1. IN THE NAME OF GOD THE MOST MERCIFUL AND COMPASSIONATE Islam 101

2. What does Islam mean? Islam means “submission”  Closely related to “salaam” – peace – the way to peace is through submission to God‘s will Muslims greet each other by saying: “Peace be upon you” (as-salamu alakum) The response is: “And also upon you” (wa alaku as-salam)

3. Muslims are diverse

4. How did Islam begin? “Recite: in the Name of thy Lord who created, created the human being of a blood-clot” (96:1-2)

5. Who was Mohammed?

6. Thought Question Compare Jesus and Muhammad both as religious figures as well as historical figures. How are they similar? How are they different?

7. Shahadah- profession of faith “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet”

8. Prayer

9. Alms

10. Fasting

11. Hajj - pilgrimage

12. Observance of the Five Pillars

13. What are the articles of faith? Belief in One God (Allah) Belief in Angels  Spiritual beings created with God with no free will Belief in Prophets  God gives guidance thru prophets and scriptures; over 124,000 prophets Belief in Divine Books Belief in the Day of Judgment  Reckoning of our deeds Belief in Divine Decree/Destiny (natural & spiritual)  Mankind have free will to obey or reject God’s laws

14. What are the Islamic scriptures? In the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful. Praise be to God, Lord of all the worlds. The Compassionate, the Merciful. Ruler on the Day of Reckoning. You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help. Guide us on the straight path, the path of those who have received your grace; not the path of those who have brought down wrath, nor of those who wander astray. Amen. (Surah al-fitha, the Holy Quran)

15. Other Islamic texts Hadith - “prophetic traditions”  These are second-hand sources of the Prophet’s life. They were written down from the oral reports from people who knew the Prophet after his death Tafsir - interpretations  These are scholarly interpretations of the Hadith Shari’a – Islamic law  The source of Islamic law is the Quran, but there are many different fiqh, or human interpretations of shari’a

16. Sharia “Shariah, (“right path”) is the term Muslims use for law. Historically, Muslims have not separated the sacred and the secular, so Shariah extends into all aspects of life – family, society, economics and politics. It covers ritual and ethics, as well as criminal law, taxation and public policy.”

17. Shi’a

18. Sunnis, Shi’a and Conflict The sectarian divide between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims is at the heart of many violent conflicts in the Middle East today. Why do you think some religions violently schism (e.g. Islam, Christianity) while other religious sects co-exist without violence?

19. Sufi

20. Sufi Faith “Fasting is a way to save on food Vigil and prayer is a labor for old folks Pilgrimage is an occasion for tourism To distribute bread in alms is something for philanthropists Fall in love: That is doing something!”

21. Jihad

22. “Of all the terms used in the world’s religions, none is as controversial as jihad. Jihad means “struggle,” the spiritual struggle against pride and self-sufficiency; and the physical struggle against the “house of war” namely, enemies of Islam.”

23. Women and Islam

24. Islam and Women’s Rights  The Quran frequently and explicitly makes no distinction between men and women when it comes to faith: “Men and women who have surrendered, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women… for them God has prepared forgiveness and a mighty wage” (33:35)  The first Muslim was Khadijah, Muhammed’s first wife. Aisha, another wife of the Prophet, was an important leader in the early Muslim community as well as a significant source of Hadith.  The Quran speaks out forcefully against many of the customs that oppressed women in 6 th century Arabia, including female infanticide and wage inequality.

25. Muslim Holidays

26. Practicing Islam “Nothing in my outward appearance speaks to or represents the beliefs I carry. Some might even get to know me and still label me as a non-practicing Muslim—I drink whiskey and I smoke weed regularly. However, I am a practicing Muslim. I pray (sometimes), fast, recite the travel supplication before I start my car's engine, pay my zakkah (an annual charitable practice that is obligatory for all that can afford it) and, most importantly, I feel very Muslim. There are many like me. We don't believe in a monolithic practice of Islam. We love Islam, and because we love it so much we refuse to reduce it to an inflexible and fossilized way of life.” -Practicing Islam in Short Shorts (Thanaa al-Nagar)

27. Exercise Discussion  Did you find any commonalities?  In Islam, these two words are closely related. Can you imagine this relationship? To what extent is our ability to do so (or not) cultural? In light of these two words, what might it be like to be a Muslim in the U.S. (consider both male and female perspectives).