The Koran research. Исследование Корана. Prerequisites for creation of the Koran. Предпосылки создания Корана

The emergence of Islam in Arab society in the early 7th century was due to a number of socio-economic and political reasons. Earthly origin of the Muslim religion, socio-economic and ideological roots of the formation of Islam is not a product of a coincidence, one way or another leaves room for a «miracle», but as a natural result of the development of social relations in a certain period of the history of the Arab peoples.

On the Arabian Peninsula, inhabited mainly by nomadic pastoral tribes of Bedouin Arabs, there were important changes in that time. Relations based on property inequality and class privileges began to prevail over tribal or Patriarchal-communal relations and ties due to the decomposition of the old way of life. In the cities, this process was outlined earlier and was more intense.

For example, in Mecca, which grew up at the transshipment point of the caravan route from Yemen to Syria, there were merchants, slave owners and the poor. Slaves worked around the house, worked outside the city and in the nearby oases of the land, grazed cattle, were artisans. It should be said that according to the tradition of the city, inhabited by former nomads, had many «birthmarks» of the tribal system: the population of the districts were immigrants from separate clans, the ancestors and sheikhs of the tribes enjoyed hereditary authority, had some power over the tribesmen. However, monetary relations, trade and craft gradually undermined ties, based on blood kinship. In the cities where merchants were engaged in transit trade, usury prospered: to take «Dinar on Dinar» for the loan became usual norm. That is why the founder of the new religion, Muhammad, in order to win over as many people as possible, condemned usury and declared that Allah forbids «riba», that is, loan interest.

Gradually strengthened ties between tribes, there were alliances of tribes. The idea of uniting tribes found an increasing number of supporters among the tribal nobility and merchants.

The unification of Arab tribes and the strengthening of political and economic ties between cities and human settlements have become an urgent necessity. Different parts of the vast territory of Arabia was the subject of claims of the great empires of that time – Byzantium and Iran. The latter sought to keep under its control path leading from the Mediterranean to India and China, in particular the caravan route from Yemen through Hijaz in Syria, Palestine and Iraq.

As a result of the constant struggle that has been going on for many decades, Iran managed to defeat the satellite of the Byzantium of Ethiopia, which seized Yemen, expel its troops from there and establish its control over the transit trade. Indian goods could now fall into the Byzantine Empire only through Iran. The cessation of transit through Yemen had a serious impact on its economy, the Hijaz cities of Mecca, Taif and others associated with Yemen and the red sea coast (trade routes moved to the Persian Gulf), began to grow. The Meccan rich people who have lost a significant share of the gains from trade, increased exploitation of the working strata of the population, were growing debts of impoverished tribes, unscrupulous money-lenders have increased interest rates.

In Arabia, the socio-economic crisis was growing until unprecedented severity. The contradictions created by or exacerbated by the crisis required resolution. Relations between the owners of land once owned by the entire community and landless congregation, between the nobility and ordinary members of the tribes, between slaves and slave owners, artisans and rich moneylenders, wealthy merchants and their workers became increasingly strained.

The leaders of society clearly felt the need for a strong centralized power, able to keep in check the disgruntled and oppressed people. It would also provide an opportunity to unite the scattered parts of the country, its cities and oases, to ensure national independence, to restore the old caravan routes, to wage wars of conquest.

Old tribal beliefs and religions prevented unification trends and prevented the creation of a unified state on the territory of the entire Arabian Peninsula.

Islam turned out to be an ideological tool suitable for unifying purposes, as well as corresponding to the class interests of the privileged strata of Arab society. His strict, consistent monotheism, the preaching of the «brotherhood» of all Muslims, regardless of their tribal affiliation, met the requirements of the time. Muslims – a word formed from the Arabic «Muslim», that is loyal, obedient. Islam is the word of the same root, meaning: surrender to God, submission.

However, it would certainly be wrong to believe that Islam was the intended result of the activities of certain individuals who set themselves certain political or economic goals.

Islam is a spontaneous religious teaching. It took time. The emergence of Islam was preceded by the spread of the teachings of the Hanifs or hanifism – an early form of Arab monotheism. Hanifs opposed idolatry in various parts of Arabia and rejected polytheism. They preached the idea of monotheism, glorified asceticism. The widespread notion among Muslims that belief in one God begins only with Muhammad is untrue. The latter began religious activity as a follower of hanifism, who recognized instead of many gods the one God – Allah. In the first biography of Muhammad («Sira»), this is stated quite clearly.

Neither Hanifs, nor Muhammad was not original in the preaching of monotheism. Monotheistic religions were already known in Arabia. In the cities of Yemen, the oases of the Northern Hijaz, especially in Yasrib, a city later known as Medina, some tribes practiced Judaism. Jewish immigrants brought it there from the Roman Empire. Christianity was spread in the North of Yemen and East of Nejd. Christians of various persuasions met among farmers, artisans and merchants. They were also among the Bedouin nomads. Preaching the religion of monotheism, therefore, could not be perceived as a striking, unheard of hitherto, incomparable phenomenon.

Thus, Islam took moral and religious teachings not only from the Hanifs. It contains elements of Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism and ritual remnants of ancient Arab cults, which later became part of the Koran. This syncretism-one of the strong evidence of the earthly origin of the Muslim religion, its gradual formation. He refutes the theological version of the origin of Islam as a result of the «revelations» sent down to Muhammad, the prophet most valued by Allah and loved by him.

It is hardly correct to believe that Islam from the very beginning was the religion of the emerging feudal elite. The original Islam was not a complete ideological teaching. Only in the process of Arab conquests and the organization of the Caliphate, it acquires pronounced class features.

The Muslim community, which existed in Medina, had a hierarchical structure, and there were quite significant differences between the members of the community. This is stated, in particular, in the Koran. The most fanatical supporters of the prophet (mu’minun) Quran puts above just «submissive» – muslimun. Those who hesitated did not take an active part in the Affairs of the community, the «Holy» book of Muslims calls munafikun – «indecisive». On their heads, the Koran unleashes terrible threats in the name of Allah.

The privileged members of the community were the Muhajirs (the prophet’s immediate entourage from Mecca), and the ansars, the majority followers of Muhammad in Medina, were in a subordinate position. The main severity of taxes (zakat) fell on their shoulders.

The conquest of Mecca accelerated and facilitated the Islamization of Arabia. Fate numerous tribal gods, already played its role, was solved. Their images, once so jealously revered, were desecrated and destroyed. By the end of 630, most of Arabia was already under the authority of the» messenger of Allah», and soon emerged centralized theocratic state used Islam as an ideological tool to strengthen the new social order in the country and the implementation of a broad policy of conquest far beyond its borders.

Already in the days of the first caliphs (Abu-Bekr, Omar and Osman), the Arabs were able to capture all the neighboring and even more remote areas and areas of the Middle East. By the 8th and 9th centuries, Islam had become a religion that dominated among the Nations that inhabited vast territories from Spain to the Persian Gulf.

Beginning with the 9th century Islam began to spread in Northern and North-Western India, began to penetrate deep into the African continent. In the 14—16 centuries, he came to Indonesia.

In the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, the Muslim religion spread because of the centuries-old domination of the Turks and was imposed forcibly. Islam covered the southern regions of Central Asia, was introduced in the North Caucasus, and in the 9—10 centuries – in the Volga-Kama basin and the Urals. The rulers of the Bulgarian Kingdom, interested in the monotheistic faith, were the first to adopt Islam in order to turn it into a state religion.

Historical documents show that the peoples of Central Asia, the North Caucasus and other regions have been stubbornly resisting Arab hordes. They strongly opposed the penetration of Islam.

The process of spreading Islam took a long time. In many areas, the violent imposition of Islam has dragged on for centuries. However, one should not think that violence alone ensured the spread of a new religion. Measures of material, socio-economic encouragement, moral and psychological pressure, persistent propaganda, the decline of local beliefs and, finally, but not least, the coincidence of the interests of the ruling classes with the interests of the conquerors-all these factors were in a complex intertwining and communication.

Belief in one God – Allah, in his messenger – Prophet Muhammad, in the eternity of the Koran, in angels and evil spirits (Jinn), on the Day of Judgment, in the afterlife retribution (heaven and hell) – the basic tenets of Islam. They are reflected in the following verse of the Qur’an:»[4.135] O you who beljeve! be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness of Allah’s sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives; if he be rich or poor, Allah is nearer to them both in compassion; therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely Allah is aware of what you do.

[4.136] O you who believe! believe in Allah and His Apostle and the Book which He has revealed to His Apostle and the Book which He revealed before; and whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His apostles and the last day, he indeed strays off into a remote error.» (Sura 4 «The Women», 135 (136)). That is, the main thing – faith, and faith as we know is suggestion and self-hypnosis. That is, under the name of Allah – God «broadcast» ordinary «interested persons» who inspired believers that they are profitable. Why does «Almighty» God to say something, if everything is done and so on his will!

The basic tenets of the Muslim faith arose from old Arab beliefs and other monotheistic religions. Ideas about these religions were formed thanks to the extensive trade relations of the Arabs with the countries where these religions were widespread, as well as due to the fact that in various parts of Arabia there were settlements of Christians and Jews, their communities lived, in particular, in Medina. However, Muslims believe that it all began with the“ enlightenment „of Muhammad, with the suggestion to him «from above» the principles and rules of the true faith. Almighty and all-good Allah we have learned, say the representatives of the Muslim clergy, thanks to the prophet Muhammad, as Allah voluntarily chose him as his prophet and gave him instructions. Belief in Allah is the main tenet of Islam, which expresses the Muslim principle of monotheism.

Faith in Allah is the core of Islam around which all other religious beliefs are concentrated. Islam teaches consistently and strictly observes the dogma of monotheism, threatening earthly and heavenly punishments for its violation. Muslims, as required by the Koran, must tirelessly say «our Lord is Allah» (Sura 22 «The Pilgrimage»,»[22.40] Those who have been expelled from their homes without a just cause except that they say: Our Lord is Allah. And had there not been Allah’s repelling some people by others, certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques in which Allah’s name is much remembered; and surely Allah will help him who helps His cause; most surely Allah is Strong, Mighty.