Timeline of Islam

Islam: Empire of Faith

Prayer:

There is no god but God

Muhammad is the messenger of God

Come to prayer

What we know about Muhammad is only what has been preserved over all these years

Born in/around 570 A.D. in Arabian Peninsula- Mecca

Tribal war scattered the land

6- Parents died (Child of everybody)

Bedouin- Nomadic (Clans)

Oral culture (Reciting poetry was honored- bound everyone together to their ancestor and celebrated their victories)

Muhammad’s uncle taught him how to survive in the battle scared lands

Allegiance to family- then tribe

Water is precious- symbol

Shrine of wood stone and cloth- Kabba is the shrine of the separate gods (Sanctuary)

Black stone fell from the sky

People put down their arms and facilitated trading within the holy area

Cultures mixed

Christians, Jews, and Animists all collided

Khadijah proposed to Muhammad- wealthy

When black stone was out of place, Muhammad offered sharing the weight and honor

Al-Amîn- The trusted one

610 (40yrs old) Angel appeared to him on the mountain and made him recite the words of God

He found this disturbing- but it led to the development of Islam

Powerful words led to the message that their is only one God- Divine unity

One God meant one people and eliminated the tribal divisions

This was revolutionary to the divided poor- social justice message

Not a poet because poets speak through desire- this is not the voice of desire it is the voice of God

The Qu’ran was revealed orally and people wanted to write it down to prevent corruption of the lesson. People began copying this spiritual collection of religious teachings.

Natural- still in Arabic (intimacy) 

No description of God- not a thing or projection of the human self (No sculpture/images)

Pictures of Muhammad are not to be worshiped nor are they religious

They are historical not devotional

The miracle was not magic but the words

People were skeptical to the idea of life after death

Apocalyptic imagery to show the responsibility of our actions (outrage)

The economy suffered as people left- people plotted to assassinate him

690- Khadijah and his uncle died due to enemies expelling his followers from the trade and starving them.

Yahthrib? A town north of Mecca became his refuge- peacemaker

Leaving their families and lives was the ultimate test of devotion- bound by faith not blood- beginning of Islam- 

622 is the Muslim Year One

The City of the Prophet- Medina

Bring together different groups into harmony through belief

Christians and Jews are people of the book of people who God revealed himself too, however, people went astray

Call to prayer- affirmation of God’s unity

Praying together cements the idea of a community

While in Medina- received revelation to face Kabbah- shrine of Abraham

Muslims were outnumbered when they fought Meccans (brother fighting brother)

Three years they held out against the odds

Gods hand- people joined- tide turned

Mecca eventually fell to Muhammad - no bloody revenge- shocking

Great generosity, kindness, mercy

He broke the tribal gods of his ancestors- shrines

New beginning

Explosive grown from 622 within 50 years (Camel herder fathers-governors)

From Morroco-> India

Success was due to the fed up attitudes towards existing religions/governments

Conquered people did not feel the regime heavily- free-er

Filled void-- solidarity

In the Church of St. john the Baptist in Damascus on Fridays- to allow christians to practice on sundays, the two religions practiced in peace

Built Mosque on the side- Great Mosque of Damascus

Elaborate irrigation systems and aqueducts- wheat introduced

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is Holy and artistic (sparkles)

Islam came to stay

632 A.D - Muhammad dies

How to choose new leader -- Shi’ite- Appointed successor
                                               Sunni- You choose

Reflection-

This timeline shows many key elements of the development of Islam. I think some of the most important include the Birth of Muhammad, and him hearing the words of God in 610. This formed the foundation of the religion. It is also key that the people were torn by tribes and other aspects of life, and found the religion of Islam to be a peaceful social change for the better.  From here, year 1 or 622 A.D. is extremely important in not only the spread but also the start of the calendar. The battle Muhammad fought with 300 men is also key to convert people who say this "aid of God". This led to the explosive growth for 50 years, and the radical social change. I think that creating this timeline has helped put many of the concepts in context of the time, and show the historical aspects of the religion. This is key to understanding its spread and how it became the influential religion it is today.