ISLAM (I). THE BIRTH OF CIVILISATION

5.1 Arabia before Muhammad

The birth of Islam took place in the Arabian Peninsula, a desert territory located in the Near East, between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. At the beginning of the 7th century, Arabia was inhabited by several independent tribes, which were at war with one another. The inland tribes were nomadic farmers and the religion they practised was based on religious fetishism The tribes living in coastal areas lived in settlements and worked as farmers or traders and they were polytheists. That was the case in the Hejaz region where many traders and merchants passed through, the main cities being Mecca and Yathrib (Medina).

Two of the common elements shared among all Arabs were the Arabian language and the cult of the Black Stone, a piece of basaltic rock that they worshiped, as well as several other idols in the Kaaba sanctuary in Mecca.

5.2 Muhammad

In the 7th century, Muhammad was able to unite the Arabs under a new religion, Islam. Muhammad was born in the year 570 in the city of Mecca to a wealthy family. At the age of six he was orphaned and soon began to work as a merchant for Khadija, a rich widow, whom he married when he was 25 years old.

Having gained the status of a rich and respected merchant, he would often retreat to meditate in a cave in Mount Hira, close to Mecca. There, in the year 610, he had a vision of the archangel Gabriel, who ordered to him to memorise and recite the verses containing the teachings of Allah. From this moment on he began to preach a new religion called Islam, meaning submission to the will of a single god: Allah.

5.3 The Islamic religion

After the death of Muhammad, the Islamic religion was laid out in the Koran, the sacred book of the Muslims. Those who practise this religion are called Muslims, meaning those who submit or believe, and they must fulfil five religious precepts, which are considered to be the pillars of Islam, as well as certain behavioural rules.

• There are five religious precepts: the testament of faith: ‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet’; prayer five times a day facing Mecca, and the communal prayer on Fridays at the mosque; alms for those in need; fasting during the month of Ramadan from sunrise to sunset; and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

• The rules on behaviour permit polygamy and forbid drinking alcohol, eating pork and gambling. Other rules are that the Muslim lifestyle must be governed by principles of equality, tolerance, brotherhood and unity.

Pre-Islamic Arabia

Working with maps

1 Look at the map and complete these tasks: a) What were the main geographic territories of pre-Islamic Arabia? b) Locate Yemen, Yathrib and Mecca and indicate in which of the territories above they are located.

Working with terms and concepts

2 Explain the meaning of the terms Muslim, Koran and Kaaba.

3 Name the five precepts of the Muslim religion, using these terms: God, prayer, alms, fasting, and pilgrimage.

Working with pictures

4 With the help of the text and the drawing of the Kaaba sanctuary, answer these questions: a) How was it built? b) Why is it the most sacred place for Muslims?

c) Where is the Black Stone found?

The sources of Islam and holy places

The Koran, or sacred book, and the Sunnah

The Koran is the sacred book of the Muslims. Its name comes from the arabic word qur’ān, meaning ‘recitation’, because it gathers together all the verses of Allah’s teachings recited by Muhammad.

It is made up of 114 chapters, or suras, divided into ayahs or verses.

The Sunnah, or tradition, is for many Muslims another source of Islam. It is a collection of traditions based on what the prophet said or did regarding diverse matters. Until the 9th century, when it was compiled, it had been passed on orally.

Islam has several holy places. These are the city of Mecca, where the Kaaba sanctuary is located (1); the city of Medina, home of the mosque of the prophet; and the Dome of the Rock (2), located in Jerusalem, built in the place from which, according to tradition, Muhammad rose to the Seventh Heaven.

The Kaaba sanctuary (3) or house of worship is the most sacred place for Muslims. According to the Islamic tradition, it was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, who were ordered to do so by Allah.

It is presently a stone structure with no windows and a silk cover, and contains texts of the Koran written in gold. The interior walls and floor are made of marble.

On one of the exterior corners is the Black Stone (4) This marks the starting point for the ritual walks that the Muslims make around the sanctuary.