The Holy Book Of Islam - 912 Words

Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today Muhammad was born into the ‘most powerful tribe in Mecca†, the Quraish, around 570 A.D. (Ansary 18) Mecca was home to two widely venerated polytheistic cults whose gods were thought to protect its lucrative trade. After working for several years as a merchant, Muhammad was hired by Khadija, a wealthy widow, to ensure the safe passage of her caravans to Syria. They eventually married.When he was roughly forty, Muhammad began having visions and hearing voices. Searching for clarity, he would sometimes meditate at Mount Hira, near Mecca. On one of these occasions, the Archangel Gabriel†¦show more content†¦One night, while the Prophet was sleeping, the Archangel Gabriel came and led him on a journey. Mounted on the heavenly steed Buraq, Muhammad traveled from the Ka ba in Mecca to the Farthest Mosque, which Muslims believe to be the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. There he prayed with other prophets such as Moses, Abraham, and Jesus, and ascended to the skies, where he was led by Gabriel through Paradise and Hell, and finally came face to face with God. He then returned to earth to continue spreading the message of Islam. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive.When Muhammad died in 632, he had not named a successor. One faction, the Shi a, believed that only individuals with direct lineage to the Prophet could guide the Muslim community righteously. They thought that Ali, Muhammad s closest surviving blood male relative, should be their next leader (caliph). The other faction, the Sunnis, believed that the Prophet s successor should be determined by consensus and successively elected three of his most trusted companions, commonly referred to as the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman), as leaders of the Muslim community; Ali succeeded them as the fourth caliph.Today the Islamic community remains divided into Sunni and Shi