Introduction

Islam was founded by the religious reformer and prophet Muhammad (ca. 570-632 CE). Muhammad was a merchant born in Arabia, who began to experience religious visions at the age of forty. Muhammad called his description of his revelations his Qur’an, or “recitation.” His followers memorized his words and compiled his teachings into a text after his death. Muslims regard the Qur’an as the direct words of God to his prophet, Muhammad. 

Muhammad’s visions ordered him to preach the message that there was only one God. He began to do this in his hometown of Mecca. Muhammad gathered followers there, but also met with resistance. In 622 he moved with his followers to the city of Medina. This event is termed the hijra and marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. In Medina, Muhammad gained converts and formed the first umma, a word meaning “those who obey God’s will.” 

Muhammad then returned to Mecca at the head of a large army. He united the nomads of the desert and the merchants of the cities into an even larger umma of Muslims. By the time Muhammad died in 632, Muslim forces had conquered all of the Arabian peninsula. The religion itself came to be called Islam, which means “submission to God.” Mecca became its most holy city.

Religious ideas

Islam has a straightforward nature of its teachings. The Qur’an has only a few central teachings: God, or Allah, is all-powerful and all-knowing. Muhammad, Allah’s prophet, preached his word and carried his message. All Muslims have the duty to obey God, spread God’s rule, and lead a virtuous life. This duty is known as jihad.

According to the Muslim shari’a, or sacred law, there are five practices every Muslim must follow. These are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. First, all Muslims must declare faith in God and in Muhammad as God’s prophet. Second, they must regularly pray. Third, they must fast during the sacred month of Ramadan. Fourth, they must give to the poor. And lastly, they must make a pilgrimage to Mecca, if possible. In addition, the Qur’an forbids alcohol and certain foods, such as pork.

Muhammad’s death split his followers over who should lead after him. A permanent division within Islam was formed. There was a larger group known as Sunnis and a smaller group known as Shi’a. However, this split did not halt the spread of Islam.

The eighth century saw a new movement within Islam known as Sufism. Sufis taught that the word of God could come to scholars of the Qur’an and certain individuals who could unite with God. Sufis developed their own rituals, often involving music and dance. They lived a simple lifestyle, and some were poets. Many people came to regard them as saints.

Society and family life

The Qur’an recommends marriage for everyone. Most teachers, judges, and religious leaders in Muslim societies were married men. As elsewhere, marriages in Muslim societies were generally arranged by the family. Men were allowed to have as many as four wives. All wives were supposed to be treated equally.

The Qur’an declares that men and women are fully equal in God’s eyes. Both can go to heaven and both are responsible for carrying out the duties of believers. But the Qur’an does set up clear differences between men and women. For example, it sets a daughter’s share of inheritance at half that of a son’s. However, Muslim law did allow women more rights to property than was common in non-Muslim countries. Women played a major role in the early growth of Islam. However, after the first generation they were increasingly kept out of public life. Women were expected to remain at home much of the time. They were allowed to pray at the mosque, but separately from men.

Merchants were respected in Islam. Muslim merchants developed a number of business practices adopted around the world. One such practice was the sakk. The English word “check” comes from this Arabic term.

Political developments and the spread of Islam

Islam spread widely following Muhammad’s death. Muslim rule expanded from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to Central Asia and the Indus River in the east. The new unified Muslim state was known as the caliphate. In time, however, the caliphate broke apart. Regional dynasties established their own Muslim states in Spain, North Africa, Egypt, and elsewhere.

Despite these divisions, Islam continued to spread steadily. Most often, it spread along trade routes. Merchants and teachers carried Islam to West Africa, and to the East African Swahili coast. Marriage between Muslim traders from distant lands and local women also helped Islam’s growth.

When people converted to Islam, they often blended in elements of their previous religions. As a result, a wide range of Islamic practices developed. For example, in Arabia, Persia, and South Asia, women’s presence in public was limited. But in Western Africa, Southeast Asia, and the central Asian steppes, this was not the case. In these places, women often worked, socialized, and traveled independently. This diversity has continued until today.

Primary source: The Qur’an

The Qur’an is organized into chapters called suras. Below is an English translation of the first sura, which is recited during daily prayers.

Praised be God, Lord of the Universe, the Kind, the Merciful and the Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone We worship and from You alone we seek help. Guide us to the right path, the path of those to whom You have granted blessings.