1. Islam

2. Understanding Islam
Why should we study the religion of Islam? There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world.

3. Understanding Islam
Why should we study the religion of Islam? Many of our energy resources come from countries that are predominantly Muslim.

4. Understanding Islam
Why should we study the religion of Islam? There are many misconceptions about Muslims. We should try to better understand them.

5. Understanding Islam Why should we study the religion of Islam?
The Arab Spring:
revolutions in Muslim countries like Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen…Syria?
The United States would like to make friends with many of these newly formed governments, and make sure that they are:
Democratic
Friendly towards the West

6. Understanding Islam

7. Understanding Islam

8. Islam Identifications
Muslim: person who follows Islam
Ka’aba: Islam’s holiest shrine – located in Mecca – Arabic for cube
Qu’ran: secret text, holy book of Islam
Mecca: birth place of Islam, holiest city, Saudi Arabia
Mosque: Muslim house of worship

9. Islam Identifications
Allah: Arabic for God same as J and C
Medina: first Islamic community, 2nd Holy city, Muhammad gains political and religious power
Hejira: 622 – Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina; marks first expansion of Islam
Jerusalem: 3rd Holiest city to Islam – Dome of the Rock

10. Islam Identifications
2. What does Islam mean?
Islam means to “submission.” In this case, to God
Identify and explain the Five Pillars of Islam.
1. Declaration of Faith
2. Prayer: 5 times per day: must face Mecca
3. Charity: must help the poor and the old
4. Fasting: during the month of Ramadan: sun-up to sun- down:
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): must visit Mecca once in their life

11. The Rise and Spread of Islam
Today 1.3 billion people consider themselves Muslims, making it one of the most influential religions in the modern world. This presentation introduces the early development of Islam as a religious belief system and Muslim civilization as it developed from the 7th to the 10th centuries of the common era.
Ideally, with a better understanding of the origins and development of Islam, students will have a better grasp of factors that underlie both differences between Muslim communities today (for example, Sunni versus Shi’a) and what some have labeled the “clash of civilizations” between Islam and the “West.”

12. Arabia
From earliest times, the Arabian people ALL belonged to certain tribes. Some lived as farmers. Some were townspeople. Many were Bedouin. The Bedouin are nomadic people who wander from place to place, and make their livelihood through trade or herding livestock

13. Arab Bedouin
Arabia in the 7th century was a dry, uninviting desert with pockets of civilizations that developed around the region’s few water sources (oases). The north of Arabia was a stony wilderness; the south was a desert of sand, called the “Empty Quarter,” as the only inhabitants were nomads who roamed from oasis to oasis by camel. Even these hardy desert travelers mostly skirted the edges. Nomads and the settled areas had a symbiotic relationship, with each group creating goods and trading items that the others needed. Caravans helped to transport goods between settled communities and were important sources for the spread of not only goods and resources, but also of ideas and news of events from near and far.

14. Arabia
These Arab people were pagans, meaning they worshipped many gods. The center of Arabic pagan worship was in a town called Mecca. Pilgrims would travel to Mecca to worship the Kaaba The Kaaba: sacred shine that housed images of all the Arab gods. Also contained a black stone- probably a meteorite, which the Arabs thought was sent from heaven

15. The ancient Ka’aba in Mecca

16. Muhammad: Founder of Islam
Muhammad was born in Mecca about 570. His parents died when he was very young, but he was sent to live with his uncle, who was a Bedouin tribesman, even before they died. Muhammad became a merchant. When he was 25, he met a wealthy widow named Khadija, and married her. 4

17. Muhammad: Founder of Islam
Muhammad was always a very religious person. When he was around 40 years old, the Angel Gabriel spoke to him, saying that God had chosen him as his Prophet. Muhammad’s duty was to proclaim that God, or Allah, was the one and only God.

18. The Quran
Muhammad memorized, word for word, everything the Angel Gabriel spoke to him. It was eventually written down by scribes.
These writings are known as the Quran.
Quran means “recitation.”
it is the holy book for Muslims, containing guidance in all matters

19. The Quran (Koran)
The Quran provides guidance on every aspect of human life: from history and economics to morality, criminal and civil law, gender issues, social values, Judaism and Christianity, past prophets, and even science*
Any translation of the Quran from Arabic into a different language means that it is not entirely accurate

20. The Hejira
Muhammad began to speak about this new religion to the Arab tribespeople around Mecca. Some began to follow him. Others did not like his message, and plotted to kill both him and his followers. In 622, Muhammad and his followers fled from Mecca to Yathrib, a town to the north. This journey was known as the hejira. Yathrib was later renamed Medina, which means “City of the Prophet.”

21. The New Religion
In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca with a large army, and defeated his enemies. Muhammad smashed all of the pagan statues around the Kaaba. Islam became the new religion, and Mecca was its birthplace. Islam literally means “submission,” in this case, to God.

22. The New Religion
Muhammad = founder of Islam Muslim = one who is a follower of Islam

23. Five Pillars of Islam Declaration of Faith (Shahada)
Duty of all Muslims:
Declaration of Faith (Shahada)
“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.”
Prayers (Salah) 5 X/day: face Mecca
Charity (Sawm): give to the old & poor
Fasting (Zakat): during Ramadan
Pilgrimage (Hajj): must complete a pilgrimage to Mecca
The practice of Islam is built around the following five fundamental pillars (requirements):
Affirmation of faith: all Muslims express that “there is no God but God and Muhammad is his last messenger.”
Prayers: Muslims pray towards Mecca five times a day. (Shi’a Muslims combine some of the prayers and, therefore, pray only three times a day.)
Alms (charity): Muslims who have the means give alms to the poor on a yearly basis.
Fasting: beginning at the first crescent moon in the month of Ramadan (when Muhammad received his first revelation from God) Muslims must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, or having sexual relations between sunup and sundown.
Pilgrimage (Hajj): Once in a lifetime, Muslims make a trip to Mecca. According to the tradition, this trip commemorates Abraham’s example. Muslims who are physically or financially unable to make the journey are released from this duty. 3

24. RAMADAN
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. During the last ten days of this month is when Muhammad first received the word of God from the Angel Gabriel. The night in which Muhammad first received this word is known as The Night of Power. The Night of Power is the holiest night in Islam. It is believed that angels come down to earth on this night and perform miracles.
The practice of Islam is built around the following five fundamental pillars (requirements):
Affirmation of faith: all Muslims express that “there is no God but God and Muhammad is his last messenger.”
Prayers: Muslims pray towards Mecca five times a day. (Shi’a Muslims combine some of the prayers and, therefore, pray only three times a day.)
Alms (charity): Muslims who have the means give alms to the poor on a yearly basis.
Fasting: beginning at the first crescent moon in the month of Ramadan (when Muhammad received his first revelation from God) Muslims must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, or having sexual relations between sunup and sundown.
Pilgrimage (Hajj): Once in a lifetime, Muslims make a trip to Mecca. According to the tradition, this trip commemorates Abraham’s example. Muslims who are physically or financially unable to make the journey are released from this duty.

25. RAMADAN
Muslims observe the month of Ramadan, which is either 29 or 30 days, by fasting from sun-up to sundown. This means no food OR water until dark! Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with a holiday called Eid ul-Fitr, during which they end their fast.
The practice of Islam is built around the following five fundamental pillars (requirements):
Affirmation of faith: all Muslims express that “there is no God but God and Muhammad is his last messenger.”
Prayers: Muslims pray towards Mecca five times a day. (Shi’a Muslims combine some of the prayers and, therefore, pray only three times a day.)
Alms (charity): Muslims who have the means give alms to the poor on a yearly basis.
Fasting: beginning at the first crescent moon in the month of Ramadan (when Muhammad received his first revelation from God) Muslims must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, or having sexual relations between sunup and sundown.
Pilgrimage (Hajj): Once in a lifetime, Muslims make a trip to Mecca. According to the tradition, this trip commemorates Abraham’s example. Muslims who are physically or financially unable to make the journey are released from this duty.

26. Eid ul-Fitr
The practice of Islam is built around the following five fundamental pillars (requirements):
Affirmation of faith: all Muslims express that “there is no God but God and Muhammad is his last messenger.”
Prayers: Muslims pray towards Mecca five times a day. (Shi’a Muslims combine some of the prayers and, therefore, pray only three times a day.)
Alms (charity): Muslims who have the means give alms to the poor on a yearly basis.
Fasting: beginning at the first crescent moon in the month of Ramadan (when Muhammad received his first revelation from God) Muslims must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, or having sexual relations between sunup and sundown.
Pilgrimage (Hajj): Once in a lifetime, Muslims make a trip to Mecca. According to the tradition, this trip commemorates Abraham’s example. Muslims who are physically or financially unable to make the journey are released from this duty.

27. Islam, Judaism, & Christianity
Muhammad recognized Jews and Christians as “People of the Book.”
Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament were sacred
Believed that they had been “corrupted” over time, however
The practice of Islam is built around the following five fundamental pillars (requirements):
Affirmation of faith: all Muslims express that “there is no God but God and Muhammad is his last messenger.”
Prayers: Muslims pray towards Mecca five times a day. (Shi’a Muslims combine some of the prayers and, therefore, pray only three times a day.)
Alms (charity): Muslims who have the means give alms to the poor on a yearly basis.
Fasting: beginning at the first crescent moon in the month of Ramadan (when Muhammad received his first revelation from God) Muslims must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, or having sexual relations between sunup and sundown.
Pilgrimage (Hajj): Once in a lifetime, Muslims make a trip to Mecca. According to the tradition, this trip commemorates Abraham’s example. Muslims who are physically or financially unable to make the journey are released from this duty.

28. Similarities with Christianity and Judaism
Universality of Humankind
Along with Judaism and Christianity, Islam emphasizes the dignity and equality of humankind:
“No Arab has any superiority over a non-Arab…Nor does a white man have any superiority over a black man, or the black man any superiority over the white man. You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay.”

29. Similarities with Christianity and Judaism
Belief in an Afterlife
Along with Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that we will be held accountable for our actions in the next life:
“We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least.”

30. Sacredness of Jerusalem
“Night Journey” from the nearest mosque to the farthest (“al- Aqsa”) mosque AD in Jerusalem
Is believed to be when Muhammad “flew” to Jerusalem and met with the old Prophets: Abraham and Moses
According to Islamic tradition, in CE 619 Muhammad took a “Night Journey” upon the back of a flying horse (a buraq) from the Al Masjid al Haram mosque (the “nearest mosque” in Mecca) to the “farthest,” or al-Aqsa, mosque, the sacred site in Jerusalem associated with the Prophets and the former area of the Temple sacred to the Jewish people.
From the area where Solomon’s temple once stood, Muhammad is believed to have been guided by the angel Gabriel through the seven heavens where he met Moses, Abraham, and other prophets.
(Note: Muslims consider Jerusalem a holy city for the same reasons as the Christians and Jews – because it was the homeland of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the great biblical prophets. The “Night Journey” is seen as proof of Muhammad’s designation as the “seal of the prophets.” )
The Night Journey

31. Islamic Law
All of the teachings and sayings of Muhammad which did not come directly from God are recorded in the Hadith Together with the Quran, these two texts form the basis of Islamic law, known as Shariah 7

32. Two Key Beliefs of Islam
There is only one God, Allah
Muhammad is His final Prophet 8

33. Three Rites of Passage
Muslims believe in three major rites of passage which mark a person’s life:
Birth
Marriage
Death 9

34. The Spread of Islam
Within 120 years of the Prophet Muhammad’s death, the religion of Islam had spread from the Arabian Peninsula to include the following areas:

35. Reasons for Islam’s Rapid Spread
The Arab armies were united by their beliefs
Weakness of the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires, which were exhausted from fighting each other
Many of the people who inhabited the areas conquered by the Arabs welcomed them
Christians and Jews who did not submit were forced to pay a jizya, or tax, to the local authorities
Idea of Jihad 10

36. Concept of Jihad 10 The term jihad appears in the Quran 41 times
Its main meaning refers to an inner struggle by the individual Muslim to fulfill his/her religious duties, and live their lives according to God’s plan
Another meaning of jihad is an outward, physical, violent struggle against the enemies of Islam
This second meaning is misunderstood by both Muslims and Christians 10

37. Concept of Jihad According the the Quran:
”You may fight “in the cause of God” against those who attack you, but do not aggress. God does not love the aggressors.” 2:190
This directive has often been misinterpreted as sanctioning “Holy War.”

38. Halal
Halal Any meat which is slaughtered for consumption must be done so in the correct way, invoking the name of God. The eating of pork is strictly forbidden by Muslims. The Quran also outlaws alcohol.

39. Early Islam
Islam
Shiite
661 A.D.
Sunni

40. Two Main Branches of Islam
When Muhammad died, he left no clear successor as caliph. Caliph: religious and secular leader who was the successor to the Prophet Muhammad The fourth caliph (successor) was Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali. Ali was murdered by those who believed he should not become caliph. Ali’s son Hussein tried to become the next caliph and was defeated at the Battle of Karbala. 11

41. Two Main Branches of Islam
Those who believed that only a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad could become caliph were known as Shi’ites. The majority of Muslims believed that anyone who was devout and who knew the way (Sunnah) of the Prophet could become caliph. These people were known as Sunnis. The Sunni Muslims defeated the Shi’ites and established the Umayyad Dynasty. (661 A.D.) 11

42. Sunni and Shi’ite Populations Today

43. Emphasis on Arab Culture & Language
Early Caliphates
Umayyad Dynasty
( A.D.)
Emphasis on Arab Culture & Language
Capital: Damascus,
Syria
Sunni Muslim

44. Early Caliphates Abbassid Dynasty (750-1250 AD)
Included People from other cultures
Capital: Baghdad
Golden Age of Muslim Civilization
Persians
Indians
Turks
Advances in architecture
Control of trade routes
Advances in science, medicine, mathematics
Poetry and philosophy

45. Abbassid Caliphate

46. Islam’s First Golden Age
The Abbassid Caliphate was established in 750 A.D. The capital of this new Islamic Empire was established in Baghdad, not Damascus. Founded by al-Mansur, the second caliph of the Abbassid Dynasty. This new caliphate was more inclusive of different people, including Persians, Turks, and Indians, which gave it more appeal.

47. Baghdad
Modern Baghdad

48. Islam’s First Golden Age
Commerce and Economics
This new empire controlled the trade routes between the East (India and China) and the Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe.
This led to thriving, wealthy cities, such as Baghdad.
To help trade prosper, the Abbassids developed many useful business practices.

49. Islam’s First Golden Age
Abbassid Trade Routes

50. Islam’s First Golden Age
Business Practices of the Abbassids:
Letters of credit
Receipts for payment
Bills of lading
All of these practices made conducting business over long distances safer and more practical. 18

51. Islam’s First Golden Age
Advances in Learning:
Muslim scholars translated ancient Greek works on philosophy, science, and mathematics.
Muslims also made advances in the fields of medicine, mathematics, and architecture
They gave us beautiful poetry, such as The Rubaiyat, and A Thousand and One Nights 18

52. Islam’s First Golden Age
Muhammad al Razi
Muslim doctor who stressed eating a balanced diet.
Encouraged high professional standards for doctors, including education and qualifying exams.
Wrote 50 books on medicine 15

53. Islam’s First Golden Age
Muslims used the magnetic needle to produce the mariner’s compass, as well as the astrolabe. These inventions would become VERY important during the Age of Discovery hundreds of years later. 15

54. Islam’s First Golden Age
Islamic architecture produced some of the most stunning buildings in history.

55. Islam’s First Golden Age

56. Medieval Renaissance Man
Ibn Sina – known also as Avicenna Wrote more than 100 books on astronomy, music, philosophy, medicine, and poetry

57. Comparison of Statistics and Basics
Islam
Judaism
Christianity
adherents called
Muslims
Jews
Christians
current adherents
1.3 billion
14 million
2 billion
current size rank
2nd largest
12th largest
largest
major concentration
Middle East, Southeast Asia
Israel, Europe, USA
Europe, North and South America, rapid growth in Africa
sacred text
Qur'an (Koran)
Bible
Bible (Jewish Bible + New Testament)
other written authority
Hadith
Talmud, Midrash, Responsa
church fathers, church councils, papal decrees (Catholic only)
religious law
Sharia
Halakhah
Canon Law
clergy
imams
rabbis
priests, ministers, pastors, bishops
house of worship
mosque
synagogue
church, chapel, cathedral
main day of worship
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

58. Comparison of Origins and History
Islam
Judaism
Christianity
date founded
622 CE
unknown
c. 33 CE
place founded
Saudi Arabia
Palestine (def)
Palestine
founder
Muhammad
Moses or Abraham
Jesus
original language(s)
Arabic
Hebrew
Aramaic, Greek
early expansion
within 12 years, entire Arabian peninsula; within 100 years, Muslim world stretched from the Atlantic to China
little expansion; mostly confined to Palestine
within 60 years, churches in major cities in Palestine, Turkey, Greece and Rome (map); entire Roman Empire by end of 4th cent.
major splits
Shia/Sunni, c. 650 CE
Reform/Orthodox, 1800s CE
Catholic/Orthodox, 1054 CE; Catholic/Protestant, 1500s CE

59. Comparison of Religious Beliefs
Islam
Judaism
Christianity
type of theism
strict monotheism
Trinitarian monotheism
ultimate reality
one God
names of God
Allah (Arabic for God)
Yahweh, Elohim
Yahweh, the Holy Trinity
other spiritual beings
angels, demons, jinn
angels and demons
revered humans
prophets, imams (especially in Shia)
prophets
saints, church fathers
identity of Jesus
true prophet of God, whose message has been corrupted
not prophet
Son of God, God incarnate, savior of the world
resurrection of Jesus
Not part of beliefs
affirmed
divine revelation
through Muhammad, recorded in Qur'an
through Prophets, recorded in Bible
through Prophets and Jesus (as God Himself), recorded in Bible
means of salvation
correct belief, good deeds, Five Pillars
belief in God, good deeds
correct belief, faith, good deeds, sacraments (some Protestants emphasize faith alone)
good afterlife
eternal paradise: heaven
views vary: heaven
eternal heaven
view of fellow Abrahamic religions
Jews and Christians are respected as "People of the Book," but they have wrong beliefs and only partial revelation.
Islam and Christianity are false interpretations and extensions of Judaism.
Judaism is a true religion, but with incomplete revelation.