IslamAn Abrahamic Religion

Muslims are strict monotheists.

They believe in the Judeo- Christian God, which they call Allah.

Muslims believe that the Torah and the Bible, like the Qur’an, is the word of God.

Peoples of the Book

The Prophetic Tradition

Adam

Noah

Abraham

Moses

Jesus

Muhammad

Muhammad: The Prophet

• Pre- Islamic Arabia was made up of

primarily Bedouin nomads, trade cities

such as Mecca and Medina did exist

• Muhammad was an honest, successful

merchant who married an older widow

• He received revelations from Gabriel

and set these down in the Qur’an

• The Hadith, a collection of sayings of

Muhammad were written later, along

with a body of laws called the Shari’a

The Qur’an Muslims believe it contains the word of God.

114 suras (chapters).

In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.

Written in Arabic.

Islamic Religious Practices Up to four wives allowed at once.

Widows inherit a share of estate

Was patriarchal, was polygamous

No alcohol or pork, no gambling

Regulated treatment of others

Sharia body of Islamic law to regulate daily living.

Three holiest cities in Islam: * Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem.

1. The Shahada

1

The testimony.

The declaration of faith:

There is no god worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is His Messenger [or Prophet].

2. The Salat

2

The mandatory prayers performed 5 times a day: * dawn * noon * late afternoon * sunset * before going to bed

Wash before praying.

Face Mecca and use a prayer rug.

3. The Zakat

3

Almsgiving (charitable donations).

Muslims believe that all things belong to God.

Zakat means both “purification” and “growth.”

About 2.5% of your income.

4. The Sawm

4

Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

Considered a method of self- purification.

No eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan.

5. The Hajj

5

The pilgrimage to Mecca.

Must be done at least once in a Muslim’s lifetime.

2-3 million Muslims make the pilgrimage every year.

The Dar al-Islam

1 2 3 4 5

The World of Islam

The Growth of Islam

• In 622 Muhammad was forced to flee

Mecca for Medina (Hijrah) by fearful

merchants who saw him as a threat

• In 632 he and 1,000 followers took

Mecca, but he died a short time later

• Abu Bakr, a loyal follower succeeded

him, and Umar succeeded him

• Both attracted large followings with

impressive military conquests, taking

Jerusalem and defeating the Byzantine

army at the battle of Yarmuk

The Spread of Islam Easy to learn and practice.

No priesthood.

Teaches equality.

Non-Muslims, who were “Peoples of the Book,” were allowed religious freedom, but paid additional taxes.

Easily “portable” nomads & trade routes.

Jihad (“Holy War”) against pagans and other non-believers (“infidels”).

Spread of Islam

The Split in Islam

• The split between the two main

branches of Islam is nearly 1,400 years

old, and started with a fight over who

should lead the faithful after the

prophet Muhammad's death in 632.

The Split in Islam

• One side believed that direct

descendants of the prophet should

take up leadership. They were known

as the Shiat-Ali, or "partisans of Ali,"

after the prophet's cousin and son-in-

law Ali, whom they favored to lead.. In

time, they came simply to be known as

Shiites.

The Split in Islam

• The other side, the Sunnis, thought

that any worthy man could lead the

faithful and favored Abu Bakr. "Sunni"

is derived from the Arab word for

"followers" and is shorthand for

"followers of the Prophet."