PHIL 202-3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Zayd Ibn Harithah, Quraysh, Shahada
PHIL 202
Ch. 5 Muslim Traditions (pt. 1)
Introduction
• Qur’an presents Islam as the universal and primordial faith of all the prophets from Adam
to Muhammad, and of all those who have faith in the one sovereign Lord, creator, and
sustainer of all things
o Islam is God’s eternal way for the universe
o Must be a choice
o Muslim = “one who submits to God”
Introduction, cont’d
• The Shahadah
o Profession of faith
o “I bear witness that there is no god except God, and I bear witness that
Muhammad is the messenger of God.”
o Can convert by saying the Shahadah in front of two witnesses
Beginnings
Pre-Islamic Arabia
• Arabian Peninsula
o Time before Islam was marked by “foolishness”
• Lacked moral consciousness
• Many gods and goddesses
o Allah (the god)
o Ka’ba (building that contained images or idols of the gods and goddesses)
• Haram (sacred place) where no one or thing could be harmed
• Built by Abraham and Ishmael
The Life of Muhammad
• 570–632 CE
• Born into the Quraysh tribe
• Grew up an orphan
• Worked for a widow named Khadijah
o They were married when Muhammad was in his 20s
• He was called al-Amin (“the faithful”)
• Started receiving revelations during the month of Ramadan
The Life of Muhammad, cont’d
• Call to “Recite [or read]!” by the angel Gabriel
o Muhammad said “I cannot read”
o Gabriel insisted
• “Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a blood
clot. Recite, for your Lord is most magnanimous—who taught by the pen,
taught the human being which s/he did not know” (Q. 96:1–5)
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o A Christian confirmed that Muhammad was receiving revelations, and declared
him a prophet (nabi)
The Life of Muhammad, cont’d
• Message was religious, moral, and social
o Give alms
o Care for orphans
o Feed the hungry
o Assist the oppressed
• Warned of doom on the day of judgment
The Life of Muhammad, cont’d
• First followers were Khadijah, cousin ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib, slave Zayd ibn Harithah, friend
Abu Bakr
• Early persecutions
o Meccans thought that he wanted them to abandon their traditions
o Put in physical danger
• Migration to other lands
The Life of Muhammad, cont’d
• Mi‘raj: The “night journey”
o Journey to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem with Gabriel
o Ascended through the seven heavens
• At each heaven, Muhammad meets former prophets and special figures
o Significance of the trip
• Miraculous event
• Showed that God still supported Muhammad and the community
The First Muslim Community
• 622 CE, Yathrib (Medina) invites the community to move there.
o Hijrah (migration)
o Beginning of communal life under Islam
o Beginning of the Islamic history and calendar
o Theocratic state
• Led by a prophet who was believed to be guided by a divine scripture
o Community: ummah
The First Muslim Community, cont’d
• Covenant of Medina
o All people to form a single commonwealth
• Even Jews, provided that they do not work against the Muslim community
The First Muslim Community, cont’d
• Jews were considered People of the Book
o Muhammad thought that Jews were natural allies
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o Adopted Jewish customs
• Fast of Yom Kippur
o The Jewish community rejected the idea that the Qur’an was scripture and
Muhammad was a prophet
• Tension between the two communities
o After a few years, Muslims celebrated the fast of Ramadan over the fast of Yom
Kippur
o Changed the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca
The Conversion of Mecca
• Those who moved to Median had left everything behind, and began raiding to support
themselves
• Battle of Badr
o Muslims versus Meccans
o Muslims won
• Proof of God and God’s support of community
• Battle of Uhud—Meccans won
o Jews expelled from Medina
The Conversion of Mecca, cont’d
• Battle of the Trench
o Truce with Meccans in 628, which is broken two years later
• Meccans surrender to Muslims and accept Islam
• Amnesty granted to all
• Victory attributed to God
• Muhammad died in Medina in 632
• Question arose about leadership after Muhammad’s death
o The Sunni (majority who follow Sunnah “traditions”) did not believe that
Muhammad had chosen a successor
The Conversion of Mecca, cont’d
• The Shi’a (party), the minority believed that Muhammad had appointed his son-
in-law ‘Ali
• Crisis that became a permanent rift
• First successor was Abu Bakr
• Khalifah (acts on behalf of another)
• Caliph (religious leader)
• Caliphate
• Second successor was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab
• “Commander of the faithful”
• Amir: commander
• Imam: chief religious leader
• Four Caliphs ruled from 632–661
Foundations
Prophets and Messengers
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Document Summary
Introduction, cont"d: the shahadah, profession of faith, i bear witness that there is no god except god, and i bear witness that. Muhammad is the messenger of god. : can convert by saying the shahadah in front of two witnesses. The life of muhammad, cont"d: call to recite [or read]! by the angel gabriel, muhammad said i cannot read , gabriel insisted, recite in the name of your lord who created, created man from a blood clot. Recite, for your lord is most magnanimous who taught by the pen, taught the human being which s/he did not know (q. 96:1 5: a christian confirmed that muhammad was receiving revelations, and declared him a prophet (nabi) The life of muhammad, cont"d: message was religious, moral, and social, give alms, care for orphans, feed the hungry, assist the oppressed, warned of doom on the day of judgment.
