Muhammad was a resident of Mecca and thus was exposed to the ideas of other cultures, in particular Christianity and Judaism. He was also very much involved in the commercial efforts of Mecca, at one time working as a caravan leader. According to the stories of his life, Muhammad was a religious man, often going on retreats into the desert to escape the corruption and distractions of the city and to commune with the natural forces and spirits of the polytheistic Arab religion. On one of these retreats, Mohammed experienced a profound religious episode; this religious experience was the beginning of Islam.   The beginning of the Islamic religion is rooted in the stories of Muhammad's experiences.

In 610 CE, while on a religious retreat, Muhammad (40 years old at the time) underwent an episode which he interpreted as a profound religious experience.  He believed he received messages (auditory - he heard messages); he interpreted these as revelations from an entity he identified as the angel Gabriel.   Recognize, he did not interpret this religious experience as communication from one of the many Arab deities - he felt that he was being spoken to by the angel messenger of the one god of the Jews and Christians - the one god Allah.  As a result of this experience, Muhammad rejected his earlier polytheistic beliefs and converted to the belief in one god.  Further, he believed that Allah, through the angel Gabriel, had chosen him as a messenger - a prophet. The messages that Muhammad believed he received from Allah are the foundation of the Islamic religion. Between 610 until his death in 632 CE, Muhammad continued to receive what he interpreted as revelations from Allah.  Declaring his status as the prophet of God, he spread these messages and structured them into the religion of Islam.  (see timeline of Muhammad's life)

QUR'AN

The fundamental beliefs of Islam are found in messages Muhammad believed he received and that he taught to others as a prophet. The first messages began with his experience in 610; Muhammad believed that he experienced other revelations until his death in 632. All of these messages were preserved and passed on verbally since, according to Islamic traditional beliefs, Muhammad was illiterate.  (In fact, this emphasis on the spoken word, on song and story, reflected a traditional focus of Arabic culture.)  It was not until in 651 CE, almost 20 years after his death, that the revelations of Muhammad were written down. This compilation of the revealed teachings of Muhammad is the sacred text of Islam - the QUR'AN (Koran.) It consists of 114 chapters (surahs) and contains over 6000 verses.

The Qur'an is in the form of almost lyrical prose which many historians see as a clear reflection of the strong oral and poetic tradition of Arabic culture. The Qur'an is not to be simply read silently by devout followers, it is to be recited aloud (in fact Qur'an means "recitation".) The ideal for a devout Muslim is to recite stanzas of the Qur'an on a daily basis, and ultimately to commit the entire text to memory; to be able to recite the direct word of God is the goal of a Muslim.

The Qur'an contains many elements. Parts of the text are prayers to be offered to Allah; there are also explanation stories of the relationship between the one god Allah and prophets before Muhammad, and the explanation of Muhammad's life and appointed role.  The Qur'an contains a number of laws or strictures on behavior; some of these laws echo the moral and ritual emphases of the Judaic law code. For example, the eating of pork is forbidden by the Qur'an, as is gambling and sexual indulgence.  Another law is the condemnation of usury - the lending of money in order to gain interest. The drinking of alcohol is forbidden. These are not negotiable laws - for a devout Muslim, these are laws laid down by the direct words of Allah. In areas where Islam later took root, these strict religious strictures influenced laws, social and economic relations.
 

RELATIONSHIP TO CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM

The Qur'an contains the fundamental ideas of Islam. First and foremost is the idea that there is only one true god. At the heart of Islam is the same fervent monotheism that underlies Judaism and Christianity.  In fact, Muslims believe that they worship the same god as Jews and Christians. According to the Qur'an, Allah chose messengers (prophets) in the past to teach of the truth of the one true god, and how to show reverence and obedience to God.  The first such prophet identified by the Qur'an was Abraham.  Islam, then, is directly connected to Judaism and the sacred text of the Qur'an identifies Abraham as the first prophet chosen by Allah.  Other Jewish figures in the Qur'an include Job, David and Joseph.

Because people failed to properly maintain their relationship with God, the Qur'an tells that Allah had to renew the message and thus there have been many prophets. These earlier prophets are also described in the Qur'an.  Early prophets revered by Islam are those Jewish prophets also respected in Judaism.  Moses, for example, is described in the Qur'an as an important prophet.  The Qur'an also identifies Jesus of Nazareth as a prophet of God - not as the son of God and not as a Savior, but as a human messenger chosen to convey God's messages.  Mary and John the Baptist are also Christian figures described in the Qur'an.

And, according to the Qur'an, Muhammad was chosen as a prophet. However, Muhammad is identified as the final prophet, referred to as the "seal of the prophets". The messages conveyed to Muhammad, according to Islam, are the final and definitive messages from God regarding duties, laws to follow and how to show reverence to Allah and prepare for the Judgment Day.

Thus, Islam is connected to Judaism and Christianity directly, both by the common belief in one god (the same god according to Islam) and by a shared respect for important religious leaders.  For Muslims, the early prophets were revered and respected messengers of God.   Muslims call Jews and Christians "people of the Book" - since their religious leaders are referenced in the Qur'an.  The difference between these three monotheistic religions, of course, is the question of which prophet/teachers' messages are to be followed.

In addition to the Qur'an, the Sunnah and Hadith are also revered and influential texts. These works contain the description and interpretations of the sayings and the life of the Prophet Muhammad.  The power of precedent established by the Prophet Muhammad's life and words, then, greatly influenced the development of Islamic law and culture. (see excerpts)  Where something is not addressed in the Qur'an, the precedent of the Prophet Muhammad's life (in other words, how did Muhammad live and what did he say) often establishes what is religiously acceptable for a Muslim.  Based on all of these sources, Islamic authorities then developed a body of influential Islamic law known as the Shari'ah.
 

DUTIES OF A MUSLIM

An important idea contained in the Qur'an is the idea of a Judgment Day (described vividly).  The "goal" is to go to heaven, and avoid hell.  For those accepting the teachings of Muhammad, the underlying duty is to show reverence and obedience to God in preparation for the Judgment Day.   In fact, Islam means "submission (or surrender) to God" and a Muslim is "one who submits."   Allah is seen as an all-powerful, and all-knowing God of judgment, but also a God of mercy and compassion.

It is the duty of a Muslim to show proper respect and reverence to this god. There were (and are) two key ways to display the surrendering of oneself to Allah. First, one must know, recite and obey the laws of the Qur'an. Again, this did/does not mean simply reading the text. It means reciting surahs on a daily basis, really knowing the Qur'an.

The second area of religious duty for a Muslim is to observe five key practices that were identified and defined by Muhammad. The five major practices, to be done throughout one's life, are referred to as the Five Pillars of Faith (sometimes referred to as the Five Pillars of Islam). Only the first two, the profession of faith and daily prayer, are explicitly stated in the Qur'an. The other rituals took form during Muhammad's lifetime and have the force of the prophet's authority. While these pillars underwent some changes during Muhammad's lifetime, by the time of his death in 632 CE, the specific obligations of these pillars were established.  Since these are still key obligations fulfilled by Muslims, I will write in the present tense.
 

FIVE PILLARS OF FAITH

Shahada - The profession of faith.   A Muslim is to make the public profession "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger."   The fundamental idea of monotheism is contained in this statement, as is the authority of Muhammad. This profession is often made on a daily basis as part of prayers.

Salah - Daily prayer. This is prayer that occurs five times a day. The person is to pray facing the direction of Mecca (from wherever s/he is in Arabia, or anywhere around the world!) The prayer takes the form of kneeling and praying down in the direction of Mecca. The prayer takes place during five designated times: early morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. In Muslim countries there is a caller who summons the community to prayer. Some Muslims pray in a mosque, while others pray wherever they are using a prayer mat.  Commercial and social transactions halt during prayer times.

Zakah - Almsgiving. An important part of Islam is the idea of compassion, especially for the less fortunate. One of the pillars of faith is the giving of alms to the poor in one's society. In some Muslim countries, there is an institutionalized form of this obligation in the form of a charity tax.

Sawm - Observance of Ramadan. Ramadan is the holy month in Islam. It is a 30 day period which occurs on the ninth month of the Islamic year, based on a lunar calendar. The month of Ramadan occurs during a period that had earlier been a time of religious observance in pre-Islamic Arabian culture. During the period of Ramadan, one fasts and prays intensively. By fasting, this means not eating and not drinking during the daylight hours (if health permits). Only when the sun has set can one eat and drink. This is considered an extremely important time of purification and piety.

Hajj - Pilgrimage. It is expected that at least once in your life, if health permits, you are to make a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, and more specifically, to the Ka'aba. There are many rituals associated with the pilgrimage. It is a time to display religious purity, equality and humility before Allah. In Muhammad's time, this journey was to take place on foot - thus the rich walk alongside the poor.  In present times, while Muslims come from around the world, they still walk part of the way into the city and to the Ka'aba.  Pilgrims wear white to symbolize purity and equality with each other. Once reaching the Ka'aba, Muslim pilgrims circle the Ka'aba seven times. In addition, as part of the Hajj, there are other sacred sites that a Muslim is to visit, performing established prayers and rituals. 

(go to link of "virtual hajj" -step by step description)

The Five Pillars of Faith took form during Muhammad's life, although during his lifetime of interpretation and teaching there were some important changes that took place in his teachings. For example, initially the holy city towards which one prayed and made the pilgrimage was not Mecca, but Jerusalem; this reflects the strong links to Judaism.   However, Muhammad became angry with the failure of Jews to recognize him as a prophet, and the focus of Islamic prayer and pilgrimage shifted to the Arab city of Mecca. By 632, the Arabic city of Mecca was firmly established as the holiest city in the world for Muslims, as it still is today.

Note:  Jerusalem is still the third holiest city in the Muslim world - which helps to explain the passionate and bloody dispute taking place right now.  This is a city with holy sites and profound religious significance for Muslims, Jews, and Christians.  Religion has made compromise over control of these different holy sites seemingly impossible.

These are some of the fundamental ideas of Islam. Based on the revelations Muhammad believed he received, and his efforts to pass them on, a new religion took form between 610 - 632 CE.  In the next chapter we will discuss Muhammad's attempts to spread these ideas in Arabia, and beyond.

Go to useful summary explanations of key Islamic beliefs and vocabulary)

Interesting Related Web Sites

Internet Islamic Sourcebook
Quran - text and other links