Muhammad
• Target: You will understand why Muhammad is so important to Muslims.
Penney Page 8-9
• You may decide to use Penney, page 8,9.
• This presentation goes into more depth about the political and social background in Arabia at the time of Muhammad.
• I went through this presentation with my more able sets and then did the tasks in Penney.
The Social background • Arabs were tribal – groups of people
with common ancestors • Mecca was an important point on the
trade route for merchant caravans • Muhammad’s great grandfather,
Hashim, had established a trading system in central Arabia – where trading freely took place.
• These people called themselves the people of Allah and agreed not to fight each other in return for a chare of the profits from the trade caravans.
• However, although this brought more money into the area, it was not being divided fairly. Some clans made lots of money, whole others did not.
• Disputes between clans were dealt with by vendetta – you kill one of my clan, and I will kill one of yours or through war.
• Women had low social standing, and were often killed at birth.
The political background
• Arabia was an imposingly advanced and civilised society.
• It had an advanced agricultural system based on irrigation.
• It had its own philosophies, literature etc.
• There was a good standard of living
Muhammad’s early life
Born 570 CE – a prestigious year
Because of his family,
Muhammad had
connections throughout
Arabia
Father died
before he was
born
Mother died when he
was 6 years old Grandfather died when
he was 8 years old
Muhammad put
into the care of his
Uncle, Abu Talib –
leader of the
Hashemite clan
‘Did we not find
thee an orphan
and shelter thee’
Sura 93
Shepherd
during early
years
Merchant
- part of
trading
caravan
Mark of prophet
between his shoulder
blades
Wise and just
Preparation for prophet hood
• Had techniques of trading, diplomacy, and warfare. • Trading manager for Khadijah at age of 21. • However was illiterate • Known as al’Amin – the trustworthy one, and as’Sadiq – the truthful. • Muhammad did not practice polygamy until after Khadijah’s death,
and then he took wives to build bridges between clans, and also widows – to give them protection.
• Sons of Muhammad and Khadijah died – it was the daughters who produced the grand children.
• Muhammad had contact with monotheists – he found polytheism more and more offensive.
• Good at solving problems and dealing with crises.
Rise and Warn!
Meccan polytheism was
wrong ‘there is no God but
God’
Muhammad was not being
called to bring a new religion to
Arabia – but rather bring
Arabia back to the religion of
Islam – which was the original
religion
The Arabs would be judged
by God on their religion and
way of life – therefore they
had better repent and
change to a good life of
honesty and concern for the
poor.
Morning and
evening prayers
established facing
Jerusalem –
prostrating
themselves as a
sign of submission
to God
At first only Muhammad and his close family observed this message.
Idol worship would be
abolished
Why Muhammad left
Mecca in 622CE
Muhammad saw the
pledges by the converts
from Yathrib as a sign
from God that he was to
leave
The reaction of the
Meccans when
news of the 2nd
pledge leaked out
seemed to confirm
this view because if
the Meccans were
against it, God must
be for it.
Islam could never be
just a religion –it had
to be a complete way
of life, and it meant
that politics had to be
part of religion –
Muhammad was
given the opportunity
to be the political
leader of Yathrib as
well as Prophet
Muhammad must have
been worried about the
safety of his followers in
Mecca and he would be
able to protect them in
Yathrib
He must have been
desperate to be
able to preach
openly the
revelations from
God
NB. Yathrib
becomes Medina
after the Hijra.
Medina means ‘City
of the Prophet’
The Hijrah (departure) 622CE
• Before going to Medina himself, Muhammad sent 70 Meccan followers with their wives and children to ensure he had a base there.
• The Meccans realised that Medina could become a strong anti-Mecca community and threatened Muhammad’s life
• When Muhammad arrived at Medina he behaved like a statesman – establishing a new community
• Muhammad had been accepted by both the tribes within Medina – the Aws and the Khazraj – he now ended the blood fued between them.
• He created a Muslim state based on himself and the Qur’an.
Muhammad and Mecca
• Mecca was not happy with the power and leadership that Muhammad had not only in Medina but throughout Arabia.
Muhammad decided
that he had to ensure
success against Mecca
He made sure the
Muhajirun (Muslims
from Mecca who were
with him in Medina)
were trained for war by
organising raids of
trading caravans which
did not usually involve
bloodshed in the locality
of Medina
He used various
military methods
to defend Medina
against Mecca
and then to
conquer Mecca
itself
He used missionaries to convert the Meccas, but made it
plain that Mecca had nothing to fear from Islam, indeed
they had much to gain and the Hajj were centred on
Mecca. It was therefore the centre of Islam
Muhammad and Mecca
Eventually Muhammad conquered Mecca, and it became the centre of Islam.
Muhammad and the rest of Arabia
• Muhammad’s aim was to convert the whole of Arabia – missionaries were sent out to talk about Islam.
• An attempt to make an alliance was then made and often cemented with a marriage between the clan leader’s daughter and either Muhammad or a leading Muslim
• Almost all the tribes of Arabia accepted the supremacy of Muhammad and Islam.
• However some chose to desert Islam once the prophet had died.
• Nevertheless Muhammad had successfully challenged the idea of tribal separation and leadership in Arabia. Muhammad had united Arabia under one leader by making them acknowledge one religious faith.
The significance of the life of the Prophet • Muhammad was ‘the seal of the prophets’ who was given the
final revelation of God in a way that could never be distorted.
• He renewed Islam in Arabia and established the first Muslim state
• He is the great exemplar – the one whose life is the perfect example for all Muslims to follow
1) Think of three qualities that Muhammad had that made him ideal to be a prophet.
2) What happened on the Night of Power? 3) What was polytheism and why did Muhammad
reject it? 4) Why was Muhammad a threat to Mecca’s
power? 5) How did Muhammad convert the Meccan’s?
(Think of more than one strategy) 6) How did Muhammad unite the people of
Arabia?
Key Words In This Lesson
• Polytheism
• Monotheism
• Polygamy
• Monogamy
• Using some of the above words, explain why Muhammad did not agree with the Meccan people with their form of worship.