Part I for Huston

Part I: pages 221 – 231

What is Islam?

- Monotheistic

- Was formerly called Mohammedanism

- Offensive because Mohammed didn’t create the religion God did, Mohammed was only a prophet

- People are wanted to completely surrender to God

- Islamic people are called Muslims

Islam Background

- Around the name of `Arabs’ is a renown of conquerors

o They had an empire bigger than the Romans’

o It stretched from the Atlantic Ocean into china

o Had more ethnicities and aliens converted to their culture and speech than any other empire

- Islam was the cornerstone to their rise to such power

- Allah literally means the God

- Story of creation and early prophets are very similar

- First split between the bible and Koran is where Ishmael and Hagar are banished from Abraham’s tribe on orders of his first wife Sarah

What is the Seal of the Prophets?

- Mohammed is the Seal of the Prophets

- This is because he was the prophet that finalized the faith even though there were authentic prophets of God before him

- People in his time were self centered or cared only about the wellbeing of their tribe. Not only that but they were militant to other tribes. The city of Mecca was a wreck with ignorance everywhere

- Khadija, Mohammed’s wife, became his comfort during the rough times when everyone hated him and his religion. It is recorded that God consoled Mohammed through her.

- Mohammed had his first encounter with an angel in a cave on Mount Hira, a mountain near Mecca.

What is the Migration that Led to Victory?

- When Mohammed was beginning to convert families to Islam the city of Mecca turned on them and threatened their lives and preservation of the faith

- A city north of Mecca called Yathrib gave mohammed their word that they would worship allah and obey mohammed if he came to lead their city. God gave him a sign to take the offer.

- The warlords did everything they could to keep him in Mecca and kill him but he had a friend take his place in his house while he and another escaped preceded by about 70 families to walk 280 miles to Yathrib

- Yathrib soon became known as Medinat al-Nabi which means city of the prophet. Or Medina for short

- Mohammed became a master politician when he was forced into a position of power when he arrived in Medina. He changes from hated prophet to beloved leader

- He still lived as an ordinary person in a clay house throughout his time as a wonderful statesman