Makkah 610-622 CE

Makkah 610-622 CE

1. Muhammad Before Prophethood

   • He was born into the powerful Quraysh tribe, although his family was poor and unimportant
   • A monk spotted the mark of the prophet on Muhammad
   • He married Khadijah in 595 CE
   • He had a good reputation. Nicknames included 'the truthful' and 'the trustworhty'
   • He has children
   • He knew people from different religions
   • He hated Meccan society for its greed and selfishness
   • He had contact with Hanifs
   • He was a good, honest man with a positive reputation but he wanted a fairer society, he wanted more from religion

2. Muhammad's First Revelation

   • Prayed and meditated in cave Hira, on Mount Nur
     • End of Ramadan, 810 CE
   • God sent angel Gabriel
     • Told Muhammad to recite 'read in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher who created, created man out of a mere clot of blood'
       • Muhammad protested saying he couldn't read, but eventually read it
   • He woke up in abject terror, his body was shaking
   • He was completely shattered as it wasn't a pleasant experience
   • Ran home to Khadijah
     • She told him that he was being called by God
   • Waraqa said he was the prophet God promised to be sent to Arabs in the Bible

3. Themes of Mihammad's Meccan revelations

   • Tawhid
     • Belief in God's unity
     • Meccan's response
       • Angry
         • Muhammad is telling them that what they've dedicated their lives to is wrong
       • Threat of violence as it's jahilyyah
     • Man's response,: gratitude and worship
       • Pray in public to show they're Muslim
       • Men show they're grateful by praying
       • Men prostrate to show that God is more important
     • God's goodness and power
       • Saved Quraysh from famine
       • Seen in nature
         • Formation of human beings
           • Conception, birth and growth
       • Gave creations items for survval
   • Risalah
     • Belief in prophets (including angels and holy books)
     • Muhammad's own vocation
       • Muhammad was a messenger
         • Became leader of believers
       • Muhammad wanted people to know he's linked with previous prophets
         • He's nothing new
     • Meccan's response
       • Christians and Jews are offended as he's telling them that they've betrayed their religion
   • Akirah
     • Belief in the Final Judgement and life after death
     • Return to God for judgement
       • Aimed at non believers
       • There's a day where you'll be judged
     • Meccan's response
       • Angry
         • Go to hell if current behaviour continues
         • Dead relatives are in hell
     • Man's response
       • Gratitude
         • Pray in public to show they're Muslim
         • Men show they're grateful by praying
         • Men prostrate to show that God is more important
       • Generosity
         • Humans should use their wealth to help the needy
           • Wealth doesn't get you into heaven
         • God will help if you're a giver
         • Those who are selfish with wealth will end up in hell

4. Muhammad's Second Revelation

   • At home, under a blanket
     • Ordered him to 'rise and warn'
       • Started with friends and family
   • Sura 74, The Mantled One
   • Revelations continued and a pattern emerged
     • 1) Meccan polytheism was wrong 'there's no God but God'
       • Beginnings of Tawhid
     • 2) He was being called to bring Arabia back to the religion of Islam and not a new religion to Arabia
       • Beginnings of risalah
     • Arabs were to be judged by God on their religion and life,, they had to change and repent to a good life of honesty
       • Beginnings of Akirah

5. Opposition and Persecution

   • Reasons
     • If Muhammad became the leader of the young men in Mecca then eventually he would become the leader of the whole of Mecca
       • Scared to lose their authority, power and influence
     • There was a tradition that a man of great wisdom would rise and become leader of Mecca, people may think Muhammad was this man
       • Scared to lose their power
     • Muhammad was saying Bedouin Polytheism was wrong. This would stop traders coming to Mecca if the pilgrimage stopped
       • Scared to take away wealth/scared they'd be forced to share their wealth
   • Methods
     • Tortured/killed by exposure to midday sun
     • Attempts to kill Muhammad
     • Meetings broken up by hooligans
     • Rubbish and thorns were thrown at his door
     • Boycott of Hashim (cut off members of his clan)
     • Stopping him from preaching
     • Offer him money to stop

6. The Pledge of Aqaba

   • Where people agree to only serve the prophet, worship God and live moral lives
     • Sent Meccan Muslim leaders to instruct converts so there'd be more converts

7. The Second Pledge of Aqaba

   • Where people agree to accept Muhammad as their political leader as well as their prophet
     • Made by those who returned with 63 converts

8. Why did Muhammad leave Mecca?

   • 1) He saw the pledges by the converts from Yathrib as a sign from God that he was to leave
     • All part of God's plan
   • 2) The reaction of the Meccans when news of the Second Pledge leaked out (tortured converts stopped Meccan Muslims leaving), if Meccans against it, God was for it
     • He has got to go, as him and his followers lives are in danger. If he stops and is killed then he has failed
   • 3) Islam was a way of life not just a religion, politics had to be part of it. Going to Yathrib to be the political leader and a prophet meant he could show what Islam is all about
     • Gets to show that Islam isn't just a religion it's a way to govern people
   • 4) Worried about the safety of his followers in Mecca, could protect them in Medina
     • If he doesn't protect his followers then he'll get no more
   • 5) Wanted to be able to preach once more, openly about the revelations from God
     • Has to leave so he can do the job God wants him to do - preach and 'rise and warn'

9. The Hijrah

   • The emigration of Muhammad and his followers to Medina from Mecca in 622 CE

10. The significance of the Hijrah for Muslims today

    • Don't give in to persecution
    • Go through difficulties for their faith
    • Trust God
    • God will protect/guide
    • How society is run, based on the ummah
    • Islam was able to continue and grow
    • People moved with Muhammad, showing their faith and his power
    • How Islam is a way of life
    • Muhammad battled for what he believed in
    • Without it monotheism would've continued
    • Medina helped spread the word

11. 'Muhammad's message wasn't new'

    • Agree
      • Some people worshipped Allah in Bedouin Polytheism
      • On the night journey he saw prophets in the same prayer position, showing they're Muslim
      • Pilgrimage to Mecca already existed
      • Main theme Tawhid existed
      • Original religion of Arabia
      • Part of a long line of Prophets
      • People messed up the same message previously, creating different religions
      • Main idea, Monotheism was present in Christianity, Judaism and Hanifs
    • Disagree
      • The Qur'an was introduced which Islam is based on
      • Islam had an order, people would pray - unlike followers of Bedouin Polytheism (so didn't copy)
      • People at first didn't accept his message as they hadn't heard of it before
      • Islam didn't exist before it
      • The message had new teachings
      • Islam is a way of life, unlike Christianity
      • Monotheism was new to many
      • Belief in life after death and judgement was new to Bedouin Polytheists
      • New/different prayer positions
      • Christians and Jews regarded the message as new
      • Introduced a moral code

12. Muhammad was forced out of Mecca

    • Agree
      • He was in fear of his life
      • Some of his followers had been persecuted
      • Wasn't able to spread his message in Mecca
      • Stopped him from doing his job - preaching
      • Interrupted meetings
      • Boycotted trade
    • Disagree
      • Meccans wanted him to stay so they could kill him
      • He was invited to go to Medina
      • May have seemed that others were forcing him out, Islam teaches that everything's part of God's plan
      • If he moved he could become a political and a religious leadet
      • He could show that Islam is a way of life
      • Able to fulfil his duties of a Prophet by preaching
      • He was able to build an army to ensure safety
      • Test for his followers, if they'd leave the tribal system to create and Ummah

13. Development of Islam in Mecca between 610 and 622 CE

    • Call to be a prophet in 610 CE
    • Private phase
      • Married Khadijah
      • Had children
      • Prayer established
    • Public preaching
      • Criticism and warning
      • Proclamation of monotheism
      • Threat to pilgrimage business
      • Attracts younger members of society
    • Faced opposition and boycot
      • Emigrated to Abyssinia
    • Loss of protection
    • Restriction on preaching
    • Invitation to Medina
    • Few followers

14. Muhammad's most important role in Makkah between 610 and 622 CE was as a Warner

    • Agree
      • Command to 'rise and warn'; prominent in Qur'an verses revealed at that time
      • Summoned people to just hear this message
    • Disagree
      • Monotheism - condemnation of idol worship and rejection of social and moral evils also important
        • Main cause of opposition
      • No one part of his message is more important that the others
        • Command to 'Recite' gives him his mission
        • Simply hearing the Qur'an is said to bring about reversion to Islam

15. Main themes of the prophet's teachings between 610 and 622 CE

    • Social
      • Condemns drunkenness, dishonest trade, gambling and the abuse of widows and orphans
    • Religious
      • Condemns idol worship, shirk, requires worship of the One God, and gratitude to God
      • Teaches resurrection and judgement
      • Prayer

16. Muhammad's most important message in Mecca was 'judgement is coming'

    • Agree
      • The Qur'an calls Muhammad 'the warner'
        • Much of the teaching concerns the punishments of hell and the reward of heaven
      • Summoned the leaders together to announce the coming judgement
      • Teaching responded to the immediate needs of the situation
    • Disagree
      • Primary duty was to recite the revelations that came to him; none were more important than the others
      • Condemnation of social evils
      • Tawhid