The story of .
how Islam came to spread starts with Muhammad frequently visiting a .
cave in the desert three miles from Mecca. There, Muhammad would .
sometimes spend months in prayer and meditation. The story goes that .
one morning the angle Gabriel appeared to him while he was praying and .
said to him, "Rise for thou art the Prophet of God. Go forth and .
preach the name of thy Lord- (Christopher, 1972, page 18) It was .
after this that Muhammad believed what he felt he was called to do. So .
Muhammad went on to profess this new faith. He delivered public .
sermons to large numbers of people, proclaiming the unity of God. .
Though some ridiculed him and turned against him, others were converted .
by the powerfulness of his words. In 622 AD, Muhammad fled from Mecca .
to Medina because he heard people were after him. The people of Medina .
accepted Muhammad's faith right away because it was plain, simple, and .
direct. It was from here that Islam truly grew, and it continued to .
expand from there on out.
As in most other world religions, Islam has obligations .
and "commandments" in which that religion's followers are suppose to .
obey. "The basic obligations of the specifically Muslim law are known .
under the name of the Five Pillars of Islam." (Jomier, 1989, page 53) .
The main ideas under these five pillars is beliefs in god, in the .
Qur"an, in the angels, in the Prophet Muhammad and the prophets sent .
before him, and in the Last Day. Specifically, under the first of the .
five pillars, there is the declaration of faith, which says "There is .
no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet." (Breuilly, 1997, page 73) .
These words are not only to be said daily in prayer by Muslims but they .
are also written on Muslim buildings. The second obligation of Muslims .
is prayer. There are five main times in which Muslims are supposed to .
set time aside to pray. This is before sunrise, after midday, late in .
the afternoon, at sunset, and also once during the night.
