Islam

TERMS:
Arabia
Bedouin
Mecca
Medina
"religion of the desert"
Muhammad
Khadija
Qur'an
Islam
Muslim
hijra
caliphate
Umma
Ulama
Allah
Ka'ba
Arabic
Jinn
Five Pillars
shahahda
salah
sawm
Ramadan
zakat (almsgiving)
Hajj

DATES:

c.570-632 CE Muhammad
622 CE-Hijra; beginning of Muslim calendar

TOPICS:
1.  Islam traditionally known as the "religion of the desert," signifying its ties to the Arab culture. Arabia was a trading, nomadic culture (the Bedouin) with a few urban centers (Mecca). From the Bedouin culture comes  the tradition of pilgrimage.  In addition to Arab culture, Islam also draws on Judaic and Christian traditions.

2. The founder of Islam was Muhammad, who is considered to be the last prophet.  What was revealed to him by Allah was written down in the Qur'an.  The message:  there is only one God, Allah, who created humanity to worship and serve him.  Islam means "to submit to the will of Allah" and a Muslim is "one who submits."

3.  The key to the practice of Islam are the Five Pillars:  iman, salah, sawm, zakat, and hajj.  The center for worship is Mecca and the Ka'ba.  The defining moment of the new religion is the Hijra in 622, which begins the Muslim calendar and begins the expansion of Islam. Very quickly Islam will conquer the Middle East, North Africa, into India, etc.