Rise, Triumph, Stagnation

 He was the son of Abdullah  He was orphaned as a young boy  He was raised in the Quaraysh tribe in Mecca  He encountered many different types of people

 Revelation was from the same God as the God of the Jews and the God of the Christians  Revelation occurred over many years  Revelation called for compassion, community and submission

 Shahadah – Profession of Faith  “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet.”  Salah– Ritual Prayer  Five times a day, facing the Ka’aba in Mecca  Sawn – Fasting during Ramadan  Abstaining from eating, drinking and sex during day light hours

 Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca  Journey to Mecca once a lifetime if able  Zakat – Charitable Giving  Tithing 1/40 of accumulated wealth  Voluntary giving called Sadaqah

 Tawhid – strict belief in one just one God  Qadar – God knows already all that will ever happen, thus ALL is predestined  Malak – Angels are God’s messengers, they lack free will and are thus less than humanity

 Anbiya – Prophets are the agents of God who have delivered his message over time  Qiyama – On the day of Resurrection, all will be judged by God and the righteous will go to Paradise

 Muslim Values include…  Maintaining the self as a temple to God  Islam teaches individuals to live moral lives  Loving the Family  Islam teaches individuals to value family  Serving Community  Islam stresses hospitality and generosity  Islam expects charity to be offered to the less fortunate  Submission to God  Islam teaches that to submit to the will of God is to receive God into your heart and to enjoy God’s Judgment

 Sharia is the Law of Islam  Sharia is derived from…  Qur’an – the Word of God, revealed to Muhammad, Muslim scripture  Hadith – the Word of Muhammad, spoken to his followers  Sunnah – the traditions Muslims normally follow  Different groups of Muslims interpret the Law differently

 After Muhammad died, his successors created a vast empire called the Caliphate  The Caliphate was led by the Caliph (successor)  The Caliph was both a religious and political leader

 Caliphs lost their independence in 1261  After 1258 Caliphs were only religious leaders  Political power was held by Sultans (Emperors)  The last Caliph was removed in 1924 Abu Bakr Ali al-Musta-sim Abdulmecid II

 The Caliphate ushered in a lengthy period of peace, prosperity and tolerance  Knowledge expanded due to places like the house of Wisdom  Wealth exploded due to key inventions  Paper Currency  Letters of Credit  Multi-nodal Banking

 Before Islam, Arab women had relatively more rights than other women in the world  Muhammad’s teachings made the place of women even more secure  The Quran stresses modesty for both men and women  During Muhammad’s lifetime, his wives wore Hijab  After Muhammad’s death, other women adopted Hijab

 When Islam expanded, outside influences made worse the treatment of women  Mesopotamian traditions denied basic rights to women – the were considered property  Persians generally did not accept this – Persian Women continue to be treated better than many Muslim women  Today women in Islamic countries often have restrictions placed on them and few rights  In some societies they cannot drive a car  In some societies they cannot go out in public alone  In some societies they are denied education  In some societies they cannot own property