Chris Duplechin

Key Beliefs

• Monotheism (Belief in One God).• God’s Fundamentals: Creation, Sustenance,Guidance, and Judgment.• “Humanity’s job is to make the Earth a betterplace.”• Humans are greedy, morallyweak, and thus need prophetsto teach others how to live.

Practice

• Five Pillars of Islam: 1. Shahada (Testify)

2. Salah (Prayer) 3. Seyam (Fasting) 4. Zakat (Charity) 5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)

• Oneness of Lordship, Oneness of Worship,Oneness of Mankind.

The Original Islam

• The Pagan Arabs.• Worshipped 360 Gods (polytheistic).• Gods represented the powers of nature,animals, sun, moon, stars, etc.• All Gods are under the control of one supremeGod, or, Allah.• Allah originally was the Moon God.

Islamic Reforms

• Between 610 – 661 AD: Muhammad’s Mission - revolution that changedArab societies, formed ‘New Islam’.• Reforms: Social Security, Family Structure, Slavery,Women's Rights / Ethnic Minorities, etc.

Islamic Reforms (cont.)

• Muhammad preached against social evils ofhis day.• Condemned practices of the Pagan Arabs,Female Infanticide, Exploitation of thePoor, Usury, Murder, Fornication, Adultery,False Contracts, etc.• “Muhammad lead many social and moralreforms and changed the face of Islam to what itis now known as today.”

Extremism

• Based on an extremely conservative view ofIslam, emphasized by Jihad and IslamFundamentalism.• Use of Extreme Tactics, Bombings,Assassinations, etc. • Performed in order to achieve political/socialstandpoints.

Resources

• http://www.religioustolerance.org/islam.htm• http://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_social_changes_under_Islam#Social_reforms

The End

النهاية