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Islam
Islam is a monotheistic faith and the world's second largest religion. Followers of Islam, called Muslims, believe that God revealed His will to Muhammad and other prophets, including Moses, Abraham, Adam, and Jesus.
21,950 Questions
How many people are named Dylan?
There are over 25 thousand people in the United States named Dylan. There are also around 100 people with the last name Dylan.
What was the impact of the Muslim Empire on other cultures?
The Muslim empire created the idea of symmetry which is used in almost every culture
What was Muhammad doing when God spoke to him?
There are references in the Bible that God is speaking to prophets (God spoke to Noah - Gen 8:15, God spoke to Abraham - Gen 24:7, God spoke to Jacob - Gen 31:11, God spoke to Moses - Exo 6:2, God spoke to Samuel -1Sam 3:17, God spoke to David - 2Sam 23:3, etc...)
If the question is asking for what was Mohammad doing when Jibriel appeared to him. The answer is:
Mohammad was meditating or sleeping in a cave called Hira where he used to go and spent time in meditaion when the following incident happened. Mohammad had a strange experience at the cave of Hira while he was sleeping in one of these trips. A spirit appeared to him and forced him three times to the ground so that Mohammad thought he was visited by an evil spirit and going to die. This spirit made him recite the first verses of Quran (found in the 96th chapter of the modern day Quran). The terrified Mohammad went to his wife Kadijah and told her to cover him up and she covered him until his fear was over. Then she took him to her cousin Waraqah and he told Mohammad that it was an angel of God who appeared to him. After this incident Mohammad had suicidal thoughts. Later, Mohammad claimed that when he was on the way to a mountain to throw himself down to commit suicide a voice was heard, "You are the messenger of Allah and l am Gabriel." When this incident was told to Kadijah she told him, "I swear by Allah that you are a Messenger for this nation." One thing to notice here is that the spirit appeared to Mohammad is not the Gabriel who appeared in the Biblical incidents. Two main reasons for this is that: 1) when Gabriel appeared to Biblical personalities they were not terrified or had suicidal attempt after the incident as Mohammad did and 2) Mohammad's later revelations were contradictory to Biblical messages came through Gabriel (Example: Gabriel told Daniel that Messiah would die for others and Gabriel told Mary that Jesus would be called the Son of God).
Answer B : Hints on Answer A Above1. How; in the answer above; one confirms that God never spoke to Muhammad. God never spoke directly to any of God prophets except prophet Moses and prophet Muhammad [only once when he was supported by his miraculous trip from Makkah (or Mecca) to AlQods (or East Jerusalem) and from there to the Heavens]. all other God prophets; including Muhammad were spoken by God through His angels.2. Muhammad was going to cave Hiraa for meditating and Angel Gabriel didn't force him to the ground. The angel hugged him strongly and that exhausted Muhammad.
3. Muhammad never thought of committing suicide. I wonder of the source of these lies. sorry to say that because it is really a lie that I never heard about before.
4. how one confirms that the Angel appeared to Muhammad was neither an angel nor is Gabriel. I invite those to read about the proofs of the Quran authenticity and that it reflects real God word revelations to prophet Muhammad (PBUH). They can consult those who converted to Islam to know the truth.
5. Quran was revealed to correct for the alterations introduced in the written texts of the Bible and Torah. So, how the story is reversed and Quran is considered false because doesn't agree with the Bible.
There are quite a number of scholars who could qualify: Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen), Al-Razi, Ibn al-Nafis, etc.
How many Arabs are not Muslim?
The above site has figures for the early 1990s. The population of the 'Arab world' was said to be 236 million, of whom 17.9 million or 7.9 per cent were not Muslims.
Of course, there are also Arabs living outside the 'Arab world', An American Arab Institute site says that there are about 3 million Arabs in the USA, of whom 77 per cent are Christians.
Why were Muslim armies able to expand the land under their control so rapidly?
The early Caliphates (or Islamic Empires) expanded due to a number of factors. It is notable that although there are a few occurrences of Muslims carrying out the "Convert or Die" scenario, this is not the most common reason for Islam's expansion exclusively in terms of territory.
1) Arabia - What's that?: Prior to Mohammed, Arabia had been seen as a cultural and political backwater barely worth notice and therefore Mohammed's consolidation of the Arab Tribes was not seriously considered by the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires. This lead to a very porous southern defense and miscalculation of the Islamic Armies.
2) Byzantine-Sassanian Wars: Since the Byzantines and Sassanians considered each other the only real civilizations in the region, they fought each other numerous times in the early 600s C.E. over control of what is today East Turkey and Iraq. These were intense religious wars (Christian vs. Zoroastrian) and greatly weakened both empires at just the wrong time.
3) Tribal Command Structure: Arab Tribes and warriors owed their loyalty to their Sheikhs and leaders without fault because the Sheikh provided each person with all of the amenities and protection necessary to live a full life. Whenever the Arabs went to war, the Sheikhs could count on the ability to muster their tribesmen as soldiers without issue.
4) Support of the Locals: Since the Byzantine Empire and Sassanian Empire were engaged in religious zealotry, it stands to reason that they did not tolerate their religious minorities very well. The Muslims professed to (and did) treat minorities far better than either of these Empires. This led to religious minorities (especially Jews) from within the conquered territories helping Muslims to secure outposts and positions, freeing the Muslims to continue to spread the religion.
5) Citizenship by Conversion: The Islamic Empire was interesting in that being the leader or a person of import in the Empire was not contingent on ethnicity or place of birth as was the case of most prior empires. All a person had to do to gain power and prestige was to convert to Islam. This simple integration mechanism resulted in massive number of Persians, Berbers, and Turks converting to Islam. In fact, the furthest expansions of Islam (Spain, India, West China, South Russia, the Balkans) were all accomplished by non-Arabs (respectively Berbers, Persians/Mughals, Turkmen, Azeris, and Ottomans).
6) Warfare: The leaders charged with expanding the influence of Islam were thoughtful and diligent military leaders. Caliph 'Omar, who conquered much of the Levant, Egypt, Persia, and Iraq was well-known as a strategist and a fighter. It was this knowledge of warfare that allowed Muslim forces to expand the territory's influence.
7) Universality: Islam, as a religion, claims salvation for all people in all places, making the religion very attractive, especially to people born into low castes and bad economic positions.
Why do Muslim houses have courtyards?
Answer 1
So women can go about their outside tasks with out being seen by people outside the family.
Answer 2
This is not specifically a Muslim phenomenon. It existed throughout the Middle East long before the Arabs invaded the Levant and Mesopotamia. Houses of the same style can also be found in Italy (most famously Piazza Strozzi) and in Spain (most famously Casa de Pilatos). It was an issue of privacy and cleanliness. The privacy issue is easy to understand. You could move about your backyard without anyone seeing you. The cleanliness issue comes from the cities. In the Ancient and Medieval periods, there was no modern sanitation or general respect for property of others. a front lawn would quickly be filled with trash and become disgusting and unhealthy for the house occupants. By having an internal yard, the members of the house could make sure the area stayed beautiful and picturesque.
When did Islam control constantinople?
The Latin Empire of Constantinople ruled from 1204 to 1261, when Michael VIII Palaiologos managed to reclaim the city from the Italians.
If we go through the history of the sub-continent, we'll find that the British came to India for trade. The East India Company (The British) took advantage of the differences between the Hindus and the Muslims and using their treachery and the policy of Divide and Rule, weakened the Indian sates and took hold of the Muslim States one by one with the help of traitors. After the War of Independence, they took tough measures (It is a very very simple word, they, rather butchered thousands of Muslims mercilessly, without any justification), because they knew that they had usurped the power from the Muslims. They feared that the Muslims would rise in revolt against their colonial, imperial rule as and when they found the chance. 1857 War of Independence will go as a slur on the name of justice the British claim to be following. There are hundreds of books which describe what happened to thousands of Muslims after the War. It is a pathetic, painful and heart-rending chapter of human history.
Answer 1
because they were politically chosen and not by god. God has appointed a prophet or a imam for his people ..... how can Umayyad caliphs are right when they are not appointed by god but by themselves
Answer 2
Answer 1 does not demonstrate why they are important, but only why they have low approval ratings, especially among the Shiites.
The Umayyad Caliphs were important because they changed the political organization of Islam from being one governed by tribal codes and ethics to one with an imperial capital, provinces, and ostentatious royalty. Democracy and meritocracy were replaced with monarchy. A bureaucracy was developed in Damascus using former Sassanian and Byzantine talents. The Maghreb, Spain, and Afghanistan were militarily annexed and there were expeditions (military) sent as far as Xinjiang Province (East Turkestan) is China. Additionally, after their overthrow by the Abbassids in the Middle East, they continued to rule in Islamic Spain (Andalucia), presiding over one of the most tolerant civilizations of the Middle Ages.
What are general beliefs of Islam?
What is Islam?: The name of the religion is Islam, which comes from an Arabic root word meaning "peace" and "submission." Islam teaches that one can only find peace in one's life by submitting to Almighty God (Allah) in heart, soul and deed. The same Arabic root word gives us "Salaam alaykum," ("Peace be with you"), the universal Muslim greeting.
Who is a Muslim?: A person who believes in and consciously follows Islam is called a Muslim, also from the same root word. So, the religion is called "Islam," and a person who believes in and follows it is a "Muslim." * What is the difference between Muslim, Moslem and Islamic?
How Many and Where?: Islam is a major world religion, with over 1 billion followers worldwide (1/5 of the world population). It is considered one of the Abrahamic, monotheistic faiths, along with Judaism and Christianity. Although usually associated with the Arabs of the Middle East, less than 10% of Muslims are in fact Arab. Muslims are found all over the world, of every nation, color and race. * Muslim population of the world
Who is Allah?: Allah is the proper name for Almighty God, and is often translated merely as "God." Allah has other names that are used to describe His characteristics: the Creator, the Sustainer, the Merciful, the Compassionate, etc. Muslims believe that since Allah alone is the Creator, it is He alone that deserves our devout love and worship. Islam holds to a strict monotheism. Any worship and prayers directed at saints, prophets, other human beings or nature is considered idolatry. * More about the nature of God * "Names" of Allah
What do Muslims believe about God, prophets, the afterlife, etc.?: The basic beliefs of Muslims fall into six main categories, which are known as the "Articles of Faith": * Faith in the unity of God * Faith in angels * Faith in prophets * Faith in books of revelation * Faith in an afterlife * Faith in destiny/divine decree
The "five pillars" of Islam: In Islam, faith and good works go hand-in-hand. A mere verbal declaration of faith is not enough, for belief in Allah makes obedience to Him a duty. The Muslim concept of worship is very broad. Muslims consider everything they do in life to be an act of worship, if it is done according to Allah's guidance. There are also five formal acts of worship which help strengthen a Muslim's faith and obedience. They are often called the "Five Pillars of Islam." * Testimony of faith (Kalima) * Prayer (Salat) * Almsgiving (Zakat) * Fasting (Sawm) * Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Daily life as a Muslim: While often seen as a radical or extreme religion, Muslims consider Islam to be the middle road. Muslims do not live life with complete disregard for God or religious matters, but nor do they neglect the world to devote themselves solely to worship and prayer. Muslims strike a balance by fulfilling the obligations of and enjoying this life, while always mindful of their duties to Allah and to others. * Morals and manners * Business ethics * Modesty in dress and behavior * Dietary rules * Marriage * Care of children and elderly * Racism and prejudice * Relations with non-Muslims
What percentage is Islam in Spain?
I do not think it reaches 10%; due to the country's history, Spain is very hostile to both Islam, and Arabs, even today. Moroccans for example, are stereotyped as being hoodlums and drug peddlers, and there are places in northern Spain where an Arab better shave his beard if he does not want to get beat up.
What was the name of Istanbul in the Middle Ages?
Constantinople, Stamboul, Islambol; It often depended on what time of the Middle Ages and what language you spoke.
What are the merits of Islamic economics?
This won't be a direct answer to the question submitted, but I felt like sharing my opinion on such a topic.
The Islamic Economic system is a system that is prescribed to certain sects of Islam communities. From my brief research it affects the laws of the land and also dictates what is right and wrong through civil obedience and discipline (an Islamic judicial system this area would cover). I am sure you know that much of the Western world and developed nations are secular (laws are separate from religion to prevent conflict). This happened because without a socially supported legal system by the mass public defending many of the older ties to religions in law, it was practical to abolish religion based laws, as people were no longer all the same religions in one area like ancient times. We now have all of the worlds most practiced religions in communities of almost every large antion in the world (excluding exceptionally violent or high conflict regions).
Living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I frequently have the chance to interact with various worldly cultures from those who just live differently from the majority born here because of their origins, and they may still be adjusting the the culture shock. Religious people are also easy to find around here in any of the top 10 world religions, all with a local following supporting both the orthodox and more contemporary practice of these many peaceful, wise religions.
Now you mention what is the importance of the Islamic economic system? I think that it must be pretty important to Muslims' in their native Middle Eastern countries. Since many people in the Middle East still are practicing Islam as they always have, I see it fitting that they may feel attached to their "old system".
Again, living in a secular society all my life, which appears to have less spontaneous violence and economic turmoil as the Middle East over the last 3 decades, I am left with a strong favour of support to review the impacts of these old laws. Many of these laws, if implemented into the United States or Canada, would cause disbelief and very loud protest to save our freedom of speech and constitutional rights. From what I have seen in various Islamic Political countries and their criminal offenses and punishments, many Middle Eastern laws seem to favour a man's opinion and witness over that of a women. Basically this is oppression of about half your people to think or act on their own without being intimidated.
This kind of control stemming from exaggerate fear is destructive to the perception of other world leaders and changes their perceptions of the quality of life that these nations provide their people given the certain heinous laws such as female-only prohibited laws, which further victimize them are enforced and punishable there. When anything taught under the name of religious philosophy encourages discrimination on a systemic level, I think that the leaders of these particular religions should review and make changes to laws that were fitting for thousands of years ago. Way too much has changed in society over the last few thousand years that any legal practitioner would call it disastrous to neglect to observe the current system and plan for improvements because one set of rules is "Holy" so to speak.
I think that there is no place for religion in the scope of politics in the Western World, and to believe such a reform would be possible to a more strictly enforcing religion could happen is fallacy. But I don't mean to criticize the entirety of historic Islamic Economic systems. Surely these laws made their nations flourish centuries ago, because legal, economic and judicial planning are important in any civil society to improve living quality and citizen satisfaction.
Far past we are the days that religious transcripts could rule the behaviours of entire nations with such efficacy, with paramounts surpassing the atrocities and crimes. Tying religion to laws is only asking for conflict because (especially with the lack of guidance to cope with modern problems and a focus on behaviour taught by Ancient Islamic Law. This behaviour is incredulously specific and too "extreme for my spiritual life" but I mean no offense to the most devout Islamic people. I think religions teach beautiful and important ways to living that will never expire with the replacement of a state implemented scripture book called : "Morals and Principles: Through Individualism and Collectivism" People will always be drawn to ideologies based on the type of person they are overall. Why should we force religious laws upon anyone in these modern times, when we see the violence, hate a ignorance it costs? The world as it stands today requires close connections and trade between eachother for a sustainable and peaceful future.
When it comes to international negotiations, I believe Islamic Law will further deteriorate the Middle East's influence as a world power. Not everyone will agree with all the laws so complacently as people ma have before. Several uprisings in Libya and Egypt, for example shows that the primarily Muslim people who were oppressed by generations of dictators finally saw it in their hands to be the change they want to see. Modern media like the internet gives youths, especially the tools to organize like they could never be before without being extremely fearful. I think that Muslims should be free to use their law and justice systems drive them to the point that they are at least rationalized when directly seeming barbaric.
In closing, I'd like to think of the Islamic economic system as the large reserves of oil that sit under the endless miles of beautiful sand and sculptures. This is the water by which certain middle east nations have as bargaining power to attain an absolute fortune for their country, their people, their communities and most importantly their safety and quality of life. In all seriousness I respect most religions, although recent memory reminds me of some other non-Islam religions I watched a few weeks ago which showed a vilel hate for anyone that doesn't look like them, practice their beliefs or even puts your foot ont heir land. NI'm not naming anyone, I know there is good in all religion and some people get a bit loopy and self-riighteous about themeselves and entitlements. All that despite teachings that counter such foolish actions. -_-
I condemn anything that holds the world and it's people from a greater depth of dialogue with eachother because of a few differences. Everyone in this world needs to grow up spiritually and take the time to learn the importance of helping other people and benefiting your human brothers and sisters. Shame on the world for still having brutal conflicts consistently, even throughout history should have humbled us enough to know when we are being a complete fool.
Maybe Islam's system for economics and law has been a great cause of meaningful change in the past. That's great! That doesn't mean it can't continue to spread its message of love while adapting to the rapidly growing and changing human social standard.
[About me: I follow no religion. I am agnostic. I find great strength in Buddhist scriptures that teach compassion and recognize the importance and magic of group citizenship and the misery the occurs when we isolate our selves. I do not support to any definitive degree any single Political Ideology or Religious Practice is the greatest. I see hapiness in the limitations that my life has and I value the recognition that I don't have to exceed them to lead a loving and meaningful life.]
Best Wishes To You,
Greg Jankowski
Why did muslims split into 2 groups?
Islam is one religion and never split in two The only point is that there are two main schools withing Islam religion; called Sunni and Shiites schools. The differences between them are minors and relevant to the basic Islam religion beliefs and rules. They both pray to same God, recite same Quran, pray in same mosques and possibly behind same leader (who is Sunni or Shiite, go to hajj in same places and doing same rituals, fast same month of Ramadan, believe in same prophet, ... etc. Refer to question below.
How did the Umayyads' treatment of non-Muslims and non-Arabs affect their empire?
Dhimmi (Non-Muslims)
The Dhimmi, or non-Muslim under Muslim occupation was required during the Umayyad Period to pay a number of taxes that were connected with his Dhimmi status. The most famous was the jizya, which was a tax that Dhimmi had to pay for Muslims for the right to not be killed where they stood for not acknowledging Mohammed's Prophecy; it was a form of humiliation. Additional taxes included the kharaj, which was a tax on non-Muslim land-holdings in the Muslim World. The kharaj was so untenable that most Dhimmi were forced to live in the cities where the tax would not be applicable. On paper, a Christian or Jew could testify against a Muslim, but in reality, such testimony was not acceptable and the attempt to defame a Muslim would receive retribution. Christians and Jews were not allowed to build new houses of worship, restore old houses of worship, proselytize in any way (this included religious debate or dialogue), or allow wine or pigs to be shown in public.
Mawali (Non-Arab Muslims)
Mawali were traditionally excluded from political and social affairs. The Umayyad in particular treated them as second-class Muslims. The evidence of this treatment was that Mawali were not allowed to have many government positions and that they were taxed whereas Arab Muslims were not taxed at all. Mawali made up an important component of the Umayyad Caliphate, especially Persians. Persia was always a high seat of culture in the Islamic Empire. As a result, ideas moved quite freely throughout Persia and Persians considered themselves to be of equal worth to Arabs.
Result
Since they treated both rather horrendously, it is not surprising that the Umayyad Caliphate fell around 100 years after its foundation due to internal strife and localized rebellion. However, most of the rebellion came out of Persian and Moroccan Mawalis who were angered over their disenfranchisement rather than the Dhimmi who did not wish to receive retribution for offending Muslims.
What were the effects of the Muslim invasion on aksum?
Aksum had converted to Christianity in the intervening centuries, so the conquest of the Sudan by Muslim forces effectively isolated the Aksumite Christians from the rest of the Christian World and resulted in the creation of the unique Ethiopian Tawhedo Church. Furthermore, the arrival of Islam on both Ethiopia's northern and eastern flanks effectively cut-off Aksum from the sea-trade that had made it historically powerful, making the subsequent Abbysinian Kingdoms weaker than their Aksumite forebearers.
What is tawarruq in Islamic finance and banking?
Tawaruq is a mode of Personal Finance made available in Islamic Banking. Since lending and borrwing money is prohibited in Islamic Finance, Tawarouq allows the customers to get cash from banks and institution by way of buying and selling of commodity (metal etc) on behalf of the customer in transparent way (sharia complaint way) and proceeds towards the cash available after buying and selling of metal are given to the customer which has to be repayed back to the bank. Bank may/maynot charge a Profit rate for this activity done on behalf of the customer.
In what country did Islam begin?
For many Muslims the term "Islam" has two meanings: the Divine Religion of Submission to God's Will (often called Islam with a small "i") and the Institutionalized Belief as Found in Qur'an and Revealed by Mohammed's Prophecy (often called Islam with a capital "I"). The following answers should be understood in either of those meanings.
Answer 1
Muhammad was born in Mecca and he began to preach Islam in the cities of Mecca and Medina, which are in modern Saudi Arabia. Islam originated in the 7th century. It is the youngest of the world's major religions. Saudi Arabia has now become the most restrictive country in the world vis-à-vis other religions.
Answer 2
Islam is an Arabic word that means submission to Allah (God in English). In this sense, Islam started by God since God creation of the universe. All creations were and are created on full submission (Islam) to God. This explains also that Islam in its universal sense is the mission of all God prophets to humanity. All prophets were calling people to Islam (submission to God, the one and only one). However:
- Islam per the Torah God revelation to Moses (PBUH) is called Judaism,
- Islam per the Bible God revelation to Jesus (PBUH) is called Christianity, and
- Islam per the Qur'an revelation to Muhammad (PBUH) is called the very name Islam.
Islam per the Qur'an revelation to prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started in the country that is currently called Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. See the Related Question below.
Regarding the opening statement and Answer 9: : The dual definitions of islam and Islam has no reference in any Islamic source. It is something baseless and introduced by some westerners.
Regarding Answer 1: Please reread this answer.
Answer 3
Prophet Mohammad(s.a.w) spread Islam in the whole world from Mecca and Medina (generally). So you can say it was founded in Saudi Arabia but it is not the religion of Arabs. Islam is a Universal Religion and even though it started in Saudi Arabia, today many countries have Islam.
Answer 4
The last Prophet of Islam was born in Makka, Saudi Arabia. In a way, we can say that Islam began in Arabia. Although, according to the Muslims all the Prophets of Allah preached Islam.
Answer 5
Islam began in Saudi Arabia (Mecca and Medina cities) when the prophet Mohammad first received vision from Allah through the angel, Jibril (Gabriel).
Answer 6
Saudi Arabia. The first Muslims led by the prophet Muhammad lived in Mecca and then moved to the city of Medina (previously known as Yathrib later renamed to Medina). Both Mecca and Medina are in present day Saudi Arabia. Back then it wasn't called Saudi Arabia cause Saud is the name of the royal dynasty who rules the country now, just the Windsors rule Britain. It was just called Arabia back then.
Answer 7
Islam has existed since the first day Adam was created! It has not started in a country but it is the religion of the heavens! However; since this heavenly Islam was distorted, Muslims believe the prophet Muhammad came to restore the message - the revival originated in the city of Mecca, in the country today called The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Answer 8
Believers in the faith of the Prophet Mohamed, consider Mecca as the origin of the religion. This is where the Prophet lived and is beneath the mountain where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac. It is also the city with the Mosque that encloses the "Kaabah" and the destination for pilgrimage. The country is then the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mecca is next to the Red Sea, south of Jeddah.
Answer 9
islam with a small "i" (henceforth written as "islam") is a concept that comes out of Islam with a capital "I" (henceforth written as Islam") and projects the Established Religion of Islam back into the period before people would have identified as Muslim.
islam traces itself back to the universe's creation, making Islam the only proper human faith according to the Qur'an. Since it is considered part of universal creation, there is no country where islam begin, since islam existed before the world did.
Islam, as an Established Religion, was organized and directed by Mohammed, who, according to Islam, received revelations from God in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in the late 6th century. He was supported by several family members like his uncle Ali Ibn Talib and his first wife Khadija to pursue these prophecies. He converted other members to his nascent religion before being expelled from Mecca to Yethrib (now known as Medina) in 622 C.E. When Mohammed became the Chief Hakam or Judge/Administrator of Yethrib, he received many new revelations and began to ask members of his community to memorize these revelations (along with prior ones). These memorizers (in Arabic Hafeths) would eventually be responsible for the creation of one unified Qur'an. By Mohammed's death, he had conquered all of Arabia and converted most of Arabia to his new faith, establishing the grounds for an Islamic Caliphate, which succeeded him.
Answer 10
Islam is the only religion given to mankind by its Creator, Almighty God. It is not FOUNDED. It is as old as the first human being descended on the earth Hazrat Adam (AS) was the first Muslim and first Prophet of Almighty God. All the Prophets sent to earth by Almighty God for the guidance of humans preached One and the same religion-Islam. The last prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (May peace be upon him) was born in Makka. He started preaching Islam in 610 AD, in Makka in Saudi Arabia. The fundamental belief being: ONENESS of Almighty God, having No Son, No Parents, No Off-spring, No Partner. The Sole Creator, Sustainer, Provider and Ruler of all the worlds.
In Arabia, now called Saudi Arabia. Specifically in the towns of al-Makkah and al-Yathrib, now called Medinah.
Islam was started in the Modern day Saudi Arabia. In the Hijaz Province, which would be considered as Mecca now.
At the time, the area was known as "Al-Jazeera Al-Arabiya" (Arabian Peninsula).
Islam originates from Saudi Arabia.
Islam started by and even before start of universe creation. However, Islam per Quran God revelation to prophet Muhammad (PBUH) started by start of God revelation to the prophet in Makkah (or Mecca) in Saudi Arabia.
What contributions did the Muslims make during the golden age?
there were many even still there are but people have made islam a very difficult religion even it is not......one of the bestestestestest contibution which i like the most was the importance of women :).....before islam women were treated in a very inhumane manner....young girls were buried or killed when they just born...so islam did everything to protect a woman and that is why today women are alive in all world....even i would not b able to answer you if islam wud not have been introduced :)
How did Aurangzeb treat non-Muslims?
Badly.
The Mughal Empire was known throughout its reign to have been a relatively beneficent Islamic State, especially under Akbar the Great. However, King Aurangzeb forcibly converted massive numbers of Hindus in India. He also led several campaigns to slaughter of several groups of Hindus who lived outside of his direct authority. He was known for destroying the three most sacred Hindu temples: the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Kesava Deo temple and Somnath temple and built large mosques in their place. Sikh leaders who opposed Aurangzeb's forced conversions were beheaded. Christians who had received aid and protection under Akbar the Great lost those benefits under the Mughal.
The Dajjal is the Islamic Anti-Christ. It performs most of the same functions as the Christian Anti-Christ, namely that he will lead Unbelievers in a final struggle against Jesus for the redemption of all humanity. Some Muslims also believe that a second helper to Jesus, the Mahdi, will also help contest the power of the Dajjal.
Since the Dajjal is considered a fully evil person, there are various cultural myths about how ugly he will be or how vicious and tyrannical. These myths are typically not codified in any Islamic source.
What factors contributed to the early spread of Islam?
Answer 1
Many factors enabled the spread of Islam such as the message and content of the Qur'an, the evidence the Qur'an provides, and Islamic values appealed to many people. A. J. Arberry has also described how the Qur'an's recitation is very moving.
Answer 2
Islam spread quickly due to a number of factors. It is notable that although there are a few occurrences of Muslims carrying out the "Convert or Die" scenario, this is not the most common reason for Islam's expansion both in terms of territory and belief. [Please see the Related Link below for a discussion on forcible conversion in Islam.]
1) Arabia - What's that?: Prior to Mohammed, Arabia had been seen as a cultural and political backwater barely worth notice and therefore Mohammed's consolidation of the Arab Tribes was not seriously considered by the Byzantine and Sassanian Empires. This lead to a very porous southern defense and miscalculation of the Islamic Armies.
2) Byzantine-Sassanian Wars: Since the Byzantines and Sassanians considered each other the only real civilizations in the region, they fought each other numerous times in the early 600s C.E. over control of what is today East Turkey and Iraq. These were intense religious wars (Christian vs. Zoroastrian) and greatly weakened both empires at just the wrong time.
3) Tribal Command Structure: Arab Tribes and warriors owed their loyalty to their Sheikhs and leaders without fault because the Sheikh provided each person with all of the amenities and protection necessary to live a full life. Whenever the Arabs went to war, the Sheikhs could count on the ability to muster their tribesmen as soldiers without issue.
4) Support of the Locals: Since the Byzantine Empire and Sassanian Empire were engaged in religious zealotry, it stands to reason that they did not tolerate their religious minorities very well. The Muslims professed to (and did) treat minorities far better than either of these Empires. This led to religious minorities (especially Jews) from within the conquered territories helping Muslims to secure outposts and positions, freeing the Muslims to continue to spread the religion.
5) Citizenship by Conversion: The Islamic Empire was interesting in that being the leader or a person of import in the Empire was not contingent on ethnicity or place of birth as was the case of most prior empires. All a person had to do to gain power and prestige was to convert to Islam. This simple integration mechanism resulted in massive number of Persians, Berbers, and Turks converting to Islam. In fact, the furthest expansions of Islam (Spain, India, West China, South Russia, the Balkans) were all accomplished by non-Arabs (respectively Berbers, Persians/Mughals, Turkmen, Azeris, and Ottomans).
6) Warfare: The leaders charged with expanding the influence of Islam were thoughtful and diligent military leaders. Caliph 'Omar, who conquered much of the Levant, Egypt, Persia, and Iraq was well-known as a strategist and a fighter. It was this knowledge of warfare that allowed Muslim forces to expand the territory's influence.
7) Universality: Islam, as a religion, claims salvation for all people in all places, making the religion very attractive, especially to people born into low castes and bad economic positions.
8) Commerce: Islam, like most religions, spread also through peaceful means of commerce and education whereby non-Muslims learned of the faith and adopted as their own amidst business dealings with Muslims.
