Part one of four: The Origin and History of Islam

Editor's Note: Dr. Davis has had extensive contact with the Arab world and Islam through his participation in 10 archaeological expeditions to the Middle East. He is the author of 17 books and is professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake. He also writes the weekly column, "Outdoor Scene," for the Times-Union.

There are more than 1.2 billion Muslims in the world, making Islam one of the most significant religions on contemporary landscapes. In fact, they make up one-fifth of the world's population.

Islam is relatively new to the United States but already has 5.3 million followers and is one of the fastest growing religions in America.

In spite of these impressive figures, Islam is largely unknown in our country. Most U.S. citizens catch only snatches of Islamic life through television news reports and, therefore, end up with a myopic vision of this fascinating religion.

The cry of every true Muslim is, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." This declaration, which is the heart of Islam, provides us with a clue to its origin.

Muhammad was born in A.D. 570 (some say 571 or as late as 580) in Mecca to the Hashim family of the Quaraish tribe. The meaning of his name is "highly praised." Some of the details of his early life are somewhat clouded because no biography was written about him until he had been dead for 100 years. At least four were written during the second century after his death.

His father, Abdallah, died before he was born and his mother passed away when he was 6. His paternal grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, cared for him until his death, then his uncle, Abu Talib, took him in.

With time, Muhammad married and became a man of means and standing in Mecca. His spiritual journey began while he was meditating in a cave outside Mecca in A.D. 610. He fell into a trance and while sweating and trembling, he claimed the angel Gabriel spoke to him. No longer a mere merchant, he now became the prophet of God with a revelation from above.

Public Preaching

He began preaching publicly in A.D. 613 and his early message to the people was twofold: (1) There is only one God to whom all must submit, and (2) A future day of judgment is coming when all people will be judged as to whether or not they have followed the laws of God.

Many "revelatory" experiences followed this event and with them came the foundations of modern Islam. Muhammad's stature as a prophet was accepted slowly at first, but his following eventually encompassed large numbers in Mecca. Those committed to his teaching became known as "Muslims" - "those who submit to God" - and the new religion as "Islam," meaning "submission to God."

Early Islam was a movement of young people, mostly under 40 years of age, and from the middle class of Mecca.

The growth and influence of Muhammad's monotheism in Mecca became a source of contention and persecution. Mecca, after all, was a center of polytheistic worship and the sale of idols didn't fare well with monotheistic trends.

The persecution of Muhammad and his followers became so intense by A.D. 622 that they were forced to flee to Yathrib, later called Medina, where they were warmly accepted. He built his base of power there but in A.D. 630 returned to Mecca, where he and his troops took control without any significant resistance. The city was cleared of its idols and Islam became firmly established.

Both Mecca and Medina became sacred cities to Muslims as well as Jerusalem, where the prophet Muhammad was supposed to have ascended to heaven.

Muhammad died from an ordinary fever in A.D. 632. He had no male heir and no provision had been made for a successor as leader of the Muslim community-state. Abu Bakr, Muhammad's father-in-law and close friend, was chosen by the Meccan Quairaish as the new leader, or caliph.

Abu Bakr ruled for two years and was succeeded by Umar, who was caliph for a decade and during whose rule Islam spread extensively east and west, conquering the Persian Empire, Syria and Egypt.

Historical Interpretation

Depending on what historian you read, this was either a violent military conquest (general historians) or was a more or less peaceful infiltration into new territories and became violent only when infidels resisted or repressed Islam (Islamic historians).

There is little doubt, however, that the Arab conquests behind the spread of Islam were violent overthrows of existing governments and the establishment of Islam as the state religion involved a little more than genteel suggestions.

By 661 Damascus became the capital of the Islamic world under the Umayyad caliphate. The world of Islam now stretched from the borders of China to southern France. Not only did the Islamic conquests continue during this period through North Africa to Spain and France in the West, but also to parts of Central Asia and countries further east. This was the age when the fundamental religious, social and legal institutions of the newly founded Islamic world were established.

The Abbasids succeeded the Umayyads and moved the capital to Baghdad, which quickly developed into an important center of learning and culture. They ruled the Islamic world for more than 500 years until Hulagu, the Mongol ruler, captured Baghdad in A.D. 1258.

While they were in power, powerful dynasties such as the Fatimids, Ayyubids and Mamluks held power in Egypt, Syria and Palestine.

It was during this time that the Crusades were conducted to capture Jerusalem and the surrounding regions for Christianity. The Crusaders held the land of Palestine for a time, but in A.D. 1187, Saladin recaptured Jerusalem and returned it to Muslim rule.

Ottoman Turks

The Ottoman Turks then became the dominant power in the Muslim world and in A.D. 1453, they captured Constantinople and ended the Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans then conquered much of Eastern Europe and nearly the entire Arab world.

The Ottoman Empire came to an end in 1917 as the result of the invading armies of World War I and also because of internal corruption.

Following the war, the British and French took control of the region by secret treaties, which resulted in ruling "mandates." Islam, however, remained firmly entrenched as the dominant religion of the region.

The post World War I colonial rule of these territories has always been remembered with disdain by the Arabs and is often referred to when Arab leaders want to muster the support of Muslim Middle Eastern countries for their cause.

Saddam Hussein, for example, attempted to gain support of the Muslim countries against the United States by claiming he was the victim of a new western colonialism. More recently, we have heard the same language from Osama bin-Ladin of Afghanistan.

One should not think of Islam as a perfectly unified world religion. While there is a large core of commonly held beliefs among Muslims, there are also significant divisions. Some of these divisions go back to the days immediately following the death of Muhammad.

The largest of these divisions are the Sunnis (with whom Saddam Hussein is identified), while a smaller but no less powerful group are the Shi'ites. The majority of the people of Iran and Iraq are Shi'ite, as are those of Lebanon.

There are a number of Shi'ite splinter groups around the world and they all vary in their interpretation of Islamic theology. The most radical theologically are the so-called Seveners or Ismailites. Today they are found mainly in India, Pakistan and East Africa.

The doctrines and practices of Muslims is a matter of great curiosity among westerners. Tomorrow we will focus on the teachings and practices of Islam. [[In-content Ad]]