Chapter Thirteen Islam

Pre-Islamic Arab Religions Islam began among the Arabian desert people during the seventh century C.E. These people had already been exposed to Christianity, Judaism, and possibly Zoroastrianism The religion of the Arabian people before Islam was likely polytheistic © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pre-Islamic Arab Religions The pre-Islamic religion was animistic Gods and spirits were found in items in nature Those spirits could be placated or asked for help © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pre-Islamic Arab Religions The city of Mecca became a place with holy animistic associations Mecca also included the “black stone,” a holy object of veneration that was likely a meteorite The black stone was surrounded by an enclosure called the Ka’ba © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Life of Muhammad Because Islam is a younger religion, there are more details available about its founder – Muhammad Born in 570, Muhammad was raised by his uncle and was illiterate Muhammad started to work and travel in caravans and went to Mecca. While there, he was exposed to many religions © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Life of Muhammad Muhammad became concerned about the fate of his people, who worshiped a multitude of gods and goddesses He also became concerned with social justice Muhammad married Khadija, the owner of the caravan. Khadija’s wealth allowed Muhammad to spread his message. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Life of Muhammad During a period of meditation, the angel Gabriel brought Muhammad a revelation from God Muhammad would continue to receive revelations from God for the rest of his life Muhammad became convinced that there is only one God, called Allah, and that he himself was the last prophet © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Life of Muhammad Muhammad began to preach this message, and his first convert was his wife Muhammad spread his message of reciting the Qur’an, which was the holy message of God Islam began to spread after the death of Muhammad’s wife © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Qur’an The Scripture of Islam is called The Qur’an, which means reading or recitation Muslims believe that the Qur’an is a recitation of an eternal Scripture, written in Heaven and revealed by God to Muhammad Verses from the Qur’an are memorized and recited © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Religious Institutions The Mosque Because of their originally nomadic life, Islam is not centered on gathering in a temple for worship Muslims are required to pray at the mosque one day per week Mosques also serve as important places of study © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Religious Institutions The Five Pillars: Repetition of the creed Daily prayer Almsgiving The fast of Ramadan Pilgrimage to Mecca © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Spread of Islam Within a century of Muhammad’s death, Islam became a unifying force for Arabian people Muslim armies swept across the middle east, North Africa, and Spain. They spread the faith as they went. © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Spread of Islam There were several reasons for the mass appeal of Islam: Universal Wide appeal Created in a corrupt and cruel world In the 700s, the Muslims conquered Spain In the eleventh century, the Muslims extended to India and China © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Caliphate Islam is not highly structured like the Roman Catholic Church The caliph was the deputy or representative in religious affairs It is the one central and unifying office in Islam There are ongoing disagreements about the succession of caliphs © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Variations Within Islam Sunnis The majority of Muslims are Sunnis They base their practices on the Qur’an and on traditions concerning the community Shi’ites The rift began as a political dispute over leadership, which took on theological dimensions © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Islam in the Modern World Following the caliphate of Baghdad, Islam settled down to a relatively peaceful existence While Europe was moving out of the medieval period, many Muslim communities were still pre-industrial Islam’s isolation from the rest of the world ended in the early part of the twentieth century © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Islam in the Modern World By the twentieth century, transportation allowed outsiders into Muslim areas WWI caused the breakup of the Ottoman Empire The discovery of natural resources of oil and other items furthered Muslim contact with the rest of the world © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Muslim Calendar and Holy Days Feast of Fast-Breaking This feast comes after the fast of Ramadan Feast of Sacrifice Commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac for God New Year Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Islam Today Islam has become an increasingly important political force Many emerging nations are also Islamic nations Some of those nations are important to the world economy because of their stores of natural resources © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Islam Today Islam is also growing again Missionary work in Africa is spreading the faith. Immigration is another factor. Islam is now the second most popular religion in the United States It remains to be seen whether Islamic countries that rely on ancient religious traditions can continue in the modern world © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.