(1) Who was Muhammad? Describe his life before and after his encounter with Allah. Muhammad was the founder of the Islamic faith and his life began in Mecca in the year 570 CE. After Muhammad was born, his father had died, then as a child his life grew more unstable as his mother died, forcing him to live with his grandfather, and after his grandfather died he was taken in by his uncle Abu Talib. Muhammad youth was stricken with instability and heartbreak, but as a young adult he began working as a caravan driver for a woman would later become his first wife. She greatly influenced Muhammad’s life, for he benefited greatly from her support and wisdom. One day, as Muhammad was meditating, he received his first encounter …show more content…
They are moral guidelines somewhat like the Ten Commandments, except they describe proper practices, instead of abstaining from wrongdoing. In the Islamic faith, the Five Pillars of Islam are a continuity of the Ten Commandments, this is obvious in the First Pillar, Shahadah or Creed. Shahadah means creed, it is a simple statement that declares “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger. “ This first pillar is the most important, therefore is it seen and repeated constantly all over the Islamic world. The Second Pillar of Islam is Salas, which means prayer. In the Qur’an, it states that Muslims are supposed to pray at least five times a day in order to show their devotion and submission to Allah. The Third Pillar of Islam is Zakat or charity to the poor. This pillar states that Muslims should show compassion and kindness to those that are less fortunate. Sawm is the Fourth Pillar of Islam and it means fasting during Ramadan. Fasting is seen in many religions and it’s a way of cleansing/disciplining oneself in order to show devotion. The Fifth, and final Pillar of Islam is Hajj. Hajj is a practice older than Islam itself, it means a pilgrimage to Mecca. Doing so brings together Muslims of different backgrounds, brings spiritual insight, and honors