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Period: 1 CE to 570
Arabia before Muhammed
Mecca:
It was an important trade stop and a religious center of Arabia
People settled there because of of the fresh water well
It was the location of Kaaba and the population was very
diverse
Early Arabs:
The majority of Arabs were Bedouins at first
People moved to the Arabian peninsula from Africa or
Mesopotamia
They also didn't have a strong central government
Quraysh:
They were a powerful local tribes of Arabs
They encouraged tribes to deposit idols into the Kaaba and protect them for a fee -
571
Muhammad's call to prophet-hood
Muhammad's early life and Family:
-Born into the Hashim family of the powerful Quraysh tribe sometime between 570 and 580
-Angels told his mother to name him Muhammad
-He was raised by his uncle
-As a young man he worked for a wealthy widow
-And he had a reputation as a seeker for solitude -
621
The Life of Muhammad
Marriage:
-He married Khadija at age 25
-They had four daughters
Suspecting something is wrong:
-He thought something was wrong with the way people in Mecca lived
-He thought it was wrong that the people with wealth did not share it with others
- Also tribes were always at war with each other
His visions and teachings:
-He saw Gabriel who told him the sacred word of Allah
-Gabriel told him to spread it to others
-Tribes from Yathrib came to him to seek peace withing their tribes -
632
Life of Muhammad part two
Facing Discrimination:
-The Quraysh were very mad at the Muslims because they split off from their tribe
First Islamic community:
-The Muslims that split off started a settlement and called the city Medina
-Muhammad had left Mecca because of discrimination and wanting to start a new community
Medina:
-Medina held the first ever mosque
-In Medina, Muhammad allowed the followers to worship freely
-His death didn't stop the Islamic faith from growing today it had over 1.5 billion people -
632
Caliph Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr was one of Muhammad’s original followers.
After Muhammad’s death, a council of many of Muhammad’s closest followers agreed that Abu Bakr should become the caliph
Abu not only revived Islam among the tribes, but he also redirected infighting among smaller Arab groups toward wars against other empires.
He died in 634, only two years after Muhammad, his leadership helped keep Islam together.