How to Understand the Origins of Islam

Of the three main monotheistic religions—Christianity, Judaism and Islam—the last is the only one rooted in clearly historical events. By contrast, the early development of Christianity and Judaism is largely rooted in myth. We know for a fact that a man named Mohammed was born in Mecca about 570 AD, and that he went on to lead a religious revolution that redrew the map of the world. Here’s how Islam took root and spread around the globe.

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Instructions

1. The Arabian peninsula was largely untouched by Christianity. Although the burgeoning Christian religion had made inroads in other parts of the Middle East—such as present-day Turkey and northern Africa—Arabians in the sixth century practiced a tribal religion involving the worship of idols. Even before the rise of Islam, Mecca was considered a holy city because it contained the Ka’ba, or holy stone.

2. Mohammed had his revelation in 1610. At the relatively advanced age of 40, Mohammed claimed that God had spoken to him, inspiring him to write down the Koran (which means “recitation” in Arabic). What Abraham had done with Judaism a millennium before, Mohammed now proceeded to do with Islam. He challenged the religious leaders in Mecca to cease the worship of idols and accept the will of Allah.

3. An increasing number of people flocked to Mohammed’s cause. A dozen years after his revelation, Mohammed had attracted enough followers to prompt Mecca’s religious leaders to drive him out of the city. In the year 622, this first “hejira” to Medina (280 miles away on the Arabian coast) is still commemorated by modern-day Muslims, and 622 marks the first year of the Muslim calendar.

4. In Medina, Mohammed and his followers built up their strength. Despite continuing harassment from Mecca, Mohammed’s followers prospered in Medina, finally growing strong enough to conquer Mecca in 630. Rather than destroying the Ka’ba, Mohammed turned it into the new focal point of the Islamic religion, throwing out its idols and rededicating the monument to Allah.

5. Over the next century, Arabian armies spread Islam far and wide. The zeal of its followers—and the relatively weak hold that Christianity had on Middle Eastern territories—allowed Islam to spread with astonishing speed. It also helped that two of the major mid-millennium empires, Persia and Byzantium, were both on the brink of collapse and unable to counter proselytizers for Islam.

6. Early Islam was unusually tolerant of other religions. In its first hundred or so years, Islam discouraged conversion by force, preaching tolerance for other “people of the book” (meaning monotheistic Jews and Christians). However, political developments in the mid-8th century ended this policy, and forced conversion to Islam became increasingly common.

[tarekzaki78]

on 7/8/2009 I am sorry Bob...but your depiction of the history of Islam is clearly ignorant....starting from the 1610 appearance of Mohamed...to conversion by force.I am pretty sure you got this info from some tv show. Try getting real material from reliable scholars on Islamic history like John Esposito and Caren Armstrong. Also Cristianity is not a "Myth" neither is Judaism....they are actually the predecessors of Islam and much of the Quran talks about whats in the Bible and Torah....Islam is just the last link in the religion chain...it is not some absurd religion that was invented by a some desert guy's dreams. By the way....I am Muslim so you guys dont start questioning my inclinations and bias.

[Cherrie]

on 10/21/2008 You meant to say that Mohammed had his revelation in 610 AD, not 1610. Mohammed acknowledged and respected Christianity and Judaism contrarily to what Muslim's do today. Are you aware of it? If not you are not a real Muslim.

[Salaam]

on 10/5/2008 I'm sorry you are offended that he said that the religons are rooted in Myth. Most people assume that Myth means that something is not true. In the context of this article he is only saying that it is rooted in Myth due to the fact that there are no historical records outside of scriptures that verify the existence of the prophets of the Torah and the Bible however this is not to say that they do not exists. As far as Muhammad the Prophet is concerned there are scriptural as well as historical evidence that support his existence

[dbear6]

on 8/1/2008 Christianity rooted in myth???? you are delusional, how can it be a myth when even your "religion" acknowledges early Jewish and Christian Leaders as Prophets? You guys are intellectually dishonest to say the least!!!!

[JoelWeymouth]

on 6/8/2008 The origin of Christianity and Judaism rooted in Myth?
Have you read Josephus, Tacitus? Have you read the ancient preserved texts of 1 Corinthians 15, written within ten years of Christs life? According to the rules of evidence these are facts. Robert Greenleaf. Now why don't you mention the Haggith and the the stories about Mohammed there? Talk about Myth and tall tales, he might as well be called Paul Bunyan. IN the future, I hope scholarly men post answers and not fanatical supporters of Islam.