Rise Of Islam

The initial rise of Islam was vast and fast; the new religion grew rapidly and in only a century it had stretched itself far across globe Ð'- from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to central Asia in the east. To understand the reasons for such a swift and successful expansion calls for investigation into a number of factors: the life of Mohammed Ð'- the Prophet and pioneer of Islam, pre-Islam social conditions and the political and economic aspects that may have propelled the appeal and success of the Islamic faith.

The Prophet Mohammed, born in 570 CE, found himself in a range of socio-economic positions. His early childhood was as an orphan, his adulthood much as a persecuted refugee, and finally he was elevated to both a secular and spiritual overlord and arbiter of destinies. These diverse experiences seemed to have aided his understandings of all levels of life and helped him connect charismatically with those around him. It is evident that Mohammed addressed relevant issues he had experienced first hand. Mecca was experiencing strong social tensions due to unequal distribution and a widening gap of rich and poor creating bitter divisions within the community. As an impoverished orphan in his youth, Mohammed attends to such issues and strongly emphasises the community's responsibility in ensuring the material welfare of all its members. Mohammed preached the sanctity of the person and pushed for equality regardless of external differences such as race, gender, colour or class. The appeal of Islam may well have also been helped by its rejection of needed spiritual intercessors, allowing all a direct relationship with God and equality for everybody. Islam was beginning to appeal to the highest and the lowest, the ruler and the ruled.

Dekmejian's Islam in Revolution states the six motivating factors that contribute to the popularity of Islam. Firstly (paraphrased); it bestows a new identity upon those that are alienated; it defines Ð''good'

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