Originating on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Islam is now the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity. Prominent in the Arabian Peninsula, Islam was introduced to East Asia via the trade routes that connected West Asia and China. The religion sparked colossal societal and economic changes and now provides a safe haven for around two billion followers.
Islam, meaning "submission", has its roots in 7th-century Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia. It is where Muslims believe the direct word of God, or Allah, was revealed to Muhammad, considered by adherents to be the final messenger among the monotheistic prophets, from Adam and Abraham to Moses and Jesus.
Born around 570 CE to one of Mecca's prominent families, Muhammad made a living as a trader, earning the sobriquets "al-Amin" (trustworthy) and “al-Sadiq" (truthful). He worked for a widow called Khadija, whom he went on to marry. At the age of. 40, disillusioned with society's ills, Muhammad began retreating to a cave to meditate, and it was here it is reported that he was visited by the archangel Gabriel. This marked the first revelation from God and the advent of Islam.
Muhammad began to preach the messages that he had received, secretly for several years and then publicly. At the time, the Kaaba in Mecca was an important place of worship for Arabia's pagan tribes with their polytheistic beliefs. Muhammad's revelations, and his insistence to worship one God, were a direct challenge to the social order, and the Meccan authorities subjected Muhammad and the first converts to abuse, torture, and even death.
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Denne historien er fra AG 153-utgaven av ASIAN Geographic.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Revealed Doctor Yellow
Japan Railways' special lemony Shinkansen is a rare sight to behold
The Mighty Yellow
Over 5,000 kilometres long and flowing through nine provinces and autonomous regions, the Yellow River is China's second largest, after the Yangtze, while its basin is deemed the cradle of Chinese civilisation
Wildlife Big Yellow Beauty
The popular "amelanistic" form of the Burmese python is considered among the most beautiful snakes - if that's your sort of thing
All That Glitters Is Gold
From Turkey to China, the yellow metal plays a central role in cultural practices and is coveted as a symbol of affluence and status
Chengdu Hotel Spotlight TRIKA TSANG INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
For an authentic taste of Tibet in the heart of Chengdu, the most luxurious option is the majestic Trika Tsang International Hotel.
Conservation Yellow in Peril
While the demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine is putting seahorses under pressure, it is damaging non-selective fishing that is driving depletion
History Spiritual Rebirth
During the Spanish Golden Age, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan achieved the first European navigation to Asia via the Pacific, arriving in the Philippines in 1521 and claiming the islands for Spain. But by converting the first Filipinos to Catholicism, Magellan also instigated the Christianisation of the entire archipelago, a spiritual rebirth celebrated through the two most important festivals in the Philippines - Fiesta Señor and Sinulog.
Green Dreams
With its tea plantations and rice paddies, dense jungles and expansive forests, the region is well known as a green paradise. But many of the most impressive Asian landscapes have names you may never have heard of. Journey with us as we reveal just some of the incredible locations that make the rest of the world green with envy!
Life On The Edge
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the remote northern Russian Far East, indigenous ethnic groups like the Chukchi and the Yupik live in the most extreme conditions, hunting seals in their traditional kayaks as they have for millennia
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
For decades, scientists have believed that glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the trend of those across the globe-resisting glacial melt due to human-induced global warming. But as we trek up the Karakoram's second-longest glacier in July, as the United Nations announces the world's hottest ever month on record, does the melting ice beneath our feet suggest the so-called Karakoram Anomaly is slowing? Or is there a ray of hope it will continue to delay the inevitable?
