Students will summarize the life and teachings of Muhammad

Students will understand how the teachings of Islam provide laws and guidelines for the religious practice and everyday life of Muslims

Students will describe the connection between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

Life on the Arabian Peninsula was far behind the rest of the “modern” (570 C.E.) world

The Arabian Peninsula was surrounded by empires (Byzantine, Persian, etc.) which had strong central governments and citizens following government sanctioned religions

The Arabian Peninsula was politically fragmented (individual clans governing within), most people believing in many religions

Thievery was common due to the lack of material goods

Corruption, blood feuds, drinking and gambling were uncontrolled

Byzantine Empire 527-1453 C.E. Replaced the western part of the Roman Empire Primarily a Christian empire Located around the border of the Mediterranean Sea

Persian Empire 559 B.C.E.-651 C.E. Controlled in part by a strong

polytheistic religion called Zoroastrian

Adventurous and militant empire

Located in where modern day Iran is today

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

Byzantine Empire, 565 C.E.

Persian Empire

Born in 570 C.E.(?) in Mecca

Orphaned as a child and raised by his uncle

He worked as a merchant in the caravan trade

At 25 he married his boss Khadija, a wealthy business woman

Muhammad began receiving visions at the age of 40 when the Angel Gabriel spoke to him during meditations

He began spreading the word of Allah with little success at first

However in time Muhammad became a religious leader, a military leader, and a political leader

http://members.aol.com/gcvard/gabriel.gif

In 622 C.E. he was driven from the city of Mecca by the Koriesh clan and embarked on the Hijrah

Hijrah or Hajj – the most dramatic event in Muslim history – It represents the change of place and the adoption of Islam and entry into the community of Muslims, and a change from a kinship or family based society to a society based on one common belief

622 by the Christian calendar is the beginning of the Islamic calendar or the year 1. (the Christian calendar starts at 0 or the birth of Christ)

http://www.al-islam.org/ziyarat/saudi.htm

The community of Ummah or Islam originated at the moment when Muhammad began the Hijrah or Hajj

In Medina Muhammad began preaching Islam and won many converts

Meccans continued to fight against Muhammad and his followers

http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/saudi_arabia/medina.html

In 630 Muhammad and 10,000 Muslims returned to Mecca and forced the city to surrender

Muhammad “forgave” the Meccans, destroyed the idols at the Ka’bah, and dedicated the shrine to Allah

http://math.arizona.edu/~hermi/kaaba.jpg

Over the next couple of years Muhammad expanded his influence and his political empire in three ways:He preached about Islam and the one GodHe became a political leaderHe became a military leader

Don’t forget to take the quiz on Edline!