You will need to be able to explain the relevance of many key aspects in the life of Muhammad - Night of Power, Night Journey, and The Hijrah and also understand how the life of Muhammad (PBUH) relates to current Muslim belief and practices.

• Born in Makkah in 570CE
• Mother and Father died when he was six- raised by Grandfather then Uncle
• Muhammad (PBUH) was a Merchant and became know as the trustworthy-one
• Married Khadija when he was 25
• 610CE Meditating in Mount Hira - received first revelation from the Angel Jibril (known as Night of Power - Laylat-ul-Qadr) During this time he spent in the cave he had a vision from Allah. He saw a superhuman being or an angel, Muslims say that this angel was the Angel Jibra'il. The angel ordered Muhammad to read some writing on a stone, but he could not because he could not read or write. The angel again told him to read, suddenly he could read what the writing said, the angel told him to learn it and tell people so that they could write it down.
• Received revelations over 23 years
• 620CE The Night Journey (Mi'raj) - miraculous journey to Jerusalem and many other places. He also approached the throne of Allah; all he could see was the pure light. This happened shortly after his wife and uncle died, without their support he went through a time of bleakness and sorrow. For Muslims the journey was an inward and mystical experience of the prophet's spiritual ascension from earth to heaven. The experience brought great comfort and strength to the prophet, and convinced him that Allah was with him always.
• 622CE The Hijrah (the Muslim calendar begins from this date AH) - the journey from Makkah to Madinah. Muhammad (PBUH) made the journey partly because of the acceptance of what he was saying by visitors of this town, but also because of the hostility of the people of Makkah towards him.
• All that Muhammad* was saying made him very unpopular, his life was in danger so he thought it would be a good idea to leave Makkah. Muhammad* packed his belongings and fled to the nearby city of Madinah.
• When Muhammad* arrived in Madinah, he began to tell the people about Allah and the revelations he had received. At first the people were reluctant to listen, but they eventually accepted the message. Many of the people of Madinah believed what Muhammad* had told them and became Muslims.
• Muhammad* became the leader of Madinah and the journey from Makkah to Madinah is seen by Muslims as being very important and a major part of the development of Islam.
• 629CE Treaty of Hudaibiya, truce signed between Makkahans and Muhammad, it enabled 2000 Muslims to make a pilgrimage.
• 630CE truce was broken, Muhammad* and 10, 000 men marched on Makkah - when he arrived he circled the Ka'bah seven times and touched the black stone.
• 632CE Final Sermon on the Mount of Mercy - shortly after he died in Madinah

Why is it written in Arabic?

Language of the people of Arabia where Islam began, it was first written in Arabic.
Why is it important to only read it in Arabic? Muslims believe that if the Qur'an were translated into many languages it would loose its true meaning and it will no longer be the word of Allah.
Beliefs about the Qur'an - Word of Allah, revealed to Muhammad (PBUH) by the Angel Jibril on the night of power, Muhammad was unable to read or write so his friends and relatives wrote it down for him.

How do Muslims treat the Qur'an?

Around the Qur'an

• Do not speak
• Eat or drink
• Make a noise
• Touch unnecessarily

Before reading or touching

• Wash carefully or take a bath
• Be in right frame of mind
• If female must not be having period

When not in use

• Kept in the highest place in a room
• Keep it covered

Muslims have a strong belief in life after death known as AKHIRAH
Every person will be judged
What is tested?
Character
Reactions to misfortune
Reactions to good fortune
Way of life

What happens to people at the day of Judgement?
People will either go to Heaven or Hell. This can be decided differently, two terrible angels, Munkar and Nadir, will question some people. Others will stand before Allah; each person's book of deeds will be weighed, they will know their fate depending upon which hand the book is placed in, the right means heaven, the left is hell.

The obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God.
There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests, so a learned person who knows the Qur'an, chosen by the congregation, leads the prayers.
These five prayers contain verses from the Qur'an, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's own language.
Prayers are said at - dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in daily life.
A translation of the Call to Prayer is:

God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)!
Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god except God.

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and human beings in trust therefore hold that wealth.

The word zakah means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth. Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakah individually. For most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital. A pious person may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqah, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider meaning. The Prophet said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity.' The Prophet said: 'Charity is a necessity for every Muslim.'

He was asked: 'What if a person has nothing?'

The Prophet replied: 'He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity.'

The Companions asked: 'What if he is not able to work?'

The Prophet said: 'He should help poor and needy persons.'

The Companions further asked 'What if he cannot do even that?'

The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good.'

The Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?'

The Prophet said 'He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.'

Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations.

Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year.

If they are physically unable to do this, they must feed a needy person for every day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayer) from puberty, although many start earlier.

Although the fast is most beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in one's spiritual life.

The annual pilgrimage to Makkah - the Hajj - is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to perform it.

Nevertheless, about two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year (which is lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter).

Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments, which strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God.

The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include circling the Ka'bah seven times, and going seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwah as did Hagar during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafat and join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment.

In previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous undertaking. Today, however, Saudi Arabia provides millions of people with water, modern transport, and the most up-to-date health facilities. The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, the Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This, and the Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the main festivals of the Muslim calendar.

Exam Questions
Try to answer these questions.

1) "You don't need a special place of worship."
How far do you think this statement is true in Islam? Show that you have thought about different points of view, giving reasons to support your answer. (5) 1997
2) Explain the importance for Muslims of the events which took place on the Night of Power (Laylat-ul-Qadr) in the life of Muhammad. (5) 1998
3) "Shahadah (Declaration of Faith) is the most important pillar in Islam."
How far do you agree? Show that you have thought about different points of view and give reasons for your answer. Your arguments should refer to religious teaching and belief. (5) 1999