ISLAM:Submissio

nto theWill of Allah

Islam An Abrahamic Religion

هللا Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all his prophets to every people;

هللا Beginning with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, Ezekiel, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, Zechariah, John (the Baptist), Jesus and ending with Muhammad

The Prophetic Tradition

The Prophetic Tradition

Adam

Noah

Abraham

Moses

Jesus

Muhammad

Abraham’s GenealogyAbraham’s Genealogy

ABRAHAMABRAHAM SARAHSARAHHAGARHAGAR

IsaacIsaac

EsauEsauJacobJacob

12 Tribes of Israel

12 Tribes of Israel

Ishmael

Ishmael

12 Arabian Tribes

12 Arabian Tribes

Muhammad

“Peace Be Upon Him”

هللا This phrase said with all prophets in Judaism and Christianity

هللا He is a brother in faith to Jesus and Mosesهللا All from Middle East: Common Heritageهللا All believe in the same one Godهللا God: from the beginning has sent righteous

leaders called prophets هللا Prophets: messengers who receive

knowledge from God, not God themselves, but speak for God

Moses gave sameهللاmessages as Jesus and Muhammad Jesus came to correctهللاmistakes

Muhammad came toهللاcorrect mistakes and to add to what had been lost

هللا Islam is not a new religion, according to Muslims: but is the original path ofهللا

monotheism also developed into Judaism andهللا

Christianitysame god -Allahهللا

Creed is very simpleهللا There is no God“هللاbut God and Muhammad is his messenger.”Strict monotheistsهللا

هللا Muslim: هللا “one who submits” or “one who commits

himself to Islam”

هللا Islam: هللا to accept, to submit, to commit oneself,

submission, surrender, peaceهللا An ongoing commitment

هللا By saying, “I am a Muslim” does more than affirm membership in a community, one is saying, “I am one who commits himself to God”

هللا Over 1.5 billion are members هللا conservative estimate, fastest growing

religion today

هللا Islam has kept to one basic scripture, preserved from the 1st state of textural purity. same today as when 1st writtenهللا

downهللا Muslims believe that the Torah and

the Bible, like the Qur’an, is the word of God.

”People of the Book“هللا

The Qur’anThe Qur’anMuslims believe it contains the هللا word of God.

.suras (surah) --chapters 114 هللا

Writtenهللا in Arabic.

هللا Qur’an means “to recite” or “recitation”

هللا Muhammad’s revelations were compiled into the Qur’an after his death.

هللا Muslims revere Muhammad for transmitting the revelation and for translating it into action

Very little info on Muhammad’sهللاlife in the Qur’an itself most info comes from the هللا

Hadith:Sayings/practices of Muhammadهللا body of tradition originating fromهللا1st generation Muslims

Arabian Beliefs and Practices

before Muhammad

:

Many nomadic, spoke Semitic languages, cultural differences, enemies on all sides; Jews, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans. • Internal

Rivalries: what put Mecca in the most dangerous position was tension between rival tribes

Religions of Arabia: before Muhammad

هللا South Arabia- advanced astral cult- centered on a moon god; polytheistic

هللا Areas where Jews and Christians were strong (trading centers) many abandoned old gods for monotheistic ideas.

Majority of Arabs worshippedهللاlocal gods and goddesses-some were tribalهللا some presided over certain هللا

geographical areas and all who entered these areas were ordered to worship them

هللا In Mecca: 3 main Goddessesهللا Al Lat- mother goddess; the sunهللا Al Manat- goddess of fateهللا Al Uzza- the morning star (pale Venus)

هللا Idols were the center of worship

• Angels and Jinn: (djinn)

• Angels: were morally irreproachable and of a beneficent nature• Beings of light• Created to be loyal

to Allah

Jinn: according to legend, created from fire two thousand years before Adam

هللا Could at will appear to human eyes or remain invisible.

هللا Mecca: The Ka’ba (means cube)– (also Kaaba)

هللا Housed the most holy relic in Arabia- a meteorite built into the corner of the “cube”. No exterior ornament- covered today with a tissue of black cloth.

هللا Looooooong ago, people of Arabia startled by a rush of a meteor هللا interpreted as a

glowing rock from heaven

هللا awed inhabitants worshipped it

هللا called it “the black stone that fell from heaven in the days of Adam”

Year after year tribes came on aهللاhajj (pilgrimage) to offer near it sacrifices of sheep and camels and to run the circuit of the stones seven times and kiss it in the hope of heaven’s blessing on them

هللا In time, the cube shaped Ka’ba was built and the holy stone was placed in the southeast corner, images of local deities were placed inside

2 stories of how and when the Ka’ba was built

هللا 1.Adam built the original Ka’baهللا lost over

time/destroyed

هللا Ishmael and Abraham rebuilt it.

هللا Near the Ka’ba is the holy well; ZamZam- water sacred to pilgrims

هللا 2.Abraham- while on a visit to see his outcast son Ishmael

هللا They built the Ka’ba and imbedded the black stone in it

هللا Tradition of the well: هللا After Hagar was expelled from Abraham’s

tent, she came with infant son Ishmael to future site of city of Mecca. Was a barren valley and b/c her child was dying of thirst, she left him on the hot earth while she desperately searched for water.

هللا Ishmael in a tantrum, kicked his heels into the ground and the waters of the ZamZam welled up into the depression

هللا In recognition of this event it was considered good fortune to add to the circling of the Ka’ba going to the well

هللا Within the Ka’ba were murals on the walls, numerous idols to the various Gods were inside

هللا Hubel- chief male deity, Al-Lat, Al- Manat, Al- Uzza and far off Allah who was formless

هللا Mecca was already a holy city, and surrounding areas were considered sacred territory and pilgrims had to disarm when entering it City was pilgrimage center and veryهللا

dependent on commerce

هللا Tradition says that Mecca has never fallen to invaders Legend says that in the year thatهللا

Muhammad was born, “In the Year of the Elephant”, the Abyssinian (Christian) governor of South Arabia marched on Mecca in force with battle elephants, saying he wanted to destroy the heathen shrine. Attacks by Birds and small poxهللاdefeated him right before the attack

Muhammadهللا Born @570CE into the Quraysh tribe

of the Clan Hashemiteهللا Father died before he was born and

his mother died when he was 6هللا Was raised by his uncle Abu Talib

(Taleb)هللا Born in povertyهللا Worshipped Hubal and Al-Uzza, the

belief in jinn, Satan and good and evil omens

As he grew he looked at Meccanهللاreligion critically, began to find society distasteful:Disliked quarreling of tribes overهللا

Religion and honorهللاIdolatryهللاPolytheismهللاAnimismهللاImmorality at religious celebrationsهللا Drinking, gambling, dancingهللا

?Why were his views changingهللاHow did he become receptive to the ideas of the one God that paralleled Judaism and Christianity?

No direct evidence that he hadهللاknowledge of the Old and New Testaments He did express a respect forهللا

the written scriptures and people who used them (People of the Book)

Maybe learned about Judaismهللاand Christianity during caravan trading trips to Syria

Maybe learned from Jewish andهللاChristians traders passing through Mecca

Maybe some of his friends knewهللاthis information Waraqa (Waraka)- cousin of hisهللا

wife was Christian

هللا Muslims believe he did not take info from others and put it in the Quranهللا Quran was not the work of Muhammad,

was revealed to him by angelic messenger sent from God

هللا Most will acknowledge that he received a foreknowledge ofهللا truths and moral laws from prophets like

Abraham, Moses and Jesus to prepare him to understand and interpret what was revealed to him

هللا Muhammad: adopted by Uncle Abu Talibهللا married Kadijah (Khadijah)- had 7هللا

children only daughter Fatima survivedهللاhim

adopted a slave boy, Zaid (Zayd)هللا(Christian)

Raised Ali (his cousin, son ofهللاuncle Abu Talib)

Abu Bakr- one of his earliestهللاconverts, kinsman from Quraysh tribe

Religious Awakening

هللا @40 entering a period of spiritual stress

هللا Had come to a common belief (common to Christian and Jews) that there would be a final judgment and punishment for idolaters by everlasting fire The one true God could not beهللا

represented by an image, but only by prophetic spokespersons

هللا Wondered if God would send a prophet to the people of Arabia

هللا Began to wander the hills around Mecca

“The Night of Power and Excellence”

In the Cave of Hira in 610 aهللاvision of the Angel Gabriel messenger of Allah- callingهللاupon him to recite Allah’s message

This became the words of theهللاQuran. (p.362/539)

Was able to recite all thatهللاGabriel revealed to him, but ran home, fearing for his own sanity. He wondered if it was a meanهللا

spirited jinn tricking him

Kadijah comforted him andهللاencouraged him to overcome his fear Many believe that along withهللا

the revelations that lasted the rest of his life he also made a magical هللاnight journey on the winged mare Buraq- enabling the prophet toهللاvisit the heavens and appear before Allah (around age 50)

Arabia was now, throughهللاMuhammad, being provided a scripture of a later date and greater authority than the scriptures of the Jews and Christians Same basic message of theهللا

One God Final revelation; last prophetهللا

God would send to the people of the world

هللا *go back to your notes and fix this: Ali was not formally adopted by Muhammad, just raised by him. –Thanks Marwa!

هللا At 1st, Muhammad shared what he had learned with few people:هللا Kadijah, Ali, Abu Bakr, and Zaid. هللا After 3 years began to preach publicly.

1st preachings involved a warningهللاof divine judgment day, talked of dark days ahead, power and judgment of God

:Opposition in Meccaهللا Many, especially in the Qurayshهللا

tribe were unimpressed with him: هللا they did not object to his insistence

in One God, but to his claim to be a Prophet seemed to be a claim ofهللاleadership over them

His prophecies emphasizedهللاsocial injustices and duties to the poor Wealthy families felt it endangeredهللا

their social and economic interests in Mecca

Seemed to be doomed toهللاhave a small following: .only Kadijah, Ali, and Abu Bakrهللا his uncle never converted, butهللا

helped support him his whole life

1st 4 years, only about 40هللاconverts

هللا As Muhammad’s revelations continued: Quraysh tribe scattered thorns onهللا

gathering sites, threw filth and dirt on him, incited riots against him. Wanted to be directly violent againstهللا

him, but Abu Talib protected him.

هللا The Umayyads and others in the Quraysh tribe issued a ban or boycott against the Hashemites. Restricted them to the town whereهللا

Abu Talib lived- very desolate, struggled to survive.

هللا 50th Year- Year of Sorrows Lost Kadijah who had been hisهللا

greatest supporter and then 5 weeks later lost his uncle.

هللا Put him in a precarious position- He feared his clan might beهللا

persuaded to imprison or execute him.

Hijrah People of the city of Yathribهللا

wanted Muhammad and his message in their city. هللا Political reasons; his message would help

stop blood feuds

:Fled Mecca to Yathribهللا City was renamed Medinaهللا

هللا “City of the Prophet”هللا 622 CE:

This is the 1st year of the Muslimهللاcalendar

Muhammad established aهللاtheocracy in Medina Set up a constitution for theهللا

cityBrought peace to the cityهللا Given unrestricted power overهللا

the city

His house became a worshipهللاcenter 1st Mosque (Masjid)-هللا

Held weekly services on Fridayهللاهللا Prayer/prostration:

1st faced towards Jerusalemهللا but Seventeen months afterهللا

Muhammad arrived in Medina he was instructed by Allah to face the Ka’ba in Mecca

هللا Why change from Jerusalem to Mecca? Allah told him to do so, and he and allهللا

praying with him faced Meccaهللا Others believe that he changed direction

because of growing conflict with Jews in Medina. Muhammad had recognized Jesus: saidهللا

his message completed the Torah. Jews did not recognize Jesus, and someهللا

were politically allied with the Quraysh tribe who opposed him.

Call to open prayer on theهللاMosque’s roof 1st only on Friday’s, butهللاthen everyday at the appropriate times for prayer.

:Warfare with Meccaهللا Meccans worry that Mediansهللا

under Muhammad would conquer their city.

So they declared war 1stهللا

Muhammad directed the 1stهللاraid and was victorious war continued for severalهللا

years, each side was violently attacking

Eventually Muhammadهللاnegotiated a peace between the two cities

CE Prophet returns to 630هللاMecca Ka’ba (Kaaba) was purgedهللاof idols and became the center of Muslim worship

Muhammad treated allهللاequally, new converts, old, men, women… Faith began to spreadهللاoutward from Mecca

The prophet becameهللاdevoted to uniting all peoples under this one God

The successor?

Muhammad died in 632 CE, butهللاleft no clear direction as to who should lead after him: :Caliphهللا

successor to the prophetهللا

1st Caliph- Abu Bakrهللا But many believed that Aliهللا

should be the Caliph Beginning of the Sunni/Shi’aهللا

(Shia) Split Sunni: Caliph’s should beهللا

elected by those closest to the Prophet

Shi’a: Caliph’s should beهللاmembers of the Prophet’s family

Mission of Islam is to reformهللاsociety and to actively combat oppression and corruption Call people back to faith and toهللا

create a just moral order in the world as the embodiments of God’s commandments

:Beliefsهللا Prescriptions for socialهللاconduct to bring remembrance ofهللاGod into every aspect of daily life and practical ethics

:Injunctions againstهللاDrinking alcoholهللا Eating certain meatsهللا

Halal: Acceptable foodsهللاHaram: Unacceptable foodsهللا

pork, rodents, predatoryهللاanimals, improperly slaughtered meats

GamblingهللاSex outside of marriageهللا

,Sexually provocative dress, talkهللاor actions

:Positive actions/beliefsهللا Commands justice, kindnessهللا

and charity Women have legal rightsهللاRight to own propertyهللاRight to divorceهللاTo inheritهللاTo make a willهللا

Shahada (Shahadah)

Shahada (Shahadah)

11

.The testimony هللا

The declaration of هللاfaith:

There is no God but God and Muhammad

is his Messenger

SalatSalat

22

The mandatory prayers هللا performed 5 times a day: * dawn * noon * late afternoon * sunset * before going to bed

.Wash before praying هللا

.Face Mecca and use a prayer rug هللا

22

The call to prayer by the هللا muezzin in the minaret.

Pray in the mosque on هللاFriday.

ZakatZakat

33

Almsgiving (charitable هللا donations).

Muslims believe that all هللاthings belong to God.

Zakat means both هللا“purification” and “growth.”

.About 2.5% of your income هللا

SawmSawm

44

Fasting during the holy هللاmonth of Ramadan.

Considered a method of هللاself- purification.

No eating or drinking from هللا sunrise to sunset during Ramadan.

Eid Al-FitrEid Al-Fitr

End of the Ramadan holiday.

HajjHajj

55

.The pilgrimage to Mecca هللا

Must be done at least once in a هللا Muslim’s lifetime(if possible)

million Muslims make the 3-2 هللا pilgrimage every year.

55

Seven times around Ka’ba هللا(Kaaba) Field where Adam and Eveهللاworshipped the one God ZamZamهللا Sacrifices to remind ofهللاAbraham’s willingness to sacrifice to God The meat is then given toهللاthe needy

55

Those who complete the pilgrimage can add the title hajji to their name.

Feasts and Festivals:

هللا Eid al-Fitr: End the fast of Ramadan:هللا Joyous celebration, gifts exchanged

هللا Eid al Adha: Feast of Sacrifice When pilgrims outside of Meccaهللا

have returned halfway from the great pilgrimage and are making a feast of sacrifice

Ritually offering the allowedهللاanimals and the joyous sharing of the meat

New Year Festivalهللا Festival of the Prophet’s هللاBirthday

Festival of the Prophet’sهللاnight journey

هللا Fastest growing religion in the US: 2/3 are immigrants, 1/3 are converts, esp African Americans

هللا Was encouraged in early 1900s as a form of separation from white oppressionNation of Islamهللا

هللا Many African Americans practiced traditional Islamic culture and stuck to teachings of Quran

Islam and the Nation of Islam

Islam

هللا Religion

هللا Allah is unlike anything; always divine; never appearing in human form on earth

هللا Prophet Muhammad (b.570) is the final prophet/messenger of God

Nation of Islam

هللا Religion and Political Organization

هللا Allah is a black man; appeared in 1930 in the form of Wallace Fard Muhammad (the founder of the N.O.I)

هللا Elijah Muhammad (b.1897) is a prophet/messenger of God

هللا 5 Prayers required daily; Friday services

هللا Fasting during the month of Ramadan

هللا Ramadan; Eid Al Fatr

هللا 5 Prayers required daily; others say no prayers required; Optional Friday services

هللا Fasting during December; (whites overindulge in December; deny them your $ and gluttony) optional fasting in Ramadan

هللا Savior’s Day (celebrates birth of W. Fard; Feb 26 and Elijah Muhammad Oct 7)

هللا Zakat:

هللا Universal Brother/Sisterhood

هللا Day of Judgment; Afterlife (Heaven and Hell) Race and color do not determine destiny

هللا Holy Qu’ran; Hadith

هللا Only required to pay Federal taxes; optional tithing

هللا Black Nationalism/Racial Separation

هللا Current life is ‘heaven” for the white man and “hell” for the black man; there is no afterlife

هللا Holy Qu’ran, Bible and other revealed books by W. Fard and Elijah Muhammad

هللا 1.5 Billion Muslims in the world; 7.8 million in the US; Fastest growing religion in the world and the US

هللا All people are equal before God; anyone can be a Muslim

هللا No pre-marital relationships (no dating)

هللا Teachings are from the prophet Muhammad and Holy Qu’ran

هللا Between 20,000 and 100,000 in the US; none known outside the US; slowly declining

هللا Black man is the original man; whites not allowed in N.O.I

هللا Dating is allowed

هللا Teachings are from W. Fard Muhammad, Elijah Muhammad and Holy Qu’ran

Muslims in AmericaMuslims in America

Muslims in the World Today

Muslims in the World Today

Countries with the Largest Muslim

Population

Countries with the Largest Muslim

Population1. Indonesia 183,000,00

06. Iran 62,000,000

2. Pakistan 134,000,000

7. Egypt 59,000,000

3. India 121,000,000

8. Nigeria 53,000,000

4. Bangladesh

114,000,000

9. Algeria 31,000,000

5. Turkey 66,000,000 10. Morocco 29,000,000

* Arabs make up only 20% of the total Muslim population of the

world.

هللا Many Muslim countries are attempting to return to traditional Muslim law Rather than conform to the modernهللا

world, modern world should conform to them

هللا Many Muslim countries have extremists gov’t that are taking liberties with divine law and not following Qur’an

هللا Majority of Muslims respect the teachings of the Qur’an and Muhammad and only wish to live in peace

Spread of Islam:

هللا Islam spread by personal contacts, trade and appeal of the religion

:Not by the swordهللا Quran forbids coercion inهللا

religion: Recommends Muslims inviteهللاothers to the way, by wisdom, teaching and example

Jihad?Jihad?Striving/Struggle هللا internal fight against rightهللاand wrong, error and truth, selfishness and selflessnessهللا Protect way of God against forces of evil, safeguarding one’s life, faith, honor, integrity of the community

Spread of Islam Many military battles, but not forهللا

purpose of spreading Islam, respect always for Jews and Christians- but many had to pay taxes to live in Muslim dominated areas.

After Muhammad’s death- Islamهللاspread to all of Arabia, to present day Pakistan, Spain, Northern Africa, Eastern Europe, Russian Steppes, India and Indonesia.

Stopped in 732 CE at Battle ofهللاTours

Why was Islam able to spread so

quickly and convert so many

to the new religion?

The Spread of Islam

The Spread of Islamهللا Easy to learn and practice.

.No priesthood هللا

.Teaches equality هللا

Non-Muslims, who were هللا“Peoples of the Book,” were allowed religious freedom, but paid additional taxes.

& Easily “portable” nomads هللاtrade routes.

During times when London andهللاParis were muddy alleyways, Muslim Spain, esp the city of Cordova had:mosques 700هللاlibraries 70هللا public baths and the 300هللا

streets were paved.هللا In the early 1000s Muslims

began to have conflicts with Christians

The Caliph, Al Hakim broke withهللاIslamic tradition and began persecuting Christians: Destroyed the Church of the Holyهللا

Sepulcher in Jerusalem- helped to provoke the crusades

Crusaders slaughtered theهللاinhabitants of Jerusalem- beheaded 70,000 captives

Saladin: took back Jerusalem inهللا1187 and treated the Christian pop. with dignity

هللا Islam honors prophets of all traditions, but this religion was denounced by the medieval Catholic Church

هللا Christianity had considered itself the one-true religion and launched efforts to bring whole world under its wings.

هللا Islam believes they are the one-true religion Christian church depicted Muhammadهللا

as an idol worshipper, the anti-Christ, prince of darkness, one who was worshipped as a god. Medieval Christians so horrified byهللاthis, launched the inquisition and crusades

But hatred and animosity btwnهللاgroups was born, esp in Europe. By 1500,in Spain, after theهللا

inquisition, @3,000,000 Muslims either had been killed or left the country

هللا Islam spread eastward as well into northern India. Muslims destroyed many Hindu temples and idols

هللا Mogul Empire in India ruled by Muslims

هللا Emperor Akbar 1556- called together spiritual authorities in Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, and Christianity: 1st interfaith dialogue!!! British rule in India: tried toهللا

emphasize the differences btwn Hindus and Muslims. divide and conquerهللا

Gandhi in 1900s sought to endهللاBritish rule and oppression and unite the Hindu and Muslim peoples after his death, East and -1947هللا

West Pakistan established for Muslims and India became Hindu.

Conflicts over new territoryهللاand many 1000s of deaths, disputes continue today