Visit Muslim Holidays and Festivals

Updated: Dec. 4 2008

| Home | Home Mosaic | Guestbook | About | Email | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Children's Page | Contents | Search | What's New |
Prophet Muhammad's Influence on the Medieval Period

Mashallah! - What Allah has willed has come to pass! width=
Mashallah! - What Allah has willed has come to pass!

The following project was done by my daughter Rubina, age 10, as part of the Medieval Festival wherein students had to research and write about a favorite person who influenced the Medieval period with help from her teacher and parents. Rubina also created a tri-fold display board with the help of her father, Gafoor, and sisters Jamila, age 11 (who won an award last night at her school concert "Spirit and Pride of the Orchestra" where she played the violin) and Alyssa, age 8 (Alyssa received a Math Award from her school for scoring the highest points in her class and also, she is very proud to have received a letter from President Clinton in response to hers urging him not to bomb the innocent people in Iraq). They adorned it with pictures of the Muslim scientists and heroes, Muslim Architecture, Calligraphy, Objects including the Tasbi which became very popular among the audience as she had two hanging from her display. Rubina explained that these praying beads were used to remember Allah at all times. She was dressed as a Muslim Princess and she was a unique entry with a message of peace whilst many were dressed as medieval warriors with swords and axes!

This project enhanced Rubina's self esteem and reinforced her pride in being a Muslim. Many of the teachers and adults came up to her and would say: Asalaamu Alaikum (Greetings of Peace upon you). She had made posters and displays of religious Muslim artifacts like the Tasbi - rosary. One of her calligraphy pieces said "Mashallah" in Arabic a the spectator came and told her this. Even though, we used "Mashallah" (what Allah has willed has come to pass), a lot in our family conversations, the reinforcement from her school officials made her really happy as she was uneasy about doing an unusual project for her school where not many students practiced her faith in this affluent neighborhood in Houston. Plus she was surprised to find how many Muslims there really were in the School who were remaining quiet about it!

I hope that more parents and teachers will take on this responsibility and challenge and let our children feel pride from their wonderful heritage and expose its wealth and beauty and present it at every occasion so that it becomes normal just as the Christians and Jews express themselves.

Asalaamu Alaikum! (May God's peace be upon you)

Nina Jaffer


Muhammad - Peace be upon him
Prophet Muhammad – The Prophet of Islam
By
Rubina Jaffer
Grade 4 – West University Elementary School - Ms Womack's Class

     A Prophet is a caring loving person who teaches people the right way to live. I am going to tell you about a prophet in the medieval times. His name was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who brought the message of Islam (peace) to the world. The people who follow Islam are called Muslims.

Early Years

     Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca, in the year 570 AD. Mecca is in Saudi Arabia. His father, Hazrat Abdullah, died before Muhammad was born and his mother, Amina, died when he was only six. So he became an orphan when he was very young. His uncle, Hazrat Abu Talib took care of him until he was old enough to take care of himself.

     Prophet Muhammad married Lady Khadija in 595 AD who helped in spreading the message of Islam. They had a daughter named Fatima who married the Prophet’s cousin Hazrat Ali (son of Abu Talib). Lady Fatima was the only surviving child of the Prophet and after he died his family carried on the mission of the Prophet, followed by his grandchildren Hassan and Hussain.

History

Islam, one of the largest religions of this world, has about one billion followers. That means 25% of the world’s people are Muslims! Muhammad started preaching in Mecca in about 610 AD. He made slow progress at first. Most of the rich and powerful citizens scorned him and his preaching to follow one God, whereas they worshipped several idols. His preaching angered the Meccans, and some even plotted to kill him. In 622 Muhammad fled to the city of Medina, then called Yathrib, where a group of people helped him. This emigration to Medina is called the Hijra and this important event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. A Hijra is a journey from one place to another. In this Hijra, Prophet Muhammad marked the establishment of Islam. Ten years after the Hijra, Prophet Muhammad died in 632 A.D.

Prophet Muhammad’s Teachings

     Prophet Muhammad preached that there is only one God and he, Muhammad is the messenger of God. Muslim is an Arabic word for one that submits to God and lives by God’s laws.

     Prophet Muhammad was a very important man during medieval times in Asia. He taught the people to change from worshipping idols to one God. He taught them to respect their parents and elders. He taught about equal rights and respect for women. He taught that the rich and poor are alike in the sight of God and that their good deeds will help them meet God in heaven. He taught them to live honestly and that working hard to earn a living is also considered worship of God. God is called “Allah” in Arabic and he taught people to remember God at all times.

Prophet Muhammad’s Influence

     His teachings brought about peace and prosperity to the Middle East and all the lands ruled by the Muslims, which included Spain and Italy. During the medieval times, the great prosperity was due to a large extent from the preaching of Prophet Muhammad who said, “To obtain knowledge travel into China if necessary.” This made the people travel great distances in order to learn more and there was great trading and learning by meeting the people of India, China, Persia and the West. This prosperity spread to Spain where the Muslims ruled for 700 years, and in fact, the majority of the sailors on the Columbus ships were Muslims who had gained great experience from their travels and trading with the lands of India, Africa and China.

     In the medieval times, Muslims were great scholars and scientists and preserved the work of the Greeks by translating them into Arabic. They used this knowledge as well as knowledge of making paper from China, of mathematics from India and they built the first University of the world in Egypt. This University called Al Azhar University, which is still in existence, a thousand years later.

     In conclusion Prophet Muhammad’s teachings influenced not only the religious and social life of the people, but also their scientific and economic life and there was great prosperity brought about by following his instructions that came from God. In the medieval period, the Muslims provided the bridge of knowledge to the West who were experiencing the Dark Ages and by using this wisdom, the Renaissance period began. The other good thing produced by the Muslims was the beautiful architecture, art and calligraphy as Prophet Muhammad taught that God loves beauty and the Muslims did everything beautifully to please God.
Allah is Beautiful and loves everything beautiful Calligraphy - Allah is Beautiful and loves everything beautiful



Prophet Muhammad’s Teachings

Prophet Muhammad preached that there is only one God
He taught the people to change from worshipping idols to one God.
He taught them to respect their parents and elders.
He taught about equal rights and respect for women.
He taught that the rich and poor are alike in the sight of God and that their good deeds will help them meet God in heaven.
He taught them to live honestly and that working hard to earn a living is also considered worship of God.
God is called “Allah” in Arabic and he taught people to remember God at all times.

Prophet Muhammad’s Influence

His teachings brought about peace and prosperity to the Middle East and all the lands ruled by the Muslims. During the medieval times, the great prosperity was due to a large extent from the preaching of Prophet Muhammad who said, “To obtain knowledge travel into China if necessary.”

This made the people travel great distances in order to learn more and there was great trading and learning by meeting the people of India, China, Persia and the West. This prosperity spread to Spain where the Muslims ruled for 700 years, and in fact, the majority of the sailors on the Columbus ships were Muslims who had gained great experience from their travels and trading with the lands of India, Africa and China.

Before Prophet Muhammad started teaching about Islam, many Arabs did not know how to read. Prophet Muhammad's teachings from the Quran began a great education of all the people. Becoming a writer and a calligrapher was a great honor and Arabic grammar was established with Hazrat Ali as the main advisor.

In the medieval times, Muslims were great scholars and scientists and preserved the work of the Greeks by translating them into Arabic. They used this knowledge as well as knowledge of making paper from China, of mathematics from India and they built the first University of the world in Egypt. This University called Al Azhar University, which is still in existence, a thousand years later.
 
Architecture

Calligraphy
Bismillah - in the name of GodBismillah - In the name of God



Scientists and Conquerors
Jawhar Siqilli - Muslim Conqueror   Jawhar Siqilli - Conqueror


Abu Ali Sina - Avicenna Famous MathematicianIbn Sina (Avicenna) - Mathematician


Malik bin Atash - Muslim PhilosopherMalik bin Atash – Philosopher


Ibn Haitham (Alhazen) – Father of Optics


Preaching at the Mosque of MedinaPreaching at the Mosque of Medina


Sending the Message of Islam to the Leaders of the WorldSending the message of Islam to Persian, Ethiopian and Roman Empires

Tasbi – Praying Beads used in the remembrance of Allah

The Holy Quran –  Scripture Revealed by God

Quran 21:107 “We have sent you (O Muhammad) as a mercy for all the nations”
  Quran 21:107


 Other Related Material on  the Ismaili Web
Prophet Muhammad - The Most Influential Man in History
Prophet Muhammad Collection on the Ismaili Web
Prophet Muhammad Foretold in the Scriptures
Prophet Muhammad and Bahira the Monk
The Legacy of Islam
Muslim Personalities
Ismaili Heroes
The Importance of Studying Ismailism
Islamic Architecture
Children's Page


| Present Imam Shah Karim Aga Khan IV | 48th Imam Mowlana Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III | Hazrat Ali | Prophet Muhammad | Ismaili Heroes | Navigation Tool | Poetry | Audio Page | History | Women's Page | Legacy of Islam | Current Events |
 

Back to Ismaili Web