Islam

1. Islam

2. Understanding Islam Why should we study the religion of Islam? There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world.

3. Understanding Islam Why should we study the religion of Islam? Many of our energy resources come from countries that are predominantly Muslim.

4. Understanding Islam Why should we study the religion of Islam? There are many misconceptions about Muslims. We should try to better understand them.

5. Understanding Islam Why should we study the religion of Islam? The Arab Spring: revolutions in Muslim countries like Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen…Syria? The United States would like to make friends with many of these newly formed governments, and make sure that they are: • Democratic • Friendly towards the West

6. Understanding Islam

7. Understanding Islam

8. Islam Identifications • Muslim: person who follows Islam • Ka’aba: Islam’s holiest shrine – located in Mecca – Arabic for cube • Qu’ran: secret text, holy book of Islam • Mecca: birth place of Islam, holiest city, Saudi Arabia • Mosque: Muslim house of worship

9. Islam Identifications • Allah: Arabic for God same as J and C • Medina: first Islamic community, 2nd Holy city, Muhammad gains political and religious power • Hejira: 622 – Muhammad’s journey from Mecca to Medina; marks first expansion of Islam • Jerusalem: 3rd Holiest city to Islam – Dome of the Rock

10. Islam Identifications 2. What does Islam mean? Islam means to “submission.” In this case, to God • Identify and explain the Five Pillars of Islam. 1. Declaration of Faith 2. Prayer: 5 times per day: must face Mecca 3. Charity: must help the poor and the old 4. Fasting: during the month of Ramadan: sun-up to sun-down: 5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): must visit Mecca once in their life

11. The Rise and Spread of Islam

12. Arabia From earliest times, the Arabian people ALL belonged to certain tribes. Some lived as farmers. Some were townspeople. Many were Bedouin. The Bedouin are nomadic people who wander from place to place, and make their livelihood through trade or herding livestock

13. Arab Bedouin

14. Arabia These Arab people were pagans, meaning they worshipped many gods. The center of Arabic pagan worship was in a town called Mecca. Pilgrims would travel to Mecca to worship the Kaaba The Kaaba: sacred shine that housed images of all the Arab gods. Also contained a black stone-probably a meteorite, which the Arabs thought was sent from heaven

15. The ancient Ka’aba in Mecca

16. Muhammad: Founder of Islam Muhammad was born in Mecca about 570. His parents died when he was very young, but he was sent to live with his uncle, who was a Bedouin tribesman, even before they died. Muhammad became a merchant. When he was 25, he met a wealthy widow named Khadija, and married her. 4

17. Muhammad: Founder of Islam Muhammad was always a very religious person. When he was around 40 years old, the Angel Gabriel spoke to him, saying that God had chosen him as his Prophet. Muhammad’s duty was to proclaim that God, or Allah, was the one and only God.

18. The Quran Muhammad memorized, word for word, everything the Angel Gabriel spoke to him. It was eventually written down by scribes. These writings are known as the Quran. Quran means “recitation.” • it is the holy book for Muslims, containing guidance in all matters

19. The Quran (Koran) • The Quran provides guidance on every aspect of human life: from history and economics to morality, criminal and civil law, gender issues, social values, Judaism and Christianity, past prophets, and even science* • Any translation of the Quran from Arabic into a different language means that it is not entirely accurate

20. The Hejira Muhammad began to speak about this new religion to the Arab tribespeople around Mecca. Some began to follow him. Others did not like his message, and plotted to kill both him and his followers. In 622, Muhammad and his followers fled from Mecca to Yathrib, a town to the north. This journey was known as the hejira. Yathrib was later renamed Medina, which means “City of the Prophet.”

21. The New Religion In 630, Muhammad returned to Mecca with a large army, and defeated his enemies. Muhammad smashed all of the pagan statues around the Kaaba. Islam became the new religion, and Mecca was its birthplace. Islam literally means “submission,” in this case, to God.

22. The New Religion Muhammad = founder of Islam Muslim = one who is a follower of Islam

23. Five Pillars of Islam Duty of all Muslims: • Declaration of Faith (Shahada) “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.” • Prayers (Salah) 5 X/day: face Mecca • Charity (Sawm): give to the old & poor • Fasting (Zakat): during Ramadan • Pilgrimage (Hajj): must complete a pilgrimage to Mecca 3

24. RAMADAN Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. During the last ten days of this month is when Muhammad first received the word of God from the Angel Gabriel. The night in which Muhammad first received this word is known as The Night of Power. The Night of Power is the holiest night in Islam. It is believed that angels come down to earth on this night and perform miracles.

25. RAMADAN Muslims observe the month of Ramadan, which is either 29 or 30 days, by fasting from sun-up to sundown. This means no food OR water until dark! Muslims mark the end of Ramadan with a holiday called Eidul-Fitr, during which they end their fast.

26. Eidul-Fitr

27. Islam, Judaism, & Christianity Muhammad recognized Jews and Christians as “People of the Book.” • Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament were sacred • Believed that they had been “corrupted” over time, however

28. Similarities with Christianity and Judaism Universality of Humankind • Along with Judaism and Christianity, Islam emphasizes the dignity and equality of humankind: “No Arab has any superiority over a non-Arab…Nor does a white man have any superiority over a black man, or the black man any superiority over the white man. You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay.”

29. Similarities with Christianity and Judaism Belief in an Afterlife • Along with Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that we will be held accountable for our actions in the next life: “We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least.”

30. Sacredness of Jerusalem • “Night Journey” from the nearest mosque to the farthest (“al-Aqsa”) mosque - 619 AD in Jerusalem • Is believed to be when Muhammad “flew” to Jerusalem and met with the old Prophets: Abraham and Moses The Night Journey

31. Islamic Law All of the teachings and sayings of Muhammad which did not come directly from God are recorded in the Hadith Together with the Quran, these two texts form the basis of Islamic law, known as Shariah 7

32. Two Key Beliefs of Islam • There is only one God, Allah • Muhammad is His final Prophet 8

33. Three Rites of Passage Muslims believe in three major rites of passage which mark a person’s life: • Birth • Marriage • Death 9

34. The Spread of Islam • Within 120 years of the Prophet Muhammad’s death, the religion of Islam had spread from the Arabian Peninsula to include the following areas: • http://www.explorethemed.com/RiseIslam.asp

35. Reasons for Islam’s Rapid Spread • The Arab armies were united by their beliefs • Weakness of the Byzantine and Sassanid Empires, which were exhausted from fighting each other • Many of the people who inhabited the areas conquered by the Arabs welcomed them • Christians and Jews who did not submit were forced to pay a jizya, or tax, to the local authorities • Idea of Jihad 10

36. Concept of Jihad • The term jihad appears in the Quran 41 times • Its main meaning refers to an inner struggle by the individual Muslim to fulfill his/her religious duties, and live their lives according to God’s plan • Another meaning of jihad is an outward, physical, violent struggle against the enemies of Islam • This second meaning is misunderstood by both Muslims and Christians 10

37. Concept of Jihad • According the the Quran: ”You may fight “in the cause of God” against those who attack you, but do not aggress. God does not love the aggressors.” 2:190 • This directive has often been misinterpreted as sanctioning “Holy War.”

38. Early Islam

39. Two Main Branches of Islam When Muhammad died, he left no clear successor as caliph. Caliph: religious and secular leader who was the successor to the Prophet Muhammad The fourth caliph (successor) was Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali. Ali was murdered by those who believed he should not become caliph. Ali’s son Hussein tried to become the next caliph and was defeated at the Battle of Karbala. 11

40. Two Main Branches of Islam Those who believed that only a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad could become caliph were known as Shi’ites. The majority of Muslims believed that anyone who was devout and who knew the way (Sunnah) of the Prophet could become caliph. These people were known as Sunnis. The Sunni Muslims defeated the Shi’ites and established the Umayyad Dynasty. (661 A.D.) 11

41. Sunni and Shi’ite Populations Today

42. Early Caliphates Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 A.D.) Emphasis on Arab Culture & Language Capital: Damascus, Syria Sunni Muslim

43. Early Caliphates Abbassid Dynasty (750-1250 AD) Included People from other cultures Capital: Baghdad Golden Age of Muslim Civilization Persians Indians Turks • Advances in architecture • Control of trade routes • Advances in science, medicine, mathematics • Poetry and philosophy

44. Abbassid Caliphate

45. Islam’s First Golden Age The Abbassid Caliphate was established in 750 A.D. The capital of this new Islamic Empire was established in Baghdad, not Damascus. Founded by al-Mansur, the second caliph of the Abbassid Dynasty. This new caliphate was more inclusive of different people, including Persians, Turks, and Indians, which gave it more appeal.

46. Baghdad Modern Baghdad

47. Islam’s First Golden Age Commerce and Economics This new empire controlled the trade routes between the East (India and China) and the Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe. This led to thriving, wealthy cities, such as Baghdad. To help trade prosper, the Abbassids developed many useful business practices.

48. Islam’s First Golden Age Abbassid Trade Routes

49. Islam’s First Golden Age Business Practices of the Abbassids: • Letters of credit • Receipts for payment • Bills of lading All of these practices made conducting business over long distances safer and more practical. 18

50. Islam’s First Golden Age Advances in Learning: • Muslim scholars translated ancient Greek works on philosophy, science, and mathematics. • Muslims also made advances in the fields of medicine, mathematics, and architecture • They gave us beautiful poetry, such as The Rubaiyat, and A Thousand and One Nights 18