1. Rise of Islam I: The Prophet
Social Studies for 10th E.G.B. | Teacher: Mauricio
Torres

2. Background
 Islam emerged in the Arabian Peninsula. Its
deserts and trade centers helped shape the
early life of Muhammad.

3. Geographic Setting
 The Arabian Peninsula is
mostly desert, but farming is
possible through irrigation or
scattered oasis.
 Many Arab clans occupied
Arabia at the time of
Muhammad. Nomadic
herders called Bedouins
used camels to cross to cross
the desert to pasture when
seasons changed.
 Bedouins traded with other
Arabs all around the
Peninsula.

4. Mecca
 Mecca (Makkah) was a booming market
town at the crossroads of two main
caravan routes.
◦ One linked Arabia with Palestine and the
Mediterranean coast.
◦ The second one, crossed from Mesopotamia
to Africa.
 Pilgrims also went there on pilgrimage.
They prayed at the Kaaba, an ancient
shrine the Muslims believe to be built by
Abraham.
◦ The pilgrims traffic brought many good profits
to merchants.

5. Mecca

6. Muhammad
 He was born in Mecca about
570 AD.
 When he was young, he
worked as a shepherd among
the Bedouins.
 Later he led caravans across
the desert and became a
successful merchant.
 When he was 25, he married
Khadijah, a wealthy widow,
and was a devoted father and
husband.

7. His Visions
 When he was 40 he was troubled
by the idol worship and moral ills
of society.
 He went into a cave to meditate.
◦ According to Muslim belief, he heard
a voice that ordered him to pray.
 “Recite in the name of your God, the
Creator, who created man from clots of
blood”.
 He understood it was the voice of
angel Gabriel calling him to be
the messenger of God.

8. Birth of Islam
 Muhammad was terrified. How could
an illiterate merchant become the
messenger of God?
 But Khadija encouraged him to accept
the call. In fact she was the first
convert of Islam.
 Islam means “submission”.
 He spent the rest of his life spreading
Islam, urging Arabs to give up the
false gods and praise Allah.

9. An Outcast
 At first, a few people listened to the teaching
of Muhammad. His rejection of traditional
Arab gods angered Meccans, who feared
pilgrimage would be disrupted.

10. The Hijra
 Facing murder threats in 622, he
and his followers left for Yahtrib, a
journey known as the hijra.
◦ Later Yahtrib would be renamed
Medina (City of the Prophet).
◦ 622 became the first year of the
Muslim calendar.
 When he reached Medina, he was
welcomed as a ruler and lawgiver.
 Others soon began to adopt Islam.
 Muslims soon launched attacks on
Medina, defeated them and
Muhammad was able to return
triumphantly.

11. Death and after
 For the last years of his life,
he worked to unite Arabs
under the banner of Islam.
 He died in 632, poisoned.
 The faith that he proclaimed
continued to spread, to the
point in which it is one of the
world’s main religions.

12. Ask Yourself
 Identify the following terms:
◦ Mecca, Bedouins, Khadija, Islam
 Define
◦ What is the hijra?
 Recall
◦ How did Muhammad become the prophet of Islam?
 Analyze
◦ Why was Mecca so important before Muhammad?
◦ “No one is a prophet in their own land”. Does this apply to
Muhammad? Why or why not?
 Timeline
◦ List the important events of Muhammad’s life.
 Evaluate
◦ Why was pilgrimage so important to merchants in Mecca?

13. Bibliography
 Ellis, E. G., & Esler, A. (2009). World History. (P.
Hall, Ed.) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, US:
Pearson Education INC.
 Burstein, S. M., & Shek, R. (2012). World History
(Teacher´s Edition) (1st Edition ed.). (H. McDougal,
Ed.) Orlando, Florida, US.: Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt Publishing Company.
 Images taken from Google.