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Islam
The Universe Next DoorChapter 10
“A View from the Middle East”
“There is no God but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God”
Basic Vocabulary • Islam- means submission or
surrender - obedience (peace) • Allah - Arabic for God – the one true
and ultimate supreme being • Abraham- patriarch of Islam
(monotheism)• Hagar - handmaid of Abraham’s
wife, Sara (mother of Ishmael)• Ishmael- first born son of Abraham
and Hagar - associated with the Arabs
- Ishmael means God hears
• Muhammad - prophet of Islam- Arabian merchant
• Mecca –birthplace of Muhammad (Saudi Arabia) – Site of the kaaba and the hajj
• Medina - burial place of Muhammad
• Jerusalem - site of the Dome of the Rock (mosque built on the Jewish temple mount)
• Hajj- annual pilgrimage to Mecca
• It is one of the five pillars of Islam
• Kaaba- holiest site in Islam – located in Mecca –associated with Abraham - establishment of monotheism in the region of Arabia
Pilgrims on hajj
• Shi’a- (Shiites) smaller more radical group - - associated with Iran
• Sunni- largest group within Islam - – @80 %of Muslims are Sunni – More moderate in their beliefs and practices
• Sufi- mystical branch of Islam • Jihad-”holy war” - literally means
struggle - – can refer to one’s personal struggle
with God – Or the struggle for the spread of Islam
• Qur’an- it is believed to be the revelation of God to the prophet (angelic visit by Gabriel) - must be in Arabic to be fully
authoritative - Qur’an means recitation
• Mullah (Imam) - Islamic leader and or teacher
• Mosque - Islamic place of worship • Minaret - prayer tower• Mahdi- associated with the
“second coming and final judgment of God – Some Muslims believe that Jesus may
be the Mahdi who will return to establish peace and justice before God’s final judgment
The great mosque and kaaba in Mecca
Saudi Arabia – royal family
The kaaba
The Five Pillars of Islam• There is no God but God and
Muhammad is the prophet of God• Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
– (the kaaba) • Hajj- make the annual pilgrimage
to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime-– the hajj- weeklong event
• Give to poor – 2.5% of one’s wealth
• Fast from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan
Some Facts About Islam
• Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in world (120 million)
• Approximately 25% of the world’s population is Muslim
• @11 million Muslims live in the United States
• Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today
• The state of Israel is the major “flash point” between the Muslim world and the West
• @80 % of Muslims are NOT Arabic – (do not speak Arabic- different
culture) – Arab regions and countries –
•Middle East, North Africa, Iraq
– Non-Arab regions – •Parts of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central
Asia, Indonesia, etc.
Hajj pilgrimage – spiritual journey
• Hajj takes place in and around Mecca – population of 1 million
• Kaaba means “house of God”– Believed to be the original site of worship to
the one true God established by Abraham and reestablished by Muhammad
• Hajj seeks to retrace the pilgrimage (journey) of Abraham - the worship of the one true God
• Ihram – state of ritual purification during hajj – Pure state of mind – peace, patience,
brotherhood
• 2 million pilgrims come to Mecca for hajj each year
• Only Muslims may participate in hajj • Muslim women must be accompanied
by a male family member or be given written permission from a male family member to attend
Stages of hajj • Worship at the kaaba- circle the kaaba 7
times (prayer)– - ihram- ritual state of purification
• The Striving- reenactment of Hagar’s desperate search for water for her son Ismael – God provides a spring
• Walk to the Valley of Mina (Plain of Arafat) – Day of reckoning before God - seek
God’s grace and forgiveness
• Ritual stoning of Satan to defy temptation (3 stone pillars) – “Abraham threw stones at
Satan” when he tempted him to not sacrifice his son Ishmael
• Animal sacrifice made for each pilgrim
• Return to the kaaba – circle and prayer
How does Islam address the major worldview questions?
The Universe Next Door
Chapter 10
Basic Islamic Theism
Prime Reality • God (Allah) is the one and only supreme
being – The ultimate reality
• Allahu akbar-”God is greater than all others” – Infinite– Transcendent– Personal– Omniscient– Immanent– Sovereign– Good
• Allah reveals himself through human history
• Reveals himself through the Qur’an
• The Qur’an is believed to be God’s word given directly to the prophet Muhammad
• The Qur’an can be likened to the Christian teaching of the “Word” becoming a human being
• However, Muslims reject the teachings that Jesus was the “Son of God” - God as a human being
External Reality- Physical Reality • Allah created the physical world- universe
– ex nihilo- from nothing• The physical world is a
– cause and effect system- ordered and controlled by God
– The system is CLOSED- it is a determined system
• Nothing happens outside of Allah’s “divine decree” or will- he controls all aspects of his creation
– Allah not only knows everything that happens, he also controls everything
– “God’s will sets the boundary for what any creature can do as a causal agent.” (257)
Human beings• Humans are God’s highest creation –
possess special abilities and responsibilities
• Humans are both physical and spiritual beings
• Adam and Eve were the first humans• Humans are God’s representatives on
earth• Humans are born “pure” and
uncorrupted – This differs with the Christian view
of the sin nature- or the idea of “original sin”
• The goal of Muslims is to live out that purity in the world
Satan• Iblis
– Iblis was an angelic being who refused to bow down to Adam (God’s highest creation)
– “Bow down to Adam;” and they bowed down: Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith.” (Qur’an 3:34)
– Iblis’ rebellion - refused to acknowledge the superiority of human beings
Death• A period of “transition” between this
physical life and the eternal state of being• Heaven - “paradise” • Hell - place of punishment and eternal
torment where God punishes those who have refused to follow and obey him
• All human beings will stand before God’s judgment – Deeds will be judged– A Muslim has no definite assurance of
salvation•Exceptions- martyrs, young children,
people who are mentally impaired– Allah alone determines a person’s
ultimate eternal destiny
Heaven (Paradise) • “gardens of perpetual bliss”
– An oasis, rivers, lush gardens, etc.
• People will enjoy the pleasures of this world without the any of the negative aspects – Eating and drinking– Sex - Allah will provide virgins for
those who are in paradise – Women will presumably receive
whatever men are given
Knowing- Knowledge • Allah has given human beings the
ability to think and reason• God revealed himself through the
prophet Muhammad (Qur’an) – God’s other prophets (messengers)
• Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus
• “God’s sovereign decree limits human knowledge” (263)
God’s revelation• God alone is sovereign in
determining who will be open to his revelation
• “Those who God willeth to guide- he opens their breast to Islam; those whom he willeth to leave straying,- He maketh their breast closed and constricted…… thus does God (heap) the penalty on those who refuse to believe.” (6:125)
Right and Wrong Morality is based on the teachings of
the Qur’an• Islamic law- the shari’a • Muslim life is strictly regulated by law
– A person must live his or her life in strict accordance to Islamic law
• Islam focuses more on how one lives than on God’s grace
• Obedience to the law – devotion to God– avoid punishment
Human History • History is a reflection of God’s absolute
sovereignty• Human history provides people with the
opportunity to “demonstrate their submission” to Allah (269)
• Goal: bring the entire world under the Islamic community - creation of a unified Islamic state
• Muslims believe in a “second coming” when the Mahdi comes to establish peace and justice before God’s final judgment – Some Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is
the Mahdi