英语听力：Prophet Muhammad 先知穆罕默德 - 10

 For Muhammad's followers¹, leaving the place of their ancestors, their families and tribes was the ultimate test of devotion. In doing so, they began a new community, a new tribe. For the first time, they were bound together not by blood, but by faith. In the course of a single caravan³ journey, Islam marks its true beginnings. Their journey is known as the Hegira⁴. 622 in the Christian⁵ calendar marks the Muslim Year One.

 

Muhammad's goal among the people of Yathrib was the same as his larger mission-- to bring unity² and peace with his message.

 

He was asked to be a Solomonic figure to mediate⁶ tensions between tribes that seemed intractable.

As his work succeeded, the town would become known as the City of the Prophet -- Medina. 

 

Muhammad's great task in Medina was to try and bring together his various groups and try and forge a community of believers in a way that would bring people together in a sort of harmony. 

 

To the divided clans⁷ of Medina, Muhammad offered a vision of solidarity⁸. But even as he spread the word of Islam, he didn’t challenge the beliefs of other faiths. 

 

Islam sees itself in relationship to the earlier revealed religions of Judaism and Christianity and treats them as People of the Book. It believes that God had revealed himself, his word to mankind many times to Moses, to Jesus for example. But each time people went astray. 

 

Throughout the Koran we have a sense of the humanity of Muhammad, his humbleness⁹ as a person and the extraordinary challenge of the mission he was given by this divine revelation. 

 

As the Muslim community grew in Medina, a life of simple devotion and ritual developed. A freed Abyssinian slave named Bilal was the first to call believers to prayer at Muhammad's house. It was the first mosque¹⁰.

 

The call to prayer has recounted the first Islamic pillar which is the affirmation of God's unity, la ilaha illa Llah, that beautiful phrase which many Muslims chant over and over in their mind or vocally¹¹, to constantly remind themselves of unity of God and unity of what we should focus on in our life. 

1 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 caravan   

n.大蓬车；活动房屋

参考例句：

• The community adviser gave us a caravan to live in.社区顾问给了我们一间活动住房栖身。
• Geoff connected the caravan to the car.杰弗把旅行用的住屋拖车挂在汽车上。

4 hegira   

n.逃亡

参考例句：

• She made her plan for her annual summer hegira to the Miami Beach.她计划到迈阿密海滩去度过一年一度的暑假。
• Soapy had made his humble arrangements for his annual hegira to the Island.索丕为自己每年逃亡布莱克韦尔岛尽力做出安排。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

7 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 humbleness   

n.谦卑，谦逊；恭顺

参考例句：

• Neither riches nor honours can corrupt him; neither poverty nor humbleness can make him swerve from principle; and neither threats nor forces can subdue him. 富贵不能淫， 贫贱不能移，威武不能屈。
• Consciousness is the mother of progress; humbleness is the source of degeneration. 1自觉心是进步之母，自贱心是堕落之源。

10 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

11 vocally   

adv. 用声音, 用口头, 藉著声音

参考例句：

• She is not SCREAMER or MOANER - She is VOCALLY APPRECIATIVE. 她并不乱叫或发牢骚，只是用声音表示喜怒。
• The left has been vocally against. 左派力量一直竭力声讨。