Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Islam
Like Christianity,
Islam
, the youngest of the major reli-
gions, can be traced back to a single founder, in this case,
Muhammad, who was born in Mecca in 571
. According
to Muslim belief, Muhammad received the truth directly
from Allah in a series of revelations that began when the
Prophet was about 42 years old. During these revelations,
Muhammad spoke the verses of the Qu'ran (Koran), the
Islamic holy book. Muhammad admired the monothe-
ism of Judaism and Christianity; he believed Allah had
already revealed himself through other prophets includ-
ing Judaism's Abraham and Christianity's Jesus. However,
Muhammad came to be viewed as the one true prophet
among Muslims.
After his visions, Muhammad had doubts that he
could have been chosen to be a prophet but was con-
vinced by further revelations. He subsequently devoted
his life to the fulfi llment of the divine commands. In
those days the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian
Peninsula were in religious and social disarray, with
Christianity and Judaism coexisting with polytheistic
religions. Muhammad's opponents began to combat his
efforts. The Prophet was forced to fl ee Mecca, where he
had been raised, for Medina, and he continued his work
from this new base.
In many ways, the precepts of Islam revised Judaic
and Christian beliefs and traditions. The central precept
is that there is but one god, who occasionally reveals him-
self through the prophets, such as Abraham, Jesus, and
Muhammad. Another key precept is that Earthly matters
are profane; only Allah is pure. Allah's will is absolute; he
is omnipotent and omniscient. Muslims believe that all
humans live in a world that was created for their use but
only until the fi nal judgment day.
Adherents to Islam are required to observe the “fi ve
pillars” of Islam (repeated expressions of the basic creed,
frequent prayer, a month of daytime fasting, almsgiving,
and, if possible, at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in one's
lifetime). The faith dictates behavior in other spheres
of life as well. Islam forbids alcohol, smoking, and gam-
bling. In Islamic settlements, the people build mosques to
observe the Friday prayer and to serve as social gathering
places (Fig. 7.15).
Islam, like all other major religions, is divided—
principally between
Sunni
Muslims (the great majority)
and the
Shi'ite
or
Shiah
Muslims (concentrated in Iran).
Smaller sects of Islam include Wahhabis, Sufi s, Salafi sts,
Alawites, Alevis, and Yazeedis. The religion's main divi-
sion between Sunni and Shi'ite occurred almost imme-
diately after Muhammad's death, and it was caused by a
confl ict over his succession. Muhammad died in 632
ce
Figure 7.15
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
The soaring minaret of the Sabah
State Mosque creates a strong Muslim imprint on the cultural
landscape of the city.
© H. J. de Blij.
marked by murder, warfare, and lasting doctrinal dis-
agreements. The Sunni Muslims eventually prevailed,
but the Shi'ite Muslims, the followers of Ali, survived
in some areas. Then, early in the sixteenth century, an
Iranian (Persian) ruling dynasty made Shi'ite Islam the
only legitimate faith of that empire—which extended
into what is now southern Azerbaijan, southeastern Iraq,
and western Afghanistan and Pakistan. This gave the
Shi'ite branch unprecedented strength and created the
foundations of its modern-day culture region centered
on the state of Iran.
Decendants of Muhammed through his daughter
Fatimah and his son-in-law Ali are recognized through
honorifi c titles such as
sayyids, syeds
or
sharifs
. They gener-
ate respect from both Sunni and Shi'ites, however Shi'ites
place much more emphasis on lineage. Shi'ite veneration
of the descendants of Muhammad has contributed to a
much more centralized and hierarchical clergy than in the
Sunni world.
,
and to some, the rightful heir to the Prophet's caliph-
ate (area of infl uence) was Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali.
Others preferred different candidates who were not nec-
essarily related to Muhammad. The ensuing confl ict was
ce
