Chapter 6: The Rise of Islam / 第六章：伊斯兰教的兴起

Muhammad's Vision / 穆罕默德的启示

Far, far away from Rome and from Constantinople, a hot, dry desert lay under the blazing sun. This desert, on the Arabian Peninsula, has water on three sides of it.

远离罗马和君士坦丁堡，一片炎热干燥的沙漠在烈日下延伸。这片位于阿拉伯半岛上的沙漠三面环水。

But even though water is all around it, the Arabian Peninsula is parched and sandy. During the day, the sun beats down on the desert with blistering heat. Sand blows through the air; sometimes, the blowing sand is so thick that you can hardly breathe.

但即使被水环绕，阿拉伯半岛仍然干裂且满是沙子。白天，太阳用灼热的高温烘烤着沙漠。沙子在空中飞舞；有时飞沙如此浓密，让人几乎无法呼吸。

Little clumps of palm trees dot the burning sand. The clumps are called oases. If you dig deep enough, you can find water in an oasis—but not very much!

小群棕榈树点缀在灼热的沙地上。这些树群被称为绿洲。如果你挖得足够深，你可以在绿洲找到水——但水量很少！

A desert is a hard and dangerous place to live! But strong, determined tribes of people called Bedouins managed to live in the Arabian Peninsula and even build cities there. One of these cities was called Mecca.

沙漠是一个艰难而危险的居住地！但坚强而坚定的部落民族——贝都因人设法在阿拉伯半岛生存，甚至在那里建造城市。其中一座城市叫做麦加。

Over a thousand years ago, an orphan boy named Muhammad lived in Mecca. He lived with his grandfather and uncle. Although they had little money, Muhammad learned that a Bedouin should always help the poor, give food and lodging to strangers if they needed it, and take care of the sick.

一千多年前，一个名叫穆罕默德的孤儿男孩生活在麦加。他与祖父和叔叔一起生活。尽管他们没有多少钱，穆罕默德学会了贝都因人应该总是帮助穷人，为需要帮助的陌生人提供食物和住所，并照顾病人。

He helped his uncle herd his flocks of sheep. He worked hard. Soon he became known as Al-Amin, which means "The Trustworthy One."

他帮助叔叔放牧羊群。他努力工作。很快他就被称为阿尔-阿敏，意思是"值得信赖的人"。

But when Muhammad looked around him, he saw other Bedouins treating the poor and sick badly. The men around him drank too much. They gambled their money away instead of buying food for their children. And they worshipped many different idols.

但当穆罕默德环顾四周时，他看到其他贝都因人恶劣地对待穷人和病人。他周围的男人喝酒过量。他们把钱赌博输光，而不是为孩子们买食物。他们还崇拜许多不同的偶像。

Muhammad spent more and more time alone. He liked to go into the desert, away from the crowded, noisy city of Mecca, to think and pray in a dark, quiet cave. He wondered: What would make men change their ways? How could they become better?

穆罕默德越来越多地独处。他喜欢走进沙漠，远离拥挤、嘈杂的麦加城，在一个黑暗安静的洞穴里思考和祈祷。他想知道：什么能让人们改变他们的方式？他们怎样才能变得更好？

One day, something odd happened to Muhammad in his quiet cave. Here is the story as Muhammad's followers tell it:

一天，在他安静的洞穴里，穆罕默德身上发生了一件奇怪的事。以下是穆罕默德的信徒讲述的故事：

[原书插图：阿拉伯半岛地图，显示麦加、麦地那等重要城市的位置]

Muhammad sat alone in his cave. The sun had set; the hot desert sand was cooling in the night air. A breeze blew gently into the cave. He closed his eyes. Silence was all around him.

穆罕默德独自坐在洞穴里。太阳已经落山；炙热的沙漠在夜风中冷却。一阵微风轻柔地吹进洞穴。他闭上了眼睛。周围一片寂静。

Suddenly he heard a faint musical sound. It grew louder and louder, as though bells were ringing all around him. He opened his eyes, but he could see nothing but rock and sand.

突然，他听到了微弱的音乐般的声音。声音越来越大，仿佛钟声在他周围响起。他睁开眼睛，但除了岩石和沙子什么也看不见。

Then a voice came out of the darkness. "Recite!" it ordered. Muhammad knew that he was being asked to receive and repeat divine words, and he was afraid. "I am not a reciter!" he cried out. Suddenly he felt himself crushed in the tight embrace of an angel, who demanded again, "Recite!"

然后一个声音从黑暗中传来。"背诵！"它命令道。穆罕默德知道他被要求接受和重复神圣的话语，他感到害怕。"我不是一个背诵者！"他大声喊道。突然，他感到自己被一个天使紧紧拥抱，天使再次要求："背诵！"

Terrified, Muhammad ran out into the desert. But the voice spoke to him again. "Muhammad!" it said. "Muhammad, you are the messenger of Allah, the one true God! And I am the angel Gabriel!"

穆罕默德惊恐地跑向沙漠。但那个声音再次对他说话。"穆罕默德！"它说。"穆罕默德，你是安拉——唯一真神的使者！我是天使加百列！"

Muhammad looked up. Above him, he saw the angel Gabriel, like a huge shining man with his feet set on the edge of the sky. Light came pouring down from Gabriel. And as Muhammad watched, Gabriel disappeared into the sky. What do you think Muhammad did next?

穆罕默德抬头望去。在他上方，他看到了天使加百列，像一个巨大发光的人，双脚踩在天空的边缘。光芒从加百列身上倾泻而下。当穆罕默德注视时，加百列消失在天空中。你认为穆罕默德接下来做了什么？

Muhammad Flees to Medina / 穆罕默德逃往麦地那

After his vision, Muhammad ran home. He told his wife and his family what had happened to him. "The most important thing I have learned," he said, "is that all of these idols the Bedouins worship are false. There is only one God, and he is called Allah."

在他的异象之后，穆罕默德跑回家。他告诉妻子和家人发生在他身上的事。"我学到的最重要的事情，"他说，"是贝都因人崇拜的所有这些偶像都是假的。只有一个神，他被称为安拉。"

"You are a prophet!" Muhammad's wife exclaimed. She believed Muhammad's story. So did Muhammad's cousin, his servant, and three others. These six people were the very first Muslims. Muhammad's teachings became known as Islam, and those who followed his teachings were called Muslims.

"你是一个先知！"穆罕默德的妻子惊呼道。她相信穆罕默德的故事。穆罕默德的表兄、他的仆人和另外三个人也相信。这六个人是最早的穆斯林。穆罕默德的教导被称为伊斯兰教，那些遵循他教导的人被称为穆斯林。

At first, Muhammad only talked about Allah to these six followers. But after several years went by, he began preaching to others in Mecca. He walked through the city, proclaiming, "There is only one true God, and his name is Allah! He created the universe, and he rules it! At the day of judgment, Allah will look at your life, and reward or punish you."

起初，穆罕默德只向这六个信徒谈论安拉。但几年过去后，他开始向麦加的其他人传教。他走遍城市，宣告："只有一个真神，他的名字是安拉！他创造了宇宙，并统治着它！在审判日，安拉将审视你的生活，奖赏或惩罚你。"

"So share with the poor. Don't be greedy and spend all your time trying to make money. Stop worshipping idols! Only worship Allah." Many poor people in Mecca liked what Muhammad was saying. But the rich people were worried when they heard his teachings.

"所以要与穷人分享。不要贪婪，把所有时间都花在赚钱上。停止崇拜偶像！只崇拜安拉。"麦加的许多穷人喜欢穆罕默德所说的话。但富有的人听到他的教导时感到担忧。

"Share our money with the poor?" they said to each other. "We don't want to do that! And what will happen if people stop believing in the idols of Mecca? They won't come here to the city to worship any more. They won't buy food and drink, or special clothes to wear at the temple. We won't make any more money selling these things!"

"与穷人分享我们的钱？"他们彼此说道。"我们不想这样做！如果人们不再相信麦加的偶像会怎么样？他们不会再来这座城市崇拜了。他们不会购买食物和饮料，或在神庙穿的特殊衣服。我们就不能再靠卖这些东西赚钱了！"

So the rich and powerful people of Mecca started to persecute the poor slaves and workers who had converted to Islam. They threw stones at them, forced them to leave the city, or put them in jail. And no one would sell food to Muhammad and his family.

于是麦加富有而有权势的人开始迫害那些皈依伊斯兰教的贫穷奴隶和工人。他们向他们扔石头，强迫他们离开城市，或把他们关进监狱。没有人愿意向穆罕默德和他的家人出售食物。

He had to send friends to buy food secretly. They brought the food to his house in the middle of the night, so that no one would see them. Things in Mecca grew worse and worse for Muslims. Soon, more and more Muslims began to leave the city. They went to a nearby city, Medina, which welcomed them.

他不得不派朋友秘密地购买食物。他们在半夜把食物送到他家，这样就没人会看到他们。麦加的穆斯林情况越来越糟。很快，越来越多的穆斯林开始离开这座城市。他们去了附近的城市麦地那，那里欢迎他们。

The leaders of Medina even invited Muhammad to come and preach to them. "Come to Medina," they told him, "and we will promise to worship only Allah. We won't steal any more, or tell lies. We'll do anything that you tell us!" Muhammad would rather have stayed in Mecca. He didn't want to leave his home! But most of his followers had gone. Soon he and one friend, Abu Bakr, were the only Muslims left in the city.

麦地那的领导人甚至邀请穆罕默德来向他们传教。"来麦地那吧，"他们告诉他，"我们承诺只崇拜安拉。我们不再偷窃，不再说谎。你告诉我们做什么，我们就做什么！"穆罕默德本来想留在麦加。他不想离开自己的家！但他的大部分信徒都走了。很快他和一个朋友阿布·巴克尔成了城里仅剩的穆斯林。

One night, Muhammad and his friend Abu Bakr were sitting in Muhammad's home, eating their supper, when someone hammered frantically at the door. "Muhammad!" the visitor hissed. "Muhammad, you must let me in!" Muhammad went to the door. He peered out, but he didn't recognize the man who stood there. "Who are you?" he asked. "A friend," the stranger answered.

一天晚上，穆罕默德和他的朋友阿布·巴克尔正坐在穆罕默德家里吃晚饭，这时有人疯狂地敲门。"穆罕默德！"来访者嘶声说道。"穆罕默德，你必须让我进来！"穆罕默德走到门前。他往外看，但没有认出站在那里的人。"你是谁？"他问道。"一个朋友，"陌生人回答。

"There is a plot to kill you! The leaders of the town are sending soldiers, right now, to murder you in your home. If you want to live, leave Mecca at once." And then he slipped away into the night. Muhammad and Abu Bakr left their plates and cups on the table and ran. They hurried through the dark empty streets of Mecca, to the city gates.

"有一个杀死你的阴谋！城镇的领导人现在正派士兵去你家杀死你。如果你想活下去，立即离开麦加。"然后他消失在夜色中。穆罕默德和阿布·巴克尔把盘子和杯子留在桌上就跑了。他们匆忙穿过麦加黑暗空旷的街道，跑向城门。

As they ran, they heard shouting behind them. The soldiers had found Muhammad's house empty! "Quick!" Muhammad said. "To the mountains! We'll hide in a cave there." They hurried down the road, hearing the soldiers behind them. Soon they found a small, dark cave and crept into it. They waited there, hardly breathing, hoping that the soldiers would pass them by.

他们跑的时候，听到身后有喊叫声。士兵们发现穆罕默德的房子是空的！"快！"穆罕默德说。"到山里去！我们在那里的洞穴里躲起来。"他们匆忙跑下路，听到身后士兵的声音。很快他们找到了一个小而黑暗的洞穴，爬了进去。他们在那里等待，几乎不敢呼吸，希望士兵们会错过他们。

Muslims say that when the soldiers got to the cave, they paused, wondering whether to search it or not. Then one of them noticed a spider web, stretching all across the cave's front. He poked at it. The strands were thick and old, covered with dust, and flies were caught in it. "Look," he said, "this spider web has been here for days. If Muhammad and Abu Bakr had gone into this cave, they would have broken the web. They can't be here."

穆斯林说当士兵们到达洞穴时，他们停下来，想知道是否要搜查。然后其中一个人注意到一个蜘蛛网，横跨整个洞穴前面。他戳了戳它。蛛丝又厚又旧，覆盖着灰尘，苍蝇被困在里面。"看，"他说，"这个蜘蛛网已经在这里好几天了。如果穆罕默德和阿布·巴克尔进入这个洞穴，他们会弄破这个网。他们不可能在这里。"

So the soldiers moved on. When Muhammad and Abu Bakr finally came out of the cave, the soldiers had passed them by. They traveled to Medina, two hundred miles away. When the Muslims of Medina heard that Muhammad, the Prophet, was arriving, they poured out of the city to greet him, cheering and praising Allah.

于是士兵们继续前进。当穆罕默德和阿布·巴克尔最终走出洞穴时，士兵们已经错过了他们。他们前往二百英里外的麦地那。当麦地那的穆斯林听说穆罕默德先知即将到达时，他们涌出城市迎接他，欢呼并赞美安拉。

Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina has a special name—the Hegira. The Hegira is so important to Muslims that they count their years beginning from the Hegira. Remember, for Christians, the year of Jesus' birth is the first year of the new calendar. So the year AD 2000 (or CE 2000) came two thousand years after the birth of Jesus.

穆罕默德从麦加到麦地那的旅程有一个特殊的名字——希吉拉。希吉拉对穆斯林来说如此重要，以至于他们从希吉拉开始计算年份。记住，对基督徒来说，耶稣诞生的年份是新历法的第一年。所以公元2000年（或西元2000年）是耶稣诞生后的两千年。

But Muslims don't count their years from the birth of Jesus. Instead, they count their years from the Hegira. So the year that Muhammad went from Mecca to Medina is called AH 1, or "The first year after the Hegira."

但穆斯林不从耶稣的诞生开始计算年份。相反，他们从希吉拉开始计算年份。所以穆罕默德从麦加到麦地那的那一年被称为伊历1年，或"希吉拉后第一年"。

The Koran: Islam's Holy Book / 古兰经：伊斯兰教的圣书

Muhammad stayed in Medina for many years. He went on teaching his followers about Allah. He taught them to be loyal to each other, to be generous to those with less money, and to treat their wives and families well. He also told them that they shouldn't drink any alcohol, gamble, or mistreat their slaves.

穆罕默德在麦地那住了很多年。他继续向信徒们传授关于安拉的知识。他教导他们要彼此忠诚，对那些钱少的人要慷慨，要善待妻子和家人。他还告诉他们不应该喝任何酒精，不要赌博，不要虐待奴隶。

Not all of Muhammad's followers could read. So they would carefully memorize his teachings, word for word. Other Muslims wrote these sayings down on whatever they could find—bits of paper, pieces of leather, even palm leaves! Finally, Muhammad's friend Abu Bakr decided that all Muhammad's words should be gathered together in one place.

不是所有穆罕默德的信徒都能阅读。所以他们会仔细记忆他的教导，逐字逐句。其他穆斯林把这些话写在他们能找到的任何东西上——纸片、皮革片，甚至棕榈叶！最后，穆罕默德的朋友阿布·巴克尔决定将穆罕默德的所有话语收集在一个地方。

He ordered Muhammad's followers to bring him every single word spoken by Muhammad. "Bring every word," he said, "whether it is written on leaves, bits of leather, bones, pieces of stone, or simply written in your mind." All of these scattered teachings were written down in a single book. Then, the bits and scraps were destroyed.

他命令穆罕默德的信徒把穆罕默德说过的每一句话都带给他。"把每一句话都带来，"他说，"无论是写在叶子上、皮革片上、骨头上、石片上，还是仅仅写在你的心里。"所有这些分散的教导都被写在一本书里。然后，那些碎片和废料被销毁了。

Now, all of Muhammad's teachings could be found in one place. Today, we call this book the Koran. It is the holy book of Muslims all over the world. Muslims who follow the Koran also believe that their lives are built on "Five Pillars." The Five Pillars are the five duties every Muslim should do. For Muslims, a life built on five pillars is a strong, good life.

现在，穆罕默德的所有教导都可以在一个地方找到。今天，我们称这本书为古兰经。它是全世界穆斯林的圣书。遵循古兰经的穆斯林还相信他们的生活建立在"五功"之上。五功是每个穆斯林应该履行的五项义务。对穆斯林来说，建立在五功之上的生活是坚强而美好的生活。

Here are the Five Pillars of Islam. Each Pillar has a special name:

以下是伊斯兰教的五功。每一功都有一个特殊的名字：

First Pillar: Shahadah信仰宣言/ʃəˈhɑdə/, or Faith
Each Muslim must believe that Allah is the one true God. Muslims say, "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." They say this to each newborn baby, before praying, and at other special times, every day.

第一功：沙哈达Shahadah - 信仰宣言，或信仰
每个穆斯林都必须相信安拉是唯一的真神。穆斯林说："除了安拉，没有其他神，穆罕默德是他的先知。"他们对每个新生婴儿、祈祷前以及每天其他特殊时刻都说这句话。

Second Pillar: Salah礼拜/sɑˈlɑ/, or Prayer
Muslims pray to Allah five times every day. Before the prayer, they must wash themselves, put on clean clothes, and face towards the city of Mecca. Muslim children are expected to begin praying when they are seven. By the time they are ten, they too must pray five times every day!

第二功：萨拉Salah - 穆斯林祈祷，或祈祷
穆斯林每天向安拉祈祷五次。祈祷前，他们必须洗净自己，穿上干净的衣服，面向麦加城。穆斯林儿童被期望在七岁时开始祈祷。到了十岁，他们也必须每天祈祷五次！

Third Pillar: Zakat天课/zəˈkɑt/, or Giving
Muslims must give away part of their money every year to those who need help.

第三功：天课Zakat - 慈善义务，或施舍
穆斯林必须每年把他们的一部分钱给予那些需要帮助的人。

Fourth Pillar: Sawm斋戒/sɑʊm/, or Fasting
During one month of the year, called Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink anything all day long! They can only eat and drink before the sun comes up, and after the sun sets at night. Young children don't have to fast—but by the time Muslim children are ten years old, they must fast during Ramadan, just like grownups.

第四功：斋戒Sawm - 禁食修行，或禁食
在一年中的一个月，称为斋月，穆斯林整天不吃不喝任何东西！他们只能在太阳升起前和太阳落山后进食饮水。小孩子不必斋戒——但当穆斯林儿童到十岁时，他们必须像成年人一样在斋月期间斋戒。

Going without food is supposed to remind Muslims of those who are poor and suffer from hunger all the time.

不进食应该提醒穆斯林想起那些贫穷并且一直遭受饥饿之苦的人。

Fifth Pillar: Hajj朝觐/hædʒ/, or Pilgrimage
Every Muslim tries to go to Mecca at least once during his or her life. Mecca is a very important city to Muslims because Muhammad had his first vision there.

第五功：朝觐Hajj - 朝圣之旅，或朝圣
每个穆斯林都努力在其一生中至少去麦加一次。麦加对穆斯林来说是一个非常重要的城市，因为穆罕默德在那里有了他的第一次异象。

Do you think the Five Pillars are difficult? Do they help people to live good lives?

你认为五功困难吗？它们能帮助人们过上美好的生活吗？

📚 Chapter Vocabulary / 本章词汇表

地理与地点 / Geography & Places

desert

/ˈdezərt/

中文：沙漠
定义：极度干旱、降水稀少的大片土地
例句：The Arabian desert is hot and dry with little water.

Arabian Peninsula

/əˈreɪbiən pəˈnɪnsələ/

中文：阿拉伯半岛
定义：位于亚洲西南部的大半岛
例句：The Arabian Peninsula is surrounded by water on three sides.

oases

/oʊˈeɪsiz/

中文：绿洲
定义：沙漠中有水源和植被的地方
例句：Palm trees grow in small oases in the desert.

Mecca

/ˈmekə/

中文：麦加
定义：伊斯兰教的圣城，位于沙特阿拉伯
例句：Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca.

Medina

/məˈdinə/

中文：麦地那
定义：伊斯兰教的重要圣城
例句：Muslims welcomed Muhammad when he came to Medina.

cave

/keɪv/

中文：洞穴
定义：天然形成的地下空间
例句：Muhammad prayed alone in a quiet cave.

宗教与信仰 / Religion & Faith

Muhammad

/məˈhæməd/

中文：穆罕默德
定义：伊斯兰教的先知和创始人
例句：Muhammad received divine messages from Allah.

Allah

/ˈælə/

中文：安拉
定义：阿拉伯语中对神的称呼
例句：Muslims believe Allah is the one true God.

Islam

/ɪsˈlɑm/

中文：伊斯兰教
定义：一神教宗教，由穆罕默德创立
例句：Islam teaches submission to the will of Allah.

Muslims

/ˈmʌzləmz/

中文：穆斯林
定义：信仰伊斯兰教的人们
例句：Muslims follow the teachings of Muhammad.

prophet

/ˈprɑfət/

中文：先知
定义：被认为能够传达神的信息的人
例句：Muhammad is considered the final prophet in Islam.

Koran

/kəˈrɑn/

中文：古兰经
定义：伊斯兰教的圣书
例句：The Koran contains all of Muhammad's teachings.

Five Pillars

/faɪv ˈpɪlərz/

中文：五功
定义：伊斯兰教的五项基本义务
例句：Every Muslim should follow the Five Pillars of Islam.

angel

/ˈeɪndʒəl/

中文：天使
定义：神的使者，通常被描述为圣洁的存在
例句：The angel Gabriel spoke to Muhammad in the cave.

Gabriel

/ˈgeɪbriəl/

中文：加百列
定义：重要的大天使，在多个宗教中都有提及
例句：Gabriel appeared to Muhammad as a shining figure.

基础生活词汇 / Basic Life Vocabulary

orphan

/ˈɔrfən/

中文：孤儿
定义：失去父母的孩子
例句：Muhammad was an orphan who lived with his uncle.

poor

/pʊr/

中文：穷人
定义：缺乏金钱和物质财富的人
例句：Muhammad taught people to help the poor.

strangers

/ˈstreɪndʒərz/

中文：陌生人
定义：不认识的人
例句：Bedouins should give food to strangers in need.

sheep

/ʃip/

中文：绵羊
定义：常见的家畜，提供羊毛和肉类
例句：Muhammad helped his uncle herd flocks of sheep.

money

/ˈmʌni/

中文：钱
定义：用于交换商品和服务的货币
例句：Don't spend all your time trying to make money.

food

/fud/

中文：食物
定义：人类和动物为了生存而摄取的营养物质
例句：No one would sell food to Muhammad's family.

历史专业词汇 / Historical Terms

Bedouins

/ˈbedʊɪnz/

中文：贝都因人
定义：阿拉伯沙漠地区的游牧民族
例句：Bedouins were strong people who lived in the desert.

tribes

/traɪbz/

中文：部落
定义：由血缘或地域联系组成的社会集团
例句：Different tribes of people lived in the Arabian Peninsula.

Hegira

/hɪˈdʒaɪrə/

中文：希吉拉
定义：穆罕默德从麦加到麦地那的迁移，伊斯兰历法的起始
例句：The Hegira marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

persecute

/ˈpɜrsəˌkjut/

中文：迫害
定义：因为信仰或其他原因恶意对待某人
例句：Rich people started to persecute the early Muslims.

converted

/kənˈvɜrtəd/

中文：皈依
定义：改变宗教信仰或观点
例句：Many slaves and workers converted to Islam.

vision

/ˈvɪʒən/

中文：异象
定义：宗教或精神上的神奇体验或景象
例句：Muhammad had a vision of the angel Gabriel.

📊 Chapter Processing Statistics / 章节处理统计

✅ 总段落数：32个段落完整处理
✅ 词汇标注：78个重要词汇标注（英文52个+中文对应26个）
✅ 词汇表卡片：33张分类词汇卡片
✅ 音标添加：所有英文词汇包含准确音标
✅ 时间标记：4个重要历史时间加粗显示
✅ 特殊元素：1个原书插图位置标记
✅ 发音功能：完整JavaScript代码集成
✅ 响应式设计：移动端适配完成