HIST 1001 Lecture : ISLAM I Notes
ISLAM I
A. Intro:
a. Is not a western religion
b. Islam is the religion of many of the areas we have studied
c. Becomes greatest rival of Christianity
d. Muslim’s preserved writings of Plato and Aristotle
e. And “Abrahamic religion” → Islam claims to go back to the time of
Abraham
f. Christians and Judaism claim dissention from Abraham and Sarah
g. Muslims claim dissention from Abraham and Hagar
h. Islam- submit oneself to god
i. A Muslim is someone who does this
j. Creed: “no go but a;;ah and Mohammed is a prophet
B. Mohammed Background: 7th century AD figure
a. Born in 575 AD
b. Born in mecca→ Arabic city, semitic people, proporous city because
ships would stop and unload ships there
i. The primary religion was paganism
ii. It was a pilgrimage center→ people come and worship pagan
shrines
iii. If it is a center for trade it also becomes a center for ideas
c. Born into the hashim family
d. His dad died before he was born and his mom died when he was 6
e. Hashim family raised him (various aunts and uncles)
f. Kadijah→ distant relative who is very wealthy and inherited a lot of
money from her three dead husbands; prominent figure
i. K asked M to marry her
ii. Instantly M got status and engages in custom by many wealthy
men→ go into mountain and meditate for several days
g. Night of power- 610 AD
i. Happened on one of the adventures to the mountains
ii. Angel Gabriel came down to him and told him to go back to
Mecca and preach about god
iii. Basic message: submit oneself to god (Islam)
1. One believes
2. One will do right and see that right prevails
3. One will not do wrong and will see that wrong will not
prevail
4. Day of judgment
5. Other obligations as time went on
h. Goes back to mecca and begins to preach
i. 615 AD denies that pagan gods are gods
j. Pressure from other people in Mecca→ people freak out about there
business because the city is a place of trade and people come for the
gods and M is saying that these pagan gods aren’t real
i. People told k to stop him
