Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys

Albany County Kickoff Event 

Dr. Seth Ward, UW Religious Studies Introduction to Islam for the

Equality State Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.

 Albany County Library310 S. 8th St. Laramie, WY

 

BOARD MEMBERS 2013-14Dave Reetz, President, Powell

Rex Myers, President-Elect, PowellTom Rea, Past-President, Casper

Linda Fleming, Membership Chair, Secretary, BaggsNish Goicolea Ferrero, Parliamentarian, Rock SpringsStu Healy, Development Task Force Chair, Cheyenne

Caroline Mills, Finance Committee Chair/Treasurer, Fort WashakieEric Sandeen, Grants Chair, Laramie

Carol Chidsey, LanderCarma Corra, Cheyenne

Antoinette DeNapoli, LaramieKaren Everett, CheyenneDon Hodgson, Torrington

JB King, MoorcroftJohn Tollakson, SheridanJan Torres, Rock SpringsCharlie Thomson, Jackson

Paul Ulrich, Pinedale

THANKS TO THE WYOMING HUMANITIES COUNCIL

STAFFShannon Smith, Executive Director

Sheila Bricher-Wade, Program OfficerJason Burge, Communications Manager

Kathy Burman, Fiscal OfficerLeslie Capps, Associate Director

Emy DiGrappa, Field OfficerJenny Ingram, Grants Coordinator

THANKS ESPECIALLY TO

In the Country of Men by Hisham MatarPersepolis by Marjane Satrapi 

House of Stone by Anthony Shadid Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie 

Dreams of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi

READ THE BOOKS

Islam is the religion of more than one fifth of the world's people, and is often considered the fastest growing

religion in America. A brief presentation on Islam should examine its practices

and beliefs, its Scripture and its spirituality, its phenomenal growth in America and the political and religious goals which motivate activist adherents in

the Middle East and elsewhere. Muslims define the meaning of Islam as

submission to Allah's will. A believer is a "Muslim," the religion is "Islam." "Muslim"

or "Islamic" are adjectives, for example, "Islamic practices" or "Muslim beliefs."

AN INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM

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Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company of Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) when

there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There were no

signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with the Apostle (peace be upon him) He

knelt before him placed his palms on his thighs and said:Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam (submission to

God).The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Al-Islam implies that you testify that there is no god but

Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of

Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent enough (to bear the expense of) the journey.

He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.

“HADITH OF  GABRIEL”

He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman (faith).

He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of

Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil.

He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about al-

Ihsan (performance of good deeds).He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you worship

Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you.

He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the hour (of the Doom).

He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it).

He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications.He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master, and that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with

one another in the construction of magnificent buildings.

He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him (the Holy Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to me: Umar, do you know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allah and His Apostle knows best. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel

(the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion.

ISLAMIC BELIEFS: THE FIVE PILLARS

1. Shahada—testimony

2. Salat—Prayer

3. Sawm—Fasting

4. Zakat-Alms

5. Hajj-Pilgrimage

SHAHADA: TESTIMONY

There is no God but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God

SALAT صلوة

5 times a dayIn the hadith of the “Night Journey and Ascent to Heaven” Muhammad

goes to the 7th heaven and receives the command regarding prayer.Term is the same as pre-Islamic Selota

All Prayers include the recitation of the first chapter of the Qur’an

Prayer TimesBetween Dawn and SunriseAfter the moment of Noon

Afternoon: halfway from Noon to Sunset Evening: After Sunset but before Dark

Night

PRAYER CLOCKS

ZAKAT زكوة

Term is the same as pre-Islamic Zechut “merit”Sadaqa is used for “extra” alms.

Can be given to any deserving poor (not only Muslim).

ZAKAT CALCULATIONIn order to calculate your zakat, please fill all of the

fields. Please note that Women’s jewelry is not subject to Zakat unless its amount is excessive or the jewelry

is not being used.1. Cash on hand and in bank accounts (savings,

checking)2. Refundable deposits (e.g. on rented apartment)

3. Non-delinquent loans (money you loaned to others)4. Expected Tax refund     

5. Gold and its certificate     6. Shares, stocks, bonds, IRA, pension plans, options,

etc.7. Business cash on hand and in banks plus invoices

due.8. Business inventory Enter $0 if less than Nisab.

9. Net income you are entitled to as of Zakat due date.10. Your liabilities

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MOON SIGHTING

HAJJ--PILGRIMAGE

HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/KAABA

IMAM HUSSEIN MOSQUE KARBALAH

SIX BELIEFS

GodAngels

ProphetsBooks

JudgmentDivine Power and Determination

Muhammad lived approx. 570-632First Revelation: about 610.

Preaching in Public: 612.Emigration from Mecca to Medina:

622. "Farewell" Pilgrimage to Mecca: 632.

Muhammad's practice (“sunnah”) is known from the Hadith:

Muhammad's act, word, silence.

MUHAMMAD

QUR’AN

First RevelationCave of Hira 610

Taught privately for 2 years10 years in Mecca 612-62210 years in Medina 622-632

Complete with Al-Yawm akmaltu “To-day I have completedYour religion.”

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Praise belongs to God, the Lord

of the Worlds. The All Merciful, the Compassionate,

Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee only do we serve, to Thee alone do we pray

for help. Guide us on the Straight Path.

The Path of those whom Thou has graced; Not of those against whom Thou art wrathful, nor of

those who are astray.

THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE QUR'AN

[2.190] And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the

limits. [2.191] And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than

slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the

recompense of the unbelievers (defensive fighting verse) [2.256] There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the

firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

(“No compulsion” verse)[9.5] So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer

and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (The Sword verse)

 

DEFENSE, NO COMPULSION, SWORD VERSES

114 chapters, Meccan and Madinan.Sermonic not narrative.

Stories of Prophets, support for poor.Legal material ususally Medinan.

Uthmanic Recension.God's uncreated Speech.

Qur’an memorized in Arabic.

Law: shari’a. “revealed law” fiqh “jurisprudence” fatwa “response/legal opinion” mufti “one eligible to give

a response.” Four sources of

Law: Qur’an, Sunna, Qiyas (analogy), Ijma’ (consensus). 

Religious Calendar: Fridays-Jum‘a (gathering for prayer), not Sabbath; 

Ramadan and ‘Id al-Fitr, Pilgrimage and‘Id al-Adha. Shia: ‘Ashura and Arba‘in.  

LAW. RELIGIOUS CALENDAR

962 Mosques in 1994 2000: 1,209 2011: 2,106

Immigrant/African AmericanArab, Middle East (Turkish/Persian), African, South Asian, East Asian. Students, esp. University / Community / Prison

Bagby: Muslims who attend Eid Prayer (the high holiday prayers after Ramadan andHajj) increased from about 2 million in 2000 to about 2.6 million in 2011. Thetotal Muslim population cannot be determined by this figure, but it does call intoquestion the low estimates of 1.1-2.4 million Muslims in America. If there are2.6 million Muslims who pray the Eid prayer, then the total MuslimPopulation should be closer to the estimates of up to 7 million.

ISLAM IN AMERICA

Pew Study 2010COUNTRY Est. 2010 Muslim PopulationUnited States2,770,000

Rank 2010

Rank 2000

County Muslim Population 2010

% total population 2010

Muslim Population 2000

% total population 2000

157 74 Albany County, Wyoming

308 0.85 263 0.82

196 n/a Laramie County, Wyoming

408 0.44 No Info

No Info

WYOMINGAssociation of Religion Data Archives: Using data from the 1980-2010 Religious Congregations and Membership Studies, this list ranks U.S. counties on the highest total number of adherents and the highest percent of the population who are Muslim. You can sort the list by clicking on the column headings.Congregational "Adherents" include all full members, their children, and others who regularly attend services. "Percent" is the percentage of the total population that belongs to that denomination. Note: Adherents are sometimes residents of a county different than the location of their congregation.