The document provides an overview of the origins and key teachings of Islam. It explains that Islam means submission to God, and those who follow Islam are called Muslims. It describes how Muhammad began receiving divine revelations in the 610s and preached that there is only one God, Allah. This challenged the polytheistic beliefs of many Arabs. Due to opposition from wealthy Meccans who saw Muhammad's teachings as a threat, he and his followers migrated to Medina in 622, known as the Hijra. From there, Muhammad established the first mosque and grew the Muslim community politically and religiously through alliances with Arab tribes.

1. Social Studies for 10th EBG
Teacher: Mauricio Torres

2. Islam means
“submission”, and in
context it means:
submission to God.
The followers of Islam are
called Muslims.

3. He kept on preaching and his followers believed
he received messages from God
These messages were recorded in the Qur’an, the
Islamic holy book.

4. In 613, Muhammad began to
spread his messages, teaching
there is only one God, Allah
(“the God” in Arabic).
Therefore, Islam is clearly
monotheistic.
For the Arabs, this was a new
concept, because they were
polytheistic.
They had shrines, like the Kaaba
where the would travel every
year on a pilgrimage.
His teachings did not sit well
with the Arabs!

5. The Arabs resented
Muhammad for two reasons:
They did not like being told to
stop worshipping their gods.
Muhammad’s new religion was
bad for business:
Pilgrims spent a lot of money on
the merchants when they visited
Mecca.
Also, they disliked the idea of
equality:
Heaven is a place were rich
and poor would be equal.
The rich should give charity to
the poor.

6. Rich people in Mecca wanted Muhammad killed.
So he moved away with his followers to another city called
Medina.
This departure is known as the hijra.
Here he became a political and religious leader.
His house became the first mosque (building for Muslim
prayer)

7. As the community in Medina grew
stronger, other Arab tribes began to
accept Islam.
This lead to a conflict with Meccans and
in 630, after several years of
fighting, they gave in and accepted
Islam as their religion.
Muhammad died in 632 and Islam
became the driving force behind Arab
unification and later expansion.

8. Explain:
What is the difference between the term Muslim
and Islam?
Recall:
What is the hijra?
Describe:
What must have been the environment in
Mecca, when Muhammad preached for equality?
Compare:
What is one major belief that is the same in
Judaism, Christianity and Islam?