Islam S Founding and Establishment

Arabia Before the Prophet

Prior to the birth of Muhammad, Arabia had been an economically underdeveloped and culturally segregated area. Majority of the land is desert and arid; there is limited rainfall and vegetation, and only a small portion of the land is appropriate for agriculture (Stearns, 1992).

Early Mecca

The skin of sacrificial animals was used to cover the Kaaba, and it apparently held the shrines and images of 360 gods, and goddesses (Stearns, 1992). Al'Uzza was particularly worshipped at the Ka'bah, where seven priests waited on her (Camphausen, 1989)

Muhammad's Early Life

Muhammad (c.570-632) came from a family belonging to the Koraysh. His early years were challenging, as a result of the loss of both his parents, and his grandfather too, who took care of him after the death of his parents. Abu Talib, a well-known merchant of Mecca, was his uncle, who raised him. Even at a young age, Muhammad was respected by his fellow Meccans as a genuine and straightforward individual, and got the nickname al-Amin, "the trustworthy." At around the age of twenty, he accepted employment from Khadija, a wealthy widow. Later, he married Khadija, and assumed his role as a leading powerful citizen of the city (Stearns, 2000)

Prophetic Experiences

He frequently escaped from the society, that he viewed as irreligious and materialistic, and spent many hours on his own in a cave close to Mount Hira. On one such lone meditation, Muhammad heard a call, which was to change the world's history. Allah was the same God that was worshiped by both the Jews and the Christians. However, Allah had picked Muhammad as his final and supreme prophet, who would perfect the religion earlier disclosed to Abraham, Moses, the Hebrew prophets and Jesus (Stearns, 2000).

The Hijrah

Muhammad and Abu Bakr were the final to depart when it got known that the Koraysh wanted to kill the Prophet. The Hirjah (migration) to Medina from Mecca occurred in September 622 (Stearns, 2000).

The Community at Medina

In Medina, Muhammad was received both as a leader and as a spiritual prophet. In 624, military experiences with the pagan rivals started, with the battle of Bedr. Muhammad conquered the Koraysh army, and this victory strengthened the resolve of the followers of the religion (Stearns, 2000).

Return to Mecca

Muhammad, together with his followers, went back to assume control of the city of Mecca and purify the Kaaba of the pagan idols, in 629. Muhammad looked upon Islam as a religion for the Arabs, and also sought converts, apart from the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula (Stearns, 2000).

Expansion under the First Four Caliphs