The Life of Muhammad and the Foundations of Islam
New Research on Ancient Hebrew Traditions and the First Temple
Scholarship and Evidence: New scholarship, led by representatives such as Margaret Barker, is utilizing archaeological evidence and new interpretations of scrolls that are being translated for the first time. This research has been emerging over the last couple of hundred years and modern theories regarding the "First Temple" are being developed.
Shamanic Rituals: It is theorized that in the First Temple, Hebrews practiced shamanic rituals focused on mythology and ancient traditions similar to other global traditions.
The Tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting:
The early structure was a tent known as the Tabernacle or the "Tent of Meeting."
The High Priest of the tribe served as a shaman. He would enter the center of the tent to meet God, who was believed to live there.
The Merging Process: The shaman would enter, and God would enter the shaman; the shaman would then see with God's eyes and become God-like, referred to as the "son of God."
Early Hebrew Practices: These included seeing spirits and angels, connections with the stars and the sun, and potential sun worship.
The Deity Hierarchy:
Yahweh: The tribal god and the "son of god." He is the physical form that God takes on the planet.
El Elyon: The original God.
Asherah: The wife of El Elyon, representing wisdom and the feminine aspect of God.
The Shift to Military Kingship: Over time, kings became military leaders rather than shamans. They struggled for control and abandoned shamanic rituals like chanting and seeing God face-to-face.
King Josiah's Reform: According to theory based on scrolls and the Torah (Old Testament), King Josiah broke from the old tradition, labeling First Temple practices as evil, blasphemous, and Canaanite.
Josiah entered the "Holiest of Holies," claimed there was no God there, and asserted the shaman were lying.
He replaced the rituals with the laws of Moses and the Ten Commandments.
The Diaspora of Practitioners: Those who refused to stop First Temple practices fled Jerusalem.
The Essenes fled into the desert.
Other groups fled to Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
These groups likely encountered relatives of Abraham in Saudi Arabia who were practicing similar First Temple rituals inside caves and mountains.
Religious Landscape of Pre-Islamic Saudi Arabia
Timeframe: Islam formed in the early . Muhammad was born in the late .
Paganism and the Kaaba: Pagans were performing pilgrimages to the Kaaba in Mecca to worship tribal gods and goddesses.
Diverse Religious Influences:
Christianity: Early Christians in the desert practiced forms of "First Temple Christianity," emphasizing Jesus as the son of God () and utilizing prayer practices similar to ancient traditions. There were internal arguments regarding the nature of Jesus and Roman Empire influences.
Judaism: Rabbis were active in Saudi Arabia.
Zoroastrianism: One of the world's oldest religions, emphasizing the struggle between two cosmic forces: good and evil.
Hanifs: A group of Arabs who were not polytheists and did not follow tribal gods. They believed in only one God. Theory suggests they may be related to First Temple Hebrews and Abraham.
The Status of Allah: In pre-Islamic Mecca, Allah was a minor god with daughters. He was viewed as a creator and sustainer but was not an object of worship or prayer, similar to the status of .
The Life and Early Years of Muhammad
Birth: Born in Mecca, located in modern-day Saudi Arabia.
Sources of Biography: Knowledge of his life comes from the Quran (his sermons and revelations) and the Hadiths (recollections or remembrances by early followers).
Pre-Islamic Local Spirits:
Worship involved tree spirits, mountain spirits, and fire spirits called Jinn (or ).
Jinn: Capricious spirits thought to inhabit the desert and enter people.
Mecca as a Center: Mecca was a site of pilgrimage long before Muhammad.
The Kaaba:
Contains a black meteorite believed to have been sent from heaven.
In Muhammad's time, it contained religious images of tribal gods.
statues, possibly associated with the zodiac, stood around the square.
Tribal Governance: A truce was maintained among tribes to allow for pilgrimage.
Family Background:
Grandfather: Abd al Mutalib, a dominant figure in the Qurayash tribe and custodian of the Kaaba.
Parents: His father died before his birth; his mother died when he was a child.
Guardians: He lived with his grandfather until his death later, then with his uncle Abu Talib.
Career and Marriage to Khadija
Work: Muhammad worked as a caravan driver for a widow named Khadija.
Marriage: They married when Muhammad was and Khadija was approximately .
Support: The marriage provided financial, spiritual, and emotional stability. Khadija was his main support until her death.
Children: They had children; however, no boys survived into adulthood, which created later issues regarding a hereditary successor.
Monotheistic Awareness: Through caravan travels, Muhammad learned about Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. He observed their shared belief in one God and morality, as well as their disagreements (e.g., the role of Jesus, the use of images, and cosmic dualism).
The First Revelation at Mount Hira
Spiritual Practice: At age , Muhammad went to a cave at Mount Hira for a religious retreat, a practice common in the hills around Mecca.
The Encounter: A bright presence appeared with a cloth covered in writing and commanded him three times to "Recite."
Verbatim Quranic Excerpt: "Recite in the name of the Lord who created, created man from clots of blood. Recite. Your Lord is the most bountiful one, who by the pen taught man what he does not, did not know. Indeed, man transgresses in thinking himself his own master. For to your, for to your Lord all things return. Prostrate yourself and come nearer."
Initial Doubt: Muhammad initially feared the revelation was madness, a hallucination, or a demonic apparition ().
Confirmation: Khadija encouraged him to trust the experience as a true communication from God. He eventually identified the presence as the Angel Gabriel.
First Muslims: The first to accept his message were Khadija, his cousin Ali, and his friend Abu Bakr.
Etymology of Islam: "Islam" means submission or surrender (letting go of ego/control). "Muslim" means those who submit to God.
Conflict in Mecca and the Night Journey
Resistance: Muhammad's message of monotheism required destroying statues of tribal gods, which threatened the pilgrimage business.
Economic Denunciations: He denounced usury (lending money at high interest) and the failure of businessmen to keep fair contracts.
Personal Losses: In , followers fled to Ethiopia. In , both Khadija and Abu Talib died, leaving Muhammad without protection.
The Night Journey (Night Ascent):
Muhammad experienced being carried from Mecca to Jerusalem.
Guided by Gabriel, he ascended through the heavens, meeting prophets like Abraham and Jesus before entering the presence of Allah.
Interpretations: Muslims debate if this was a personal vision/dream or a physical ascension.
Iconography: Often pictured on the celestial horse Barak, surrounded by flames.
The Hijra and the Rise of Medina
The Hijra (): Muhammad and his followers migrated north to the city of Yathrib.
Significance: This event marks the start of the Islamic community (Ummah) and is Year 1 of the Muslim calendar.
Medina: Yathrib was renamed Medina ("City of the Prophet"). It is one of the three most sacred cities alongside Mecca and Jerusalem.
Governance: Muhammad established the first mosque and worked out rules for worship and social regulation.
Conflict with Jewish Tribes: Some Jews in Yathrib allied with his enemies and rejected his beliefs because he accepted Jesus as a prophet and disputed the Hebrew scriptures. Muhammad eventually banished or executed these enemies.
Return to Mecca and Final Years
Military Success: In , Muslim soldiers triumphed against Meccan forces.
Conquest of Mecca: In , Muhammad returned as victor, destroyed the images in the Kaaba, and established Islam as the city's religion.
Final Sermon: He preached the brotherhood of all believers over tribal loyalties.
Death: Muhammad died in in Medina.
Nature of the Prophet: He viewed himself not as divine, but as the last in a long line of prophets and a messenger of God's will. Muslims revere him as a "perfect human being" and a model for all believers.
Key Islamic Concepts and Misconceptions
Compassion and Mercy: Muhammad's status as an orphan led to a deep focus on compassion for widows, orphans, and the poor.
Warfare Context: Military actions were largely characterized as self-defense in a period of constant tribal warfare and attempts on his life.
Sharia Law and Fiqh:
Fiqh: The science of studying the law, meaning "interpretation."
Historical practice involved constant argument and multiple interpretations, similar to Rabbinic tradition.
Modern Literalism: Groups like the Taliban represent a modern "logos"/literalist shift that deviates from historical interpretive practices.
Jihad: Primary meaning is "struggle."
Lesser Jihad: Physical self-defense against those trying to wipe out the religion.
Greater Jihad: The internal struggle against the "unbeliever" within oneself—the skeptical voice that resists submitting to deep truth/mythos.
Sufism: A mystical Islamic group known for poetry, dance, and various interpretations of the Quran.
Modern Islam: Islam is compatible with modernity; multiple Muslim nations have had women presidents, and there is no singular way to be Muslim.
Questions & Discussion
Reflecting on the Experience of Revelation: The speaker suggests looking at Muhammad's experience in the cave through the lens of modern "lab reports." When sitting in silence and rest, thoughts and visions can pop into the head. Whether it was a literal voice or a thought process, the result was a profound internal message.
Final Course Notes: This concludes the study of new religions in the course. The remaining content will focus on the relationship between Mythos and Logos and the final readings by Armstrong.