Introduction to Islam Empires

Around 610 CE, a man named Muhammad (570-632 CE), claimed to receive the beginnings of a series of visions to reform monotheistic religion in his era. Monotheism is the belief in one god. 

He claimed the followers of the monotheistic faiths of Judaism and Christianity, both of which claimed they followed the god of a man named Abraham, who lived centuries earlier, had been corrupted and needed transformed to be in line with God’s will.

​Muhammad and Islam

• This was the beginning the religion of Islam. Muhammad claimed Allah (the Islamic name for God), had called him to be the greatest and final prophet of Allah’s true religion. 

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​MUHAMMAD

-Muhammad asserted he was like the prophets and religious leaders of Judaism and Christianity, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others. 

-Yet, he claimed the religions of Judaism and Christianity had become corrupted over time and needed reformed to fall in line with his new religious visions.

Muhammad and Islam

​Muhammad began to spread his religious message of Islam. “Islam” means “to submit.” He claimed to experience a series of visions, which he asserted were from the angel Gabriel. Eventually, the message of these visions were compiled together to create the Koran, the holy book of Islam.

Muhammad and Islam

Muhammad’s people were expelled from Mecca, a city in modern day Saudi Arabia, partially due to causing conflict with followers of polytheism. Polytheism is the belief in many gods.

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Eventually, Muhammad returned and conquered Mecca. Islamic control of the Middle East began to expand as others embraced the religion of Islam. Muhammad united several distinct tribes and formed an Islamic alliance in Arabia.

​ISLAM