Origin of Islam

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Origin of Islam

Based on history, Islam began in Arabia in the Middle East. Now known as Saudi Arabia, this is where the prophet Muhammad was born, raised, lived, and died. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, despite the huge following around the world; Islam is foreign to many Americans. Due to the many misconceptions about the Muslim religion, many people judge the religion without making an effort to learn more about their traditions, faith and history. Islam is a monotheistic religion, which basically means that they believe in one God. Prophet Muhammad proclaimed the religion in the 7th century A.D. The word "Islam" means, "To surrender to God" and is described as a "Deen" in Arabic, meaning "way of life and/or religion." The Muslims refer to God as "Allah" who is the creator of the world. Allah revealed the Qur’an (Koran) to his messenger, Muhammad. Based on the beliefs of the Islamic religion, Muhammad is the last of a series of prophets, which brings the final message of God to all the people through the Qur’an.

Muhammad / Allah

Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca around the year 570 A.D. His name means, "highly praised." His parents died when he was young and he was raised by his extended family. Under the care of his uncle Abu Talib, Muhammad began to earn a living as a businessman and a trader. As Muhammad aged, he became disappointed with Polytheism and came to believe in one God. Based on Islam tradition, in 610, around the age of 40 Muhammad decided to retreat to a cave deep in the mountains for meditation. While on his retreat, he had an encounter with the Angel Gabriel. Muslims believe that the Qur’an was reveled to Muhammad when Allah (God) sent the Angel Gabriel to reve...

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