Among the world's religions, Islam is one of the most widely followed. It is a monotheistic Brahmanical religion, deeply rooted in much of the world. The founder of Islam was Abu'l-asim Mohammed ibn Abd Allah , known in the West as Muhammad.
Where was the founder of Islam born?
The founder of Islam was born in 570 AD in Mecca , Arabia . Even as a young child, he was surrounded by tragedy. His father, Abdullah , a merchant, died before Muhammad 's birth . To learn more about this type of religious topic, you can read about branches of Christianity.
As was traditional in his village, Muhammad 's mother entrusted him to Halimah , a Bedouin nurse, to be raised in the Arabian desert , where he remained until the age of five. However, after a couple of years, Hallimah returned him to his mother because her husband feared that Muhammad was possessed by an evil spirit.
When he turned six years old, his mother Aminah also died, and Muhammad was thus left in the care of his father's father, Abdul Muttalib ; he also died two years after taking charge of the child, then Muhammad was left in the care of his uncle, Abu Talib , with whom he grew up and who had an important influence on Muhammad's life.
Upon reaching the age of twenty-five, the founder of Islam married a wealthy widow, Khadija , for whom he was employed; with her he had a daughter, named Fatima , and with this union he became a respected and honest merchant in the city.
Muhammad received very little academic training, therefore he only had a superficial knowledge of the two largest monotheistic religions at that time, Christianity and Judaism, thanks to his visits to the small Christian and Jewish communities that lived in Mecca and perhaps also because of his business trips.
Once he turned forty, Muhammad began making spiritual retreats in the desert, going to the cave on Mount Hira , where, according to his own account, he received revelations from God ( Allah ). It is said that God spoke to him through the visit of an archangel, in this case, the archangel Gabriel . This archangel, in addition to revealing the secret of the true faith, commanded him to preach that Allah had chosen him as his messenger and envoy.
His consort Khadija supported him throughout, and Muhammad dedicated himself to preaching in Mecca , becoming the heir of the magnificent monotheistic leaders such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Christ. At that time, Muhammad preached a return to the religion of Abraham.
Muhammad died in the year 632 and was buried in his home in Medina . Nearby, the second most important mosque in Islam was built. This is one of the major places to venerate the Prophet after his death.
history of islam
Formally, Islam as a form of social and religious behavior began in the fifteenth century. At that time, Arabia encompassed a wide range of dogmas and languages, and was not exactly a single nation. Most of the population led a virtually nomadic life, traveling to Mecca on the pilgrimage route to worship many different gods.
This settlement was home to many different cultures, each with its own pantheon of deities, housed in a structure resembling a black cube known as the Kaaba . It was in this place, near this sacred center of power, that the prophet of Islam, Muhammad , emerged.
Upon reaching the age of forty, Muhammad , while meditating outside Mecca , had a vision and received a divine message to become a messenger and envoy. Sometime between the years 610 and 622, Muhammad delivered a speech in Mecca before a large crowd, announcing that he was the chosen prophet of God, known as Allah.
Muhammad 's teachings were based on the proclamation of the virtue found in repentance and submission to God, for He is the one, true, and undisputed God. He also preached the coming of the end times, which is now widely known. This message was not well-received by everyone, and from that moment on, many became his enemies.
When the year 622 AD arrived , Muhammad , the prophet and founder of Islam, was persecuted for his faith, so he fled with a large number of his closest followers and Muslims, going to the city of Medina , where he established himself as a religious leader.
The Quran is the religious text that was revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the figure of Gabriel . This book contains, in written form, all the beliefs, holy laws, and rulings of the Islamic religion.
Constantine was encouraging a great spread of the belief in Christ , that is, the Christian religion. To this end, Constantine forced the conquered peoples to convert to Christianity. This was a great motivator for many to convert to Islam, causing the Arab tribes to unite in faith against the Christian faith.
In the year 629 AD , the prophet Muhammad occupied the city of Mecca without resorting to violence or conflict, rejecting the worship of any god other than Allah and establishing the Islamic religion. To learn more about these fascinating topics, you can read Samael Aun Weor.
Politicization of Islam
After the death of the prophet Muhammad , the founder of Islam, in the year 632 AD , many thought that with this death the religion would disappear, but the opposite happened; those who succeeded him as guides of the faith took charge of leading the religion.
These guides of the religion were given the name caliphs and took charge of strengthening the faith and guiding the Arab people following what they had learned from their teacher and founder of Islam, the prophet Muhammad , with this there was an even greater expansion of their influence throughout the region.
In the year 636 AD , they managed to assault and successfully settle in Persia , which refused to be invaded until it was defeated four years later, in 640 AD.
Using Persia as a base, all neighboring countries and regions were also invaded. This occurred between the years 644 and 654 AD . During this period, the political component of religion was instituted, establishing political bases in Syria, Persia, Judea , and Egypt, entrusted to highly trusted Orthodox caliphs.
Shias and Sunnis
Although both Shiites and Sunnis see Allah as their true god, they differ greatly in terms of religious dogmas and the importance they place on different values.
This division began to emerge in the year 632, not long after the death of the Prophet Muhammad , the founder of Islam. Upon his death, the Prophet did not name a successor, thus beginning a struggle for power and leadership of the Muslim world, a struggle that, in some ways, continues to this day.
Regardless of the differences, these two branches of Islam have shared some beliefs for many centuries, including some religious rites. However, there are enormous differences between the two in terms of doctrine, rituals, laws, theologies and organization.
Sunnis
This branch of Islam is the largest of the two, in terms of the number of Muslims that comprise it, this is due to the fact that more or less 86% and 90% are affected by this current, and are considered as the more classical and orthodox branch of Islam.
The term Sunni is derived from the phrase Ahl al-Sunna , meaning "the people of the tradition." In this context, tradition is interpreted as the set of customs originating from the actions of the founder of Islam and his disciples. Sunnis venerate all the prophets named in the Quran , but especially Muhammad , whom they consider the definitive prophet.
The Muslim leaders who succeeded the founder of Islam are considered ephemeral figures, without lasting power. On the other hand, in contrast to the Shiites, Sunni religious teachers and leaders have historically been under the control of the state. To learn more about these topics, you can read the sacred book of Buddhism.
Shiites
Originally, the Shiites emerged as a political faction known as Shi'at Ali , or the faction of Ali . Ali was the son-in-law of Muhammad , the prophet and founder of Islam , and for this reason, the Shiites claim the right of him and his descendants to be the leaders of the Muslims.
Ali , the step-son of the founder of Islam, was violently assassinated. He was surrounded by intrigue, which fueled the violence and civil wars that historically characterized his caliphate. His sons, Hassan and Hussein , were denied what they considered their legitimate right to succeed him.
According to records, Hassan , Ali's son , was allegedly assassinated by poison at the hands of Muawiyah , the first caliph, who at that time was considered the leader of the Umayyad dynasty . His brother Hussein , on the other hand, was killed in battle, as were many of his relatives.
All this set of events, are what make up the Shiite concept of torture and its mortuary rituals; Shiite belief also has a strong messianic component. Among the Shiites there is a form of hierarchy from the religious point of view, in which they constantly practice an open analysis of Islamic writings.
Although reliable statistics are unavailable, it is believed that Shiites today number between 120 and 170 million, meaning that roughly 10 percent of all Muslims are Shiites. They are mostly located in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan , and, according to some estimates, also in Yemen.
Additionally, some smaller but equally significant groups of Shiite believers can be found in Afghanistan, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
rejection of islam
As the number of followers of Muhammad grew, he began to be seen as a threat by the tribal leaders of the region. The prosperity of these tribes was based on the Kaaba, the sacred enclosure of the Arab idols and the main religious center of Mecca. If they rejected these idols, as Muhammad preached, no pilgrims, trade, or wealth would come to the city. To learn more about these interesting topics, you can read " How Many Miracles Did Jesus Perform ?"
The rejection of the polytheistic beliefs preached by the founder of Islam was extremely offensive to his own tribe, the Awarya , since they were entrusted with the custody of the Kaaba. This is why Muhammad and his followers were persecuted. In the year 619, Muhammad's wife, Khadijah , and his uncle , Abu Talib , died . This year is known as the "Year of Sorrow."
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