The Islamic Religion

1
The Islamic Religion

• a brief overview

2
The Origins

• Adam
• -the first man, the first prophet of Allah
• Abraham
• -the father of Ishmael and Isaac (amongst
  others)
• Ishmael
• -the father of the twelve Arabic tribes
• Isaac
• -the father of Jacob (also called Israel)
• -Jacob (Israel) fathered the twelve Jewish tribes

3

• Muhammad
• Born approximately 570 C.E.
• Mother was a widow from prominent tribe in Mecca
• Raised by his grandfather, then uncle
• Traveled with uncles caravan to trade in Syria
• Influenced by Bahira, a Christian monk
• Married Khadija, a prominent caravan trader
• At age 40, received first revelation through
  angel Gabriel
• --there is one God, Allah, the only god, the
  creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world.   
• Message ill-received in Mecca by family tribe
• Fled persecution to fledgling city of Yathrib
• There he established his reputation as a leader,
  built the first mosque, and united the fragmented
  Arab tribes

4
The Divine Texts
The QUran

• Composed in Arabic
• revealed orally
• 114 Suras (chapters)
• -Suras are arranged in order of length from
  longest to shortest. (not chronological)

5

• Message of the Quran
• Fatiha
• In the name of God, the Merciful, the
  Compassionate. Praise belongs to God, the Lord of
  all Being, the All-merciful, the
  All-Compassionate, the Master of the Day of
  Judgment. Thee only we serve to Thee alone we
  pray for succor. Guide us in the Straight Path,
  the path of those whom Thou hast blessed, not of
  those against whom Thou are wrathful, nor of
  those who are astray. (Q11-7)
• The Quran is a book of Morals and a Guideline on
  how to live.
• --to submit to the will of God absolutely and
  completely

6
The Quran as Worship

• Does not play a significant role in Muslim
  worship as written text
• -the Muslim worshipper does not read it but
  recites it
• -Strong emphasis on learning the Quran by heart
• The core of the Muslim Liturgy is the performance
  of 5 obligatory, daily prayers.
• -Each prayer is made up of 2 and 4 repetitions
  of Module called Raka which are a succession of
  Physical movement

7

• Recitations from the Quran are like their prayer
• Quran is chanted in 2 different components
• -Phonetic which is rule bound
• -Musical Chanting

8
Key Narratives

• Adam
• Abraham and
• Ishmael
• Muhammad
• Moses
• Jesus

9
Basic Tenets of Islam

• There is only one God, Allah, and Muhammad is his
  final prophet.
• The Quran (Koran) is the holy book of Islam, the
  words of Allah as revealed to his prophet.
• The Quran remained perfect, preserved by God
  from change

10
The Five Pillars of Islam

• Profession of Faith (shahada)
• -I bear witness that there is no god but Allah
  and that Muhammad is his prophet
• Prayer (salat)
• -5 times daily at dawn, noon, midafternoon,
  sunset, and evening
• Almsgiving (zakat)
• -Charity and moral obligation to the poor,
  orphans, and widows
• Fasting (sawm)
• -Occurs during month of Ramadan, the 9th month
  in the Muslim year
• Pilgrimage (hajj)
• -At least once in a lifetime, if physically and
  financially able

11
Cultural Influences
Jihad

• Fight those who believe no in God and the Last
  Day
• and do not forbid what God and His Messenger
• have forbidden-such men as practice no the
• religion of truth, being of those who have been
  given
• the Book-until they pay tribute out of hand
• and have been humbled. (Quran 929)
• Spiritual Struggle (Greater Jihad)
• -Struggle against unbelief and injustice within
  ones own soul
• -All Muslims are expected to undertake the
  greater jihad
• Military Struggle (Lesser Jihad)
• -Incorrectly known as a Holy War
• -Physical struggle of combat and warfare

12
Wars Resulting from Jihad

• Expansion in Byzantium and Persian Empires
• -(632 A.D.)
• -Conquest of the two empires were justified by
  righting a wrong
• -It is wrong for the empires to not be exposed
  to Islamic belief and law
• The Crusades
• -(1095-1270 A.D.)
• -Total of 8 major Crusades
• -Crusades resulted from the fall of Jerusalem
  into Muslim forces
• -War justified on the belief that Jerusalem is a
  Holy Land belonging to Muslims (righting a
  wrong)
• Conflict Between Israelites and Palestinians
• -(1948-Present)
• -Conflicts resulting in Muslim efforts to
  reclaim Palestine
• -Fulfills both criteria for a just war (righting
  a wrong and defending the Islamic people and
  territory)

13
Trading

• Spice trading in Europe. Asia, and Africa
• -Led to the revolutionary form of establishing
  direct trading
• -Formerly, all trades were performed locally
• -Provided a peaceful way to spread Islamic
  beliefs and values
• -Most successful in southeast Asia, central Asia
  and China, and sub-Saharan Africa.
• -Profitable Industry
• -Spices were only cultivated in Arab lands, were
  easy to trade over large distances, and used to
  preserve food
• -Financed military bases among trade routes
• -Spice-trading was a form of prestige
• -Muhammads first wife was a spice-trading widow.
  Her wealth and prestige may be the driving
  factor of the acceptance of Islamic religion and
  Muhammad

14
Women in Islam

• Viewed as equal to men
• Keep their wealth as their own
• Not subordinated by the patriarchy
• Opportunity for leadership and education
• The Act of covering from head to toe
• O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the
  believing women that
• they should cast their outer garments over their
  bodies (when abroad) so
• that they should be known and not molested
  (Quran 3359)
• Spousal abuse
• Divorce acceptable
• Muhammads teaching on women obscured

15
Appeals of Islam

• The story of Umar ibn Al-Khattab
• The Jewish-Arab truce
• Islam continues to spread even today
• Support groups and community services
• Political action
• Every Muslim counts

16

• A common misconception
• Many believe that Muslims hold the Quran one
  hand and a sword in the other and will try to
  force their religion on others.
• The Quran specifically states
• There is no forcing anyone into this way of
  life. (Quran 2254).

17

• Islam affirms the traditions of other religious
  groups
• --Say we believe in God and what has been
  revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham,
  Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and in what
  was given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from
  their Lord. We make not distinction between one
  and another among them and to Him do we all
  submit (Quran 384).
• No separation of church and state.
• Muslims believe the ideal government is one that
  enforces Islamic law.
• Direct relationship with God.
• Everyone is born with a clean slate and
  perfection is not expected.
• However, mans reason for being is to worship God
  and God alone.

18
The Sects of Islam

• The early schisms
• Kharijis
• -the first schism in the Islamic tradition
• -withdrew support from caliphs
• -strict adherence to the sunna, the ways and
  examples of Muhammad
• -typified by rural life and withdrawal from
  Islamic political structures
• Sunni (from the helpers in Medina)
• -85 of Muslims
• -Muslim caliphs need not be descended from
  Muhammad
• Shiite (from the emigrants in Mecca)
• -10 of Muslims
• -Muslim caliphs directly descended from Muhammad
  and Ali (Ali was the last)
• -deny the first three original caliphs and the
  traditions instituted by them
• -popular amongst non-Arab Muslims who feared
  they were held in lower esteem

19

• Other fringe groups

• Ithnasheris
• -majority sect of Shiites
• Ismailis
• -smaller sect of Shiites with sub-sects
• Druze Bohras Nizari Ismailis (the subsects of
  the Ismaili Shiites)
• As with Christianity there are many divisions in
  the Islamic faith
• Sufi
• -Follow mystical interpretations of Islamic
  doctrines and practice
• -Basic tenet Muslims can transcend the
  physical body to become one with Allah
• -important movement in the spread of the
  Islamic faith
• -Like Buddhism, relies on various teachers to
  train groups of followers
• -Responsible for spreading idea of the
  Mahdi-a messiah figure in the Islam faith

20

• Other fringe groups
• Wahhabism
• Began in 17th century by Muhammad ibn al-Wahhabi
• A reform movement to answer an Islamic revival of
  polytheism
• Denies any ideas added to Islam after its first
  300 years
• Claims any Muslim who does not follow their
  strict doctrines is not really a Muslim
• Justified use of violent force in protecting
  Islamic societies from Westernization
• Adopted as official religion of the Saudi Royal
  family
• Centered in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian
  Peninsula
• Becoming popular today as an answer to
  Westernization