SP TLIGHT ON A FOUNDER: WHAT MUSLIMS BELIEVE ABOUT THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
REMEMBER! Islam means ‘peace through submission’. A member of Islam is called a Muslim. Muslim means ‘one who submits to Allah’. Allah is an Arabic word meaning ‘the (one and only) God’.
Islam began in Arabia. Today, the harsh sun-scorched landscape of Arabia provides much of the oil that fuels our high-tech way of life. However, long before oil was discovered there, Arabia was important; merchants travelling between Africa and Asia passed through it.
Despite its importance as a trade route, early seventh- century Arabia was a dangerous, lawless place. There was no central government to keep order. Quarrels between different tribes frequently led to war.
The Zamzam is a deep well that provides fresh water to the people of Makkah.
At first, people went to Makkah to drink from the Zamzam. Later, they went there to worship at the Ka’bah (or Kaaba).
One important city along the trade route was Makkah (or Mecca), located in a mountainous region of western Arabia. It was originally built there because of the Zamzam.
REMEMBER! Ka’bah means ‘the house of God’.
Muslims say that the Ka’bah was built by Adam – the first human being. However, it was later destroyed by the great flood in the time of Noah.
