Islam

Some Basics • Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are

all Abrahamic religions • Islam is the newest of the three

• Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is a monotheistic religion

• The word “Islam” means “submission to God”

• A person whose religion is Islam is called a Muslim

• The word “Muslim” means “a person who submits”

• In Islam, the name for God is Allah

Beginnings • The founder of Islam is Mohammed.

Islam was revealed to Mohammed in 610 C.E. near Mecca (Saudi Arabia).

Islam Today Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.

There are over 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide

Sacred Text • The Koran (or Qur’an) is the holy

book of Islam

Muslims believe that the Koran is literally the word of Allah

Because of this, every letter is considered sacred and it cannot be changed

Place of Worship • The Islamic place of worship is called

a mosque

Call to Prayer

Sacred Sites & Symbols • The crescent and star is the symbol

of Islam • This is more for reasons of tradition

than religious significance

The Kaaba • Most sacred site in Islam • Located at the al-Masjid al-Haram in

Mecca

• Muslims believe that Abraham built the Kaaba

• It is made of granite with marble and limestone floors

• It is about 45 feet tall

Medina • The al-Masjid al-Nabawi is a mosque

in Medina • It is the second holiest site in Islam

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

Main Beliefs • Islam shares much of its history with

Judaism and Christianity • In Islam, Jesus is one of many

prophets, but Mohammed is the most important

True or False? • Jesus was a Muslim

The Five Pillars • The Five Pillars serve as the basis for

practicing Islam

1. The Shahadah • “There is no God but God,

Mohammed is the messenger of God.”

2. Prayer • Muslims are encouraged to pray

often to Mohammed, 5 times a day if possible.

• During every prayer, Muslims face Mecca

3. Charity

4. Fasting Fasting during daylight hours of Ramadan (ninth lunar month of the year)

Husain Abdullah

5. The Hadj • If possible, Muslims are expected to

go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life

• This pilgrimage is called the Hadj