Rise of Islam 1
Rise of Islam 1
Rise of Islam 1
Name ____________________
Muhammads Message
In A.D. 570 a man named Muhammad was born in Mecca. As a
teenager, he worked in the trusted job of caravan leader and eventually
became a successful merchant. Despite his success, Muhammad was
dissatisfied. He felt that the wealthy town leaders should honor their
families, be fair in business, and help the poor. Muhammad went into
the hills to pray. In about 610AD, he said he was visited by an angel
and told to preach Islam. Islam means surrendering to the will of
Allah. Allah is the Arabic word for God. Inspired, Muhammad
returned to Mecca. Everywhere he went, he told people to destroy
statues of false gods and to worship only Allah, the one true God.
Muhammad also preached that all people were equal and that the rich
should share their goods. In Mecca, where most people lived humbly,
this vision of a just society was very powerful. Muhammad was saying
Muhammad praying at the Kaaba
Notice that Muhammads face is not
that wealth was not as important as leading a good life. When the Day
shown. Most Muslims believe that it is
of Judgment arrived, he said God would reward the good people and
forbidden to show images of
Muhammad.
punish the evildoers. At first, only his family became Muslims, or
followers of Islam. Soon, however, many of the poor were attracted to
his message that goods should be shared. Wealthy merchants and religious leaders did not like
Muhammads message. They thought he was trying to take away their power. They made his life
difficult and beat and tortured his followers. In 622AD, Muhammad and his followers left Mecca. They
moved north to a town called Yathrib. The journey of Muhammad and his followers to Yathrib became
known as the Hegira. The word comes from Arabic and means breaking off relationships. Later
Muslims made the year 622 the first year of a new Muslim calendar. Yathrib welcomed Muhammad
and his followers. Their city was renamed Medina, which means the city of the prophet.
1. Name the three bodies of water that surround the Arabian Peninsula_________________________
2. The distance between Mecca and Medina is ______________ miles.
3. Mecca is (North, South, East, West) of the Red Sea. (circle one)
4. Medina is (NW, SW, NE, SE) of the Tigris River. (circle one)
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Leader of a tribe
Green areas in a desert
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