A brief history of the Muslim faith
Islam is one of the widespread monotheistic religions that exist in the world. It has its basis on the Qur’an, a book that is considered by its followers as the exact word of God. It is impossible to talk about the Islamic faith without mentioning the man who is known to be its founder, Muhammad. He is considered to be the last true Prophet of Allah. The Islamic faith began in Mecca. The Muslim version of their history states that the angel Gabriel appeared to a man known as Muhammad, born approximately AD 570-571. He hailed from the powerful tribe Quraish in Mekkah. His father, Abdullah, was a merchant who made caravan trips. He died soon after marrying Muhammad’s mother, Aminah.
Muhammad was left fatherless at birth. His mother also died leaving him an orphan at the tender age of six. As though he had not been through enough tragedy, his grandfather who had assumed the role of his guardian passed away when he was eight years old. It was his uncle, who took him in and raised him. Muhammad learnt the family business and became so successful that a wealthy widow known as Khadija, had him oversee her trading business. Impressed both by his skill and appearance, she proposed marriage to him. She was forty whilst he was twenty five when they tied the knot. They had six children together, four girls and two boys. The sons died at an early age. Being wealthy, he could afford leisure. He took trips into the desert and mountains. He frequented a cave at Mount Nur and it was whilst there, during Ramadan, a festival of pagans, that Gabriel first appeared to him. In the beginning, he only revealed to his family and close friends about the visitations but word quietly spread over the next three years. He was then instructed by Allah to condemn pagan acts and idolatry in Mekkah. Once he went public with this message, he faced a lot of opposition from those who saw his message as an economic threat.
Muhammad had quite a following, many of who died for their faith. Others fled to Ethiopia to escape persecution, but Muhammad went on undeterred. In the year 621, he made a call to a group of delegates in Medina who then made a covenant with him and declared themselves Muslims. The turning point in Islam occurred in 622 when a group of about seventy people pledged to protect Muhammad against all odds. They were also from Medina, which is also known as Madinah. Muslims in Mekkah were ordered to move to Medina and it became a Muslim society. Muhammad became a religious, military as well as a political leader. Under his guidance, Islam spread like a bushfire as tribes and cities were converted. Intimidation and force were the tactics used. Eight years later, Muhammad’s forces conquered Mekkah. All idols were destroyed and Kabah was made to be Allah’s place of worship. Muhammad died in the year 632 having left behind a religion and social order that is now dominant the world over. He was succeeded by his father-in-law Abu Bakr as the Kalifah, the prophet’s successor. The caliphate later turned into the Ottoman Empire. Islam is today a dominant religion in the world.
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