Islam

1
Islam

• The Will of Allah

2
Meanings

• Allah is God
• Islam means submission
• Muslim is one who submits
• The Quran is the Sacred Text

3
Muhammad

• The Prophet who spread Islam
• Was born in 570 CE in Mecca
• His father died when he was very young and his
  mother died soon after
• He went to live with his grandfather who died two
  years later
• He then lived with his uncle Abu Talib

4
The Life of Muhammad

• He worked as a caravan driver for a widow whom he
  later married
• Influenced by Judaism and Christianity
• While meditating the angel Gabriel appeared to
  him
• He was commanded to recite what later became
  known as the Quran

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One of Many

• Muhammad is one of many prophets
• Moses, Isaiah, Elijah, Ezekiel, Jesus, etc.

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Descendents

• Seed of Abraham
• Ishmael was sacrificed
• People of Allah

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The Five Pillars of Islam

• Creed - Shahadah
• Prayer - Salat
• Charity to the Poor - Zakat
• Fasting during Ramadan
• Pilgrimage to Mecca - Hajj

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The First Pillar

• Creed - Shahadah - There is only one God Allah
  and Muhammad is his Prophet
• reciting this with belief makes one a Muslim.
• it is simple.
• it emphasizes the unity of God.

9
The Second Pillar

• Prayer - Salat - Five daily prayers facing the
  Holy City of Mecca
• one prays before dawn, midday, midafternoon,
  sunset and at night.
• Ritual cleansing is involved.
• times for prayer are announced by a muezzin who
  calls out from the top of a tower called a
  minaret.

10
Prayer

• When there is a prayer group one acts as the
  leader.
• Passages from the Quran are recited.
• Friday is the public day of prayer usually in the
  midafternoon. Men are at the mosque and women
  are at home.
• The Friday public prayer usually includes a
  sermon.

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The Third Pillar

• Giving of Alms - Zakat - One gives 2.5 percent of
  ones total income to the poor usually dispensed
  by the government.
• A Muslim is also expected to perform acts of
  charity as part of ones everyday life.

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The Fourth Pillar

• Fasting during Ramadan
• One abstains from eating during the daylight
  hours for a whole month.
• One also avoids liquid, tobacco and sex from dusk
  until dawn.

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Ramadan

• Purpose
• discipline
• develop sympathy for the poor
• give to others what you would have eaten
• It is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar
  (lunar) cycle
• It is the time during which Muhammad received his
  revelations.

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The Fifth Pillar

• Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Mecca - Hajj
• It is a religious journey by a believer.
• All Muslims, unless not able due to sickness and
  poverty, are expected to make the journey.
• Only Muslims may visit the city.

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The Pilgrimage

• The greater pilgrimage is made during a special
  month dhul-Hijjah
• The lesser pilgrimage is made during other times
  of the year.
• There is ritual and purification involved.
• Uniformed clothing, special prayers, and
  refraining from sex, violence and hunting.

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The Kaba

• It is located in the center of the Great Mosque
  of Mecca.
• It is approximately 50 high and 40 wide and
  covered with a black cloth.
• The inside is empty and is ritually purified.
• The Black Stone which is believed to be a
  meteorite is embedded in one of the walls.

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The Holy Quran

• The Quran (Koran) is believed to be from Allah
  and was revealed to Muhammad over a twenty year
  period.
• The word Quran means recitation.
• Muhammads followers wrote down his revelations.
• Only the Arabic version is considered
  authoritative.

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The Quran

• It is made up of 114 suras (chapters) and each
  one has a name.
• It contains teachings about life and regulations
  about many things.
• It has affected Islamic art.
• Some handwritten copies of the Quran are artwork
  themselves.
• Passages from the Quran can be found on
  buildings.

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Islamic Law

• Islamic Law is called Sharia.
• It guides the believer in every phase of his or
  her life.
• Traditional Islam does not separate religion from
  secular this is problematic in many Islamic
  countries.
• Traditional Islam is theocratic--that is it is
  the rule of God.

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Additional Islamic Practices

• Dietary - The Quran forbids the eating of pork
  or the drinking of wine. The prohibition on wine
  includes all alcohol.
• Usury and Gambling - Charging interest on loans
  is not allowed nor is gambling allowed.
• Circumcision - All males are to be circumcised.
  Probably following the practice of Abraham. Some
  Muslim countries practice female circumcision.