Module 5

Understanding Islam: History and

Explanation

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

To know the social evils of Pre-Islamic Arabia

To know the history of Islam

NOTE: This is to help students to understand the course as per mandated by Mindanao State University. This is partial and subject
for improvement. The sources that used are mainly coming from authentic books in history. This is just for classroom purpose
only.

ISLAM: HISTORY, EXPANSION, AND BASIC TEACHINGS

SOCIAL EVILS of Pre-Islamic Arabia: Age of Jahiliya (Ignorance)

1. Polytheism and idol worship
2. Practice of infanticide
3. No law and order
4. Women inferiority
5. Slavery

Life of Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad (whose name means "highly praised") was born in 570 C.E. during the
Age of Elephant because that very year Abraha Ashram, an Abyssinian governor of Yemen together
with his huge armies and elephants invaded Makka to destroy or uproot Ka’aba and relocate it to
Yemen.
His father, Abdullah had died before he could see his son. Abdullah was a trader and when we
going back home from Damascus he fell sick in Yathrib (Madina) and eventually died there. His
mother was Aminah who was one of the pious women of that time.
It was the tradition of their time newly born babies are taken care of nurses from country side
because infants were hard to survive in Makka due to the climate. Muhammad was entrusted to a
virtuous woman called Halima, who suckled him and nursed him. He was returned back to his mother
when he was six. His mother passed away when he was six in a place between Makka and Yathrib
when they were returning back to Makka after visiting the grave of his father in Yathrib. After his
mother death he was raised by his paternal grandfather, Abdul Muttalib. When Abdul Muttalib passed
away, Muhammad came under the care of his uncle, Abu Talib, the father of Ali.

The young orphan was then raised primarily by his uncle, for whom he worked as a shepherd.
At age 9 (some sources say 12), he joined his uncle on a caravan to Syria.

As a young man, Muhammad worked as a camel driver between Syria and Arabia. Soon he
established a career managing caravans on behalf of merchants. Through his travel first with his
uncle and later in his career, Muhammad came into contact with people of many nationalities and
faiths, including Jews, Christians and pagans.
 At age 25, Muhammad was employed by Khadija, a wealthy Makkan widow 15 years his
senior who had employed him as a trading agent. The two were married, and by all accounts enjoyed
a loving and happy marriage.

At the age of 40, during one of his periodic meditative retreats in a nearby cave, he began to
experience visions and auditory revelations. The angel Gabriel appeared to him with a book and
commanded him to Iqra "read" or “recite”. Initially, he shared the messages with his family and
friends. But over time, he began to meet daily with a growing circle of people to share the message of
Peace (Islam).

A major part of Muhammad's mission was devoted to ending the vicious cycle of murder and
warfare perpetrated by pre-Islamic tribes engaged in bitter blood feuds. As might be expected,
Muhammad's message faced opposition forcing him to flee to the neighboring city of Medina, a town
400 km north of Mecca. This event, the Hijrah (emigration) marks the beginning of the Islamic era
and its dating.

After establishing himself in Madina and accomplishing the job he had been invited to do, the
people Muslims of Madina began several years of defensive battle with Muhammad's former home
city. In 624 Battle of Badr took place, the Muslims won their first battle against the Makkan pagans.
In 625, followed by the Battle of Uhud at the valley located in front of Mount Uhud wherein the
Muslims were almost defeated. Followed by the Battle of the Trench in 627 was a fortnight-long siege
of Madina by Makkan pagans. The strength of the Makkan armies is estimated around 10,000 men
with six hundred horses and some camels, while the Madina defenders numbered 3,000.

In 628, the Makkan pagans and the Muslim community in Madina signed a truce called the
Treaty of Hudaybiyya beginning a ten-year period of peace. War returned when the Makkans and their
allies violated the truce by attacking innocent Muslims. In 630, Muslims conquered Mecca.
Muhammad died in Madina in 632 and left no male heir. Islam is an Arabic word. It means peace,
greeting, obedience, loyalty, allegiance and submission to the will of the Creator of the universe. The
name of the Creator of the universe is Allah, an Arabic word which means God Almighty. Allah, the
one and only God, has 99 names and numerous attributes. He is the Merciful, the Protector, the
Mighty, the Forgiver, the Provider, the Loving, the Wise, the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-
Seeing, the First, the Last, the Eternal.

Muslims believe that Muhammad was chosen by Allah (God) as the final prophet and
messenger to humanity to deliver his message of Peace (Islam). They do not worship Muhammad
only Allah. Muhammad was both a Prophet and a statesman.

ISLAMIC CALIPHATE: SUCCESSORS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD

Khulafah Ar Rashidun (Four Rightly Guided Caliphs), 632-660

1. Abu Bakr, 632-634 : The period of his caliphate was not long; it included successful
invasions of the two most powerful empires of the time, a remarkable achievement in its own
right. He set in motion a historical trajectory that in few decades would lead to one of the
largest empires in history. He was called Al-Siddiq (The Truthful).

2. Umar, 634-644 : He was an expert Islamic jurist and is best known for his pious and
just nature, which earned him the title Al-Faruq ("the one who distinguishes between right and
wrong"). Umar is regarded as one of the greatest political geniuses in history. While under his
leadership, the empire was expanding at an unprecedented rate, he also began to build the
political structure that would hold together the vast empire that was being built. He undertook
 many administrative reforms and closely oversaw public policy. His exemplary achievements
were the expansion of Islam.

3. Uthman, 644-656 : Uthman is best known for forming the committee which produced
multiple copies of the text of the Qur'an as it exists today. During his time, Qur’an was finally
compiled.

4. Ali, 656-661 : His caliphate is one of the hardest periods in Muslim history that
coincided with the first Muslim civil war. Many Muslims consider his government as the Islamic
style of justice and tolerance on one side and tough following of Islamic law on the other.

MUSLIM DYNASTIES AND EMPIRES

1. Umayyad Dynasty (661-749) : Umayyad regime was founded by Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, long-
time governor of Syria, Syria remained the Umayyads' main power base thereafter, and
Damascus was their capital. The Umayyads continued the Muslim conquests, incorporating the
Caucasus, Transoxiana, Sind, the Maghreb and the Iberian Peninsula (Al-Andalus) into the
Muslim world. At its greatest extent, the Umayyad Caliphate covered 5.79 million square miles
(15,000,000 km2), making it the largest empire the world had yet seen, and the fifth largest
ever to exist.

2. Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258) : The Abbasid historical period lasting to 1258 (Mongol
conquest of Baghdad) is considered the Islamic Golden Age. The Islamic Golden Age was
inaugurated by the middle of the 8th century by the ascension of the Abbasid Caliphate and
the transfer of the capital from Damascus to Baghdad. The Abbassids were influenced by the
Qur'anic injunctions and hadith such as "the ink of a scholar is more holy than the blood of a
martyr" stressing the value of knowledge. During this period the Muslim world became an
intellectual center for science, philosophy, medicine and education as the Abbasids
championed the cause of knowledge and established the House of Wisdom in Baghdad; where
both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars sought to translate and gather all the world's knowledge
into Arabic.

Some contribution of Abbasid dynasty in arts and science

 Calligraphy- beautiful hand writing
 Paper making company was built
 Algebra- by Abdul Jabbar Al-khwarizmi
 Measles and small pox- discovered by Al-Razi, a Persian Muslim

3. Ottoman Dynasty (1259-1922) : It was founded by Turkish tribes under Osman Gazi in
north-western Anatolia in 1299. With the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) by Muhammad
II in 1453, the Ottoman state became an empire. With Istanbul as its capital and vast control
of lands around the Mediterranean basin, the empire was at the center of interactions between
the Eastern and Western worlds for over six centuries. The empire reached its peak at 1590,
covering parts of Asia, Europe and Africa. The reign of the long-lived Ottoman dynasty lasted
for 623 years, from 1299 to 1922, when it was abolished.

BASIC TEACHINGS OF ISLAM

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

 1. Profession of Faith (Shahada)
The profession of faith is saying with purity, sincerity and full conviction, “La ilahailla Allah,
Muhammadurrasoolu Allah”. This saying means “I bear witness that there is no God except God
and Muhammad is the messenger of God”. The profession of faith is the most important pillar of
Islam because it is the ultimate foundation of Islamic faith.

2. The Five Times Daily Prayer (Salah)

Muslims perform five daily prayers. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and
God. There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper. In prayer, a person feels inner
happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is pleased with him or her. The five daily prayers:

Salat al Fajr (The dawn prayer)

Salat al Dhuhr (The noon prayer)
Salat al Asr (The afternoon
prayer) Salat al Maghrib (The sunset
prayer) Salat al Isha(The evening prayer)

3. Poor Due (Zakah)

All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The original
meaning of the word zakat is both “purification” and “growth”. Poor due is paid at 2.5% out of our
wealth once in a lunar year.

4. Fasting During the Holy Month of Ramadhan(Sawm)

Every year in the month of Ramadhan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. In this month we
remember the value of the favors God has given to us, which we normally take for granted and for
which we do not give sufficient thanks. It is a spiritual purification. By cutting oneself off from
worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go
hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual life.

The aim of fasting is to achieve taqwa (awe) and curb the selfish soul, to discipline it and bring it
under control. Fasting must be performed in an attitude of worship if we really wish to benefit
from its blessing.

5. Pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj)

The annual pilgrimage to Makka is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically
and financially able to perform it. Through the Hajj we take lessons from the submission of the
prophets Abraham and Ishmael and can appreciate their strong trust in God.

In addition to the Hajj (greater pilgrimage), which is performed only on fixed days of the year, one
can also perform the lesser pilgrimage called Umrah at any time of the year. Due to its
performance at any time, it is also called the lesser pilgrimage.

ARTICLES OF FAITH / BELIEF

1. Belief in the Oneness and Unity of God (Tawheed)
Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, who has neither son nor partner, and that
none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He has the most magnificent names and
sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, or his attributes.

God exists and His existence depends on nothing. Thus, He is self-existent. There is no probability
of Him being non-existent.

2. Belief in Angels
Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are honored creatures. The angels
worship God alone, obey Him, and act only by his command. Among the angels is Gabriel, who
brought down the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad.

Angels are benevolent non-material beings. That is why we cannot see them in their actual form
with our eyes. Yet, they have the ability to be seen in their actual form with our eyes. Yet, they
have the ability to be seen in whatever form is deemed best. However, they were allowed to be
seen by some of the great prophets in their non-materialized form. Their nature requires no food,
drink or sleep. As they are created to spend their entire existence in the service of God they are
not given a soul (nafs). Therefore, their nature does not allow disobedience to God.

3. Belief in Holy Books

Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind and as
guidance for them. Holy books are like letters from God to His servants. They deal with how
humans should spend their lives and provide prescription for eternal happiness. There are four
holy books: the Torah (Taurat) sent to Moses; the Psalm (Zabur) sent David; the Gospel (Injil) sent
to Jesus; and finally the Qur’an sent to Muhammad.

4. Belief in Prophets
Prophets are the guides for leading to, finding and remaining on the straight path. As humans are
prone to go astray from the straight path, God protected them from being further misled by
sending prophets. Thus, Allah through the holy books and prophets, informs humans about their
responsibilities and limitations, and made them accountable; God gave this opportunity to every
people.

5. Belief in the Hereafter/ Day of Judgment.

Salvation and eternal happiness depend upon deeds and conduct of humankind in this temporal
life. Belief in the hereafter is one of the principles of the six articles of faith enabling men to
become aware of the fact that there is a reward or a punishment in return for these deeds and
acts and thus men have responsibilities during his temporal life.

6. Belief in Divine Determining/ Qadar.

Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine
Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe
that God has given human beings freewill. This means that they can choose right or wrong and
that they are responsible for their choices.

SOURCES OF SHARI’AH (ISLAMIC LAW)

1. Qur’an : Most sacred book of the Muslims believed to be coming from God.
2. Hadith and Sunnah : Narrations, sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.
3. Fiqh : Jurisprudence and science of law formulated by the Muslim jurists.
4. Ijma’ : Consensus and agreed by the Muslim scholars.
5. Qiyas : Analogy of individual learned Muslim scholars that comes out as
fatwa.

CLASSIFICATION OF DEEDS ACCORDING TO SHARI’AH (ISLAMIC LAW)

1. Fardu (obligatory) : omitting is highly punished, observance is highly rewarded.
2. Sunnah (highly recommended) : omitting is not punished, observance highly rewarded.
3. Mubah (permissible) : neither punished nor rewarded like eating.
4. Makruh (Objectionable) : committing is not punished, omitting is rewarded.
5. Haraam (Forbidden) : committing is highly punishable and omitting is highly
rewarded.

MUSLIM SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT (Madhahib) Islamic Fiqh

1. Hanafi : mainly taken through quiyas (Turkey, central Asia and Indonesia)
2. Maliki : entirely on traditions (North Africa)
3. Shafi’i : entirely sunnah but extensive (Arab lands and Malay archipelago)
4. Hanbali: applied reasoning very freely (Arabia)