Title slide graphics source: http://innovationcharter.pbworks.com/f/islam.jpg

Islam = the religion

Muslim = the person who follows that religion

The star and crescent moon (or just the crescent)

is the most common

worldwide symbol of the Islamic

religious community.

http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion/files/2011/03/0310_WVislamhearings.jpg

an OKC mosque

The Arabic word “Islam” translates

two ways: "surrender"

and "peace” –

surrender to the will of God and the

peace that comes with that surrender.

Islam was started by Muhammad. He was born in

570 A.D. in Mecca (Saudi Arabia).

Mecca is also written Makkah.

For Muslims, Muhammad is NOT a God, or God’s son. He is viewed as

the greatest prophet of God.

Why don’t I show a picture of Muhammad

here?

After Islam was about 800 years old, it became accepted that no one should make statues, paintings, or any other

images of Muhammad – or of any other Muslim religious leaders.

Leaders of Islam came to this agreement because they didn’t want Muslims to

worship Muhammad instead of worshipping God.

The Qur’an (also written “Koran”) is the holy book of Islam.

According to Muslim belief, the Qur’an is the word

of God and was revealed to

Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.

http://www.irfan-ul-quran.com/quran/english/tid/20/Buy-Holy-Quran-with-English-Translation.

Is anything about this Qur’an cover

surprising to you?

All Muslims are required to read the Qur’an, and it must be read in its

original language – Arabic.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Quran-Mus'haf_Al_Tajweed.jpg

But obviously, not all Muslims grow up speaking Arabic. So how are they

supposed to read the Qur’an in Arabic?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Muslim_population_map.png

Many Qur’ans are bilingual – two languages.

http://www.hilalplaza.com/images/products/detail/quranenglish2.jpg

But even then, the Qur’an never

translates God’s name out of

Arabic. It stays “Allah” in any

language of the Qur’an. (Muslims,

however, often translate it in

regular conversation.)

Many stories from the Old and New Testaments are included in the

Qur’an. Moses and Jesus are both accepted as Muslim prophets.

http://insideislam.wisc.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/esusinIslam.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/53/12/fc/5312fcae928977b49e79b73ce6e999ee.jpg

PBUH = “Peace be upon him” is typically added after a major prophet’s name.

They also do not believe that the Romans were allowed to finish killing Jesus. They believe that God saved

Jesus from death and took him to heaven before he died on the cross.

However, Muslims do not believe that Jesus was God.

http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?183642-My-first-work-Crucifixion-of-Jesus

The 'Five Pillars' of Islam

http://thecenterschool.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/5-pillars-of-character.jpg

The declaration of faith: "There is no god but the one God, and Muhammad is his messenger.”

“Allah” is just the Arabic word for “God.”

1 - before sunrise2 - mid-day 3 - late afternoon4 - sunset5 - bedtime

Prayer:

Pray at five specific times each day.

BUT – there are two branches of Islam:

Sunni (majority)

and

Shiite.

Shiites pray 3 times a day instead of 5. They combine some prayer times:

1 - before sunrise2 - mid-day/late afternoon3 - sunset/bedtime

https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607993878371764874&pid=15.1

Many Iranians have stayed in the United States since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. So if you know a Muslim from Iran, you probably know a Shiite Muslim.

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608036316947350764&pid=15.1

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But all Muslims – Sunni and Shiite –

face Mecca (Makkah) when they pray.

Shiite Muslims believe that after the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have

passed directly to a blood relative, to his son-in-law.

Sunni Muslims believed the new leader should be elected – chosen from the best

leaders.

Background note:

Why two branches of Islam?

This all came up after Muhammad’s death in 632 C.E. (A.D.). Sunni and Shiite

Muslims have been the two branches of Islam ever since.

Compassion: Give to help the needy.

Islam teaches that everything we have comes from God. Every year, Muslims are to give 2.5% of their total wealth to help those in need.

In some places (such as Saudi Arabia), the government collects the money –

like a tax.

But in most parts of the world, Muslims are simply expected to do it. (There is a lot of social and religious pressure to do it.)

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2943/15325040431_9a1e2eee5c_z.jpg

That money is to be used for causes such as helping the poor (with food,

clothing, medical care), freeing people held in slavery (remember, the Qur’an was written

about 1400 years ago), and helping travelers who need help to return home.

(Qur’an 9:60)

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Fasting:Do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan evening meal

Ramadan commemorates the giving of the Qur'an (Koran) to Muhammad by the angel

Gabriel.

https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607987457423509085&pid=15.1&P=0

A meal is eaten before sunrise and another meal is eaten after sundown.

https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607992254904142934&pid=15.1&P=0

How this looks depends very much on the family and the

culture where that family lives.

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How could Ramadan get a bit complicated for Muslims who live in countries where

there are not many Muslims?https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607997597838737501&pid=15.1&P=0

In countries where there are mainly

Muslims, life is adjusted for

Ramadan’s schedule.

BUT

Why make fasting so

important?

https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607986671446919723&pid=15.1&P=0

- as a reminder to focus on things that are important for your spirit instead of just things that are important to your body

- as a reminder that some people go without much of the time – simply because they are poor – and that we should help them out

- to practice self-control

4. Fast during Ramadan

3. Give to help people in need.

2. Pray at specific times

each day.

1. Believe in one God and that

Muhammad is his prophet.

So, the first 4 pillars are:

The Hajj: If at all possible, make the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia, at least once during your lifetime.

The final pillar is

Muslims go on the Hajj to Mecca every year. The Ka’bah, the holiest site in Islam, is visited.

http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/stunning-pictures-of-grand-mosque-in-makkah-2013-07-31-1.516176http://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/418748/hajj-2013.jpg

The Qu’ran teaches that Adam (the first man) built the first Ka’bah and that Abraham

and his son Ishmail rebuilt the Ka’bah.

http://www.blessedislam.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Kaaba-71.jpg

Historians confirm that it has been a site of worship for thousands of years – long before Muhammad was born.

Almost 2 million Muslims come to Makkah during the yearly hajj.

They are there for about two weeks.What challenges does this present to

Saudi Arabia?

Where will

they sleep?

Where will they eat?

Where will they use

the restroom?

What if they get sick?

The government of Saudi Arabia sets

up a tent-city 4 miles from Mekkah.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_r3vIo5Hgk3Y/TOjNVdQe4VI/AAAAAAAABS4/SzPeyIl5qLo/s1600/18112010793-783220.jpg

Hundreds of busses take

pilgrims there from the airport.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Pilgrims_boarding_buses,_heading_to_Mina_at_the_start_of_Hajj_-_Flickr_-

_Al_Jazeera_English.jpg

Tents are crowded, but are air-conditioned.

There are separate tents for men and women.

Bathrooms and kitchens are also set up throughout the tent city.

http://zamzam-travel.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/mina-tent.jpg

The tent city is big!

http://www.hajinformation.com/jpghi/1205.jpg

REALLY big!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b1fvNaTUZO8/TrEulD33YZI/AAAAAAAABvM/tTitzT1exnM/s1600/Mina+tents.jpg

The Hajj is not just going to Makkah. Pilgrims visit five sacred sites. Different rituals are

performed at each site.

The Ka’bah in Makkah is the first and last site visited.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/831364/thumbs/o-HAJJ-facebook.jpg?6

Reasons Muslims go on the Hajj:

- to feel closer to God by walking where Mohammad, Abraham, and even Adam lived and walked- to feel unity with Muslims from around the world

- to ask forgiveness in a sacred place- to fulfill the command of the Fifth Pillar of Islam

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01475/pilgrim_1475124c.jpg

4. Fast during

Ramadan

3. Give to help

people in need.

2. Pray at specific

times each day.

1. Believe in one God and

that Muhammad is his prophet.

The Five Pillars summarize the most important beliefs shared by all Muslims.

5. Go on the Hajj