Islamic Religion :: essays research papers

Todays Muslims are branded as terrorists or fudamentalist. But their religion is a gentle religion. On the Arabian Penninsula, home of the Arabs, was isolated and they were able to develop their civilization without outside influences. It is about 1 million miles square, that is located between the Red sea and the Persian Gulf. There are two distinctive regions. The first has well-watered valleys between mountains and the second is arid plains and desert. Grass grows quickly during the showes of the rainy season. In ancient times the Arabs were bedouin (nomads that hersed sheep, goats, and camels. and lived in tents made made of felt from camel or goat hair.) They ate fresh or dried dates and drank milk from their herds. On special occasions they ate mutlon. their tribes were made of related families. They valued family ties becuase because they ensured they ensured protection and survival. They had a chief (sheikh). The sheikh ruled as long as the tribe allowed him. They had a counsil of elders. There was warfare over waterholes and pastures. Their way of punishment is an eye for sn eye and a tooth for a tooth. To improve warrior skills they had camel and horse. They had story telling in frount of the campfire. They had poetry about battles, desert, camels, horses, and love. In 500 A.D. they started a town called Makkah, which was fifty miles inland of the Red sea. Trade was mostly of animal producys for weopeans dates grains, spices, jewels ivory, silk, and perfumes. They had caravans travel there from as for china. Arabs had and worshipped many ditied business ties were replaceing family ties, and old tribal laws were not adequat Byzantine and the Persin armies were threatining to conquer them. The tribes had the some language but they had no central goverment, or sense of unity, The Arabs searched for new beliefs. The prohet of Islam was muhammad. He was born in Makkah in 570 A. D. . He was orphaned at an early age and was adopted by his uncle. He worked as a carovan leader on a trade route. He was know to be honest and able. His employer khadij'a ,a weakthy window if age 40, put him in charge of this business and proposed marriage to him. He went to a cave outside the city in 610 A.D. to pray and fast reveloution (vision) there. He was told to recite. "Recite in the name of your lord, the creator who created man from clots of blood. Rwcite! Your lord os the most bountiful one who by the pen has taught mankind things they didn't know.