Islam 101

Güner Arslan, Ph.D. Founding Member

Dialogue Institute of the Southwest

Understanding IslamHow to decide what the speed limit on MOPAC is?

By picking the fastest car’s speed on MOPAC? (NO) By averaging the speed of cars on the left lane? (NO) By checking the official submitted speed limits? (YES)

!How to decide what Islam teaches?

By looking at extreme behaviors of some Muslims? (NO) By looking at what Muslim societies do? (NO) By going to the “official” sources of Islam? (YES)

Islamic SourcesThe Qur’an

It is the holy book of Islam A total 114 chapters revealed over 23 years Actual words of God in Arabic Only one version in the entire World

The Hadith Prophet Muhammad’s explanations of verses Teachings and actions of the Prophet Several sets of volumes of books Each entry is recorded with a chain of narration

Outline• What is Islam? • Pillars of Islamic Faith • Ultimate Goal in Life • Pillars of Islamic Deeds • Facts and Figures • Jihad !

• Q&A

The word “Islam”• “Islam” means submission to the will of God • Has the same Arabic root as “Selam” (peace) • Peace through observance of divine guidance

– inner peace – societal peace – global peace

• A “Muslim” is one who submits to the will of God • The presentation more about Islam than Muslims

– Muslims are diverse with many different traditions – Hard to separate tradition from religion

Islam: the last of Abrahamic Religions“Say, we believe in God and that which has been revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and to other prophets, from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.”

(Qur’an; The Family of Imran; Verse 83)

Pillars of Islamic Faith• Belief in the existence and oneness of God • Belief in prophets • Belief in holy scriptures • Belief in angels • Belief in destiny • Belief in the hereafter

Unity of God“Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful” (The Gathering; Verse 22)

!• “Allah” is the proper name of God • Means God in Arabic • Christian Arabs use the same word for God

• Muslim prefer Allah because god is ambiguous • “The God” or “a god”?

The Institute of Interfaith Dialog

Prophets• Messengers from God to guide people

– Ideal humans, receive revelations • Muslims believe in all Biblical prophets including

– Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad – 25 prophets named in the Qur’an

• Muhammed (pbuh) was the final prophet (571-632) – Received his first revelation in the year 610 – Well respected person before the revelations

Abraham

Ishmael

Isaac Moses Jesus

Muhammed

Holy Scriptures• Muslims believe in scriptures including

– Talmud – Psalms – Torah – New Testament – Qur’an

• In the original form all are words of God • Verses revealed to various prophets • Original version of the Qur’an survived to date

The Qur’an• Was revealed to the Prophet via angle Gabriel • 114 chapters revealed over 23 years • Actual words of God in Arabic • Main Themes:

– Unity of God – Stories of people & prophets – Resurrection & hereafter – Prayer & worship

• The Qur'an is the main source of knowledge – Secondary source is the ”Hadith”

Angels• Beings made of light – no gender • Unlike humans do not have a freewill

– Cannot commit sins or evil, always obey God • Maintain the universe according to God’s

commands • Archangels

– Michael, Gabriel, Azrail, Israfil, … • Countless other angles

– Every single raindrop is carried by an angle

Destiny• All good and evil is created by God

– There is only one creator – Because of freewill He creates what we choose – He knows better what is good and bad for us

• Freedom to choose between: good and evil – Unlike: eating, drinking, obeying gravity, or dead – Life is a test with consequences in the hereafter

• The All-Knowing knows what decisions you will do – He is beyond time and space – You do not do it because He knows it – He knows it because He know that you will decide do it

Hereafter• Islam teaches that

– We stay in this life for a very short time

– There is eternal life in the hereafter

– Heaven and Hell exists – Everyone will see justice on

the day of judgment

Ultimate Goal of Life

!!!!!!!!

Belief in GOD

!!!!

Knowledge of GOD

Love of

GOD

Pillars of Islamic Deeds• Testimony of faith • Five daily prayers • Alms-giving • Fasting • Pilgrimage

Testimony of Faith• Most basic tenet of Islam • Saying and believing

– I testify that there is no deity but Allah, and – I testify that Muhammed is messenger of Allah

Five Daily Prayers• Five obligatory prescribed prayers

– Format taught by the Prophet • Pray standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting • Recite verses from the Qur’an

– Fixed time frames: • morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night

– Face Mecca wherever you are • Unites all Muslims

• Personal communion with God – Recharge yourself until the next prayer

Almsgiving• Obligatory for all who are able to do so

– With today’s money about $1500 extra wealth – Primary residence and vehicle not included

• Annually give at least 1/40th of ones wealth – Not income or consumption based

• A means to close gap between rich and poor • Strict rules on who can receive it

– Cannot give it to family and friends – Main benefactors are the poor and needy

Fasting in Ramadan• Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar • All able Muslims are obligated to fast • The daily fast starts at sunrise – ends at sunset • No eating, drinking, smoking, or any intake • Have early breakfast before sunrise • Wisdoms behind fasting:

– Recognizing God’s Lordship – Self control – Compassion for the hungry – Thanksgiving

Pilgrimage (Hajj)• Obligatory for able Muslims ones in a lifetime

– If healthy and wealthy enough to travel • Visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia • Largest annual pilgrimage in the world

– More than 3 million people in one place • “Kaaba” (Cube) the holiest place for Muslims

– Originally built by Prophet Adam – Rebuild by Abraham on original foundation

• Rituals date back to Prophet Abraham • All pilgrims dress in two-piece white cloth

Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Facts and Figures• Largest dominantly Muslim country

– Indonesia with a population of approx 250 million • Largest Muslim minority

– India with approx 150 millions Muslims • Total Muslim population in the World

– Approx. 1,500,000,000 (1.5 billion) • Ethnic breakdown

– 15% Arabs and 85% Other • Sectarian breakdown

– 85% Sunni and 15% Shia

Religions of the World

Map of Muslims

Sunni vs ShiaSunni

•85% of Muslims •Elected successor of the Prophet in the following order as

•Abu Bakr •Umar •Uthman •Ali •Followed by various dynasties •No leader

Shia •15% of Muslims •Believe Ali to be the rightful successor •Did not recognize the elected leaders •Follow a line of Imams from the family of the Prophet

!!Sufi orders

!!Schools of law

Islamic Sects and SchoolsIslam

Sunni Shiah

Hanafi Hanbali Maliki Shafii Ismaili Imamiya Zaidiyyah

Bektashi MawlawiNaqshbandi QadiriyyahShadhili

Wahhabi

Sunni Schools of Law • Islamic law (Shariah) is based on the Qur’an

and tradition of the Prophet (Sunnah) • Different schools interpret laws differently

• Similar to US Supreme Court Justices • All schools consider each to be fully valid • Difference in details of law:

• One sees a certain action as obligation the other does not

Meaning of Jihad• Dictionary meaning of Jihad

– Using all one’s strength – Moving toward and objective with all one’s power – Resisting every difficulty

• In the Islamic terminology it means – Striving in the path of God

• Two fronts of Jihad – Internal (greater): to attain one’s essence – External (lesser): enable other’s to attain their essence

Greater Jihad• Conducted on the spiritual front • Struggle with our inner world and ego • It is against negative emotions and thoughts

– Malice – Hatred – Envy – Selfishness – Pride – Arrogance

Lesser Jihad• All activities that one engages in

– To make possible a physical and social environment where religious life can be freely communicated and practiced

• It is material and has a very broad meaning – A word or silence – A frown or smile – Leaving or entering an assembly

• Fighting on the battlefield is a type of lesser Jihad

Holy War• Does not exist in Islamic terminology • Peace is the norm • War is permissible only if

• You are under attack for self defense • A peace-treaty is broken by the other side

• War can be declared only by a government • Individuals cannot declare war

Rules of War• Do not practice treachery or mutilation. • Do not kill a child, an old man, or a woman. • Do not uproot, burn or cut down fruitful trees. • Do not slaughter animals, except for food. • Leave people living in seclusion for religious

reasons alone.

Muslim Response to Terror• Gülen’s Statement published in New York Times on Sep 12th

– I would like to stress that any terrorist activity, no matter who does it and for what purpose, is the greatest blow to peace, democracy and humanity. For this reason terrorist activities can by no means be approved of. Terror cannot be a means for independence, nor can it be applied to a struggle for salvation. It costs, most of all, the lives of innocent people.

– Terrorism cannot be a means for any Islamic goal, and a terrorist cannot be a Muslim, nor can a true Muslim be a terrorist. Islam orders peace and a true Muslim can only be a symbol of peace and the maintenance of basic human rights.

– I assure the American people that I pray to God Almighty for the victims and feel from the bottom of my heart the pain of them all. May God equip them with patience.

Open Letter to the PopeWe would like to point out that “holy war” is a term that does not exist in Islamic languages. Jihad, it must be emphasized, means struggle, and specifically struggle in the way of God. This struggle may take many forms, including the use of force. Though a jihad may be sacred in the sense of being directed towards a sacred ideal, it is not necessarily a “war”. (Signed by 38 scholars from all over the Muslim world) !1.H.E. Allamah Abd Allah bin Mahfuz bin Bayyah Professor, King Abd Al-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia 2.Professor Dr. Allamah Muhammad Sa‘id Ramadan Al-Buti Dean of Department of Religion, University of Damascus, Syria 3.Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çagˇ rıcı Grand Mufti of Istanbul 4.H.E. Shaykh Professor Dr. Mustafa Ceric Grand Mufti and Head of Ulema of Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.H.E. Shaykh Ravil Gainutdin Grand Mufti of Russia 6.H.E. Shaykh Nedžad Grabus Grand Mufti of Slovenia 7.Shaykh Al-Habib Ali Mashhour bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafeez Imam of the Tarim Mosque and Head of Fatwa Council, Tarim, Yemen 8.Shaykh Al-Habib Umar bin Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafeez Dean, Dar Al-Mustafa, Tarim, Yemen 9.Professor Dr. Farouq Hamadah Professor of the Sciences of Tradition, Mohammad V University, Morocco 10.Shaykh Hamza Yusuf Hanson Founder and Director, Zaytuna Institute, California, USA 11.H.E. Shaykh Dr. Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassoun Grand Mufti of the Republic of Syria 12.Dr. Shaykh Izz Al-Din Ibrahim Advisor for Cultural Affairs, Prime Ministry, United Arab Emirates 13.H.E. Professor Dr. Omar Jah Secretary of the Muslim Scholars Council, Gambia 14.Shaykh Al-Habib Ali Zain Al-Abideen Al-Jifri Founder and Director, Taba Institute, United Arab Emirates 15.H.E. Shaykh Professor Dr. Ali Jumu‘ah Grand Mufti of the Republic of Egypt 16.Professor Dr. Abla Mohammed Kahlawi Dean of Islamic and Arabic Studies, Al-Azhar University (Women’s College), Egypt 17.Professor Dr. Mohammad Hashim Kamali Dean, International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) Malaysia 18.Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller Shaykh in the Shadhili Order and Senior Fellow of Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (Jordan), U.S.A. 19.H.E. Shaykh Ahmad Al-Khalili Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman 20.Shaykh Dr. Ahmad Kubaisi Founder of the Ulema Organization, Iraq 21.Allamah Shaykh Muhammad bin Muhammad Al-Mansouri High Authority (Marja’) of Zeidi Muslims, Yemen 22.Shaykh Abu Bakr Ahmad Al-Milibari Secretary-General of the Ahl Al-Sunna Association, India 23.H.E. Dr. Moulay Abd Al-Kabir Al-Alawi Al-Mudghari Director-General of the Bayt Mal Al-Qods Al-Sharif Agency, Morocco 24.H.E. Shaykh Ahmad Hasyim Muzadi General Chairman of the Nahdat al-Ulema, Indonesia 25.H.E. Professor Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr University Professor of Islamic Studies, George Washington University, Washington D.C, U.S.A. 26.H.E. Shaykh Sevki Omerbasic Grand Mufti of Croatia 27.H.E. Dr. Mohammad Abd Al-Ghaffar Al-Sharif Secretary-General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Kuwait 28.Dr. Muhammad Alwani Al-Sharif Head of the European Academy of Islamic Culture and Sciences, Brussels, Belgium 29.Shaykh M. Iqbal Sullam Vice General-Secretary, Nahdat al-Ulema, Indonesia 30.Shaykh Dr. Tariq Sweidan Director-General of the Risalah Satellite Channel 31.Professor Dr. H.R.H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal Chairman of the Board of the Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Jordan 32.H.E. Ayotollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri Secretary General of the World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thoughts (WAPIST), Iran 33.H.E. Shaykh Naim Trnava Grand Mufti of Kosovo 34.H.E. Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Uthman Al-Tweijri Director-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Morocco 35.H.H.JusticeMuftiMuhammadTaqiUthmani Vice President, Dar Al-Ulum, Karachi, Pakistan 36.H.E. Shaykh Muhammad Al-Sadiq Muhammad Yusuf Grand Mufti of Uzbekistan 37.Shaykh Abd Al-Hakim Murad Winter Shaykh Zayed Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Divinity School, University of Cambridge 38.H.E. Shaykh Muamer Zukorli Mufti of Sanjak, Bosnia

Status of Women before Islam• Was a property of men

• Could not own property but was owned • Did not have a say in her marriage • Could be divorced with one word by husband

• Purpose of women was serving men • A baby girl was considered shameful for the father • It was not uncommon for the father to kill their

daughters to escape the shame !

!

Women’s Rights in Islam• Islam introduced many rights to women:

• Education and work • Own and dispose property • Enter into contracts • Inherit from father, mother, and husband • Choose her husband • Right to be supported by her husband

• Even if she is rich and he is not • Right to vote and express her views • Participate fully in public life

Equality• Women and men are not separate creatures • Men and Women

– Do not compete – They complete each other

• Men and women have equal rights and responsibilities

• All people are created equal

Veil• “Say to the believing men that they should lower

their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: And God is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty...” [QUR’AN, 24:30–31]

Veil as a Sign of Respect• Even before Islam the veil was a sign that the

wearer is a free women not a slave

Islamic Civilization• Did modern civilization rise from nothing?

BC 5th 16th 18/19th 20th

GreeksRomans Renaissance

Industrial Revolution

Modern

?

Some Contributions by Muslims• 754 First pharmacy - Baghdad • 763 Translation of Greek, Persian, Roman knowledge • 763 Fist hospital - Baghdad • 780 Father of Chemistry Ibn Hayyan • Al-Khwarizmi discovered the algorithm • 796 First brass astrolabe • First psychiatric hospital – Cairo • 820 Al-Khwarizmi’s book on al-jabr (algebra) • 850 water turbine invented • 859 First University – Morocco • Father of Pediatrics Ar-Razi differentiated smallpox, measles,

chickenpox

Some Contributions by Muslims• 900 First public library • 995 Ibn-Haytham Founder of Optics – book of optics • 1000 Ibn-Haytham First scientist formulated scientific method • 1000 Ammar ibn Ali described cataract surgery • 1000 Abu al-Qasim 30-volume medical book • 1025 Avicenna 14-volume cannon of medicine • 1259 First observatory for research • 1260 First hand cannons • 1300 Ibn Khatima discovers that infectious diseases are caused

by micropes • 1389 Father of modern Sociology

Language• English words of Arabic roots

• Coffee, orange, candy, soda, sugar, alcohol • Algebra, Magazine, Algorithm • Cotton, sofa, can, mattress, syrup • Giraffe, gazelle, jar, kismet, lemon, zero • Check, chess, cipher, cork, crimson • Admiral, almanac, artichoke, tariff, zenith

Contributions Ignored?

“...because we have tended to see Islam as the enemy of the West, as an alien culture, society, and system of belief, we have tended to ignore or erase its great relevance to our own history.”

! – Prince Charles, Oxford University

Thank You

Any Questions?