REL 137g 1st Edition Lecture 3 Current LectureMuhammed and The Beginning of Islam 610 C.E. Revelations from GodBeginning of IslamEnd of Jahiliyah Pre-Islamic period Connotes ignorance and barbarism Not the beginning of the Muslim calendar That begins in 622 C.E.Around 40 years oldMakes claims that can neither be proven nor deniedMarried with childrenWife, Khadijah5-6 children Abd Allah, Qasim, Zaynah, Umm Kulthum, Ruqayya, FatimahAll sons died in infancy; he had no prodigy Worked for his wifeHad a normal life In 610 Muhammed is visited in a cave by the angel, Gabriel Told to read and recite but he is illiterate Nothing to read so Gabriel tells Muhammed what to read and recite 5 original verses Prophet hood Wahyu Undetectable communication with God Muhammed initially thought he was going insane With Muhammed’s death, Wahyu is finishedTherefore, he was the last prophetA critical and cardinal belief of Islam NabiProphet Not necessarily about predicting the futureMore about having Wahyu RasulMessenger Meccans do not accept Muhammed 3 main moral/religious messages of Islam Prophet hoodIs a representative of the peopleConduits between God and his people Separates “revealed” from “natural religion” Natural religionsNo need for representatives, prophets Can find answers, knowledge out in natureDirect communication Example: Deism Revealed religionsCan only acquire answers through the creatorAnd therefore through prophets and messengers Chosen by God, not something a person can chose to becomeTawhidMonotheismLiterally, “to make one” RabbThe sustainer, caretaker, fashioner of universe IlahObject of cosmic hope, fear, debt, etc. Deeper feelings than what is typically felt Results in rituals that humans utilize out of cosmic beliefs something greater than themselvesOne must makes one’s ilah the rabbThere is no god but God AntithesisShirkpartnership to take qualities that only belong to the creator andattribute them to something elsepolytheism Kufr/KafirAn unbeliever in Muhammed AfterlifeResurrection and a final judgment that leads to either reward or punishment The only unforgivable sin is Shirk Which is the opposite of Tawhid Negates the very essence of Islam HijrahMigration from Mecca to Medina in 622 C.E.Muhammed left because the Meccans wanted to kill him In Medina he acquires power and becomes head of the community WarPrimary adversariesMeccansPagans around Medina Because inside Medina, people of other religions were allowed to practice as they wished Before he dies, Muhammed is able to get back to Mecca where he casts out all the idols Returns to Medina and dies in 632 C.E.All Koramic revelations come to an
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