Aibu not to know the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed?

[Quodlibet]

Just that really. I was unaware until today.

Depends on your attitude to general knowledge, really, and whether you like to be able to answer lots of question on University Challenge / the local pub quiz / Trivial Pursuit

Does it matter where he was born if you are not Muslim? Why should you know? You can't know everything about every religion. I was brought up a Catholic. I know where Jesus was born, but it has no relevance to the actual faith. It's just part of the Christmas story so culturally relevant but apart from that, completely irrelevant.
Re: respect for religion you can not be rude to people and let them get on with believing what they want to believe as long as they do not impose their views on others. Sadly, most religions do try and impose their views on others through restricting contraceptive choices, stoning homosexuals and (female) adulterers, burying babies in cesspools etc etc etc ad infinitum. Aggressive atheists are irritating and smug but don't go around killing people in the name of atheism.

midnight, that is a sobering thought that the girls in my year 1 class are the same age as Mohammed's bride. 🙁

hippyshake sounds like we're similar age

And yes, we covered several world religions. So it has been around for our generation, though clearly not done uniformly in all schools as your experience was different.

I find it slightly shocking that people don't know this. It's like not knowing the capital of the USA. Having said that, the historian Tom Holland makes a good argument that Mohammed wasn't born in Mecca.

Irrespective of whether you are an atheist of not, to dismiss Jesus as simply 'made up' is the polar-opposite ignorance of believing the world is flat because the Bible says so. Just because you don't hold a Christian faith (and you believe aspects of the faith are a fairy tale) doesn't mean it follows that the very existence of a man called Jesus is a fairytale...

HUh? Where did that come from? I get the story of jesus, I studied it when I was younger and i hit a brick wall when I tried to find evidence. Same with Mo, no idea if he existed, so hard to figure out where he might have been born. Where was Jessica rabbit born?

Obviously with this question people google the answer but until asked no one knows/cares. So its important to ask did the character actually exist? Its like asking which city faeries come from.

I don't know much about Mecca, but I've visited Hala Sultan Tekke in Cyprus, which is very lovely and of great religious significance to Muslims I believe.

There was an excellent debate on MN in years gone by on the evidence for the existence of Jesus - how little evidence there actually is is quite surprising.

The Great Jesus Debate - did he exist at all?

Well worth a read, with great debate to be had from both sides of the argument.

There was an excellent debate on MN in years gone by on the evidence for the existence of Jesus

My issue isn't with differences of opinion people may have regarding the existence of Jesus, it's the glib "we all know Jesus was completely made up by the Romans" kind of view which aren't based on any real understanding or knowledge but an extension of someone's atheism.

I find it slightly shocking that people don't know this. why its not a crucial part of islam theology afterall he only recieved his first revelation at aged 40

Well I came to this thread hoping someone had set me up adequately for my 'non prophet organisation' joke but alas this was not so

Guava Happy to assist! What's the lead line? What do you call a non-islamic charitable organisation?

Yay thanks Vlad! A non prophet organisation! Badoom tish

My catholic school education was

90% catholic
10% other

So I know that Mohammed was the leader of Muslim people, their god is Allah. Jews wear a thing on their heads and have hannukah instead of Xmas, they also don't eat like same as the muslims, Sikhs wear a turban and a bracelet and a little curved knife and Hindus are the ones with the little red dot and they like cows.

I've no interest in learning any further than that and meet all religion with equal derision.

Don't eat pork

Actually not true. I like the buddhists, no sky god or magic, just a fat little dude full of peace and love. I can tolerate the Buddhists

I find it slightly shocking that people don't know this. It's like not knowing the capital of the USA.

I find it equally shocking that someone can't distinguish between the likelihood of knowing an incidental fact regarding a religion that is not part of most people's cultural background in the UK (or other 'western' nation) against knowing the capital city of the most powerful country on the planet!

i think your right but its a false equivalency anyway because noones today isfollowing the teachings of richard II but lots are following mohammed

And that IS kind of the point.

In those times, in that society, it was normal. Sure, by our Western 21st Century morals it is disgusting, but then it was normal.

And that, in my view, is where the dog whistling comes in. People are making it into a "shock horror" thing because : Mohammed was married to a child; this means he was a disgusting person; Muslims follow his teachings whilst knowing her was married to a child; this makes them disgusting people.

It doesn't. It was normal there and then. You can't use it to judge his character.

but mohammeds treated as a gtreat role model today as Rasit Küçük, PhD 'The life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is full of countless examples that show his status as a role model for Muslim societies and individuals.' and btw there were two posters who said he wasnt married to a child. or are you saying mohammed isn't a role model.

Well I know but I used to teach RE. Its not something I would expect the average CoE/atheist/agnostic British person to know. I teach it but how many people rememeber everything from school? YANBU.

I think parts of people's lives can be considered worthy of respect/emulation even if they also have aspects of their lives which are clearly outdated today. I just don't believe you can write off someone because they did something which was considered normal in their time but is considered unacceptable today.

My understanding is that in character Muhammed was reputed to be a fair, honest, peaceable and wise man - in comparison to others of his time. I guess those characteristics are what make him a role model.

Interestingly, I recently discovered that, in England and Wales, until 1929 it was legal for girls to marry at 12 years old if their parents consented.

Add to that: marital rape was only recently (in my time at least) considered to be a crime. To also add to Oak's post Martin McGuinness.

Whether or not someone knows the birthplace of Mohammed is neither here nor there when they use his name to wreak devastation on others.

But let's not derail the thread.

I do but that's because I've read about him. I like to learn about religion. Why would you know if you have no desire or reason to learn about him?
I like the buddhists, no sky god or magic no, no magic in Buddhism, as long as you discount the fact that he was considered to posses superhuman powers and parted water before Jesus. Some Buddhists are theists too .

The importance of Mecca and the belief that it was a holy site predates Muhammad saw, Muslims believe that the Kaaba was first built by Adam, later repaired by Abraham, and restored again by Muhammad who also restored the pilgrimage. The importance of Mecca for us doesn't really come from the fact that Muhammad was born there, it just adds to it.

I am constantly amazed that the lack of general knowledge shown by many people. And their extraordinary pride in their ignorance.

Yes, of course I know where Mohammed was born. The fact that I am an atheist makes no difference. I am a Republican, but I know who the Queen is, and what her children are called and who the next king will be.............