Church History · AD 610 to 632

The Rise of Islam

Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570. Muslims believe he began receiving revelations from the angel Gabriel in 610, and by his death in 632 much of Arabia had become Muslim. A dispute over who should lead next later grew into the Sunni and Shia branches.

Read it in the Bible: Genesis 16:10 Genesis 21:18 John 14:6 1 Peter 3:15

Islam began in Arabia in the early 600s. Muslims believe that in AD 610 the angel Gabriel began bringing messages from God to a merchant named Muhammad in a cave near Mecca. Those messages became the Quran. In 622 Muhammad and his followers moved to the city of Medina, and by his death in 632 most of Arabia had accepted Islam. Today about two billion people are Muslims, which makes it the world's second largest faith after Christianity. This article tells the story fairly and kindly, and then compares what the Quran and the Bible say about Jesus.

Who Was Muhammad?

Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 into the Quraysh tribe, which looked after the Kaaba, an ancient shrine in the city. He lost both parents as a child and was raised by his grandfather and then his uncle Abu Talib. As a young man he worked in the caravan trade and earned a reputation for honesty. Around 595 he married Khadija, a successful businesswoman a bit older than he was, and she became his strongest supporter.

Mecca at the time was full of idols. Many Arabs worshiped a number of gods, though Jews and Christians also lived in the region. Muhammad liked to go off alone to pray and think in a cave on Mount Hira outside the city.

What Happened in 610?

Muslim tradition says that one night in 610, when Muhammad was about forty, the angel Gabriel appeared to him in that cave and commanded him to recite. The first words are found today in the Quran, chapter 96. Muhammad was shaken and ran home to Khadija, who comforted him and believed him. Muslims believe the revelations kept coming for about twenty three years.

Muslims hold that Muhammad did not read or write, and they see the beauty of the Quran's Arabic as a sign that it came from God. His followers memorized the revelations and wrote them on whatever they had. A standard written version was gathered in the time of the third caliph, Uthman, around 650.

What Is the Hijra?

Muhammad preached that there is only one God, called Allah in Arabic, and that people must turn from idols and prepare for judgment. Many of Mecca's leaders saw this as a threat to their religion and their business. After Khadija and Abu Talib died, the pressure grew. In 622 Muhammad and his followers moved north to the city of Yathrib, later called Medina, which means the city.

That move is called the hijra, and it is so important that the Islamic calendar counts its years from it. The year 622 is year 1 of the Islamic calendar. In Medina, Muhammad became both a religious and political leader. After years of conflict with Mecca, he entered the city in 630, cleared the idols from the Kaaba, and dedicated it to the worship of one God. He died in Medina in 632.

Why Did Sunni and Shia Muslims Split?

Muhammad's death raised a hard question. Who should lead the community now? Most of his companions chose his close friend and father in law Abu Bakr as the first caliph, which means successor. Those who accepted this path became known as Sunnis, the people of the tradition.

A smaller group believed Muhammad had chosen his cousin and son in law Ali, and that leadership should stay in Muhammad's family. They became the Shia, short for the party of Ali. Ali did become the fourth caliph, but he was killed in 661. His son Husayn was killed at the Battle of Karbala in 680, and that loss is still mourned by Shia Muslims every year. Today most historians estimate that around 85 to 90 percent of Muslims are Sunni and most of the rest are Shia.

Do Muslims Trace Their Roots to Ishmael?

Yes. Islamic tradition teaches that the Arabs descend from Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, and that Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba together. Muhammad's family tree is traced back to Ishmael. The Bible tells of God's promise to Hagar about her son.

Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation. Genesis 21:18

Historians can't trace family lines back that far with records, but the Bible does link Ishmael's sons with peoples of the Arabian desert. You can read the full story in the Hagar and Ishmael article on this site.

What Does the Quran Say About Jesus?

This surprises many Christians. The Quran speaks of Jesus, called Isa, with great honor. It teaches that:

Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. Mary has a whole chapter of the Quran named after her.
Jesus is called the Messiah and a word from God.
Jesus did miracles, healing the blind and lepers and raising the dead by God's permission.
Many Muslims believe Jesus will return before the end of the world.

There are also deep differences. The Quran says Jesus was a prophet and not the Son of God. It rejects the Trinity. Most Muslims read the Quran, chapter 4, verse 157, to say that Jesus was not crucified, but that it was made to look that way, and that God raised him up to heaven alive. Islam also teaches that earlier Scriptures were changed over time, which is why Muslims see the Quran as the final word.

The Bible's witness is different at its center. The apostles taught that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, that He truly died on the cross for our sins, and that He rose from the dead on the third day. For Christians, salvation is a free gift of grace through faith in Him, not something earned by good deeds. Christians and Muslims both take these questions seriously, and honest friends can talk about them openly.

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

Why It Matters for You Today

Your Muslim neighbor probably already honors Jesus, believes in His virgin birth, and expects His return. That is a wonderful place to start a conversation. The question to talk about is who Jesus really is and whether He died and rose again. The best way to share that is the way Peter taught.

But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you. But respond with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:15

Ask good questions, listen well, share your own story of Jesus, and bring cookies. Kindness opens more doors than arguments ever will.

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Questions People Ask

When did Islam begin?

Muslims date the beginning of Islam to AD 610, when they believe Muhammad received his first revelation from the angel Gabriel in a cave near Mecca. The Islamic calendar starts later, in 622, the year Muhammad moved to Medina.

What is the difference between Sunni and Shia?

The split began over who should lead Muslims after Muhammad died in 632. Sunnis accepted Abu Bakr and the caliphs chosen after him. Shia believe leadership belonged to Muhammad's cousin and son in law Ali and his descendants. Most Muslims today are Sunni.

What does the Quran say about Jesus?

The Quran honors Jesus as a prophet and the Messiah, born of the virgin Mary, who worked miracles. It denies that He is the Son of God and, as most Muslims read it, says He was not crucified but was taken up to God. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again.

Are Muslims descended from Ishmael?

Islamic tradition teaches that the Arab peoples descend from Ishmael, Abraham's son by Hagar, and that Muhammad's family line goes back to him. Muslims of other backgrounds share the faith but not necessarily the ancestry. The Bible says God promised to make Ishmael a great nation.

Sources

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