of
Islam. The Qur'an provides general commands to perform these five duties,
whereas the Sunnah explains how to perform them, based on Muhammad's
example. Let's look next at each of the Five Pillars.
3. The First Pillar: Shahadah
The first Pillar of Islam is shahadah (shah-HAH-dah), the profession or
declaration of faith. To show belief in one God and in Muhammad's prophethood,
a Muslim testifies, “I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that
Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
The first part of the shahadah affirms monotheism—“There is no god but
God.” Like Christians and Jews, Muslims believe that one all-powerful God—
called Allah in Arabic—created the universe. They believe that the truth of that
God was revealed to humankind through many prophets, including Adam,
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, who appear in either the Jewish or Christian
scriptures. The Qur'an honors all of these prophets.
The second part of the shahadah identifies Muhammad as God's messenger
—“and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” According to this statement,
Muhammad announced the message of Islam, which Muslims believe to be
God's final word to humankind.
The meaning of shahadah is that people not only believe in God, but also
pledge their submission to him. For Muslims, God is the center of life. To enter
into the religion of Islam, a person must pronounce the shahadah aloud in the
presence of two Muslim witnesses. It is also part of the call to prayer, which is
regularly recited in mosques (MOSKS) and part of certain traditions.
Beyond the shahadah, some Muslims also believe in the idea of an unseen
world of angels and other beings. According to their faith, God created angels to
do his work throughout the universe. Some angels reveal themselves to
prophets, as Gabriel did to Muhammad. Other angels observe and record the
deeds of each human being. Belief in angels is found in Christianity and Judaism,
as well.

Muslims also believe that all souls will face a day of judgment. On that day,
God will weigh each person's actions. Those who have believed in God and lived
according to his rules will be rewarded with paradise.

4. The Second Pillar: Salat

 The second Pillar of Islam is salat (SAH-laht), daily ritual prayer. Muhammad
said that “prayer is the proof” of Islam. Salat emphasizes religious discipline,
spirituality, and closeness to God.
Throughout Muslim communities, people are called to prayer five times a
day: at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after nightfall. A crier, called
a muezzin (moo-EHZ-en), chants the call to prayer, sometimes through a
loudspeaker, from the tall minaret (tower) of the community's mosque.
Before praying, Muslims must perform ritual washings. All mosques have
fresh, flowing water in which worshipers wash their hands, face, arms, and feet.
With a sense of being purified, Muslims enter the prayer area where they form
lines behind a prayer leader called an imam. The worshipers face
the qiblah (KIB-lah), the direction of the Ka'bah, which is marked by a niche in a
wall. People of all classes stand shoulder to shoulder, but men stand in separate
rows from women.
The imam begins the prayer cycle by proclaiming “Allahu akbar!” (“God is
most great!”). The worshipers then recite verses from the Qur'an and kneel
before God.

While praying at a mosque is preferable, Muslims may worship anywhere. In

groups or by themselves, they may perform their prayers at home, at work, in
airports, in parks, or on sidewalks. A qiblah compass may help them locate the
direction of the Ka'bah. Some Muslims carry a prayer rug to have a clean spot
on which pray. Some use prayer beads for additional worship and recite words
describing what they believe to be God's many characteristics.
Unlike Christians and Jews, Muslims do not observe a sabbath, or day of rest.
On Fridays, however, Muslims gather at a mosque for midday congregational
prayer. The worshipers listen to a Qur'an reading and the sermon. After saying
prayers together, some return to their regular business. For others, Friday is a
special day when people meet with family and friends.

5. The Third Pillar: Zakat

The third Pillar of Islam is zakat, or charity. The Qur'an says wealthy people
should share their riches with the less fortunate, a practice that remains a basic
part of Islam.
 The word zakat means “purification.” Muslims believe that wealth becomes
pure by giving some of it away, and that sharing wealth helps control greed.
Zakat also reminds people of God's great gifts to them.
According to the teachings of Islam, Muslims must share about one-fortieth
(2.5 percent) of their surplus wealth each year with their poorer neighbors. They
are encouraged to give even more. Individuals decide the proper amount to pay.
Then they may either give this sum to a religious official or distribute it
themselves.
Zakat helps provide for many needs. In medieval times, zakat often went to
constructing public fountains, so everyone had clean water to drink, or to inns
so that pilgrims and travelers had a place to sleep. If you walk down a busy
street in any Muslim town today, you will see the effects of zakat everywhere.
Zakat pays for soup kitchens, clothing, and shelter for the poor. It supports the
building and running of orphanages and hospitals. Poorer Muslims may receive
funds to pay off their debts. Zakat provides aid to stranded travelers.

Zakat also helps other good causes that serve the Muslim community. For
instance, it can cover the school fees of children whose parents cannot afford to
send them to schools. It can be used to pay teachers.

Zakat is similar to charitable giving in other religions. For instance, Jews ask
for charitable giving and actions to help the needy and the community, a
concept called tzedakah (TZE-DAH-KAH), meaning justice and fairness.
Christians also ask for donations, called tithes (TYTHZ), to support their houses
of worship and charitable activities.

6. The Fourth Pillar: Siyam

The fourth Pillar of Islam is siyam (see-YAM), or fasting (going without
food). Muslims were not the first people to fast as a way of worshipping God.
The Bible praises the act. But the Qur'an instructs Muslims to fast for an entire
month during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from daybreak to the setting of the sun.
Pregnant women, travelers, the sick, the elderly, and young children do not
have to fast.
 According to Islamic teachings, Ramadan was the month when God first
revealed his message to Muhammad. Muslims use a lunar calendar (one based
on the phases of the moon). A year on this calendar is shorter than a 365-day
year. As a result, over time, Ramadan cycles through all the seasons of a
standard year.
During the daylight hours of each day during the month of Ramadan,
Muslims do not eat any food or drink any liquid, including water. At sunset,
Muslims then break their fast, often with dates—as Muhammad usually did—and
other food and beverages. They then perform the sunset prayer. After a meal
shared with family or friends, Muslims attend special prayer services in which a
portion of the Qur'an is read aloud each night. By the end of Ramadan, devout
Muslims who attended mosque regularly would have heard the entire holy book.
The holy month of Ramadan encourages generosity, equality, and charity
within the Muslim community. Fasting teaches Muslims self-control and leads
them to a deeper understanding of hunger and poverty. Well-to-do Muslims and
mosques often provide food for others. During Ramadan, Muslims also strive to
forgive people, give thanks, and avoid gossip, arguments, and bad deeds.

Toward the end of Ramadan, Muslims remember Gabriel's first visit to

Muhammad. It is supposed to have occurred during one of the last ten odd-
numbered nights of the month. Worshippers seek out this night because,
according to the Qur'an, prayer during this “night of power” is equal to a
thousand months of devotion. A celebration called Eid al-Fitr (eed-AL-fitter)
takes place when Ramadan ends. People attend prayers, wear new clothes,
decorate their homes, and prepare special foods. They visit friends and family,
exchange gifts, and give to the poor.

7. The Fifth Pillar: Hajj

The fifth Pillar of Islam is hajj (HAJZH), the pilgrimage to the holy city of
Mecca. In the twelfth month of the Islamic year, millions of believers from all
over the world come together at Mecca. All adult Muslims who are financially
and physically able to make the journey are expected to perform the hajj at
least once during their lifetime. By bringing Muslims from many places and
cultures together, the hajj promotes fellowship and equality.
In Mecca, pilgrims follow what Muslims believe are the footsteps of Abraham
and Muhammad, and so draw closer to God. For five days, they dress in simple
white clothing and perform a series of rituals, moving from one sacred site to
another.
Upon arrival, Muslims announce their presence with these words: “Here I am,
O God, at Thy command!” They go to the Great Mosque, which houses the
Ka'bah. Muslims believe that Abraham built the Ka'bah as a shrine to honor God.
The pilgrims circle the Ka'bah seven times, which is a ritual mentioned in the
Qur'an. Next, they run along a passage between two small hills, as Hagar did
when she searched for water for her baby Ishmael. The pilgrims drink from the
Zamzam spring, which is believed to have appeared miraculously at Ishmael's
feet.

Later, pilgrims leave Mecca to sleep in tents at a place called Mina. In the
morning, they move to the Plain of Arafat to pray until sunset, asking God's
forgiveness. Some climb Mount Arafat, where Muhammad preached his Last
Sermon. After spending another night camped in the desert, they reject evil by
casting stones at pillars representing Satan.

Afterward, pilgrims may celebrate with a four-day feast. In honor of

Abraham's ancient sacrifice, as recounted in religious scriptures, Muslims
sacrifice animals, typically sheep or goats, and share the meat with family,
friends, and the poor. Then, having completed the hajj, they dress again in their
own clothes. Before leaving Mecca, each pilgrim circles the Ka'bah seven more
times. Muslims around the world celebrate this “farewell” day as Eid al-Adha
(eed-AL-adh-hah).

8. Jihad
The word jihad means “to strive.” There are multiple ways to fulfill the duty
of jihad, and different groups emphasize different methods. Some people
interpret the duty to mean a “physical struggle with spiritual significance.” The
Qur'an tells Muslims to fight to protect themselves from those who would harm
them or to right a terrible wrong. Early Muslims considered efforts to protect
their territory and conquests to extend their empire as forms of jihad. However,
the Qur'an forbids Muslims to force others to convert to Islam. So, non-Muslims
under Muslim rule were usually allowed to practice their faiths.
In another interpretation, jihad represents the human struggle to overcome
difficulties and do things that would be pleasing to God. Muslims strive to
respond positively to personal difficulties as well as to worldly challenges. For
instance, they might work to become better people, reform society, or correct
injustice.
Jihad has always been an important Islamic concept. One hadith tells about
the prophet's return from a battle. He declared that the prophet and his men
had carried out the “lesser jihad,” the external struggle against oppression. The
“greater jihad,” he said, was the fight against evil within oneself. Examples of
the greater jihad include working hard for a goal, giving up a bad habit, getting
an education, or obeying your parents when you may not want to.

Another hadith says that Muslims should fulfill jihad with the heart, tongue,
and hand. Muslims use the heart in their struggle to resist evil, while the tongue
may convince others to take up worthy causes. Hands may perform good works
and correct misdeeds.

Today, some have used jihad to try to make their government more Islamic
or to resist perceived aggression from non-Muslims with acts of violence and
terrorism. However, most Muslims reject such actions and believe that to
deliberately harm civilians, including non-Muslims, is forbidden in Islam. They
agree that although the Qur'an allows war, it sets specific terms for fighting.
Muhammad told his followers to honor agreements made with foes and for
fighters to not mutilate (remove or destroy) the dead bodies of enemies. He also
forbade harming certain people, such as children or the elderly, and destroying
property and sacred objects.

9. Islamic Law: Shari'ah

The search to understand God's law is called shari'ah (sha-REE-ah). Muslims
use the Qur'an and the Sunnah as important sources to try to understand
shari'ah. Shari'ah covers Muslims' duties toward God and others. It guides them
in their personal behavior and relationships with others. Shari'ah promotes
obedience to the Qur'an and respect for others.
In the Muslim community that Muhammad first established, Muhammad
explained the Qur'an and decided how to resolve disputes. After his death, the
leaders in the community used different methods to answer questions that came
up about how to practice Islam. They often referred to the Qur'an and the
Sunnah for guidance. As the Muslim empire expanded, leaders faced new
situations. Gradually, scholars developed various approaches to understand
Islamic law, and several schools of Islamic law had emerged by the 12th
century.

Islamic law guides Muslim life by placing actions into one of five categories:
forbidden, discouraged, allowed, recommended, and obligatory
(required). Sometimes the law is quite specific. Muslims, for instance, are
forbidden to eat pork or drink alcohol. But other matters are mentioned in
general terms. For example, the Qur'an tells women “not to display their
beauty” to strangers. For this reason, Muslim women usually wear various forms
of modest dress, with most women covering their arms and legs. Many also
wear scarves over their hair. Others cover themselves from head to toe.
Shari'ah also outlines Muslims' duties toward other people. These duties can
be broadly grouped into criminal, commercial, family, and inheritance law.

In a shari'ah court, a qadi (KAH-dee), or judge, hears a case, which includes

witnesses and evidence. Then the qadi makes a ruling. Sometimes the qadi
consults a mufti, or scholar of law, for an opinion.
Shari'ah helped Muslims to develop laws that relied on the Qur'an and
Sunnah and that applied to different situations. By the 19th century, however,
many Muslim regions had come under European rule, and Western codes of law
soon replaced the shari'ah except in matters of family law. Today, most Muslim
countries apply some parts of Islamic law, but shari'ah continues to develop in
response to modern ways of life and its challenges.

For the past century, one of the major questions the Muslim world faces is
how Islamic law can be made to relate to modern society and
government. Turkey has chosen a non-religious legal model. However, Saudi
Arabia and Iran have chosen to follow Islamic law in their governance, each
nation according to its own ideas. Some countries, such as Egypt and Pakistan,
have both strong Islamist parties and strong non-Islamist parties. Many Muslims
feel that democracy and freedom do not contradict the teachings and law of
Islam. But others feel that the two cannot go hand in hand. The debate
continues.

Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you learned about the basic beliefs and practices of
Islam. One of the world's major religions, Islam has more followers
than any faith except Christianity.
Background on Islam Islam, Judaism, and Christianity share many similarities.
People of these faiths believe in one God and have holy books. Muslims accept
the Jewish and Christian scriptures as earlier revelations by God.
The Qur'an and the Sunnah The Qur'an is the Muslim scripture. It contains
God's final messages to humanity and guides Muslims on how to live their lives.
Additional guidance comes from the Sunnah (practice), the example of
Muhammad. The hadith (tradition) provides a written record of sayings and
deeds of the prophet.
The Five Pillars of Islam Islam is a way of life, as well as a set of beliefs.
Muslims follow the Five Pillars of Islam. The five pillars are: shahadah
(declaration of faith), salat (daily worship), zakat (charity), siyam (fasting), and
hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca).
Jihad The term “jihad” refers to the effort that Muslims perform to become
closer to God. A vast majority of Muslims emphasize a spiritual, inner struggle.
But a minority of individuals and groups claim to fulfill this duty through acts of
violence.
Islamic Law: Shari'ah Shari'ah, a large body of guidelines, helps Muslims live
by the teachings of the Qur'an. Islamic law covers practices of daily life, as well
as conduct with others.