Islam – Things concerning the worship of Allah by Muslim adherents
Introduction: A simple history of Muhammad and the religion of Islam
The Christian Church was spreading and growing strong in the early middle ages, with many of the faithful spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Explorers like Clovis and Charlemagne spread Christianity throughout the lands that they conquered. During this time of great growth of Christian faithful in Europe and the Byzantine Empire, another great civilization was arising in Arabia, and another important religion was beginning.
That religion is called Islam. The people who follow the religion of Islam are called Muslims.
For thousands for years, most Arabs believed in many gods, and often prayed to a different god or goddess every day of the year. That was the common practice, until it was changed by Muhammad as he spread his beliefs throughout the land.
Muhammad was a trader who traveled through the hot desert sands of Arabia to bring goods upon the back of long caravans of camels. He would travel to faraway cities like Constantinople to sell his fine wool and spices. Along his journeys, he met different people with new ideas.
Muhammad met Jewish people in Constantinople who told him about their belief in only one God. He met Christians in Arabian cities who told him about their Savior Jesus Christ and his teachings. He even met some Arabs who believed in only one God. As he traveled through the long and lonely desert, he would think about these new ideas and compare them with his life and beliefs.
His deep contemplation led to questioning the bad behavior among his people as they fought among themselves. He wondered why so many acted greedy and proud and rejected the poor and the sick. He thought hard about his new ideas of the need for people to accept accountability for their actions, and a responsibility toward helping the poor and helpless. As he pondered these deep things, something happened to him to bring him a new understanding, and a new religion to present to his people.
The Beginnings of Islam
Muhammad would go to caves in the desert to be at peace with his thoughts, and able to contemplate the new ideas that he was exposed. One night, something happened inside that cave, to change the direction of Muhammad’s life and every Muslim who would believe and follow his teachings. Muhammad’s followers tell and retell the story of the cave, a story they learned as Muhammad told them, and the same one they wrote down in their language of Arabic.
Muhammad’s vision in the cave
While Muhammad was alone in his cave, the angel Gabriel appeared before him and told about the one God who created every living thing. Gabriel told him that the one and only God should receive their gratefulness, their prayers and their obedience. The angel then told him that “You are the last of many prophets to bring God’s words to people on Earth” and “You are the messenger of the one God, Allah”. Muhammad realized that he was being tasked to deliver that message to others.
Muhammad left the cave, troubled in his heart and wondering if he was going crazy for believing that he had talked to an angel. Regardless, he went back home to tell his wife and friends what had happened and for the next three years, they prayed and worshipped to the One God together. Eventually, Muhammad began to tell people in his city that there was only one God, Allah, and that they should honor and obey him. He introduced them to the God that wanted them to be lead lives of goodness and help others. Although some people did not agree that there was only one God, many people listened to him and began to spread his message. Muhammad soon had many followers.
In the years after Muhammad had his vision of the angel Islam would spread to the Byzantine Empire, Africa, Spain and much of Asia.
Mecca
Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca on the Arabian Peninsula. After Muhammad had a vision of the angel Gabriel, he walked through the streets of Mecca to deliver the angel’s message. He preached the message that “There is only one true God, and his name is Allah. He created the universe, and he alone rules it! On the Day of Judgment, Allah will look at your life and reward or punish you. He wants you to be generous and share with the poor. He wants you to stop worshipping many gods and worship only Allah.”
While many believed Muhammad and became Muslims, others became angry at his attack of their numerous gods and refused to change their religion. They began killing some of Muhammad’s followers, and attacked him with both words of insult and stones of vengeance. When Muhammad continued to teach people about the one God Allah, the rulers of Mecca worried that they would lose their power and riches to his movement. They secretly plotted to kill Muhammad, before his followers became too numerous and powerful to be controlled.
When Muhammad heard of their plan to kill him, he decided to move on to Medina, a friendlier city in the north, to continue his teachings. The journey to Median was difficult and dangerous. When Muhammad’s enemies discovered that he was gone, they furiously sent soldiers from Mecca racing across the desert on their fastest horses to search for him. They were determined to kill him before he reached Medina.
Muhammad traveled to Medina during the darkest hours of the night and hid during the day, to escape from the soldiers who were chasing after him. Muslims tell a story about how Muhammad was able to hide from the soldiers and escape certain death.
Muhammad and the Spider Web
Muhammad escaped the approaching soldiers through the cool desert nights and found his way by following the stars and watching the moon on his way to Medina. When morning would come, he would search for a place to hide to avoid the sun revealing him to those tracking him. As the soldiers of Mecca were close behind him, it was imperative that he hide from them during the day. He spied a cave among the cliffs through the black darkness of night. Muhammad crept inside and fell asleep. Meanwhile the soldiers of Mecca were hot on his heels and followed Muhammad’s footsteps in the sand right to the mouth of the cave.
But in the hours that it had taken for the soldiers to ride their horses across the desert while Muhammad slept, God had caused a little spider to weave a great web across the mouth of the cave. The delicate threads of the web glistened and shone like tiny stars.
The soldiers were confused at the sight of the web. They couldn’t figure out where Muhammad had escaped, but logically assumed that he either ascended into heaven or sunk down into the earth, because he could never have passed through the spider web without breaking the threads. Frustrated in losing their prey, the soldiers returned to Mecca empty-handed.
Muhammad stayed in the cave for three days to ensure that the soldiers were no longer following him. When he was certain that they were gone, he found another way out of the cave to avoid destroying the beautiful web that had protected him. As the moon and stars showed him the way, he finally arrived to safety in the northern city of Median, where he gained many new followers as he taught them about Islam.
Return to Mecca
Muhammad gathered a group of soldiers from Medina, and for six years, fought against the soldiers of Mecca. Muhammad was wounded during the fight, but the Muslims would not surrender. In the last battle, Muhammad ordered a wide, deep ditch to be dug around Medina, which confounded the Mecca soldiers on how to get across. Unable to navigate the ditch, they gave up fighting, and soon Muhammad marched back to Mecca with ten thousand followers.
Mecca continues to be the religious center of Islam. Returning to visit Mecca at least once in their lives is one of the requirements of the “Five Pillars of Islam”. When Muslims pray, they always face the city of Mecca, the holiest Muslim city in the world.
Symbols
The crescent-shaped moon with a star became a symbol of Islam. Muslims believe that Islam guides them just as the crescent moon and the stars guided travelers like Muhammad in the desert.
Muhammad’s followers read, study and memorize the Qur’an, which is the collected written messages of Muhammad, and considered the holiest book of Islam.
Muslims believe that Muhammad was a prophet, however, they do not worship him. Muhammad taught them to worship only a God named Allah.
Reference:
Heim, S. Mark (2008). Christianity and Islam: Two Kinds of Difference. Review and Expositor, 105, Winter 2008
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Islam: Things concerning the worship of Allah by Muslim adherents:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2006.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2554,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006, January) “Islam: Things concerning the worship of Allah by Muslim adherents:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2554,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2006) “Islam: Things concerning the worship of Allah by Muslim adherents:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2554, (accessed).
