Islam: Origins, Beliefs, and Practices

Pages 12 and 13

Where did Islam begin?

• Muslims believe in a single God.
• Islam is a monotheistic religion.
• It began in the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century.
• The Arabian Peninsula is a flat region between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
• They were polytheistic until Islam spread across the Peninsula.
• Mecca and Medina were important cities in the Peninsula.

Muhammad, the founder of Islam

• He was born in 570.
• He worked in the caravan trade and learned about the ideas of Judaism and Christianity.
• This religion was based on submission to Allah, or God, and was called Islam.
• Muhammad promoted the new religion, but in 622 he had to escape to Medina. (This event called Hegira marks the beginning of the Muslim era).
• Muhammad's sayings were recorded in the Quran, the sacred book of Islam.

Islamic religion

• The declaration of faith: following the principle that "Only Allah is God, and Muhammad is Allah's prophet."
• Daily prayers: five times a day facing Mecca.
• Fasting: do not eat from morning until night.
• Charity: Obligation to help poor people.
• Pilgrimage: Each Muslim should make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in their lifetime.