The history and foundations of the teachings of Islam are of great interest to historians and religious scholars. One of the youngest religions on earth belongs to the most numerous at the same time. Its followers exist in every corner of the planet and every year their number continues to increase. More and more people are interested in Islam itself and the fundamentals of dogma in order to understand how compatible they are with the worldview of modern man. In fact, the history of this religious movement is extremely interesting, because Islam managed to win a large number of followers during the Prophet's life, in the first decades of the existence of religion. In our article, we will tell you which provisions form the basis of the doctrine in Islam, as well as analyze how this belief arose among Arabs living on the Arabian Peninsula.
Arabian Peninsula at the beginning of the seventh century
Before you begin to study the fundamentals of the teachings of Islam, it is worth understanding the conditions under which this religion arose. Prophet Muhammad was born on the Arabian Peninsula, inhabited by Arabs. It is interesting that by the beginning of the seventh century this people did not have a single faith and the pagans, followers of Zoroastrianism, Christians of different directions and Jews quietly coexisted nearby. There have never been any disagreements and disagreements between such different faiths, because the main goal of the Arabs was to earn money in order to adequately support their families. It is worth noting that this work was not easy. Most of the inhabitants of the peninsula lived extremely poor, although quite peacefully. The income was mainly brought by merchants who drove caravans through the desert and stopped to rest in oases.
I would like to clarify that the Arabian Peninsula cannot be perceived as a single territory. The Arabs themselves divided it into several parts. The first was a narrow strip of land stretching along the coast of the Red Sea. Here, in addition to stony pieces, there are many oases with sources, which later became the main artery for small towns. Merchants often stopped there to stock up on water and buy dates.
Most of the territory of the Arabian Peninsula is desert, but it is not lifeless, therefore a large number of people successfully lived on these lands. Precipitation often fell in the desert, vegetation occurred at certain intervals, and the air was quite humid. In such conditions, the tribes successfully drove camels from generation to generation, and thus earned a living.
Today we know the southern part of Arabia under the name Yemen. There were fertile lands where numerous fruit trees grew, and the people did not know the need for water and food.
However, Arabs living in different territories were extremely fragmented, which was partly due to the lack of a single religion. But the emergence of the teachings of Islam completely changed the situation on the Arabian Peninsula.
Life of the prophet
Muhammad was born in five hundred and seventy in a fairly wealthy family. Little is known about the first years of the future founder of Islam (the principles of the dogma in the next sections of the article). It is believed that his childhood was happy, but at six the boy lost his parents and went on to live with his grandfather's family. After his death, his uncle began to take care of the boy, raising Muhammad as his son.
As a young man, he began to help his uncle engage in trade and showed great talent for this business. At the age of thirty, the Prophet took part in the reconstruction of the Kaaba. This shrine is considered pan-Arab, so many gave money to carry out work. Uncle Muhammad during this period was experiencing serious financial difficulties, as he was due to his high position to feed all the pilgrims. To help his relative, the Prophet took his son to be raised.
It is worth mentioning that at twenty-five years old Muhammad got married. His wife was a wealthy widow fifteen years older than him. This woman was the most faithful companion and follower of the prophet and bore him several children. The wife’s money strengthened the Prophet’s financial condition, allowing him to take a more significant position in society.
The rise of Islam
Today, almost every Muslim knows a brief history of the emergence of Islam and the foundations of dogma. If you ask any follower of this religion, he will tell you the date from which it is customary to count the years of the victorious procession of Islam on the planet. This point is taken as the six hundred and tenth year, when the forty-year-old Prophet received his first revelation from the angel Jabrail.
It is believed that at this moment Muhammad was in solitude in a cave. He responded to the call of an angel and remembered the first five verses of the Koran. In Islam they are called "ayats."
From this moment on, the life of the Prophet has completely changed, for he is completely dedicated to the service of God. And until his death, he preached, trying with all his might to increase the number of followers of the new religion.
The first sermons of Muhammad
The emergence of Islam and the foundations of Muslim dogma are processes that did not occur at the same time. A new religious movement appeared in an instant, but its main tenets were formed over time. The Prophet spoke about them throughout his life in order to teach his followers the basics of a righteous life. Subsequently, they were all set forth in the Qur'an.
Many religious scholars note that the foundations of the teachings of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are very similar. And this is not surprising, because Muhammad himself in his first sermons said that God is one. He claimed that the Creator has sent his prophets to people more than once, and now the time has come for the last of them. Among the messengers of God, he included Adam, Noah, David, and Solomon. He urged his fellow tribesmen to turn their backs on paganism and polytheism, turning to face the true Creator. Often, the Prophet spoke of the fact that once before people knew about all the commandments of a righteous life, but over time they turned away from them and disbelieved. However, it was time to recall the true God again, because there would be no other chance to do this.
It is all these statements that subsequently formed the basis of the creed of Islam. Buddhism and Christianity from the very beginning of their existence adhered to such dogmas, which unites all the listed religious beliefs.
The meaning of the term "Islam"
Briefly, we will present the fundamentals of the teachings of Islam a little later, and now we’ll talk about how exactly the new religion got its name.
In addition to the fact that the Prophet often spoke in his sermons about faith in God himself, he tried to cover in them all aspects of the life of future Orthodox believers. In his own words, Muhammad urged them to be more modest, not to indulge in gluttony, to give alms to the needy and to act fairly with everyone. He also talked about how to conduct business in order to receive the mercy of Allah.
In most sermons, devotion and humility before the will of God passed through the main idea, so the new religion was called "Islam." Translated from Arabic, it may sound like "obedience to God." The followers of the creed for a long time did not have their own name, but the Europeans spoke of them as “Muslims”, twisting the word “Muslim”. It means “obedient” in Arabic.
Thanks to this terminology, one can understand the basic principles of the teaching of Islam, which we will come to a little later.
The formation of a new religion
Muhammad’s first sermons were not very popular. In a few years, only nine people have adopted the new religion. Among them were the Prophet's wife, his nine-year-old nephew, and uncle. These people became the most loyal followers of Islam, ready to follow Muhammad anywhere in the world.
Over the following years, forty more people joined the ranks of Muslims. It is noteworthy that after the rise of Islam, the foundations of the doctrine were equally studied by the rich and the poor. The new religion gradually began to gain the confidence of the Arabs, the number of Muslims was growing steadily, and this began to cause serious concern to the nobility of the city of Mecca. Wealthy merchants began to oppress the newly made followers of Islam, but ran into fierce resistance on their part. All Muslims sincerely believed in their Prophet and adhered to his sermons. This could not but annoy the Meccan nobility, so it was planned to kill Muhammad and thereby get rid of the new religion. Having learned about the insidious plan, the Prophet was forced to leave Mecca with his followers and create a new community.
Hijra and the introduction of a new reckoning
At six hundred and twenty-first, the Prophet left his hometown and tried to settle in one of the oases. This outcome was called "hijra" and marked the reckoning of a new chronology, which Muslims still use.
A small oasis, where Muhammad decided to stay, later turned into a prosperous city of Medina. It received its name in honor of the Prophet, but during the years of its appearance in the oasis, it was inhabited by various tribes united in communities. They constantly quarreled among themselves, therefore real armed conflicts quite often broke out on the territory of the settlement.
Muhammad organized his community and with great pleasure accepted new members into it. And there was no end to them, since there were no slaves in the ranks of the Muslims. Everyone who came here and accepted Islam in their hearts became a free and equal member of the community. Over time, it grew to an incredible size and became the most influential in the city.
From this moment, Muhammad began to destroy the Gentiles, Christians and Jews. During his lifetime, he managed to take control of most of the Arabian Peninsula, including Mecca, to which he returned victorious.
Twenty-two years after the emergence of a new religion, all tribes on the peninsula accepted it. It was in this year that the Prophet left our world, leaving behind a large number of followers who continued the work of their teacher, carrying the basic tenets and foundations of the teachings of Islam around the world.
A few simple words about Islam
Summing up, I want to say that Islam was formed by completely disinterested people. They did not pursue any material goals and blindly believed in the ideals that their teacher spoke of.
However, according to historians, Muhammad did not offer anything new. He just managed to turn people away from paganism, giving them an alternative in the form of a monotheistic religion. At the same time, he developed a number of regulations that govern all aspects of the life of a Muslim. Since they were all very detailed, they practically deprived the convert of the risk of making a mistake. He could always compare his actions with the rules and make sure that he did not depart from the foundations of the teachings of Islam.
Briefly, we can say that every person who has adopted a new religion has changed not just faith, but also fate.
The emergence of Islam and the foundations of Muslim dogma (briefly)
All the tenets of Islam in a very accessible language are set forth in the Qur'an. This book is sacred to Muslims, because it is believed that its text was transmitted to the Prophet by the Almighty himself. Every follower of Islam believes that the Qur'an was not created by man. His texts were gathered together after the death of Muhammad, but before that he had received them from God's angel and quoted from memory. The holy book is divided into one hundred and fourteen chapters, which are invited to be read daily to each Orthodox.
The second most important source of dogma is the Sunnah. This book describes the whole life of the Prophet and his sayings, as well as the stages of the formation of religion. Here are the main dogmas of Islam, according to which one can penetrate its essence. Interestingly, Islam recognizes as sacred and books of other religious cults. For example, the gospel and the Torah fall into this category.
Pillars of Faith: A Description of the Basics of the Muslim Cult
Each Muslim has a certain range of responsibilities, he must fulfill them strictly. In obedience and humility is the main meaning of Islam and this is what the Pillar of Faith is called for, which can be summarized in five points:
- reading the main point;
- daily five-time prayer, which can be said only after thorough washing;
- alms distributed to all those in need, called to be cleansed of sins;
- fasting in Ramadan (abstinence from food and water until sunset);
- hajj (every Muslim must make a pilgrimage to the Kaaba temple and other holy places).
I want to clarify that the Kaaba cult is supported by all the followers of Islam. This temple is a structure with a black stone embedded in it. The Arabs were sure that it was a piece of meteorite sent to the earth with specific goals. And the Prophet said that only Allah could send him from heaven to people. This cult is so important that, regardless of being anywhere in the world, a Muslim during prayer turns to Mecca, where the Kaaba is located.
Do not forget about Sharia. This code of laws governs the behavior of every believer. Briefly described sharia, we can say that it includes moral, legal and cultural norms. It is worth noting that in different currents of Islam, some differences in the interpretation of these norms are allowed. But in general, this does not contradict accepted religious norms.
Of particular importance in the Islamic cult are holidays and divine services. Most religious holidays have their own history, and therefore their meaning is clear even to kids. Mosques in which prayers are held are considered the center of the spiritual life of the community. With them, schools are organized, ceremonies are performed and donations are made.
In conclusion, I would like to say that today Islam unites more than one and a half billion people and takes the second place in the world among other religious movements in the number of followers.