Poets and Neglected Gods

1
Poets and Neglected Gods

• Poetry- stories were told about their history and
  passed down orally
• It was rumored that some poets were said to have
  magical powers or to be possessed by demons. War
  and vendettas, loyalty, and generosity

2
Poets and Neglected Gods

• They recognized a supreme god Allah but really
  did not pray or give sacrifice to him instead
  those were reserved for spirits who seemed more
  of a part of their daily lives.
• How seriously they took their gods were in doubt.
  Tale Bedouin warrior who wanted to avenge his
  fathers death because a rival clan had killed
  him. He stopped at the idol of an oracle and the
  oracle drew three arrows in the san indicating
  which way to go. Each time he drew arrows that
  told him to abandon his quest. He got mad and
  threw the arrows at the idol and said if it was
  the Oracles father that had died he would not
  let him avenge his death.

3
Life of Muhammad and the beginning of Islam

• Muhammad- born into the Quraysh tribe 570 C.E.
• His uncle Abu Talib took care of him after his
  parents died and his grandfather taught him the
  ways of being a merchant.
• He lived in Mecca and worked as a merchant for
  Khadijah in his early 20s. Once her husband died
  he did marry her.

4
Life of Muhammad and the beginning of Islam

• He was able to keep up with the clan rivalries
  and the new tensions between them. (some
  flourished because of trade and others were still
  left behind) also he was able to keep up with
  religions in the area. (spread of monotheism)
• Even though he was a successful merchant he grew
  dissatisfied with a life focused on material
  gain. He spent a lot of time in the wilderness
  where he went to the mountain and received many
  revelations from Allah that was transmitted from
  the angel Gabriel. These revelations were written
  down in the Quran. He said that these were the
  last revelations from Allah

5
Life of Muhammad and the beginning of Islam

• Few followers at first wife, several
  clanspeople, and some servants and slaves
• New religion threatened the Kaba
• Even the Umayyads threatened to kill him
• He fled Mecca to Medina where he was invited by
  some of his relatives who lived in Medina to put
  down a civil war
• He was given a hero's welcome and was able to get
  many converts
• Treaty of Quraysh granting Muslims permission to
  visit the shrine at Kaba in Mecca during the
  season of truth.