Introduction
The Arabs are a powerful and unique culture that was started in modern Arabia. The culture of the Arabs was really based around their religious beliefs called Islam. Followers of the Islam religion were called Muslims. The religion was created by prophet Muhammad, who was once told to spread the word of God, or Allah, by the angel, Gabriel, at age forty. After about three years, Muhammad decided to start spreading the word of Allah. Once he began preaching in Mecca, many wanted to follow, however the new religion was hated by some Meccan tribes. He then had to leave Mecca and go to Medina, which is now the Hajj and one of the Five Pillars of Islam and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Once Muhammad and his followers got to Medina, he created the Constitution of Medina, uniting all the tribes in Medina. Then, using these powers, a good ten thousand followers went to war with Meccan tribes. After eight years of fighting, Muhammad and his people took back Mecca and Muhammad destroyed all the pagan idols in the city and then sent his followers out to destroy all of the remaining pagan temples in Eastern Arabia. Up until Muhammad died in 632 C.E., he still tried to gain followers. When he died, he had almost converted all of modern Arabia to Islam. After his death, all that he spoke about Allah was put into a religious book for Muslims to read called the Qur’an. The Qur’an tells Muslims how to live their lives.
A large piece to how Muslims lived was affected by the Five Pillars of Islam. Shahadah, or profession of faith, is the first pillar of Islam. They believe that, "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Salat, or prayer, is the second pillar. The Islam religion is based off the idea that everyone has a direct relationship with Allah. Muslims all turn to Mecca, which is Islam’s holiest city, to pray five daily prayers at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. Also, Friday congregational services are required, and prayers are usually done in groups and in a mosque instead of alone. Zakat, or almsgiving, is the third pillar. Social responsibility is considered part of one's service to God; the obligatory act of zakat enshrines this duty. For Zakat, you must pay a certain proportion of your possessions for the welfare of the community, mostly for its neediest people. What Muslims give up must be equal to 2.5 percent of an individual’s total net worth. Sawm, or fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, is the fourth pillar of Islam. In the Holy Qur'an, the fast is considered an act of deep, personal worship in which Muslims seek a richer sense of God. Ramadan is the month during which the Holy Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad; the month begins with the sighting of the new moon, after which you are not allowed to eat, drink, and have other sensual pleasures from dawn to sunset. Ramadan is also a joyful month where Muslims break their fast at sunset with a special meal, called iftar, perform additional nocturnal worship, called tarawih, after evening prayer; and gather in the festive and communal streets. The end of Ramadan starts three days of celebration called Eid Al-Fitr, which is the feast of the breaking of the fast. Customarily, it is a time for family reunion and the favored holiday for children who receive new clothing and gifts. Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, is the fifth pillar and the most significant demonstrations of Islamic faith and unity in the world. The Hajj is a spiritual gathering of Muslims from all over the world to the holy city. In performing the Hajj, a pilgrimage follows the order of ritual that Prophet Muhammad performed during his last pilgrimage.
The government is highly affected by the religion as well, because the descendant of Muhammad was to become ruler. After the first four caliphates, or descendants of Muhammad (rulers), the Arabs had taken some of modern Egypt, Syria, Persia, and Armenia through “holy wars” fought in the name of Allah. Finally, at the end of the Umayyad caliphs in 750 C.E., the Arabs had taken Berbers, Spain, and also pushed further east. As the Arab rule and trade spread across the Middle East and Mediterranean regions so did the Islamic religion. Around the end of the fourth caliphate, the Arabs hit a “Golden Age,” where Islamic society focused on learning as well as art and architecture. During the “Golden Age,” they built the first school for scholars called The House of Wisdom. The increased focus on scholarly studies produced advances in math and science. They helped create geometry for mathematics. In the scientific field, they became very knowledgeable with herbal medicines and the human body, as well as creating the first tools for eye surgery. Muslim scholars also “perfected” the astrolabe. All in all, their biggest contributions in learning were in their literature, where they learned to translate Greek to Arabic and expanded Greek philosopher theories to create more accurate ideas. In art, they started using calligraphy, geometric patterns, and vegetal patterns, in their art, and became more unique after an influence from Persian artists. Architecture for the Arabs was mostly seen in their beautiful mosques. The mosques were created in cities and areas they would take over. The mosques were constructed with unique features including a dome with a pointed top and beautifully decorated with geometric and vegetal patterns which are still the classic features of Islamic art. Today, the Arabs still live in modern Arabia, and are the founders of one of the most powerful and common religions in the world.
A large piece to how Muslims lived was affected by the Five Pillars of Islam. Shahadah, or profession of faith, is the first pillar of Islam. They believe that, "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Salat, or prayer, is the second pillar. The Islam religion is based off the idea that everyone has a direct relationship with Allah. Muslims all turn to Mecca, which is Islam’s holiest city, to pray five daily prayers at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. Also, Friday congregational services are required, and prayers are usually done in groups and in a mosque instead of alone. Zakat, or almsgiving, is the third pillar. Social responsibility is considered part of one's service to God; the obligatory act of zakat enshrines this duty. For Zakat, you must pay a certain proportion of your possessions for the welfare of the community, mostly for its neediest people. What Muslims give up must be equal to 2.5 percent of an individual’s total net worth. Sawm, or fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, is the fourth pillar of Islam. In the Holy Qur'an, the fast is considered an act of deep, personal worship in which Muslims seek a richer sense of God. Ramadan is the month during which the Holy Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad; the month begins with the sighting of the new moon, after which you are not allowed to eat, drink, and have other sensual pleasures from dawn to sunset. Ramadan is also a joyful month where Muslims break their fast at sunset with a special meal, called iftar, perform additional nocturnal worship, called tarawih, after evening prayer; and gather in the festive and communal streets. The end of Ramadan starts three days of celebration called Eid Al-Fitr, which is the feast of the breaking of the fast. Customarily, it is a time for family reunion and the favored holiday for children who receive new clothing and gifts. Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, is the fifth pillar and the most significant demonstrations of Islamic faith and unity in the world. The Hajj is a spiritual gathering of Muslims from all over the world to the holy city. In performing the Hajj, a pilgrimage follows the order of ritual that Prophet Muhammad performed during his last pilgrimage.
The government is highly affected by the religion as well, because the descendant of Muhammad was to become ruler. After the first four caliphates, or descendants of Muhammad (rulers), the Arabs had taken some of modern Egypt, Syria, Persia, and Armenia through “holy wars” fought in the name of Allah. Finally, at the end of the Umayyad caliphs in 750 C.E., the Arabs had taken Berbers, Spain, and also pushed further east. As the Arab rule and trade spread across the Middle East and Mediterranean regions so did the Islamic religion. Around the end of the fourth caliphate, the Arabs hit a “Golden Age,” where Islamic society focused on learning as well as art and architecture. During the “Golden Age,” they built the first school for scholars called The House of Wisdom. The increased focus on scholarly studies produced advances in math and science. They helped create geometry for mathematics. In the scientific field, they became very knowledgeable with herbal medicines and the human body, as well as creating the first tools for eye surgery. Muslim scholars also “perfected” the astrolabe. All in all, their biggest contributions in learning were in their literature, where they learned to translate Greek to Arabic and expanded Greek philosopher theories to create more accurate ideas. In art, they started using calligraphy, geometric patterns, and vegetal patterns, in their art, and became more unique after an influence from Persian artists. Architecture for the Arabs was mostly seen in their beautiful mosques. The mosques were created in cities and areas they would take over. The mosques were constructed with unique features including a dome with a pointed top and beautifully decorated with geometric and vegetal patterns which are still the classic features of Islamic art. Today, the Arabs still live in modern Arabia, and are the founders of one of the most powerful and common religions in the world.
