Islam• The 2nd largest religion in the world with about

1.5 billion followers (about 22% of the world’s population

• Based on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad and The Koran (Qur’an)

Islam

• Mostly located in the Middle East and North Africa

Islam

• The holy book is the Koran. Muslims believe its words to be those of Allah spoken to Muhammad by an angel– Allah means God in Arabic– Muhammad is the prophet and a

holy figure• Began in the 600s (AD)

Islam

• Muslims believe that life on earth is preparation for the life to come

• Angels record good and bad deeds• This belief acts as a moral guide to behavior– The Koran

Islam

• Muhammad preached the importance of worshipping only one God- Allah– Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam s a monotheistic religion – Muhammad and the Begginings of Islam

• He taught that all people were equal in the eyes of Allah– Muhammad stressed the importance of helping those that

were less fortunate– He also discussed the importance of respecting women and

caring for orphans

5 Pillars of Faith

• Salat- Muslims pray 5 times a day– When praying, Muslims face the holy city of

Mecca in Saudi Arabia

• Hajj- Muslims must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime

• Shahadah- Muslims proclaim their faith by saying this word. It means “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet”

• Siyam- During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sun up to sundown

• Zakat- Muslims are required to give a portion of their earnings to those in need

Hakeem Olajuwon speaks about Ramadan

Going back to Stereotypes

• What did you learn about Muslims that you did not know before?

• How does this affect stereotypes you had about Islam and Muslims?

Stereotype

• A belief about an entire group of people based on information about an individual or small group of people

• Based on snap judgments and assumptions