Religion

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Religion
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Religion

• Religion a system of beliefs and practices
  through which a group of peoples struggle with
  the ultimate problems of human life
• Nearly every religion includes three things
• Rituals
• Myths
• Holy days

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Religion

• Purpose/function of religion
• Sense of belonging
• Protection
• Answers and explains
• Provides values
• Meaning of life
• Why can religion cause war?
• Belief in only one faith, the correct faith
• Entangles with politics

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Islam
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The Beginnings

• Muhammad is the founder of Islam
• Muhammad is believed to be the last prophet of
  God
• When he was 25 he had mystical encounters with
  Gabriel
• He was forced to flee Mecca and went to Medina
  for safety
• By 632 A.D. he persuaded most of the Arabian
  Peninsula to follow his religion
• By 1500 A.D. Islam dominates Arabia, Africa and
  Asia

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Islam

• The Religion
• Arabic the sacred language of Islam
• Monotheistic
• Allah the Muslim name for God
• Same god as Christians and Jews
• Quran (Koran) Sacred text of Islam
• Mecca spiritual center for Islam
• Holy cities are Jerusalem, Mecca and Medina

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Islam

• Five Pillars of the Muslim faith
• Shahada declaration of beliefs
• There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His
  prophet.
• Salat Prayer
• Pray five times a day (dawn, mid-day,
  late-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall)
• Pray in Arabic
• Sawm Fasting
• Observed during the daylight hours during Ramadan
• Abstention from food and drink

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Islam

• Five Pillars (contd)
• Zakat Purification of wealth (tithing or alms)
• Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca
• Muslims need to go on pilgrimage at least once in
  a lifetime
• Go to the Kabul, or granite block covered in a
  black cloth
• They wear special clothing so social class cant
  be determined
• Must follow the five pillars daily

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Islam

• Sects
• Shiites
• Follow Ali, Muhammads cousin
• Leaders must be political and spiritual
• Must be from Muhammads bloodline
• Sunnis
• Leaders can be just spiritual
• Doesnt have to be from the bloodline of Muhammad
• These differences lead to hatred among the
  Muslims
• Iraq is Sunni, Iran is Shiite
• Iraq is Arab, Iran is Persian