Close ties to Christianity & Judaism:1. Believe that both
Abraham & Jesus were prophets
2. Islam is the last religion of the Abrahamic tradition
3. Muhammad is the last prophet in a long line of prophets
Islam
Mecca (Arial View)
• Founder/Prophets/Important People:– Muhammad– Abraham
• Languages:– Arabic
• Percent of followers worldwide:– 25%– Second largest religion in the
world
Islam
Islam
• Where– SW Asia
– Mecca, present-day Saudi Arabia.
– Medina, Saudi Arabia
• When– 613 A.D.
Muslims worship at the Kaaba (sacred black stone) in Mecca
Islam Briefly
• Islam is the second most popular religion in the world with over a billion followers.
• Islam began in Arabia and was revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
• Those who follow Islam are called Muslims. • Muslims believe that there is only one God, called
Allah, who speaks Arabic.
• The Muslim calendar has 354 days– based on the 12 crescent moon cycles.
Islam
• ISLAM is the name given to the religion preached by the prophet Muhammad in the 600s A. D.
• The Islamic religion started in the area known as Palestine in the year 600AD.
• It has about 850 million followers, most of them in the region north and east of the Mediterranean Sea.
Islam
• Allah, is the Islamic God.
• People who believe these ideas are called Muslims.
• Important Teachings:1. Five Pillars of Islam2. Monotheistic3. God is called Allah
• Holy Book(s):1. The Qur’an (Koran)
• The Qur’an contains both verses from the Torah & the Bible.
2. Sharia• a tradition of rulings
that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society.
Islam
Muslims worshiping towards the Kaaba in Mecca. Zoomed out.
– Moral Code is derived from Five Pillars:
1. Faith: There is only one god- Allah.
2. Prayer: pray five times a day. (Towards Mecca)
3. Fasting: during month of Ramadan.
4. Zakah: Giving Alms to the poor.
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Islam
Muslims gathering outside Mecca during their Hajj
Islamic Philosophy
• Muslims learn that life on earth is a period of testing and preparation for the life to come.
• Angels record good and bad deeds.
• People should behave themselves and help others, trusting in Allah's justice and mercy for their reward.
Islam • Basic Preceptso Submission to the will
of God (Allah)o Lineage - Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, & Mohammed (different lineage)
o Holy Book - Koran - built on Old Testament
o Five (5) pillars of faith
Islam’s Holy Book
• The Muslim scripture is the Holy Qur'an. It is 'the word of God'. Muslim beliefs and practices are rooted in the Qur'an.
• Muslims treat the Qur'an with great respect because they believe that the Qur'an is from Allah, and every word and every letter is sacred.
• Muslims regard the Qur'an as the unaltered word of God.
• It is read from right to left and written in Arabic, the language of heaven.
Islam’s Place of Worship
• The Muslim building for communal worship is called a Mosque. The word comes from the Arabic for "place of prostration".
• Worshippers are called to prayer 5 times a day from minarets – towers on the mosque corners.
• They contain only designs, no people or animals or furniture.• Normal day of worship is Friday.• Religious leaders are called imams.
Grand mosque in Mecca
Islam’s Place of Worship
• The Muslim building for communal worship is called a Mosque. – The word comes from the Arabic for
"place of prostration".
• Worshippers are called to prayer 5 times a day from minarets – towers on the mosque corners.
• They contain only designs, no people or animals or furniture.
• Normal day of worship is Friday. Jamia Mosque in Derby England
Islam’s Most Holy City
• While praying, they face the holy city of Mecca (in Saudi-Arabia) and sometimes kneel with faces to the ground.
• All Muslims are required to make a pilgrimage (trip to a sacred place) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
Five Pillars Belief System/Law Code• Shahadah: declaration of faith
"I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God." By reciting this, one enters Islamic faith.
• Salah: prayerMuslims are required to pray five times a day, washing themselves before prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying.
• Zakat: giving a fixed proportion to charity Muslims are required to give away a percentage of their earnings to those less fortunate, regardless of their religion. It is usually 2.5%.
• Saum: fasting during the month of RamadanMuslims fast for one lunar month each year, a period called Ramadan. During this time, Muslims reflect on their behavior and strive to purify their thoughts.
• Hajj: pilgrimage to MeccaIf it is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in their lifetime.
5 Pillars of Islam
1. Shahada(witness) is the Muslim profession of faith- "I witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the prophet of Allah"
• Muslims say this when they wake up in the morning and just before they go to sleep at night
• 2. Salat(daily prayer) is a prayer ritual performed 5 times a day by all Muslims over the age of 10
• Between first light and sunrise • After the sun has passed the middle of the
sky • Between mid-afternoon and sunset • Between sunset and the last light of the day • Between darkness and dawn
3. Sawm(fasting) is abstaining each day during Ramadan
• Sawm helps Muslims develop self-control, gain a better understanding of God's gifts and greater compassion towards the deprived.
• Ramadan is the holiest day for Islam. It marks when Muhammad had the Qur-an revealed to him
• Sawm is usually described as fasting, but it actually involves abstaining from all bodily pleasures between dawn and sunset
• Not only is food forbidden, but also things like smoking, chewing gum, negative thoughts and sexual activity
Food Laws
• Very similar laws to the Jewish kosher foods• No alcohol, pork, blood, no pork fat products,
scavenger animals• Food must be prepared similarly to the Jews
– Slice to the jugular– Drain blood
4. Zakat(almsgiving) is giving alms to the poor • This is a compulsory gift of 2.5 % of one's
savings each year • Giving in this way is intended to free
Muslims from the love of money • It reminds them that everything they have
really belongs to God.
5. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that all physically/financially able Muslims should make at least once in their life
• Mecca is the most holy place for Muslims• Takes place during days 8-13 of the 12th
month of the Islamic Lunar calendar• They circle the Kaaba seven times on three
occasions, say prayers, drink from a holy spring, walk to Mount Arafat to pray, feast, cast stones at three pillars(to fight Satan’s temptations), shave hair, run seven times between some hills
Main Festivals
• Hijja:The month of pilgrimage during which all Muslims, at least once in their life, should try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca and worship at the Kaaba
The Kaaba
Muslim Sects• Sunni-the majority• Shia-the minority• The split rose from an early dispute over who should be the
leader of Islam after the death of Muhammad. • The Sunnis argued that the successor should be appointed
by election and consensus, as tradition dictated. (Sunni comes from the Arabic word Sunna , meaning “tradition.”)
• The Shia believed that Muhammad's successors should come from his family, starting with Ali, his son-in-law. These, the partisans of Ali, were named from the word Shia , meaning “partisan” in Arabic.
• Important Cities:– Mecca– Medina– Jerusalem
• Major Groups:– Sunni
• largest denomination of Islam; means the tradition of the prophet of Islam - Muhammad
• Believe caliphs (priests) were to be chosen by consensus
– Shi-ite• Shi'a Muslims adhere to the teachings
of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul Bayt (family).
• Believe caliphs should be descendants from Muhammad’s son in law (Ali) and wife (Fatima)
Islam
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
Islam – Map!
Islam in 1500 C.E. Islam Today
In 1500, located in Middle East, Africa, and Southern Europe
Today, located in Middle East, Africa, and Asia
