Islam

Origins Muhammad was the prophet of Islam Muhammad received his first revelation in a cave, it was given by the angel Gabriel and it is when he began to write the Qur’an Muhammad became the leading figure in Islam Strongly Emphasized that he was only a messenger As he obtained more revelations he wrote the Qur’an in its entirety

Ultimate Goal and Five Pillars Ultimate Goal: To enjoy the paradise of heaven with Allah by submitting yourself to the five pillars and sharia law Iman: Confession that there is only one god and Muhammad is his messenger Salah: Prayer five times a day Sawm: Fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan Zakah: Donations to the poor Hajj: Making the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during one’s lifetime

Religious texts The Qur'an is described as the “word of Allah” Qur'an is Allah’s word written through Muhammad It is the center of every Muslim's faith Hadiths are writings on Muhammad's life Some writings on the Hadith are essential to the religion while others are badly sourced The complete text of the Qur'an is essential to Islam while only some Hadiths are important

Major Beliefs There is one God Allah has angels The books of Allah, especially the Qur’an The prophets of Allah, especially Muhammad The afterlife or Day of Judgment The supremacy of Allah’s will

Misconceptions “All Muslims are terrorists”- This shows a negative notion of the faith of Islam “Islam oppresses women” Allah is not a specific name for their god it is just how they say God When male Muslims die they are not actually rewarded with 72 virgins which is written in a badly sourced Hadith All Muslims are Arab

Geography and Location Mecca=Birthplace of Muhammad on 570 C.E. and where his first revelation of Allah occurred. Prayers of Muslims are directed towards Mecca during Salah Medina=Tomb and mosque of Muhammad who died in 632 C.E. Medina became the center of the Islamic community after persecution out of Mecca in 622 C.E. Islam then spread through trade and conquest to include northern Africa, southwest Asia, and the Philippines

Islam under Muhammad

The Spread of Islam

Cosmology Islamic Cosmology is similar to biblical stories Allah created the earth in 6 days Muslims also believe in the story of Abraham/Ibrahim, the father of all, and the story of Babylon as their beginnings

Rituals Hands, arms, face, neck, and feet are washed before prayer if water is available Once in their lifetime they complete the Hajj pillar where they go to Mecca and pray for their sins and others Before serving, meat must be butchered and blessed Eid al-Fitr is the festival of fast breaking which celebrates the completion of the month of Ramaddan

Daily life Salah is essential to Muslim daily life The Ritual of salah where one must pray five times a day Follow the sharia law The sharia law is the Muslim legal system by which crimes are explained and punishments are distributed accordingly

Culture Non-converted urban women never leave their homes There are arranged marriages, no dating or marrying for love Polygamy is forbidden yet in some Muslim communities it is allowed Cannot drink alcohol or eat pork Men carry the financial responsibilities and protection Men and women are chaste until marriage

Community The Muslim community is called “Uhmma” The Islamic leader was the Caliphate Through disputes over Caliphate succession after Muhammad's death emerged two groups Shiite-Only prevalent in Iran  Believed the Caliphate should be Abu Akbar, Muhammad’s close companion Sunni-Orthodox majority  Believed the Caliphate should be Ali ibn, Muhammad's cousin and son in law. Also first convert

Works Cited Alkouatli, Claire. Islam. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, Print. "Common Misconceptions about Muslims." Discover God's Heart for Muslims. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May "The Cosmology of the Quran." The Cosmology of the Quran. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Web Sites: Caliphate (Islamic History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 08 May 2014.

Works Cited Gordon, Mattew S. World Relions: Islam. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 07 May "Sharia Law." SHARIA LAW. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May "Six Articles of Faith." Six Articles of the Islamic Faith. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May "The Story of Jesus and His Mission." The Story of Jesus and His Mission. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May "Sunnis and Shiites." Sunnis and Shiites. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.