The Qur`an

ISLAM NOTES
INTRO TO ISLAM
Islam follows God's truth that was revealed
through all his prophets
Peace, Mercy and Forgiveness
Fifth of the worlds population are
practicing Muslims
SHAHADA
" There is no god apart from God, and
Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
ISLAM - "Submission" ...taken from a
word meaning "Peace"
ALLAH - Arabic for "God"
SAME ROOTS AND JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY
ADAM
(all men are "Sons of Adam")
ABRAHAM
ISHMAEL
ISAAC
MOSES
MUHAMMAD
JESUS
The Qur'an
Holy book of Islam told to
Mohammed by god over a 23 year
period.
5 Pillars of Wisdom (Islam)
Guidelines for how to live your life
faith = action
ISLAM NOTES
HUMAN NATURE
Qur'an states:
Allah created man from a "clot of blood" at
the same time he created the jinn, from fire
Jinn
- created from fire
- can see humans
- have a life, families, responsibilities etc.
ADAM and EVE
- God forgave Adam and Eve but punished
them with a mortal life.
because they begged for forgiveness
and
were sorry for their sins (repented)
=
Natural state of
Submission
- because of man's Pride and Rebellion he
attempted to Partner with God.
PRIDE is one of the biggest sins!
SALVATION
The purpose of life is to live in a way that
pleases Allah so that one can gain Paradise
Kuffar - unbelievers (sinners)
" those who are ungrateful"
At the time of puberty an account of each person's
deeds is opened to be used at his Day of
Judgement to determine his Eternal Life.
VIEW OF OTHER RELIGIONS
Consider their religion to be the one true religion
and invite anyone and everyone to join
Acknowledges both the Jewish faith and the
Christian faith
Acknowledges Jewish prophets as messengers of
God
Acknowledges Jesus as only a prophet
Acknowledges the Virgin Birth
Does NOT acknowledge the TRINITY
REJECTS the Crucifixion and Resurrection, stating
that Jesus escaped the crucifixion and ascended
directly into heaven.
Believes that both the Jews and the Christians will be
saved on judgement day and will be judged based on
"their own books"
ISLAM NOTES
PROPHETS
Muhammad
Founder of Islam
NOT divine
" the Seal of the Prophets"
(Authorization)
ulul azmi - "the Resolute"
5 prophets sent by God
Noah
Abraham
(Nuh)
(Ibrahim)
Moses
(Musa)
Jesus
(Isa)
Muhammad
Trace the ancestry to ISHMAEL, the first born of
Abraham
Semites
- Hebrew people (Shem = son of Noah)
Abraham could not have a child with Sarah so
he took a second wife Hagar and had Ishmael
Sarah later had a son named Isaac
After that Sarah had Abraham reject both Hagar and
Ishmael
Isaac = Jews
Ishmael = Muslims
ISLAM NOTES
BELIEF
6 ARTICLES OF FAITH
- One unique God
- The Angels
- Follows the lineage of the prophets
(Adam, Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist and Jesus)
-The Qur'an
- Individual accountability at the Day of
Judgement
- God's authority over life and afterlife
ISLAM NOTES
THE 5 PILLARS OF WISDOM
- Most important part of their belief system
*
- Obligations they must fulfill to live the
life of Islam
Intertwines Religion with Life
Faith = Action
SHAHADAH
There is no God but Allah and
Muhammad is his messenger
MUST be able to recite this to be a true Muslim
SALAT
- Practice of praying 5 times a day
at times set by Allah
•
•
•
•
•
Before sunrise
Before Midday
Late afternoon
Just after Sunset
Between Sunset and Midnight
- Children 7 and older are encouraged to
pray at these times
Sets the Rhythm of the Day
- prayers involve the Mind, Body and Soul
- Must be sincere or it is like you never prayed
- DO NOT pray to Allah (he needs nothing)
but pray because he told them to.
- They believe they benefit from it.
ZARKAT
- Giving a set amount of wealth to Charity
( Cash, Gold, Silver and Commercial Items)
2.5%
Give because:
- helps with self purification
- helps one to obey God
- helps us understand that everything
comes from God and that we can't take
it with us
God decides whether you will be Rich or
Poor and if you are Rich you should help
those who are poor.
SAWM
Fasting during Ramadan
No Food, drink, smoking or sexual activity
*
Ramadan - islamic month of fasting
HAJJ
ALL MUSLIMS from all social classes,
colors and cultures stand in front of the
Kaaba and pray together (Pilgrimage)
Kaaba
- a granite cube constructed by
Abraham and ishmael (about 40' square)
- located in a Mosque in Mecca
ISLAM NOTES
MUHAMMAD
"Highly Praised"
EARLY LIFE
- Born in MECCA
- orphaned by age 6
- raised by his uncle who was a sheppard
- worked as a camel driver in a caravan
- employed by a wealthy woman (Khadija)
- at 25, he married Khadija - only her
(she was 15 years older than him)
DIVINE REVELATION
- In his 30's he began visiting a cave outside of
Mecca where he would meditate and pray.
- In his 40's, he came home after a visit and told
his wife that he either went MAD or a became a
PROPHET. (reluctant)
visited by the angel Gabriel who
told him to "Proclaim"
Muhammad kept telling the angel "No",
but was eventually persuaded.
Proclaim in the name of your Lord who created!
Created man from a clot of blood.
Proclaim: Your Lord is the Most Generous,
Who teaches by the pen;
Teaches man what he knew not. (Qur'an 96:1-3)
Muhammad's initial message:
Convert from paganism
Convert from Polytheism
Change your materialistic and immoral
ways
Repent from evil
Worship Allah
First 3 years = 40 followers
(mocked, beaten, stoned, denied service)
HIJIRA
Holiday celebrating Muhammad's escape
from Mecca
622 - year the Muslim calendar begins
- He gained followers in a City north of Mecca
- City needed a leader ( Yathrib)
- With the help of a friend, he escaped Mecca
- City was renamed Medinat al-Nabi
"The City of the Prophet"
- Eventually shortened to Medina
"The City"
Battle for Mecca
- next few years battled with Mecca
- won
- then lost
- and finally won when Mecca attacked
Conquered most of Arabia for Islam
DIED in 632
ISLAM NOTES
PRAYER
Prayer rug - to keep clean while kneeling
- laid to face Mecca
- compass pocket
Often have a deliberate mistake in the pattern to
remind us that nothing is perfect except God
Subha - Prayer beads
- 3 sets of 33 beads and 1 large bead
(the 99 names of God)
Men must cover their head
IMPORTANT - There are often multiple
items associated with prayer but NONE
are necessary.
5 times per day
5 obligatory prayers + optional prayers
TAHARAH
BEFORE PRAYER - proper purification
NAJAS
Filthy substances that must be removed
before prayer
-
WUDU
urine
feces
blood
vomit
ritual washing to cleanse the body
-
hands
nose
ears
mouth
wrists
elbows
forearms
(sometimes inward prayers are said while washing)
FAJR
- begins the day
REMEMBRANCE OF GOD
DUHR
- daytime prayers
SEEK GODS GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT
THE DAY
ASR
- late afternoon
REMEMBER THE GREATER MEANING OF
THEIR LIVES
MAGHRIB
- Evening
REMEMBER GODS PRESENCE ,
GUIDANCE, MERCY and
FORGIVENESS
ADHAN - call to prayer
ISLAM NOTES
MECCA
Inestimable
(too great to be estimated)
ALL muslims, wherever they are...
- Pray 5 times per day (Salat)
- In the direction of Mecca
Qibla - direction of prayer
Hajj
Muslims of every social class are to make a
pilgrimage to Mecca
- 3 million gather for major pilgrimage
every year
- Umrah - minor pilgrimages throughout
the rest of the year
- Non-Muslims are NOT allowed to visit
WHY ARE WE GOING TO MECCA?
10 things about the Kaaba
Kaaba - "The House of God"
- Built by Abraham and Ishmael
- Covered in Gold embroidered fabric
- Pilgrims circle it 7 times
- May try to kiss or touch the cornerstone
Zamzam - well near the Kaaba
(pilgrims will drink from it or bring back water
from it)
Mina
- Small village where a symbolic image of the
Devil is stoned
Arafat
- small mountain where it is believed
Muhammad gave his final sermon/speech
Masjid al Haram - most sacred mosque
Makkah vs Mecca
the term has come to mean...
mecca - any city where a large group of people
congregate over a shared interest or activity
example: Vegas = gambling mecca
(sacrilegious)
1990 = Makkah
- preferred spelling
- closer to Arabic
ISLAM NOTES
EXTREMISTS
"Islamic Faith"
is NOT the same as
"Religious Extremist"
Religious Extremism - violent acts that
a groups or individuals use to enforce
their beliefs
REVIEW:
Islam means "submission" derived from
the root word meaning "Peace"
*
Only 1 passage in the Qur'an that refers
to suicide...
“O you who believe! Do not consume your
wealth in the wrong way- rather through trade
mutually agreed to, and do not kill yourselves.
Surely God is Merciful toward you”
Muhammad preached that those who commit
suicide ..."will be in the fire of Hell"
JIHAD
"Striving or struggling in the way of God"
1) internal struggle (Greater)
Internal struggle to do what is right
and to avoid temptation
2) Outward struggle (Lesser)
Outward struggle to defend Islam
when the religion is under attack
Jihad is NOT a "Holy War"
IDEA TO JUSTIFY EXTREMIST BEHAVIOR
Even though the Qur'an states...
One should NOT commit suicide
It does state that...
Rewards are promised to those who
follow their Jihad and die "struggling in
the way of God"
Their victims (people they kill) are a
threat to their religion so this justifies
what they do as DEFENDING ISLAM
Death is a Martyrdom NOT a suicide
Misinterpretation of the Holy Text
WHY THE UNITED STATES?
"Q&A Islamic Fundamentalism, 2001"
" Research reveals that it is our own
countries actions that are instigating the
emergence of religious extremism"
Extremists view the dominant nations
like the US as...
"polluting islamic culture and as a
mechanism for exploitation."
based on how we tend to treat Islamic
countries we are considered an...
"Unjust Regime"
NOT JUST THE UNITED STATES
- Also other sects of Islam.
*
RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM COULD BE A
PRODUCT OF
"... a Government's inability to provide
support and economic stability for it's
people."
"Mustafa 2004"
When governments make changes and
mandates
Extremists will lash out