Learning About World Religions: Islam Unit 3 Activity 9 Presentation

ISLAM Muslim Setting the Stage So you’ve just learned about WHO started Islam and HOW it grew and spread so fast within the first 100 years. But what exactly IS Islam? ISLAM = “submission to the will of God” the monotheistic religion of Muslims; also the civilization based on the Islamic religion and the group of countries where Islam is the main religion monos = one theos = god = belief in one god Muslim = “those who surrender to God” a follower of the Islam religion

beliefs PRACTICES + Setting the Stage So what is ISLAM? In this lesson, we’ll learn about: beliefs PRACTICES + what the Muslims know to be true about their religion what the Muslims DO based on their beliefs

Important Words to Know Foundational Text of Islam “the straight path” the holy book of Islam contains God’s descriptions of laws and moral teachings contains revelations Muhammad received from the angel Gabriel beautifully-composed Arabic poetry Supplemental Text of Islam “reports” or “tradition” Reports/stories about Muhammad’s life (what he said, did, approved, disapproved) that spread 300 years after his death = “the practice” – practical expression of Islam (how one should act/say); taken from what Muhammad did/said, the example that Muhammad set for Muslims while alive Scholars had to verify whether some of these stories are TRUE, whether they are a STRONG or WEAK account of what Muhammad really said/did during his lifetime #1 Qur’an in religious authority #2 Hadith in religious authority Sunnah* used to SUPPLEMENT and SUPPORT the Qur’an *hadiths are not the ONLY source to find Muhammad’s Sunnah. Records of what he did/said were also gathered from his biography.

Important Words to Know a pillar, like ones of a building, provides SUPPORT for something Five Pillars of Islam the five basic acts of worship for Muslims (Makkah) the Ka’bah! shahadah salat zakat siyam hajj

Important Words to Know “to strive/struggle/fight” for something… “the way/path” jihad Shari’ah Something people disagree STRONGLY about publicly You may have heard these two words on the news before and the controversy surrounding them!

Important Words to Know “to strive/struggle/fight” for something… “the way/path” jihad Shari’ah Let’s try to define them the best way possible, but also look at ways that they HAVE been used whether “appropriate” or not. Something “appropriate” on this matter would be a view that MOST non-radical Muslims would agree on. Something radical = something extreme If you have radical views, you have extreme views that can be mostly unpopular and/or unsupported by most people.

Important Words to Know “to strive/struggle/fight” for something… “the way/path” jihad Shari’ah struggles Muslims go through as they strive to please God in their actions Islamic law that guides Muslims in how they should worship and act in human interactions

Important Words to Know “to strive/struggle/fight” for something… jihad Two forms of jihad/struggle: Physical struggle against enemies Internal struggle to overcome spiritual challenges As stated in the Qur’an: Muslims should only fight to protect themselves from those who harm them or to right a terrible wrong Examples of jihad historically: Used jihad to protect territory and extend empire Examples of jihad now (accepted by MOST Muslims): Use jihad (nonviolent) to be a good Muslim and to inform people about Islam Examples of jihad now (by radical extremists): Use jihad (violent) to make governments more Islamic or to resist perceived aggression from non-Muslims with acts of terrorism jihad What’s MORE on the news!!! And DISAPPROVED by MOST Muslims!

Important Words to Know “to strive/struggle/fight” for something… Majority of Muslims Say Suicide Bombing is NOT Right! % of Muslims who say suicide bombing in defense of Islam is… jihad Two forms of jihad/struggle: Physical struggle against enemies Internal struggle to overcome spiritual challenges As stated in the Qur’an: Muslims should only fight to protect themselves from those who harm them or to right a terrible wrong Examples of jihad historically: Used jihad to protect territory and extend empire Examples of jihad now (accepted by MOST Muslims): Use jihad (nonviolent) to be a good Muslim and to inform people about Islam Examples of jihad now (by radical extremists): Use jihad (violent) to make governments more Islamic or to resist perceived aggression from non-Muslims with acts of terrorism = rarely/never right jihad = often/sometimes right Source: PEW Research Center What’s MORE on the news!!! And DISAPPROVED by MOST Muslims!

Important Words to Know “the way/path” shari’ah system of Islamic laws that offers moral and legal guidance for Muslims to live according to God’s wishes Where do the laws come from? The Qur’an: the holy book of Islam Example of actions and words by Muhammad (from the hadiths and accounts of Muhammad’s Sunnah) Living body of law that’s continually developing and examined by Muslim scholars What do the laws cover? how Muslims should worship (the Five Pillars) how they should act (finances, inheritance, marriage, food/drink/lifestyle, punishments, war) Shari’ah In the United States, there IS a difference between religious and nonreligious life. In traditional Islam, there is no difference between religious and nonreligious life. And that idea translated into how sharia law came to being. These laws offer both moral and legal guidance to live according to God’s wishes. Instructions and examples in the Quran, the hadiths, and the Sunnah give Muslims guidelines for nearly every aspect of their daily lives such as how to pray, what to eat, what each gender’s roles are, dress codes and so forth. For later situations that didn’t exist in the 8th century such as abortion, religious scholars created modern guidelines based on a combination of what most people agreed on or by looking at similar situations in the past.

Important Words to Know “the way/path” shari’ah What’s important to note: Muslims around the world vary GREATLY when it comes to HOW to interpret shari’ah laws Why? Some parts of shari’ah laws = very extreme! (especially those that deal with severe corporal punishment or when fundamentalists use shari’ah law to say they are RIGHT in their acts of war and terror!) BUT some parts of shari’ah laws = necessary! (especially those that outlines the Muslim faith = the Five Pillars or those that help settle family or property disputes!) Shari’ah ? ? Fundamentalist = someone who believes that religious texts (like the Qur’an) should be upheld in strict, literal interpretation despite changing times

Important Words to Know “the way/path” Shari’ah in the world Fundamentalist Muslims want to see a society that is governed only by the strictest interpretation of Sharia. However, most Islamic governments only incorporate parts of Sharia in different degrees into their country’s legal system. For example, they would ban alcohol or require women to follow Islamic dress codes. Some Muslims countries have both religious and nonreligious courts---and the religious courts are used to solve family matters. GEOGRAPHY QUESTION! Is shari’ah law widely used in the world?

http://www. pewresearch http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/07/22/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/ http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/the-worlds-muslims-religion-politics-society-overview/#sharia http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5-facts-you-need-to-know-about-sharia-law_us_5788f567e4b03fc3ee507c01 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/13/ugly-truth-about-sharia-law/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-sharia/2016/06/24/7e3efb7a-31ef-11e6-8758-d58e76e11b12_story.html?postshare=8931466950635721&tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.29ea0a6cb7cf http://counterjihad.com/5-true-things-we-know-about-sharia-law