Muhammad was born in the city of Makkah. Muhammad's mother sent him as a baby to live with a nomad family so that he may learn Arab traditions, such as being kind to strangers, helping orphans, widows, and other people in need. When Muhammad was five or six he returned to the city to his mother. Soon after Muhammad returned his mother died. Muhammad was taken in by his grandfather Abd al Muttalib. He was a highly regarded leader in a nearby clan called the Hashim clan. Once his grandfather died Muhammad was being taken care by his uncle. Abu Talib ,Muhammad's uncle, was a respected merchant. When he was 12 years old he accompanied his uncle on a trading journey. This trip exposed Muhammad to his first glimpse to cities outside the Arabian Desert. As he grew older Muhammad went on more trading trips and was given more duties to tend to. Muhammad was a young man when he started to manage caravans for a widow named Khadijah who ran a nearby trading company. She was impressed with his ability and talents. She proposed to Muhammad and he accepted when he was around 25. They had many children together but only their daughter Fatimah continues the bloodline.
When Muhammad was around 15 years old he was called to prophet hood. he had gone to pray up in the mountains one afternoon and when he was in there Gabriel, a messenger angel from God, came to him and told him that God had chosen him to be his messenger on Earth. Muhammad was afraid and was trembling as he left the cave but the angel said to him" you are the messenger of God." Khadijah was the first person to convert to Islam. Islam is a religion based on mo
notheism or the belief in one God. Many people rejected Muhammad during his life. His teachings were not always accepted.
Shahadah- Belief
Shahadah is the First Pillar of Faith. During Ramadan Muslims give themselves th the Qur'an and to GOd. THey believe that on judgement day God will weight all the good and bad you have done deciding if you can enter heaven,
Salat- Worship
Salat is the Second Pillar of Faith. Muslims are called top pray at five different times of the day. A chanter called a Muezzin calls all Muslims when it is time to pray. Before going to pray in a mosque Musliims wash their hands, feet, and faces so they may be cleansed before entering the holy area. An Imad leads prayed where they all look toward the holy city of Makkah which is found in direction by a small notch that was made in the wall.
Zakat- Alms giving
Zakat is the Third Pillar of Faith. Islams believe that giving away their wealth and good fortune cleanse their possessions and make their money pure. It helps the control greed. During Zakat fundraisers are put on for Orphanages, Soup kitchens, Schools, Hospitals, Construction projects, Hotels, and Public fountains.
Siyam- Fasting
Siyam is the Third Pillar of Faith.Muslims fast to show their worship to God. When the sun rises they do not eat or drink all day, but once it goes down they can eat and drink freely. Each night a portion of the Qur'an is read so that by the end of Ramadan they have read the whole Holy Book.
Hajj- Pilgrimage
The Fifth Pillar of Faith is Hajj. People are all over the world are encouraged to travel to where Hajj is celebrated. Many cultures and places together to encourage equality and friendship. In Makkah pilgrams travel from place to place like Abraham and Muhammad.
The Qur'an is the holy book of the religion of Islam. The Sunnah is the example the Muhammad set for the way Muslims should live. The Qur'an is read during Ramadan and the sunnah is the way all Islamic believers should act in their everyday life. The Shari'ah is based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah. It is based on your duty to God. The Qur'an and the Sunnah were used to solve problems when they arose.
