Introduction to Islam

World History 14-15

Islam Facts Today Islam is the

religion with the second largest following in the worldOver 20% of the world’s

population is Muslim Most Muslims live in

Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and Southeast Asia

Islam = the religion Muslims = the people

Islam Facts Islam was started by the

Prophet Muhammad in the early 7th century Muslims believe that the

word of Allah (God) was revealed to Muhammad

Muhammad told his followers that he was the “seal of the prophets” Other religious prophets,

like Moses and Jesus, also spoke the word of God and Muhammad said that he would be the last prophet

Islam Facts People of the book

Muhammad taught that Christians and Jews were to be respected because they believed in the same God

Muhammad believed that his message was more complete and that the beliefs of Christians and Jews had been corrupted over time

Beliefs of Islam In order to be a

Muslim, a believer must follow the Five Pillars of Islam

Beliefs of Islam Pillar #1: Belief/Faith

Muslims must

acknowledge Allah as the only god and Muhammad as his prophet

It affirms both Allah's importance and the central role of the Prophet

Beliefs of Islam Pillar #2: Worship/Prayer

Muslims must worship Allah five times a day while facing Mecca — at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall

The believer washes according to a ritual and prays on the ground in the direction of Mecca; it only takes a few minutes to perform and can be done anywhere

There is also a Friday service that men are supposed to attend at noon; in some Muslim communities women also attend but are often required to sit apart from the men

Beliefs of Islam

Beliefs of Islam Pillar #3: Fasting

Muslims must fast (not eat or drink) during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan (the 9th month in the Muslim calendar)

The end of the month of Ramadan is always marked by a feast, known as the Id al-Fitr

Beliefs of Islam Pillar #4: Almsgiving

Muslims must contribute alms (charity) for the relief of the weak and the poor and donate a fixed amount of their property to charity every year

Many Muslims established soup kitchens, hospitals, schools, libraries, mosques

One of the most common forms of charity in medieval Islamic cities was to establish a public drinking fountain, where fresh water was distributed freely

Beliefs of Islam Pillar #5: Pilgrimage (the

Hajj) Muslims, who are

physically and financially able, must make a pilgrimage (a religious journey) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime to honor Muhammad’s travels to Mecca

The hajj is carried out in the 12th month of the Muslim calendar

The HajjNamira mosque in Arafat, near MeccaNovember 15, 2010

The HajjGrand Mosque in Mecca, home of the Ka’ba, can accommodate close to 2 million worshipers

The HajjGrand Mosque at night

The HajjThe Ka’ba inside the Grand Mosque

Discussion What similarities do you see among Islam,

Judaism, and Christianity?Take 1 minute to write your answer in the left

margin of your notesTake 30 sec. to share your answer with the

person next to you

Sacred Texts & Laws The sacred book for

Muslims is the Qur’anMuhammad recited what the

angel Gabriel told him to share with his people, this is considered by Muslims to be the world of Allah

Originally, the Qur’an was memorized and passed down orally; it was after Muhammad’s death that his followers began writing it down

Muslims believe that the true Qur’an is the Arabic language version

Sacred Texts & Laws Sunna

Following the Sunna means using the prophet Muhammad’s life practices as an example of how to live

The hadith are things that Muhammad said

Sacred Texts & Laws Shari’a

Shari’a is an Islamic law code that is based on the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunna Shari’a law gives rules for family life, moral

behavior (deciding right from wrong), business, and community life

Shari’a also requires that Muslims show tolerance for Christians and Jews

Countries that use Shari’a today include Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and Egypt

Sects within Islam Within Islam, there are three major

divisionsThe two largest sects are the Sunni and Shi’a;

83% of Muslims today are Sunni and 16% are Shi’a Sunni – believe that the first four leaders after

Muhammad were legitimate leadersShi’a – believe that Muslim leaders should be

descendants of Muhammad and that Ali (Muhammad’s son-in-law) should have succeeded him

Both groups also say that the other has the wrong idea about the meaning of different parts of the Qur’an

Sects within Islam Sufi Muslims make up

about 1% of Muslims today The Sufi believe in living

a simple life devoted to prayer and devotion

They are less focused on memorizing doctrine

Many Sufis also worked to help people in need

Sufis celebrate through meditation, a trancelike dance known as whirling dervishes, music, and literature

Discussion How are Sunni and Shi’a Muslims different?Take 1 minute to write your answer in the left

margin of your notesDoes anyone want to share their answer?

Crash Coursehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

TpcbfxtdoI8