Islam: History of Peace or Religion of Fanatics?

Events during the past few years have increased focus on a world religion. Islam has taken an extensive blow to its foundations and beliefs due to the actions, of what seems, to be a small fraction of its followers. Since attacks on American and other Western nations, including the bombing of the USS Cole, 9/11, and the Madrid train bombings, general focus has been towards the violence that Islam seems to exude. But was this religion actually founded upon such principles that lead to such horrific displays of violence and horror? Did the founder intend for the religion to be used in this matter, or was it to be one of great peace? To better understand those questions, a closer and more intense look should be given to the roots of Islam and its growth into a major world religion.



The man named Muhammad founded Islam. Islam literally means “submission”. Muhammad lived in trading society of Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia. Mecca had been revered as an intensely holy city even before Muhammad started Islam. The major religion at that time in Mecca was “Ka’aba, meaning, “black stone”, in which the followers literally worshipped a black stone”(North Park University). The black stone was important because it is storied that Ishmael was able to receive water from the stone that helped to sustain his life, and allow him to start his successful trading society. The first 40 years of Muhammad’s life are very vague, and it wasn’t until 617 AD that his life became very important. It was in this year that he claimed he received a vision from the angel Gabriel and a message from God. These revelations that God revealed to Muhammad forced him to not only change his own life, but to focus on helping others enjoy the peace that he had found. He began to preach to the locals in Mecca about his God, or Allah, but was quickly dismissed. It was for fear of his life that in 622 he and his family fled Mecca for the Medina. His escape is held in high regard in the Islamic faith as it marks the first year on the Muslim calendar and is called the “year of the Hegira(Flight)”(North Park University). In Medina, Muhammad, along with his message about Allah, were well received. Shortly after arriving in Medina, he issued forth a holy war against Mecca, ending eight years later with Muhammad as the ruler. Mecca was now the center of Islam.

In founding Islam, Muhammad may have simply drawn from the other religions that traversed into and out of Mecca in the trade economy. Jews, Christians, and various religions all used Mecca as a trading center. It may have been with some of his dealings with these religions that caused Muhammad to focus on a new religious system. If one takes a look at some of the aspects of the Islamic faith, they can discover similarities between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Muhammad wrote down his visions and teachings, and compiled them into a book known as the Qur’an. The Qur’an contains 114 suras, or visions. This book is the centerpiece of the religion, much like the Old Testament is to the Jews and the Bible is to Christians. Much like the Old and New Testaments of both the Bible, Muhammad’s suras are written as inspired by Allah. Muhammad saw himself as a prophet, and quite possibly the last great one.

The Qur’an teaches Muslims, those who follow Islam, that they must understand the universe to live in it. The followers must realize that their lives should be lived in dedication to Allah. Muhammad taught that simply having faith in Allah was not enough to be pious. Islamic law requires five basic actions, or pillars, of servitude. The Five Pillars of Islam are:
(1) Confession of faith in God and in Muhammad as God's messenger
(2) Daily prayer at the five appointed times
(3) Fasting during the month of Ramadan
(4) Paying an alms-tax and giving charity to the poor
(5) Pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca and its sacred shrine, the Ka’aba.
All Muslims are required to follow these pillars to be considered a good Muslim. This idea also coincides with other religions such as Judaism's and Christianitie's The Ten Commandments. Other religions such as Hinduism also have examples on which to live life as a devote follower. Muhammad may have taken those examples that best fit his new religion, as well as adding new steps that he saw as being missing from other religions that attributed to their flaws.

Muhammad set up successors to his rule, known as Caliphs, or those second only to the prophet Muhammad. There were four patriarchal caliphs, Abu Bakar(632-6634), Omar(634-644), Othman(644-656), and Ali(656-661). These four leaders made up the Orthodox Caliphate, the center of the religion being in Mecca and Medina. All were loyal to Muhammad, except for Othman, who disagreed with some of Muhammads principles. Even throught their disagreements, Othman was held as the next in line. A man named Ali had married Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, and Muhammad treated Ali as his son. Some believed that Ali should have assumed power directly after Muhammad’s death, and it was for this reason that Ali and his followers murdered Othman, assuming power. During these years, the spread of Islam across much of the Arab world occurred. During this time, the four leaders were able to capture and rule over regions such as Syria, Jerusalem, Persia, and Alexandria. It was during this time that the Qur’an was officially established as the one book of Islam.

In 661, a civil war was waged between Ali’s devote followers, the Shi’ites, and Othman followers. Ali died, and the Omayyad Caliphate began. It was during this time that the Ali’s son Hasan, assumes power, but turns it over to become the spirtitual leader of Islam, declaring that the line of Ali would forever hold that title. Hasan was poisoned by his wife, and his brother Husayn, took the title of Iman, or spiritual leader. The Imans preach the faith aspect of Islam, or the six principles;
(1). God and His Attributes
(2). Prophets
(3). Angels
(4). Sacred Books
(5). The Judgment Day
(6). Predestination
The then leader the Islamic culture, Yazid became angered with Husayn and his peaceful teachings. He had an army track his followers down and kill Husayn. It was for this reason that the Shi’ite followers so strongly believe in personal sacrifice. Husayn gave his life for his religion, and they believe he was rewarded for his servitude. The political center of Islam was moved to Damascus during this time. During this reign, Carthage and Spain were both added to the empire.

In 750, Abbas defeats the Islamic ruler of the Omayyad dynasty, beginning the Abbasid Caliphate. This caliphate may have been the most intellectual era for the Islamic world. The rule of the caliphate is moved to Baghdad, in what is now Iraq. During this time, the Baghdad School of Medicine is founded as well as the four orthodox schools of law: Hanafite School of Law, Malikite School of Law, Shafi'ite School of Law, and Hanbalite School of Law. Muslims were finally able to overthrow the Byzantine Empire in 1701, finally establishing their complete control over Asia Minor, to compliment their regions or Persia, North Africa, and Spain, securing control over much of the once great Roman Empires conquests. It was also during this time that Western European nations sent the Crusades to beat down the threatening Islamic Empire. The first crusade had the goal of taking back Jerusalem. In 1099, the crusaders recapture Jeruslem, killing not only all the Jews and Muslims, but also the women and children. The Muslims were able to reclaim Jerusalem in 1187, and more crusades were then sent, but to no avail. It may have been during these hundred years of outright violence towards Muslims from the Western nations that hatred was formulated between the differing religions. While the Abbasid Caliphate was in rule in Baghdad, the rulers in Spain chose to stay loyal to the Omayyad Caliphate, forming the Omayyed emirate in Spain, centered in Cordova. Other emirates are set up in Egypt, and Morocco. In 1258, the Moguls completely destroy the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, putting the Islamic power on hold for several centuries, although the religion still continued.
In 1350, Ottoman Turks take over the region once controlled by the Muslims, once again allowing Islam to become a powerful religious force in the region. It wasn’t until shortly after World War I that the nations that are known today in the Persian Peninsula were known as they are today. What that demonstrates in the lasting power that Islam, a religion begun 1500 years ago has had upon the region, and even the world. However, within the past six decades, a new from of this religion has taken shape. Islamic fundamentalists that seek to return more than just the Middle East and Asia Minor into Islamic footholds have appeared internationally. Their methods of complete violence and terror, hence the reason most are named terrorist, have placed all of Islam in a negative light. Their belief in a Jihad, or holy war against any enemy, known as an infidel, fuels their constant fighting. In the Islamic religion, fighting in a holy war allows the soldier to combat for a reason, and if they die, they will be rewarded with instant salvation to ‘heaven’ to be surrounded by 144 virgins. This belief was added later in the second Caliphate, and was not an original value of Muhammad. Muhammad initially separated the world into three spheres; “the Zone of Islam(dar al-Islam); the Zone Peace(dar as-sulh—those nations with Muslim nation have peace pacts); and the Zone of War(dar al-harb—the res of the world)”.(Dolphin) With the threat of Imperialism, and the history of the violent crusades, the Islamic fundamentalists have put all of the Western world in the Zone of War. But does this hold true for all Muslims?

There are currently 4 million Muslims in America. Islam has a larger concentration of followers in Indonesia, and constitute about 20% of the entire religion in the Middle East. Do all those people hate Western culture? No. By simply taking a quick look at the teachings of Muhammad, one can surely realize that he had no intentions of killing all those that did not believe his teachings. He sought out to harmonize the world threw his teachings. Though in the past they have used wars for expanding their faith, they were no more violent then people at that time. So there exists a reason to expect that the religion has been one of peace for many centuries. However, as the saying goes, you are judged by those in which you conduct affairs with, and if the Islamic community wishes to be free of such labels as violent, they need to expel those peoples who only choose to kill to progress their faith.