The emergence of Islam - the causes and historical background

Today Islam is the second most popular religion on earth, which is practiced by every fifth inhabitant. Originated in the depths of the Arabian Peninsula, this religion for many centuries of its existence has acquired ardent supporters on all continents.

Islam is a supranational religion - anyone can accept it without any restrictions on gender, nationality or origin. Nevertheless, for all its openness, it is a very tough and conservative religion, not tolerant of open disregard for customs and established rules of conduct.

What were the reasons for the emergence of Islam and its growing popularity?

The emergence of Islam - the historical background

The time of the appearance of Islam is the 7th century AD. This happened in the territory of modern Saudi Arabia. These places were inhabited by nomadic Arabs, engaged in cattle breeding or farming in oases. Until these not too fertile and convenient places for living were not sufficiently settled, the local population was satisfied with the modest fruits of their labor. Among them there was no special division in terms of property, all together they worshiped pagan gods and led a rather moderate lifestyle.

Over time, along the territory inhabited by the Arabs, convenient caravan routes began to take place and densely populated villages and cities began to be formed. Among the people began to stand out military leaders and rich representatives of the tribes. This led to the emergence of a new type of relationship within tribes, the leaders of which were interested in preserving their power. It was here, in West Arabia, that the Prophet Muhammad appeared with his teaching, which was necessary at the right time. It is from the time of its appearance that it is customary to count the rise of Islam. The personality of the prophet Muhammad is quite contradictory, his life is covered with legends. It is indisputable only one thing - this man became the founder of a new religion, which radically influenced the course of world history.

The emergence of Islam and the reasons for its popularity

What did his religion attract Arabs? First, in his sermons Mohammed preached faith in one God - Allah, the true infallible ruler of the universe. The word of Allah, transmitted through its mediator-prophet, is sacred and undeniable and is written in the main Muslim book - the Quran. The Koran and other sacred books of Islam contain in themselves all the necessary thoughts and rules that the Muslim should guide in his life. For strict observance of all these prescriptions, he is guaranteed after death a place in the Muslim paradise (which is an abundant paradise garden where believers are in infinite bliss and pleasures), and for disobedience and unbelief death and eternal hellish torment. I must say that the description of paradise and hell in the Qur'an is given a sufficient place - these are real fantastic sketches, subtly affecting the basic human needs, called upon to attract as many supporters as possible. The Qur'an demands observance of monotheism from believing Muslims, it strictly regulates property, family and social relations, rules of worship. Muhammad took into account the experience of previous prophets and already established monotheistic religions (Judaism and Christianity), he took from there all that was necessary and removed the stranger. The popularity of Islam was greatly facilitated by the fact that this religion did not require the ordinary believer to work hard on himself, ingenious rites, but represented a simple and clear code of laws, the observance of which guaranteed a reward in this and future life. The doctrine of the new religion also preached the election of believers towards others and positively related to the conquest wars, designed to spread the influence of Islam on as much territory as possible.

At first, supporters of the new religion were forced to fight with stronger and more organized opponents, who benefited from the established pagan way of life and order. However, already 8 years after the emergence of Islam and the establishment of the first Muslim community in the city of Medina, Muslims were able to completely unite the local Arab tribes and entered triumphantly into Mecca, the largest city in Arabia of that time. Under the banner of Islam, the final unification of all tribes ended and a new powerful Arab state appeared. The successors of Muhammad, who received the title of Caliphs, led the hordes of converts of Muslims to invade neighboring territories, subordinating the local population and forcing him to convert to Islam. They conquered the Middle and Far East, North Africa and even part of the European territory. The Arab Caliphate has become a strong player in the international arena, with which other states were now considered. In many respects similar to Christianity, having a clear and simple teaching, Islam for the first few years encountered no special resistance among the new converts, which allowed it to naturally spread even beyond the scope of the conquests of the caliphate.

Over time, the Arab Caliphate disintegrated into a large number of small states, but Islam was not simply wasted, but also inherited to the future rulers of these lands, which allowed them to retain their power. The emergence of Islam has opened a new era in the history of many Asian peoples and has significantly deteriorated their lives and culture.

The number of modern believers since the emergence of Islam is constantly growing. This is connected with the traditional Muslim cult of many children, which ensures rapid reproduction, and with the growing popularity of this religion in the territory of third world countries. Today, Islamic countries are in close cooperation with the advanced countries of the world, they are actively borrowing new technologies from them, and they also use their own finances in order to exert greater influence on world politics.