History
570 AD - Muhammad born near Mecca. Orphaned around the age of six. Taken in by his grandfather at the age of five then adopted by his uncle, Abu Talib, and cared for until he was 18 years old. Tended sheep and goats and learned how to trade. Married Khadijah, a wealthy widow, at the age of 25.
610 AD - At the age of 40, Muhammad had his first revelation. He claimed that an angel, Gabriel, appeared to him telling him that Muhammad was Allah's messenger. In the vision, the Angel told the illiterate Muhammad to read from a scroll. Later, due to being very distraught from the experience, Mohammad had to be comforted by his wife. He was so fearful later that he considered killing himself.[1]
Muhammad 's Message Emphasized Two Points:[2]
There is only one God (Allah) to whose will people must submit
There will be a day of judgment when all people will be judged in terms of whether or not they have obeyed God (Allah).
Islam means "Submission to God"
Muslims are "Those who Submit to God."
622 AD - Muhammad, along with his followers, were forced to flee Mecca and move to Medina. In Medina, Muhammad became popular and gained more followers. He claimed that he had a revelation that authorized the killing of Infidels - those who did not follow Muhammad.[3]
630 AD - After waging a campaign of conquest for years in the surrounding areas, Muhammad took Mecca. By this time, Muhammad and his forces controlled the territory from Yemen to the Dead Sea.
632 AD - June 8th -Muhammad died.
The Five Pillars of Faith
Confession - To become a Muslim a person must recite the following phrase at least once in his/her lifetime: "There is no god but God and Muhammad is the apostle of God." or "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the apostle of God."
Prayer - Each Muslim is supposed to perform the required ritual prayers five times a day: (1) At sunrise, (2) at noon, (3) in mid-afternoon, (4) at sunset, and (5) one hour after sunset.
Fasting - Muslims are required to fast during daylight hours during the month of Ramadan.
Almsgiving - Muslims are expected to make charitable donations, usually 2.5% of any net profit.
Pilgrimage - If at all possible, a Muslim should visit Mecca at least once in his/her lifetime.
The Qur'an
The Arabic meaning of the word Qur'an is to recite. The Qur'an is said to have been given to Muhammad, however, it was given to him verse by verse, not as a whole. Muhammad was illiterate, so there was no way that he could have written the Qur'an. His followers memorized the sayings of Muhammad and later wrote them down.[4]
[1]
Michael Harbin, To Serve Other Gods (Lanham: University Press of America, 1994), p. 169