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Islam
World Religions
Chapter 14
We are all Muslims; some have the Gospels, others have the Quran
A Patriarch from Syria
1. Which of the following is a true statement:
A. All Arabs are Muslims B. All Muslims are Arabs
C. Iran is an Arab country D. None of the above
1. Which of the following is a true statement:
A. All Arabs are Muslims B. All Muslims are Arabs
C. Iran is an Arab country D. None of the above
2. During prayer a Muslim should face:
A. Mecca B. Islamabad
C. Jerusalem D. Washington, DC
2. During prayer a Muslim should face:
A. Mecca B. Islamabad
C. Jerusalem D. Washington, DC
3. Muslims pray to a different God than Jews or Christians, and this God’s name is
Allah.
True or False
3. Muslims pray to a different God than Jews or Christians, and this God’s name is
Allah.
True or False
4. Muhammad founded Islam and is worshipped by Muslims.
True or False
4. Muhammad founded Islam and is worshipped by Muslims.
True or False
What is Islam?
• Second largest religion in the world– 1.2 Billion Muslims (21% of earth population)
• Began in modern day Saudi Arabia
• Reflects the traditions of Jews & Christians– Abraham is first important figure– Belief in the same, single God
Around 610 AD, a man named Muhammad received the first of many revelations from God.
Who is Muhammad?
• A prophet of God, but not a god himself– He is not worshipped
These revelations were eventually written down in what is known as
the Qur’an
Which means the recitation.
The Qur’an is central importance in Islam
It is the most widely read and memorized book in the world.
Islam
Part 2
The Life of Muhammad
The world Muhammad is born into has been described by later
Muslims in one word:
Ignorant
Life under desert conditions had never been serene,
And people felt almost no obligation to anyone outside of their tribe.
Scarcity of goods made robbery and warfare common,
And there was a vacuum of leadership in Mecca that exacerbated the problems.
The religion of the region – an animist polytheism which peopled the desert with
demons – or jinn – basically watched from the sidelines and did
nothing to interrupt the constant warfare and violence.
Drunken orgies and gambling were commonplace
And conditions were perfect for an atmosphere of constant warfare and blood feuds.
The times called for a deliverer.
Muhammad is born around 570 CE into a leading tribe in Mecca.
His early life is marked with tragedy:
His father dies in a few days of his birth, his mother when he is six, and his grandfather, who raises him, when he is eight.
He is adopted into his uncle’s home, and works minding his
flocks.
His early losses made him sensitive to the sufferings of others.
As he grows up, he remains apart from the corrupt and violent lifestyle
of his contemporaries.The repeated outbursts
of violence and pointless quarrels among the tribes who came to Mecca combined with the atmosphere of cynicism cause a reaction of horror and disgust in the young Muhammad.
As an adult he takes up the caravan business, and enters the service of a wealthy widow named
Khadija.
Although she is fifteen years his senior, they soon fall in love and
are married.
The match is a happy one, and she will be a source of strength for him in the time to come.
Muhammad begins to go frequently to a cave on a mountain outside of
Mecca.
Mount Hira
He is unable to accept that crudeness, superstition, and fratricide should be normal for a society, and his heart begins to reach out for God.
Allah was a god worshipped at Mecca
And there were some contemplatives who worshipped Allah alone.
In his prayer vigils, Muhammad realizes that this Allah
Is just what his name claims – he is not one god among many, but the GOD
From this cave in the desert would come the greatest phrase of the
Arabic language:
La ilaha illa ‘llah!
There is no God but God!
The Night of Power
Muhammad is in the cave on Mount Hira praying when there appears to him an angel in the form of a man.
Muhammad repliesI am not a proclaimer…
The angel embraces him with incredible force, demanding he proclaims.
“Proclaim in the name of your Lord who created!
Created man from a clot of blood.
Proclaim: Your Lord is the Most Generous,
Who teaches by the pen;
Teaches man what he knew not.” - (Version of the Qur’an 96:1-3)
Muhammad rushes home with the words of the angel burned in his
soul.
He tells Khadija, and she becomes his first convert.
“You will be the prophet of this people.”
Muhammad’s life was no more his own.
“From that time forth it was given to God and to humanity, preaching with unswerving purpose in the face of relentless persecution, insult, and outrage, the words that God was to transmit for twenty three years.”
The response to Muhammad’s preaching was almost completely
violent and hostile.
Why?
Three reasons:1) It’s uncompromising monotheism threatened
the polytheistic beliefs and the economy which they provided Mecca and its pilgrimage shrines (360 of them!).
2) Its moral teachings demanded an end to the corrupt lifestyle to which many in the region clung
3) Its social content challenged the unjust structure of society. In a society riven with class distinctions, the new Prophet was preaching an incredibly democratic message: in the sight of the Lord all were equal.
The leaders in Mecca began their attack with ridicule, then threats,
then open violence.
They covered Muhammad and his followers with dirt and filth while they prayed, they beat them with sticks, threw them in prison, and tried to starve them to death by refusing to sell to them.
The first years were extremely challenging: after three years he
had gained only 40 converts.
But by the end of the decade several hundred families were acclaiming him as God’s authentic spokesman.
The leaders of Mecca determined to get rid of Muhammad for good.
At this crisis, Muhammad is visited by a delegation from a city to the north called Yathrib.
Yathrib recruits Muhammad to come as an outside leader to settle
its internal disputes.
The city agrees to worship Allah alone and to protect Muhammad and his people.
Muhammad’s followers go ahead of him, and the Prophet himself is
forced to escape,
Surviving in the desert for three days avoiding the search by the elders of Mecca.
The year is 622
And the migration is known as the Hijra, marks the turning point in history. It is the moment from which the Muslim calendar dates.
The city becomes known as Medina
From Medinat al-Nabi (the city of the Prophet).
Muhammad is now transformed from despised preacher to
masterful politician.
He establishes a community of cooperation in Medina that was
unheard of previously:
People begin to flock to Medina to see this miracle of peace on the Arabian peninsula.
A period of conflict with Mecca ensues:
And after eight years of back and forth conflict, the forces from Medina overcome Mecca. Muhammad does not punish Mecca, but accepts the conversion of all there.
He rededicates the Ka’bah to Allah.
Muhammad dies two years later in 632.
At his death, the entire Arabian peninsula was under his control. In the next generation after him Islam would have spread throughout the known world, spanning a region larger than Christianity.
In The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History
Michael Hart places Muhammad first:
His “unparalled combination of secular and religious influence entitles Muhammad to be considered the most influential single figure in human history.”
When Muhammad died, he did not choose a successor.
Some people thought the original converts should be the leaders, but others thought it should be a relative of Muhammad.
An early believer, Abu Bakr was appointed, but died within two
years.
Eventually, a power struggle developed
as different groups of Muslims believed their method of establishing a successor were the best.
The real argument was over whether the successor should be
elected or chosen through heredity. This controversy
produced the main divisions in Islam.
Sects of Islam• Two Major Sects:
– Sunni– Shi’a (Shiite)
• Sunni– approx 90% of Muslims– Believe successors to Muhammad should be chosen by the
community
• Shi’a (Shiite)– approx 10% of Muslims– Think Muhammad’s successor should be his relatives
The Sunnis are the majority in Islam today.
They elect their own imams – the religious leaders in Muslim society.
The Shi'a believe that imams must be related to the Prophet, not
politically chosen. Today, the Shi'a
dominate Iran and are the majority in Iraq.
There is a smaller group called the Sufis
Who think Islam is too rigid, and they pray for a mystical experience of God.
Teachings of Islam
The theological center of Islam is the Qur’an
It is the word of God – God speaking directly to humanity through the human language of Arabic
The meaning of the Qur’an is not simply in the written text but in the
vocalization of the language.
While Christians have translated their scriptures into every language – Muslims have taught their converts to read Arabic to understand the Qur’an.
It is not possible to overemphasize the importance of the Qur’an.
It is the most widely read and memorized book in the world.
Allah was worshipped in Arabia before Muhammad preached,
But Islam changed decisively the understanding of God.
The Qur’an teaches about the powerful nature of God
And it is God’s power that gives order to society.
God’s power is matched by God’s mercy,
Which allows the Muslim to live in a world of joy.
Allah is seen as genderless,
And Muslims strongly avoid representations of God, even avoiding parental images (used strongly in Christianity) because they are too anthropomorphic.
However, God is seen as immanent and personal.
There are traditionally 99 names for God, including the Compassionate and the Real.
The Prophets
The prophets provide the link between Allah and human history.
Beginning with Adam and ending with Muhammad
The prophets have changed the history of humanity’s relationship with God.
Abraham is revered,
As are Moses and Jesus.
Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets
To whom the perfection and completion of God’s revelation to humanity was given.
Human Nature
Islam teaches that human nature is basically good, but that we are capable of forgetting this. Forgetfulness is what happened in the fall, in the loss of Eden.
Therefore we need the Qur’an and other revelations of the will of AllahTo direct us to proper behavior for human
beings.
The Qur’an vividly describes heaven and hell, because the struggle for goodness is
utterly important.
The Qur’an’s descriptions of the consequences of choices make sure the Muslim knows the cost of his or her behaviors and lifestyle.
There will be a day of judgment, and on that day, each soul will know what it has done in
its life.
“When the sky is rent asunder; when the stars scatter and the oceans roll together; when the graves are hurled about; each soul shall know what it has done and what it has failed to do.
… Would that you knew what the Day of Judgment is! Oh, would that you knew what the Day of Judgment is! It is the day when every soul will stand alone and God will reign supreme.”
Version of the Qur’an, sura 82
Islam emphasizes the community of Muslims
Known as the Umma.The Umma transcends race, ethnicity, language,
and culture. The community of Muslims are one because of their faith.
In the Umma, divine law is the rule for the community.
This is known as the Shari’a. It is drawn from the Qur’an and the Sunna (the teachings and actions of Muhammad) and is meant to govern the whole of life – religious and political.
The way of life for Muslims are laid out in what are called the
Five Pillars of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam
1)Worship God and Muhammad is his prophet
2)Prayer five times a day, facing Mecca
3)Alms giving
4)Fast during the month of Ramadan
5)Participate in the Hajj
The first pillar of Islam is the profession of faith
In Allah and in Muhammad as his prophet. This is called the Shahada.
Note that the Five Pillars, although they start with an expression of faith,
Stress right action more than belief.
Muslims are to pray five times a day:
Early morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening.
Muslim prayer requires
A ritual washing of hands and face, prostration in the direction of Mecca, and other ritual movements.
Usually a prayer rug is used.
Friday is the day of public prayer,
And prayers are usually performed in a mosque.
Charity is the third pillar,
And Muslims are required to give 2.5% of the value of their possessions to a community treasury to be given to the poor and needy.
The fourth pillar of Islam is to fast during the month of Ramadan.
This is the ninth month of the Muslim year, and Muslims are to fast from food, drink, smoking, and sex from dawn until sunset.
The HajjA pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.Muslims gather around the sacred shrine – the
Ka’bah.
The Ka’bah
Personal and Social Life
Muslims hold that the body does not belong to the individual but ultimately to God.
The body is to be kept clean, and clothing should be comfortable
But not seductive or overly luxurious.
Islam regulates the diet, like Judaism,
And forbids the eating of pork and the drinking of alcohol.
Sexuality is seen as a gift from God,
But one only to be enjoyed inside of marriage.
A controversial issue for studying Islam is the status of women.
On the whole, the Qur’an regards men and women as equals, although with different roles.
Men tend to have primary roles in the public and economic spheres,
And women have a greater influence the household and family life, which is the primary institution in Islam.
http://www.slamnet.org.uk/re/images/Islam8.jpg
Three issues are generally cited by critics of Islamic practice in some
countries:
1) Divorce
2) Polygamy
3) The veil
Divorce has traditionally been easier for men to attain than women.
The Qur’an notes that both men and women can initiate a divorce, and men and women are generally on equal footing nowadays. Islam permits divorce but Muhammad announced it was detested by Allah.
In terms of marriage
The Qur’an technically allows polygamy, but sets limits:
“You may marry other women who seem good to you: two, three, or four of them. But if you fear that you cannot maintain equality among them, marry only one.”
- Version of the Qur’an 4:3
This has been open to interpretation –
Some Muslims say it is impossible to be equal so the saying is the same as saying it is illegal.
Others say at times marrying more than once is the right thing to do – especially for widows, or in a period after war where there are fewer men.
The wearing of the veil has also been open to interpretation.
Today some educated Muslim women are choosing to wear the veil again as a way of embracing their culture.
Jihad
Nothing has been more controversial or more misunderstood in the West than the term jihad.
Islam is not addicted to war, and jihad is not one of its "pillars”Jihad in Arabic does not mean "holy war”. It means "struggle” or “strive”.
It is the difficult effort needed to put God's will into practice at every level
The "greater jihad” in the Quran is that of the soul, of the tongue, of the pen, of faith, of morality, etc. The "smaller jihad" is that of arms.
• Personal: That of the soul
• Verbal: Raising one's voice in the name of Allah on behalf of justice. "The most excellent jihad is the speaking of truth in the face of a tyrant" (Hadith)
• Physical: Combat waged in defense against oppression and transgression.
Much of the Koran revealed in the context of an all-out war
imposed on early Muslims by the powerful city of Mecca, and many passages deal with the conduct of armed struggle.
While one finds "slay [enemies] wherever
you find them!" (e.g., 4: 89), in almost every case it is followed by something like "if they let you be,
and do not make war on you, and offer you peace, God does not allow you to harm them" (2:90; 4: 90; 5: 2; 8: 61; 22: 39)
“Since good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou evil with something, that is better, and love he between whom and thy self was enmity may then become as though he had always been close unto thee, a true friend" (41:34)
God does not allow harm of civilian, and requests the protection of women, children and the elderly
during war (4:96; 9: 91; 48: 16,17)
“If any one slew a person--unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land--it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” (5:32)
You shall feed and protect prisoners of war, and you shall not expect a reward (4: 25,36; 5:24)
Thus, the only permissible war in the Quran is one of self-defense, you cannot kill unarmed (civilian), and you have to protect prisoners of war.
This is basically the same understanding of the just war theory in the West
