Introduction to Islam: History, Beliefs, and Political Legacy

Islam as an Abrahamic Faith

Islam is one of the largest and fastest-growing religions in the world, and its tenets have permeated the culture and politics of many regions of the globe. The religion is staunchly monotheistic. Islam borrows much from its predecessor faiths Christianity and Judaism, and collectively the three Middle Eastern religions are referred to as being "of the Book," since all three value the Old Testament as a sacred text. However, Islam represents a significant divergence from both Christianity and Judaism. Clashes between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism have as much to do with clashes of culture and power struggles as with differing theologies.

The evolution of Islam, like the evolution of Christianity, has been inextricably woven together with the evolution of political structures and social institutions. At its most fundamental interpretation, Islam espouses theocratic government. In the Islamic tradition, faith, politics, and social norms are frequently found together.

The Old Testament story of Abraham is also a major part of the Muslim faith. Abraham is believed to be the father of the Muslim people and is "considered to be neither a Jewish person, nor a Christian person nor a Muslim, but somebody who… essentially and intrinsically knows that there is really only one God" (Siddiqui). Muhammad is viewed similarly. Muslims believe that, unlike Jews or Christians, Muhammad had correctly interpreted God's word. Former prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus transmitted the word of God, but only incompletely. The Qur'an is therefore viewed as the irrefutable word of God revealed through the Prophet Muhammad.

The Life of Muhammad and the Origins of Islam

Islam was founded in Arabia during the 7th century of the Common Era. Its founder is Muhammad, who was born in Mecca in the year 570. Muhammad was known as "a respected businessman in Mecca," which is now a city in Saudi Arabia and the major pilgrimage site for Muslims worldwide (Voll). Muslims believe that God revealed a spiritual doctrine to Muhammad via the archangel Jibril — known in the Judeo-Christian tradition as Gabriel. Most Muslims also believe that Islam did not actually begin with Muhammad. Rather, God gradually revealed the one true religion through a series of prophets, with the most recent and most important being Muhammad (BBC).

After his revelation and encounter with the archangel in 610, Muhammad transmitted the word of God in the holy text known as the Qur'an. The Qur'an remains the central sacred text of Islam and is the basis of the religion's doctrine and worldview. After he began preaching, Muhammad came to be viewed as a Prophet of God as well as an important community leader. His story resembles that of Jesus, as Gabriel heralded their religious careers and both became subversive political and religious figures. Just as Christianity was a divergent sect of Judaism, Islam was similarly an attempt to reconnect with believers and redefine the monotheistic faith that had already spread throughout the Middle East and Europe. Islam is therefore a relatively new religion and is the youngest of the world's major organized faiths.

In Arabia during the time of Muhammad, both religious and political leadership were tribal. After Muhammad gathered a significant following at Mecca, his "popularity was seen as threatening by the people in power" (BBC). Those in power were tribal in their social structure and polytheistic in their faith. In fact, Mecca was already an established pilgrimage site for the local pagan faith (Voll).

Forced out of Mecca, Muhammad shifted his focus to a town called Yathrib in 622. The people of Yathrib not only welcomed him but actually invited Muhammad "to serve as their arbiter and judge" (Voll). Yathrib would come to be known as Medina — "The City of the Prophet."

Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina is called the hijrah, meaning migration (BBC). Like Mecca, Medina remains a holy pilgrimage site for Muslims because of the hijrah. The migration is viewed as such a significant turning point in the faith that the year 622 is officially regarded as the start of the Muslim calendar. Pilgrims convene each year at both Mecca and Medina to commemorate the formative years of Islam; indeed, the pilgrimage is viewed as a sacred duty of all Muslims. At Medina, Muhammad gained sufficient support to return to and conquer Mecca, as well as the surrounding areas of Arabia. From that point forward he was recognized as a religious prophet throughout the region, and his growing political prowess enabled him to unite Arabian tribes under the rule of Islamic law.

Early Islamic Leadership and the Sunni-Shia Split

Muhammad died unexpectedly in 632, leaving a significant vacuum of power ("What Is Islam?"). That vacuum lies at the root of many problems plaguing Islam today. The religion is divided into two main camps — Sunni and Shi'a — because of the controversy over who would succeed Muhammad's leadership. Muhammad's brother-in-law Abu Bakr was one claimant to power, and Muhammad's son-in-law Ali was another.

Abu Bakr initially succeeded in controlling Muslim leadership after Muhammad's death. He assumed the role of caliph, which means simply "successor." Abu Bakr successfully expanded the growing Islamic political, social, and religious movement throughout the Arabian Peninsula. However, he died only two years later.

Abu Bakr's successor, Umar (also spelled Omar), became the second caliph, and under his leadership Islam spread as far north as Syria and Palestine. In 637, Islam and Christianity experienced their first significant showdown when Islamic forces defeated the Byzantine presence in Jerusalem. When Umar died, the third caliph was Uthman, who was assassinated after he "ordered a complete revision of the Quran" ("What Is Islam?"). The growing tensions did not abate, and only worsened when the fourth caliph was named Ali — Muhammad's son-in-law and the husband of Fatima. He, too, was murdered, his reign lasting only two years. The religion of Islam thus experienced a bloody beginning.

The factions of Shi'a and Sunni emerged after the assassination of Ali. Shi'a literally means "faction," and Shi'a Muslims were — and still are — those who believed that Ali was the righteous successor of Muhammad (Voll). Sunni Muslims supported the caliphate lineage that had begun with Abu Bakr. Somewhat ironically, Sunni Muslims also recognize Ali as a valid caliph. The first four caliphs are collectively referred to as the "age of the Rightly Guided Caliphate" (Voll).

Works Cited

BBC. "Introduction: The Prophet Muhammad." Religion and Ethics: Islam. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/muhammad_1.shtml

Hakim, Salman. "History of Islam." 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from

PBS. Islam: Empire of Faith. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/faithbelief.html

Robinson, B.A. "Islam." Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. 2007. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_intr.htm

Siddiqui, Mona. "Abraham in Islam." Religion and Ethics: Islam. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ibrahim.shtml

Voll, John O. "Islam." In Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion, ed. Robert Wuthnow. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, Inc., 1998, pp. 383–393. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/epr_islam.html

"What Is Islam?" TruthNet. Retrieved April 29, 2009 from http://www.truthnet.org/islam/whatisislam.html