Understanding Islam

1

• Understanding Islam
• Ishaq Zahid
• zahidi_at_citadel.edu
• http//www.islam101.com

2
Outline

• Introductory Remarks
• The Basics of Faith
• Rituals-Forms of Worship
• Muslim Students in Your Classroom
• Some Quotations from Quran and Hadith
• Questions/Answers

3
Introductory Remarks

• No Compulsion in Religion
• Christians and Jews as the People of the Book

4
World Muslims

• 1.2 billion, Muslims represent between 19.2 and
  22 of the world's population.
• One of every five humans in the world is a Muslim
• Second largest religion in the world
• Fastest growing including Europe and America

5
World Distribution of Muslims
Source  Britannica Yearbook, 1997
6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
American Muslims

• 6 million (The New York Times, Feb. 21, 1989)
• About 40 Afro-American
• Not all Muslims are Arabs, Not all Arabs are
  Muslims

9
The Basics of Faith

• Belief in One God (Allah)
• Belief in Prophethood
• All the Divine Books as revealed by God to
  various prophets
• Angels, Life after Death and the Day of Judgment,
  Heaven and Hell

10
Allah One God

• Allah is the Arabic name for God used by Muslims
  of the world as well as Arab Christians.
• Say He is God, the One and Only  God, the
  Eternal, Absolute  He begets not, nor is He
  begotten And there is none like unto Him. (The
  Quran, Surah 112)

11
Prophets and Scriptures

• SOME PROPHETS Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael,
  Ishaq, Jacob (Israel), Joseph, Benjamin, Moses,
  Aaron, David, Solomon, Zakareya, John, Jesus,
  Muhammad. (peace be on them)
• BOOKS Torah, Zabur (Psalms), Injeel (Gospel),
  Quran
• Belief in ALL prophets of God
• Source of All Books is God
• Main Message of all Prophets Islam

12
Prophet Muhammad

• Descendant of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham.
• Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the year 570 C.E.
  
• Received first revelation at the age 40 through
  angel Gabriel.
• Died in the year 632 C.E, after preaching Islam
  for 23 years.
• GEORGE BERNARD SHAW said about him
• "He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I
  believe that if a man like him were to assume the
  dictatorship of the modern world, he would
  succeed in solving its problems in a way that
  would bring it much needed peace and happiness."
  (The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8,
  1936)

13
Quran The Holy Book

• Original intact as given by the Prophet in Arabic
• 23 Years of Revelations (610 - 632 C.E.)
• 114 Chapters One Chapter, Multiple Revelations
• Chapter (Surah) names
• Historic Context matters
• Verses Explain Verses
• Commentary needed in the light of Arabic,
  History, and Sunnah

14
Forms of Worship

• Prayers (Salah)
• Charity (Zakat)
• Fasting ( Ramadan)
• Pilgrimage (Hajj)

15
Prayers (Salah)

• Five Daily Prayers from Dawn to Late Evening
  regulate a Muslims day
• Prayers involve ablution, standing, bowing,
  prostrating, sitting postures
• Face Kabah, prayers in Arabic as taught by the
  Prophet.
• Additional Prayers optional

16
Charity (Zakat)

• 024.056 So establish regular Prayer and give
  regular Charity and obey the Apostle that ye
  may receive mercy. (The Quran)
• Required 2.5 charity on yearly savings

17
Fasting (in Ramadan)

• 002.183 O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed
  to you as it was prescribed to those before you,
  that ye may (learn) self-restraint. (The Quran)
• Ramadan is 9th month in Islamic Lunar calendar
• Daily dawn to sunset fast for 29/30 days (no food
  or drink)
• Eidul-Fitr Holiday at the end

18
Hajj (Pilgrimage)

• Pilgrimage to Makkah once in life time for able
  Muslims
• About 2-3 million Muslims perform Hajj each year
  from all over the world.
• Eidul-Adha the biggest Muslim Holiday

19
Muslim Students in Your Classroom

• Ramadan, Eidul-Fitr
• Eidul-Adha, Hajj
• Head scarves by Muslim girls
• Christmas and Halloween are not Muslim religious
  holidays
• Dating, Prom are not permitted
• Sex Education abstinence
• out of marriage sex and homosexuality are grave
  sins

20
Food

• 002.172 O ye who believe! Eat of the good things
  that We have provided for you, and be grateful to
  God, if it is Him ye worship.
• Forbidden
• Meat of animals found dead
• blood
• the flesh of swine
• Alcoholic beverages (such as beer and wine) and
  intoxicants
• Meat on which name of God is not invoked at time
  of slaughtering or meat on which some one elses
  name is invoked
• Permitted food of the People of the Book

21
MOTHERS

• The Qur'an elevates kindness to parents
  (especially mothers) to a status second only to
  the worship of Allah.
• Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but
  Him and that you be kind to parents. Whether one
  or both of them attain old age in your life, say
  not to them a word of contempt nor repel them,
  but address them in terms of honor. (Qur'an
  1723)
• And We have enjoined on every human being (to be
  good) to his/her parents in travail upon travail
  did his/her mother bear him/her and in years
  twain was his/her weaning (hear the command)
  "Show gratitude to me and to your parents to Me
  is (your final) destiny." (Qur'an 3114)

22
DAUGHTERS

• Prophet Muhammad (Peace be on him) said,
  Whosoever has a daughter and does not bury her
  alive, does not insult her, and does not favor
  his son over her, Allah will enter him into
  Paradise. (Ahmad)

23
Human Rights in Islam

• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said
• "No Arab has any superiority over a non-Arab, nor
  does a non-Arab have any superiority over an
  Arab. Nor does a white man have any superiority
  over a black man, or the black man any
  superiority over the white man. You are all the
  children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay"

24
Justice in Islam

• The Holy Quran says
• "Do not let your hatred of a people incite you to
  aggression" (52).
• "And do not let ill-will towards any folk incite
  you so that you swerve from dealing justly. Be
  just that is nearest to heedfulness" (58).

25
Repel Evil with Goodness

• 041.034 Nor can goodness and Evil be equal.
  Repel (Evil) with what is better Then will he
  between whom and thee was hatred become as it
  were thy friend and intimate!
• 003.134 Those who spend (freely), whether in
  prosperity, or in adversity who restrain anger,
  and pardon (all) men for God loves those who do
  good.

26
Suicide is a Grave Sin

• O ye who believe! Eat not up your property among
  yourselves in vanities But let there be amongst
  you Traffic and trade by mutual good-will Nor
  kill (or destroy) yourselves for verily God hath
  been to you Most Merciful! (Quran, 429)

27
Questions and Answers

• Surah Al-Fatehah
• (Chapter 1 The Opening)
• 1. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most
  Merciful.
• 2. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and
  Sustainer of the worlds
• 3. Most Gracious, Most Merciful
• 4. Master of the Day of Judgment.
• 5. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.
• 6. Show us the straight way,
• 7. The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed
  Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath,
  and who go not astray.