Introduction
Mohammad is the Prophet of Islam and its founder, born in the most powerful tribe in Mecca. Even though he was born into a prominent family, his upbringing was laced with tragedies, as his parents died when he was young, leaving him in continuous spiritual wandering and exploration (Timmons). The founding of Islam is associated with Mohammad’s crisis after turning forty years old. He regularly made spiritual retreats to a cave in Mount Hira to escape.
While meditating in the mountain, he received divine revelation from Archangel Gabriel. It was the first of many revelations that formed the foundation of Islam’s sacred text, the Qur’an (Timmons). Muhammad persisted in receiving revelations from God and grew the new faith’s following as he began preaching them to the public.
According to Islamic traditions, he spent his life in deep meditation, praying for the next three years. After three years, he heard that voice once more, and this second revelation made him understand he was indeed the Prophet of his God (Timmons). He believed the revelation was a command by God to spread His message.
Main Tenants of the Religion
The fundamental belief in Islam is to accept as truth whatever God told Prophet Mohammad. All Muslims have five primary duties that they must carry out during their lives (Cole and Symes 223). Because they are the cornerstone of Muslim life, these customs are known as pillars of the religion. They are categorized into five central tenets: faith (Shahada), prayer (Salah), almsgiving (Zakat), fasting (Sawn), and pilgrimage (Hajj) (Canby). The five pillars function in concert with one another to instill in every Muslim the fundamental principles of Islam, which revolve around peace and submission to God.
Islam’s core beliefs center on Mohammed as God’s final messenger, and Muslims are reminded of these core beliefs by reciting the Shahada during prayer. Furthermore, adherents of the faith perform five Salah a day, providing five separate opportunities to remember Allah and their purpose in life to glorify Him (Canby). Before prayers, they must complete a ritual wash on themselves to be pure. They follow a set order of positions in prayer in mosques or where they pray. While they can perform this prayer anywhere, they might prefer to pray in Mosques because it allows for payers with other individuals in fellowship before and after the prayer.
Ramadan is an important event in the Muslim calendar dedicated to prayer and fasting. It is the month God revealed the Qur’an to Prophet Mohammed, and followers of the faith must celebrate by fasting. Every Muslim must refrain for a certain amount of time each day during Ramadan from their most fundamental needs and desires, such as eating, drinking, and sexual activity (Canby). The Sawm allows Muslims to take charge of their necessities each year to reflect on their faith and dedicate time to God.
A lifetime practice of donating a portion of their money to others in need is a requirement for every believer. Although giving alms is strongly recommended in Muslim daily life, Zakat must be paid once a year (Canby). Giving ensures that wealth is constantly transferred to those who need it. Like tithing in the Christian religion, they may give money to the Mosque to help upkeep the place or distribute it to needy people. They can also directly deliver to people in need as Islam pushes to eliminate wealth inequality.
Muslims must also wear simple clothing and offer ceremonial acts of devotion to Allah during pilgrimage. During the Hajj, individuals are reminded that everyone is created equal in the eyes of God, devoid of material distinction (Canby). All of the pillars of Islam must be adhered to by Muslims throughout their lives. However, every aspect also considers those who might not be able to fulfill one or more of them for various reasons, including poor health, menstruation or pregnancy, a lack of financial capability, etc.
In Islam, anything that is deemed detrimental to one’s body, mind, soul, or society as a whole is forbidden (Haram), whereas anything helpful is allowed (Halal). Muslims are not allowed to consume meat, alcohol, or medications that affect the mind (Fayokemi 9814; Sheikh and Islam 185). Eating meat that has been slaughtered and blessed according to Islamic law is mandatory for Muslims. Additionally, it is forbidden for Muslims to gamble, take an interest in fortune-telling, kill, lie, steal, deceive, oppress, or abuse others. Other forbidden things include being stingy or greedy, having sex outside of marriage, insulting parents, and mistreating neighbors, relatives, or orphans.
Major Challenges Mohammad Encountered
Mohammed was born into a prominent family, but many misfortunes marred his childhood. The father died six months before he was born, and when he turned six, his mother died. He was placed in the care of his grandfather, who also died two years later, until coming to the care of his uncle (Timmons). It was not loving care to survive as a minor member of another family. The challenges as an orphan were a breakthrough in his later life as he developed into an honest and dependable man.
After the first revelation, Mohammad spent the next three years in meditation but did not hear the voice of God. It was a period of damnation and despair because of the thought Allah had forsaken him. After the second revelation and subsequent pursuit of the ministry, he faced several challenges. The Prophet faced humiliation and ridicule, including physical assault, because the new religion brought uncomfortable truths that were unacceptable to the people of that era (Timmons). In addition, he was the target of derogatory nicknames and physical assaults, even while he was praying.
At the beginning of his ministry, Mohammed faced resistance from the people of Makkah. Some threatened his followers, including attempted assassination by rivals who felt threatened by the new religion. People turned out to be even more hostile, and he would continue to have challenges before moving to Medina (Cole and Symes 223). Makkahs began forcing Muslims remaining in Makkah to forfeit their properties, forcing Mohammed to deliver Qur’an verses permitting his followers to defend themselves (Timmons). The resulting conflict made Mohammed resort to war with the Makkahs, which would result in several casualties. During the battles, ten thousand soldiers attacked Mohammad’s group, a war that would define the fate of Islam.
How Followers Dealt with Mohammad’s Death
A tidal wave of grief washed over the family and friends upon his passing. They were overcome with disbelief and an unsettling feeling that every community member had lost the most beloved person in their lives. They were devastated by his death and felt that the Mosque, the city, and the entire world had fallen into ruin. After finishing the Prophet’s burial and saying goodbye to him, they criticized their hearts, which had changed from those they had known during his lifetime. Their thoughts and sensations were so sharp and sensitive that they detected a subtle shift that would have likely gone unnoticed by others.
However, lamenting and being sad would not make things right. It was imperative to choose a Caliph, or president, to oversee Muslim affairs and implement Islamic laws. In the last years of his life, Muhammad brought the tribes of Arabia together into a single Arab Muslim religious republic. He united the Arabian Peninsula, paving the way for the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphate and the subsequent century-long surge of Muslim dominance.
After Muhammad’s death, disagreement broke out over his successor, and there was a dispute between Abu Bakr and Ali (Timmons). The conflict split the Islamic faith into two, creating the Sunni and Shi’a denominations that hold till today. The followers did not take long to elect Hazrat Abu Bakr as the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah, and people paid allegiance to him. Although electing a new leader marked the beginning of the acceptance and recovery of his followers, the religion was marred with chaos, with some pledging allegiance to Ali and the subsequent factions.
Conclusion
To conclude, Islam’s religion started with Mohammad’s revelations from Gabriel and eventually turned into the Qur’an, the literal word of God passed down to Mohammad. The tenet of faith requires believers to declare faith in one God (Allah) and His messenger, the Prophet. Practices such as Ramadan emphasize the religion’s emphasis on not being overly preoccupied with earthly things. Instead, it calls for believers to strengthen their relationship with Allah and nurture morality.
Works Cited
Canby, Sheila. “The Five Pillars of Islam.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019. Web.
Cole, Joshua, and Carol Symes. Western Civilizations. 20th ed.,WW. Norton, 2020.
Fayokemi, Adigun Wasilat. “Food Prohibition in Islam: A Step Towards Good Health.” International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), vol. 10, no. 2. 2020, p. 9814.
Sheikh, Mustapha, and Tajul Islam. “Islam, Alcohol, and Identity: Towards a Critical Muslim Studies Approach.” ReOrient, vol. 3, no. 2, 2018, p. 185.
Timmons, Greg. “Muhammad – Prophet, Life & Story.” Biography. 2020. Web.