Organization for Islamic Learning

Introduction

Islam, the last of the Abrahamic religions, literally means "submission to God's will."  It was proclaimed by Muhammad (born 570 C.E.), the Prophet of Islam and the founder of Islamic public order, in the seventh century C.E. in Arabia.  The beginning of Islam in 610 C.E. was marked by a struggle to establish a monotheistic faith and create an ethical society embodying divine justice and mercy.   Muhammad, the Prophet and the statesman, instituted a series of reforms to create his community, the umma, on the basis of the teachings of the Qur’an, the holy book of Muslims, that connected human beings in relationship to one another in society, and all together to God, the Creator of all beings.

In the history of Islam, the year 610 C.E. also marks the beginning of Islamic revelation, the Qur’an.  The Prophet was forty years old when the Angel Gabriel visited him in the cave in Mt. Hira, outside Mekka.  It was the month of Ramadan.  The Prophet and his family used to spend some days in this remote place for reflection and meditation.  In this particular year, the Angel appeared during one of the nights during the last ten days of Ramadan while the Prophet was engaged in intense prayers.  He brought the revelation from God with a message: "Iqra’ - Recite!” “I am not a reciter," the Prophet responded.  The Prophet himself relates: "The Angel took me and engulfed me in his embrace until he had reached the limit of my endurance. Then the Angel released me and said, 'Recite!' and I said, 'I'm not a reciter,' and again the Angel took me and engulfed me in his embrace, and again when he had reached the limit of my endurance, he released me and said, 'Recite!' and again I said, 'I am not a reciter.' Then a third time he engulfed me as before, then released me and said: 

            [O Muhammad!]

                       Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created,

                                  created human of a blood clot.

                       Recite: And thy Lord is the Most Generous

                                  who taught by the pen,

                                  taught human that he knew not.

                                                               (Q. 96:1-5)

The Message that began on that auspicious night almost 1400 years ago when there was only one reciter, Prophet Muhammad himself, now has more than 500 million followers who recite the Qur’an all around the world.  Almost one in every six individuals in the world proclaims the Message: La ilaha illallah - There is no deity but God and Muhammadun rasulullah – Muhammad is the prophet of God.

© Organization for Islamic Learning October 2007