Islamic History

Islamic History Introduction

Muhammad Qutb gives us the definitive quote on the Islamic view of
history: Islam is the only future hope of humanity; and its victorious
emergence out of the present ideological warfare is the only guarantee
of mans salvation.1

Muhammad, the founder and prophet of Islam, was born in circa a.d.
570 into a culture characterized by polytheism and animism. Yet,
throughout his merchant career, he likely came into contact with
Jewish and Christian monotheism. Muhammad was a spiritual man
and encountered many visions. At first he thought they were satanic
visions, but his wife, Khadija, persuaded him that the visions were
from God. In a.d. 610, Muhammad claimed he had been visited by the
angel Gabriel and commissioned to be a prophet of God. His basic
message was simple and elegant: There is one God to whom all
people must submit and there will be a day of judgment in which all
humans will be judged according to their deeds, both good and evil.

Islamic History Beginnings in Mecca

Islamic history begins in Mecca. Mecca was a great religious,
economic, and political power center on the Arabian peninsula in
Muhammads day. It boasted the Kaba (a large black box-like
building) that hosted 360 tribal deities. Tribes would make regular
pilgrimages to the city, thus bringing great economic wealth to the
citys merchants. But Muhammads message contradicted the
pantheism of his day: rather than many gods, there was only one,
Allah. Inevitably, Muhammads teaching led to a clash with Meccan
leaders, and the Muslims fled to Medina (then called Yathrib) in a.d.
622. This event is called the Hijra, the migration that began the
Muslim era, and forms the starting point for the Islamic calendar.

From early days Muslims began raiding merchant caravans seeking to

deliver their wares to Mecca. The raids led to a number of battles, the
most famous of which was the Battle of Badr (a.d. 624) in which 324
1
Muslims defeated a Meccan force three times their number. Naturally,
such a victory added to the perception that Islam was indeed Gods
will. Two years later, Muslims repelled a Meccan attack on Medina in
the Battle of Ahzab (a.d. 627). The following year brought a treaty
with Meccan leaders, permitting Muhammad to enter the city as a
pilgrim. On January 11, a.d. 629, Muhammad and about 10,000
Muslim warriors captured Mecca without a battle, thus permitting
Muhammad to cleanse the Kaba of its idols and establish Islam.

Today Islam is a major world religion, boasting a membership of

nearly one-fourth of the worlds population. The majority of Muslims,
which come from numerous ethnic backgrounds and reside in every
country, are not Arabs.

Islamic History Islamic Diversity after the Death of Muhammad

Islam is a religion and worldview as diverse as Christianity, Judaism,
Buddhism, or Hinduism. Throughout Islamic history various factions
with differing convictions and levels of commitment have existed in
Islam.

Islamic History Sunni and Shiite

Shortly after Muhammad died (a.d. 632) his followers faced the
immediate question of who should succeed him. The conflict resulted
in the two major factions of Islam. Those who insisted the successor
should be elected by popular vote became the Sunni Muslims, which
currently comprise about 80 percent of Muslims worldwide. The
Shiite Muslims, however, believed that the successor should be
someone from the bloodline of Muhammad, a family member or
descendant. The Shiites, though outnumbered worldwide, are a
powerful force among Muslims, especially following the 1979 Iranian
revolution when the Ayatollah Khomeini (died 1989) gained control
of the country. Shiites remain a majority in Iran, and significant
communities of Shiites persist in Iraq and other countries. While
agreeing that no prophets succeed Muhammad, Shiites believe in a
leader, the Imam, who is gifted by God to guide Muslims. While the
Sunnis and Shiites agree on the importance of the Quran, they have
different collections of the Hadith (the traditional actions and sayings
of Muhammad and his followers).
2
Islamic History Sufism
Sufi Islam historically has expressed the more spiritual side of Islam.
While existing from Islams earliest days, it was not considered
mainstream until the famous Sufi Muslim scholar Al-Ghazali sought
spiritual renewal among the Muslim peoples. While orthodox Islam
holds that Allah does not reveal himself but merely his will, Sufism
advocates seeking a personal experience and oneness with Allah
(some even adopt a pantheistic theology). Sufis protested the
worldliness of Islam at a time when wealth had been gained through
many conquests and religion in general was dry. The Sufis promote a
lively religion, invested with spiritual ways and means, and a less
legalistic form of Islam. Sufism has been and continues to be a major
force in the spread of Islam throughout the world. Jalal al-Din Rumi
(died a.d. 1273) is the most well known Sufi poet.

Islamic History Some Smaller Unorthodox Groups

Islam has many religious offshoots. While orthodox Islam holds that
Muhammad was the final prophet in a long succession of prophets,
some groups claim that other prophets since Muhammad have come.
The Bahai World Faith was established in 1844 and boasts the
prophet Bahauallah. The Bahai claim that their religion is the
fulfillment of all religions and that all religions are essentially one.
The Nation of Islam (a.k.a., The Black Muslims) also holds that there
has been a modern-day prophet: Elijah Muhammad (died A.D. 1975).
Beyond this, they teach a polytheistic and racist theology.

Islamic History Islam is a Worldview

Islam is a comprehensive worldview, as Salam Azzan, the Secretary
General of the Islamic Council of Europe, explains,

Islam is a complete way of life. It integrates man with God,

awakens in him a new moral consciousness and invites him to
deal with all the problems of life individual and social,
economic and political, national and internationalin accord
with his commitment to God. Islam does not divide life into
domains of the spiritual and the secular. It spiritualizes the entire
existence of man and produces a social movement to reconstruct
human life in the light of principles revealed by God. Prayer and

3
 worship in Islam are means to prepare man to fulfill this
mission. Islam aims at changing life and producing a new man
and a new society, both committed to God and the welfare of
mankind. That is why Islam is not a religion in the limited sense
of the word; rather it is a complete code of life and a culture-
producing factor. Muslim culture profits from all available
sources, local and international, but its unique characteristic is
that it grows from the foundations of the Quran and Sunnah.
Hence the distinctiveness of Muslim culture and life in Europe
and elsewhere.2

Islamic History Historical Determinism

Like the Christian worldview, Islam affirms that history is not made
up of a series of chance happenings. Rather, because Allah created the
world, he superintends it throughout time, guiding it toward an
expression of his will. Hammuda Abdalati explains, The world is a
becoming entity, created by the will of a Designer and sustained by
Him for meaningful purposes. Historical currents take place in
accordance with His will and follow established laws. They are not
directed by blind chance, nor are they random and disorderly
incidents.3 The phrase historical determinism captures the essence of
the Islamic approach to history.