Islam is a monotheistic religion practiced by Muslims. Islam is similar to Christianity in that they both believe in a God except in Islam He is referred to as Allah. One difference between the two religions is that both Christians and Muslims both believe in Jesus, but Christians see him as the Son of God and therefore worship him as if he was a god. Christians also believe God has three different personas; “God, who exists in three distinct persons (The Trinity): Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)”. This makes it seem as though the Christians worship more than one person and the Muslims on the other hand, look down on worshiping anyone other than God himself. Muslims see Isa (Isa: Muslim name for Jesus) as only a prophet, not divine.
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It is thought around the age of forty, Muhammad was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who showed him revelations from Allah. A few years later Muhammad began to share the revelations Gabriel brought to him. Although some of the citizens of Mecca believed Muhammad was telling the truth others thought he was lying about his visions. Muhammad and his followers were persecuted until they were eventually pushed out of Mecca so they went on a pilgrimage to the city of Medina. Medina provided Muhammad and his followers a safe place to live and preach the Islamic religion. After several years, Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca, to forgive them and try once again to preach Islam to them once again. Muhammad’s revelations lasted for many years and were eventually written after his death and became what is known now as the bible of Islam called the Qur’an. The origin of Islam has become a very controversial topic in recent years. The book, Muhammad and the Believers: at the Origins of Islam is historian Fred Donner’s interpretation of what may have really happened in early Islamic history. The book consists of five chapters. The first chapter, called “The Near East on the Eve of Islam,” talks about the Near East before Muhammad. The chapter focuses on the different polytheistic religions in the Byzantine and Sassanian empires such as Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and …show more content…
Donner explains that sources hint on multiple occasions that there was a large struggle for leadership. The only way to receive a leadership role was to be wholly devoted to religion which caused fighting amongst themselves over who really fits this description. Along with struggling to maintain leaders, Donner mentions there is also a shift going on during this time towards more structured forms of military and political organization. The final chapter titled “The Emergence of Islam” attempts to summarize the process of the transitions to Islam that were occurring. Donner found that Islam was beginning to become a more exclusive religion and was forming their own religion away from the Jews and Christians who were previously welcomed. This is shown with the use of the terms “Muslim” and “Islam,” as a way to now exclude the Jews and Christians from their
It is thought around the age of forty, Muhammad was visited by the Angel Gabriel, who showed him revelations from Allah. A few years later Muhammad began to share the revelations Gabriel brought to him. Although some of the citizens of Mecca believed Muhammad was telling the truth others thought he was lying about his visions. Muhammad and his followers were persecuted until they were eventually pushed out of Mecca so they went on a pilgrimage to the city of Medina. Medina provided Muhammad and his followers a safe place to live and preach the Islamic religion. After several years, Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca, to forgive them and try once again to preach Islam to them once again. Muhammad’s revelations lasted for many years and were eventually written after his death and became what is known now as the bible of Islam called the Qur’an. The origin of Islam has become a very controversial topic in recent years. The book, Muhammad and the Believers: at the Origins of Islam is historian Fred Donner’s interpretation of what may have really happened in early Islamic history. The book consists of five chapters. The first chapter, called “The Near East on the Eve of Islam,” talks about the Near East before Muhammad. The chapter focuses on the different polytheistic religions in the Byzantine and Sassanian empires such as Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and …show more content…
Donner explains that sources hint on multiple occasions that there was a large struggle for leadership. The only way to receive a leadership role was to be wholly devoted to religion which caused fighting amongst themselves over who really fits this description. Along with struggling to maintain leaders, Donner mentions there is also a shift going on during this time towards more structured forms of military and political organization. The final chapter titled “The Emergence of Islam” attempts to summarize the process of the transitions to Islam that were occurring. Donner found that Islam was beginning to become a more exclusive religion and was forming their own religion away from the Jews and Christians who were previously welcomed. This is shown with the use of the terms “Muslim” and “Islam,” as a way to now exclude the Jews and Christians from their