90. The first revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad is recorded as 610 CE at the Cave of Hira outside Mecca. Muhammad’s teachings and his message of ‘one God’, together with his growing political power, was resented by many of the polytheist and pagan tribes who visited Mecca on pilgrimage. By 615 CE, persecution led Muhammad to send 100 of his followers to seek refuge with the Christian King of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), King Negus. In 622 CE Mohammad and his followers eventually fled from Mecca to Yarhrib, 200 miles to the north. This became known as the first Hijra (migration or journey). 91. Muhammad’s fame and teachings and Islam quickly spread. Yarhrib became known as Madina or Medina (the City of the Prophet or City). However, during the Median period of Muhammad’s life (622-633 CE), Muhammad and his followers and their non-Muslim allies (ummah) continued to be threatened with annihilation by Meccan polytheists and pagan Querishi opponents. A number of battles took place between Muhammad and the Meccans near Medina, including the Battles of Badr (624 CE), Uhud (625 CE) and Trench (627 CE). It was in this context that in 623 CE the first Qur’anic revelation was recorded reassuring everyone, including Muslims, that if they were attacked they were entitled to defend themselves: “Those who have been attacked are permitted to take up arms because they have been wronged – God has the power to help them – those who have been driven unjustly from their homes only for saying ‘Our Lord is God’. If God did not repel some people by means of others, many monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where God’s name is much invoked, would have been destroyed.” (Qur’an 22.39-40) 92. Muhammad and his followers survived the threat of annihilation. His teachings and influence continued to spread, until even the Meccans themselves eventually accepted Islam. Mohammad made his last pilgrimage to Mecca in 632 CE, by which time the whole of the Arabian peninsula had accepted Islam and united under one state and leader. 93. Muhammad died in 633 CE. His role as leader of the Islamic state was assumed by Abu Bakr (632-634 CE), followed by ‘Umar (634-644 CE), then Uthman (644-656 CE) and then Ali ibn Abi Talib (656-661 CE). These four leaders became known as the Rightly Guided Caliphs. The schism between Sunni and Shi’a Islam exists because Sunni Muslims believe Abu Bakr was the first Caliph and true inheritor of Muhammad’s legacy, whereas Shi’a Muslims believe his son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, was the first Caliph and true inheritor of Muhammad’s legacy. Islam is a religion of peace 94. It is common ground that Islam is a religion of peace. The Qur’an is a book of peace. 95. The words Islam, Muslim and Salaam all share the same Arabic triconsonantal root, sl-m, which denotes “peace”. Islam means ‘submission to the will of God/Allah’, i.e. at peace with God. Muslim means a person who has submitted to God/Allah, i.e. at peace with God. Salaam is the Arabic word for peace. 96. The fundamental philosophy and world-view of Islam is ‘unity-in-diversity’. God is one God who created Heaven and Earth and the entire universe, including every human being. God, as the Source and Creator of life on Earth, is the unifying feature 22