A STUDY ON ISLAM

By Zack Hubbard and Connor Crump

ORIGIN

Islam is an universalizing religion

Islam was founded by Muhammad but traces back to

Abraham and other prophets

Muhammad was a trade merchant in Arabia who

claimed to

be visited by the angel Gabriel

He was met with persecution as he began to preach

He fled from Mecca to Yathrib where had followers

This event is called the Hijira by the Muslims

Muhammad gained much recognition and created an

army to fight the Meccans

He defeated the Meccans in 630 and died in 632 after

conquering most of Arabia

After his death, Islam continued to spread because of

the caliphs

Connor Crump

WHO IS MAN?

Man was created by Allah from a clot

of blood

Qur'an includes the fall of Adam but

does not affirm the idea of original sin

Everyone is born in a state of

submission to Allah

Repentance from sin allows one to

return to this state

Main sin is pride and the main virtue is

islam, which means submissionConnor Crump

WHY IS MAN HERE?

Man is to submit to Allah

Five Pillars of Islam:

1. Shahada: reciting the Muslim

profession of faith

2. Salat: praying five times a day

3. Zakat: giving money to the poor

4. Sawm: Fasting during the month of

Ramadam

5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca

The pillars demonstrates putting faith

first in their lives

Connor Crump

WHERE IS MAN GOING?

Islam teaches that there is life after death either

in paradise or in hell

Last Day: world will be destroyed and Allah will

raise the dead for judgment

Dead people wait in their graves until the Last

Day

Two exceptions

1. Those who die fighting for Allah are

immediately sent to paradise

2. Enemies of Islam are immediately sent to Hell

Judgment is based on deedsConnor Crump

HOLY PLACES

Holy cities in Islam include Mecca,

Medina, Jerusalem, Karbala, and Najaf

Mecca is by far the most sacred

The fifth pillar of Islam (Hajj) requires a

Muslim to make a pilgrimage to Mecca

They perform many rituals including

circling the Kaaba seven times, throwing

stones at pillar that symbolizes the devil,

and drinking from the well of Zamzam

Connor Crump

The major holiday for the Islamic

faith is Ramadan, a month of

obligatory daily fasting.

Fasting lasts from dawn until

sunset.

The entire Quran is recited in

Mosques.

This holiday allows Followers of

Islam to grow close to Allah.

Ramadan ends with a day-long

celebration called Eidul-

HOLIDAYS

Zack

Hubbard

A mosque is the house of prayer in Islam. 

There is no specific way for a Mosque to

be built, accept a few key points: an

indication to the direction Mecca, a

mihrab (a niche on the wall). A mosque

must have a roofed area in front of the

mihrab and there cannot be any doors on

the wall where the mihrab is placed, but

for other walls, there can be as many as

they want.

There are two types of mosques: The main

mosque is called jamaca and the other type

of mosque is called a masjid. 

PLACES OF WORSHIP

Zack

Hubbard

When a Muslim is near death, those

around him or her are called upon to

give comfort. They may recite verses

from the Qur'an, give physical comfort,

and encourage the dying one to recite

words of remembrance and prayer.

The family or other members of the

community will wash and shroud the

body.

Only the men of the community

accompany the body to the gravesite.

The deceased is laid in the grave facing

Mecca.

BURIAL PRACTICES

Zack

Hubbard

The Crusades were a series of Holy

Wars launched by the Christian states

of Europe against the Muslims.

The reason for the crusades was a war

between Christians and Moslems which

centered around the city of Jerusalem.

The City of Jerusalem held a Holy

significance to the Christian religion.

In recent history, Muslims have faced

the United States in conflicts due to the

terrorists attacks on September 11th.

CONFLICTS

Zack

Hubbard

Sufism (Sufism) may be best described

as a mystical practice that emphasizes

certain unique rituals for guiding

spiritual seekers into a direct encounter

with God. Muhammad is considered

their chief prophet and many consider

Sufism to be a mystical brand of Islam.

Bishr ibn al–Harith has said that, “the

sufi is he whose heart is sincere

towards God.” Thus, one of the words

from which Sufism is supposed to have

derived is safa meaning pure -- this due

to the purity of the sufis’ heart.

SYNCRETISM

Zack

Hubbard

http://www.islam101.com/r

amadan

/

http://

worldreligions2.tripod.com

/id14.html

http://

islam.about.com/cs/elderly/

a/funerals.htm

http://

www.middle-ages.org.uk/th

e-crusades.htm

http://www.allaboutreligion

.org/sufism.htm

SOURCES