Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE HOLY QURAN
Muslims believe that the Quran, the holy book of Islam, is the literal word of God, unlike the Bible or Torah which
they believe were inspired by God but were recorded subject to human interpretation. Communicated to the Prophet
Mohammed directly in a series of revelations in the early 7th century, the Quran means 'recitation' and is not just
the principal source of doctrine in Islam, but also a source of spiritual rapture in its own right. It is recited often with
emotional elation, as a blessing to the reciter and the hearer. The use of the 'sacred' language of Arabic, with its
unique rhythms, gives the recitation a sacramental quality that eludes translation, and many Muslims around the
world still learn large portions of the Quran in its original form to feel closer to God's words.
Founding of Islam
Born into a trading family in Mecca (in present-day Saudi Arabia) in AD 570, Mo-
hammed began receiving revelations in AD 610, and after a time began imparting the con-
tent of Allah's message to the inhabitants of Mecca. Mohammed's call to submit to God's
will was not universally well received, making more of an impact among the poor than
among the wealthy families of the city, who feared his interference in the status quo.
By AD 622 Mohammed was forced to flee with his follow-
ers to Medina, an oasis town to the north, where he continued
to preach. This migration (the Hejira) marks the beginning of
the Islamic calendar: year 1 AH. By AD 630 his followers re-
turned to take Mecca, winning over many of the local tribes
who swore allegiance to the new faith.
After Mohammed's death in 632, Arab tribes conquered the
Middle East, Egypt and North Africa, Spain and eventually
France, taking Islam with them. The Arabic language and
Islamic faith remained long after the military conquests faded
into history, uniting large parts of Europe, Africa and Asia in a
shared cultural and religious ideology. To read how Islam
spread across Jordan,
Click here
.
Mecca
Mecca is Islam's holiest city. It's the
home of the sacred Kaaba - a cube-
shaped building allegedly built by
Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail
and housing a black stone of ancient
spiritual focus. Muslims are enjoined
to this day to face Mecca when pray-
ing. Medina is Islam's second holiest
city.
Sunnis & Shiites
Islam split into different sects soon after its foundation. When
the Prophet died in 632, he left no instructions as to who should be his successor, nor the
manner in which the future Islamic leaders (known as caliphs) should be chosen.
