Accepted Muhammad As The Messenger Of God example essay topic

The Founder Muhammad was born in Mecca, Arabia, in AD 570. His father died before he was born and his mother died when he was only a child. He was first raised by his grandfather and later by his uncle Abu Talib. He lived with a desert tribe for a while and learned how to shepherd the flocks.

At age 25, he began to serve a wealthy widow aged 40 by the name Khadija. They got married and had two sons and four daughters. The two sons died early. One of his daughters married his uncle Abu Talib's son Ali. Arabia at that time was under bloody civil wars, political corruptions, and oppression of the poor. Muhammad felt the cal of Allah to preach against the present system.

He began preaching in AD 610 but faced resistance from his own people. They threatened to kill him. In AD 622, he moved north to Medina. He soon gained some followers.

Those accepted Muhammad as the messenger of God were called Muslims which means "one who submits" to God. In AD 630 Muhammad and his followers came back to Mecca and took control of it. Today, the cities of Mecca and Medina are significant in the Islam religion. The year 622 which Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina is also significant.

Muhammad died in AD 632. His elected successor, Abu Bakr, declared the jihad or holy war from Medina and Mecca to win the world from Spain to India. When they reached Europe, they were defeated by Charles Martel's troops at the Battle of Pointers or known as the Battle of Tours in 732. Faced with opposition in Europe, they turned eastward to Central Asia, India, and Indonesia.

Today, Islam is the major religion in the Middle East, North Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Indonesia. Although Muslims respect and honor Muhammad, they do not worship him. He is considered to be one of the prophets or messengers of God along with Moses, Abraham, and Jesus. The Teachings The Islamic book is called the Koran which means the "recitation". Parts of the Koran resembles the Bible especially, the Apocrypha and the Talmud.

The book has many stories of the Old Testament prophets and Jesus whom was called the "Word of God". Many tenets in Islam are identical to those of Christianity. The Koran teaches the absolute unity of the power of God. It teaches that God is merciful and just.

He wants all people to repent and purify themselves so that when they die they can go to heaven. Therefore, God sent prophets to remind people of their sins and compel them to come to Him. These prophets included Moses, Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad. But since Muhammad was God's last and the latest, he was the most significant. Life on earth is a testing ground in preparation for the life to come.

There are angels recording both good and evil deeds that people are doing. At the judgment day, everyone will be rewarded or punished for his or her deeds. Death is the gate to eternal life. Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol and pork.

The Koran forbids lying, stealing, adultery, and murder. It allows slavery but encourages slave owners to let them free. It permits a man to marry up to four wives at one time depending on certain conditions. It teaches all persons to show honor to their parents, kindness to slaves, charities to the poor, and to have honesty, industry, and courage. Five Major Responsibilities Islam teaches that each living person has five major responsibilities. First, the profession of the unity of God and the prophet hood of Muhammad.

One cannot accept the unity of God and not accept the prophet hood of Muhammad who was considered to be the messenger of God or Allah. Second, prayer or sal at is to be observed five times daily: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening, and at nightfall. Muslims ceremonially wash their faces and hands before prayer. On Friday afternoon, the prayer is expected to be conducted in a mosque which is the place of worship. The leader who conducts the prayer is facing Mecca while men knell behind him facing the same direction and women at the last rows. Third, almsgiving or.

Zadar is similar to the Old Testament teaching on tithing. Each Muslim has to give 2 1/2 of his or her income to the service of Allah. Fourth, fasting or Ramadan. The 9th month of the Muslim calendar year is designated as the month of fasting.

They do not eat any thing from dawn to sunset. However, travelers, soldiers on duty, and nursing mothers are exempt. Fifth, the pilgrimage. All able Muslims are required to make a trip at least once in a life time to Mecca and Medina. Many ceremonies are required during the pilgrimage. The ceremonies end with a sacrifice of a sheep, goat, or camel, and the meat given to the poor.

The Structure The mosque is the most important place in Islam. The word "mosque" came from the Arabic word masjid which means "a place of kneeling". The second important thing in Islam is the Imam who is the leader or chief officer of the mosque. His function is to lead people in prayer. Islam does not have priesthood and anyone can lead prayer in the mosque, but the most important person to hold that position is the Imam. He has the education and the proper training for the job.

The Islamic Sects In late AD 600, Islam split into two sects: the Sunni and Shah. Most of the present day Muslim are Sunnites. The Sunnites believe that at death, leadership passes on to the elected members of the Muhammad tribe only. But the Shiites believe that it should be reserved for the descendants of Ali, the son-in-law of Muhammad. The Future of Islam Although Islam has not been active in sending missionaries out to win converts in other countries, presently, the al-Azhar University in Cairo is training and sending out missionaries into the world. Muhammad was the founder of Islam.

He said that he was the prophet of God but never claimed to be God nor that he would rise from the dead.