1. Was told by Angel Gabriel that he was the messenger of Allah

2. Became a prophet

Means submission to the will of Allah

*Monotheistic religion

*Located in Jerusalem

*earliest surviving Islamic monument

*The rock is believed to be the spot from which Muslim's say Muhammad ascended into heaven to learn of Allah's will. With Allah's blessing, Muhammad returned to earth to bring God's message to all the people. 

*The five duties to be a Muslim

1. Faith

2. Prayer

3. Alms (support the less fortunate)

4. Fasting

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

Muhammad's example

*The best model for proper living

*Muslims pray five times a day (dawn, noon, midafternoon, sunset and evening)

*Muslims face toward Mecca to pray

*Worshippers are called tpo prayer by a muezzin

*Muslims do a cleansing prior to prayer and remove their shoes

Successor or deputy

Ex. Abu-Bakr became the first caliph after Muhammad's death

*Striving

*an inner struggle against evil

*holy war

*A family that took over Islam after the death of the last Caliph Ali in 661

*Moved away from the simple life andtraditions and surrounded themselves with wealth 

*Led to the split between the Sunni and the Shi'a

*Believed the caliph needed to be a descendent of the prophet

*Belived that Ali, the prophet's son-in-law should have succeeded Muhammad

*Dpo not recognize the authority of the Sunna

*Claim the Sunni have distorted meanings and passages in the Qur'an

*The Umayyads later became known as the Sunni

Rejected the luxurious life of the Umayyads

*They pursued a life of poverty and devotion to a spirtiual path

*Religious and political against the Umayyads led to their downfall

*Rebel groups took over the Umayyads in 750

*The Abasids were the most powerful rebel group and they took control of the empire