WESTFIELDS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

THE RISE AND

SPREAD OF ISLAM

PREPARED BY: MS. DENISSE MACALINO

PRE-ISLAMIC ARAB
SOCIETY
ARABIAN PENINSULA

the largest peninsula in the world

surrounded by water on four sides with the Red Sea to its
west, the Persian Gulf to its east, the Arabian Sea to its
south and the Mediterranean Sea to its northwest.
PRE-ISLAMIC ARAB
SOCIETY
ARABIAN PENINSULA

the largest peninsula in the world

surrounded by water on four sides with the Red Sea to its
west, the Persian Gulf to its east, the Arabian Sea to its
south and the Mediterranean Sea to its northwest.
WHAT WERE THE TWO DOMINANT SETTINGS
THAT SUPPORTED TWO DIVERGENT LIFESTYLES
AND CULTURES IN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA?

supported nomadic
DESERT communities

supported farms and towns

OASES
PRE-ISLAMIC ARAB CULTURE
TRIBAL OR CLAN BASED

The tribe held the pre-Islamic Arab society together.

The head of a tribe was a shaikh or sayyid who was elected by the
elders.
The shaikh was not an autocrat but he was expected to uphold the
rights and customs of the clans.
The survival of its members depended on the tribe.
PRE-ISLAMIC ARAB CULTURE
ANIMISTIC RELIGION

Arabs, especially the nomadic tribes, practiced an animistic religion

that revolved around the belief in 1) jinns, or friendly and helpful
spirits, and 2) afrit or ghul, or malevolent spirits that inhabit certain
objects like rocks and trees.

It was believed that they began to develop monotheistic ideas

primarily as a result of their contact with the Byzantine and Persian
Empires.
PRE-ISLAMIC ARAB CULTURE
ORAL LITERATURE

The Arabs also had a tradition of oral literature.

Many of the oral poems that were composed were about the tribe or
its enemies.

It is said that poets were held in great esteem in the nomadic

communities.
MUHAMMAD AND
ISLAM

Muhammad was a member of the Quraysh tribe.

Quraysh, also spelled Kuraish or Koreish, was the
ruling tribe of Mecca at the time of the birth of the
Prophet Muhammad.
He was born in 571 CE.
MUHAMMAD AND
ISLAM

Muhammad was said to have been visited by

the archangel Gabriel who revealed to him
the word of God.
MUHAMMAD AND
ISLAM

By 613 CE, he had begun to preach about

this new religion that he had founded
known as Islam which literally means "total
submission [to the will of Allah]."
MUHAMMAD AND
ISLAM

People in his community in Mecca rejected and

shunned him.
In 622 CE he moved to Medina. This event became
known as the Hijra and it marked the beginning of
the Muslim calendar.
MUHAMMAD AND
ISLAM

Muhammad succeeded to convert a huge

following.
When war broke out between Mecca and
Medina, Muhammad was able to demonstrate his
military skills and in 630 CE he conquered Mecca.
MUHAMMAD AND
ISLAM

The emergence of Muhammad as the

spiritual leader and his success in leading
his followers in military victory in Mecca
established him as the head of state as well.
FIVE PILLARS OF
ISLAM
Every Muslim is expected to profess his/her
faith through this line: "There is but one God,
and Muhammad is his Apostle/Prophet."
Profession of Faith Muslims believe that Muhammad is the "seal of
(shahada) the prophets" which means that while they
believe in the prophets who came before him
such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus,
Muhammad was considered to be the last.
FIVE PILLARS OF
ISLAM
Muslims also believe the Torah.
Torah is the compilation of the first five books of
the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis,
Profession of Faith Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
However, they also believe that it is only in the
(shahada) Koran where God's message was made known to
Muhammad that the "final and perfect
revelation" was made.
FIVE PILLARS OF
ISLAM
It is the prayer ritual that was to be done five
times a day.
This involves prostration and the recitation of the
Prayer (salat) phrase "Allahu akbar" (God is the most great), the
shahada and other verses from the Koran facing
Mecca.
Prayer, according to the Muslims, may be said
anywhere but ideally it should be recited in a
mosque or masjid (place of prostration).
FIVE PILLARS OF
ISLAM
This refers to the act fasting during the
Ramadan or the ninth month of the
Muslim calendar.
Fasting (sawm)
This involves the abstention from food
and drink from sun-up to sun-down.
FIVE PILLARS OF
ISLAM
Every Muslim whose health and finances
permit it must make at least one visit to
the holy city of Mecca, in present-day
Pilgrimage Saudi Arabia.

(hajj) The Ka'ba, a cubical structure covered in

black embroidered hangings, is at the
center of the Haram Mosque in Mecca.
FIVE PILLARS OF
ISLAM
Since the time of the Prophet
Muhammad, believers from all over the
Pilgrimage world have gathered around the Ka'ba in
Mecca on the eighth and twelfth days of
(hajj) the final month of the Islamic calendar.
FIVE PILLARS OF
ISLAM
In accordance with Islamic law, Muslims
donate a fixed portion of their income to
community members in need.
Alms (zakat) Many rulers and wealthy Muslims build
mosques, drinking fountains, hospitals,
schools, and other institutions both as a
religious duty and to secure the blessings
associated with charity.
 KORAN
It is the source of most of its ethical teachings and the basis for the
law system or shari'a in society.

It permits polygamy for up to four wives, provided the husband

could equally provide for all of them.

It prohibits alcoholic drinks and gambling.

The eating of pork is forbidden.

 KORAN
As an institution, slavery is allowed, but the Koran binds the owners of
slaves to treat their slaves fairly.

Usury is also prohibited.

Similar to Christianity, Islam also teaches about the Last Judgment,

where everyone must account for their deeds on earth and face the
consequences in eternity.
 THANK YOU
FOR LISTENING!
PREPARED BY: MS. DENISSE MACALINO PRESENTATION FOR RISE AND SPREAD OF ISLAM