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Islam: History, values and culture

Islam: History, values and culture. Islam. Founder: Muhammad Ibn (son of) Adballah Born: 571 AD in Mecca, Arabia Descendant of Abraham Titles: The prophet, the messenger (Alrasul) Tribe: Quraiysh Holy Book: The Quran. The Levant. Mesopotamia. The fertile Crescent. H I j a z.

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Islam: History, values and culture

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  1. Islam: History, values and culture

  2. Islam • Founder: Muhammad Ibn (son of) Adballah • Born: 571 AD in Mecca, Arabia • Descendant of Abraham • Titles: The prophet, the messenger (Alrasul) • Tribe: Quraiysh • Holy Book: The Quran

  3. The Levant Mesopotamia The fertile Crescent H I j a z ARABIA EGYPT • Medinah •Mecca Dynasties of the South

  4. Middle East, 7th Century • The Arabian Peninsula • The source of Arabs and the Semitic race • Mostly desert, few urbanized areas • Urban centers, Mecca • Mainly tribal society • Religions • Christianity Judaism, polytheism

  5. Byzantine Empire * Persian Empire • An Arabian dynasty An Arabian dynasty *

  6. Islam, 610-632 • 571 Muhammad born in Mecca. • 610 First revelation in the Harraa cave (27 Ramadan). • 622 “Hejira”or Escape. Muhammad and followers escape persecution • and go Medina • Year 1 in the Islamic calendar • ‘Missionaries’ sent all over Arabia • building peaceful coalition • 629 Muhammad conquers Mecca • destroys idols in Alqaaba (Kaaba). • brings peace to war-torn Arabia • 632 Muhammad

  7. Islam by the death of Mohammed 632

  8. 632-661: the Four Elected Successors (Caliphs) • Abu-Bakr - 632-634 • Omar Ibn Elkhattab - 634-644 • Conquered the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, Persia • Damascus (9 / 635) and Jerusalem (5 / 638) surrender peacefully • A modern state: Treasury, communication, defense. Engraved currency. • Othman bin Affan - 644-656 • Collected and compiled the Quran • Emergence of power struggle • Ali Bin Abitalib - 656-661 • Power struggle escalated to armed conflict • Origin of Shia-Sunni split

  9. Islam at 644, the year Omar died

  10. The Ummayah Dynasty, 661-750 • Empire center and capital move to Damascus • Expansion: All N. Africa (Atlantic), W. Europe, much of C. Asia, the wall of China • 711: Conquer of Spain and Portugal. Tariq Bin Ziyad • Expansion into W. Europe blocked in France by Charles Martell, 732 • Karbalaa in S. Iraq (10 Nov, 680) and the emerge of the Shia • Massive translation of Greek and Indian writings • Bloom of architecture, arts, agriculture, and science

  11. 750, 100 Yrs after Mohammed

  12. The Abbassides Dynasty, 750-1258 • The center of the Empire moves to Iraq and Iran • Baghdad, built 762 AD by Almansur (2nd Caliph). • With over 2 M, Baghdad becomes the center of the world • Science, art, architecture, learning, and wealth • Lighted streets, public baths, public libraries and hospitals everywhere • Other dynasties in Egypt, Spain, and parts of the Levant. • A 2nd Ummayah dynasty in Spain, 9th century • Qurtoba (Cordova) competes with Baghdad • Cairo, built 968 AD

  13. Islam as Monotheistic Religion

  14. Islam: • ”Surrender”, related to ‘salaam’, or peace. • Islam is also a code for social conduct • Quran plus the authentic statements of Muhammad (Hadith) = Sharia (constitution), as Interpreted by Islamic scholars • Muhammad is the last prophet (33: 40). • The Quran: • Islam’s holy book, an inspired scripture. God’s word inspired to his messenger, • 114 Chapters (chapter = Surah), 4 to >200 verses/chapter

  15. Pilgrimage in Mecca

  16. The 'Five Pillars' of Islam • The framework for Muslim life. Essential practices • 1. The Declaration of faith: • "There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God" • 2. Prayer: • Five obligatory prayers each day. • A direct link between the worshiper and God. • No hierarchical authority or priesthood • 3. Charity: • Obligatory charitable giving by setting aside a portion (2.5%) for the needy • 4. Fasting: • From sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan • 5. Pilgrimage: • A pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca, Arabia. Only those who can

  17. Jihad and the Conduct of War • Islam is not addicted to war, and jihad is not one of its "pillars” • Jihad in Arabic does not mean "holy war”. It means "struggle” or “strive”. • The "greater jihad” in the Quran is that of the soul, of the tongue, of the pen, of faith, of morality, etc. The "smaller jihad" is that of arms. • Muhammad told his companions as they go home after a battle "We are returning from the lesser jihad [the battle] to the greater jihad, at home" • Three levels: • Personal: That of the soul • Verbal: Raising one's voice in the name of Allah on behalf of justice. • Physical: Combat waged in defense against oppression and transgression.

  18. Jihad and the Conduct of War • Much of the Koran revealed in the context of an all-out war imposed on early • Muslims by the powerful city of Mecca, and many passages deal with the conduct • of armed struggle. • While one finds "slay [enemies] wherever you find them!" (e.g., 4: 89), • in almost every case it is followed by something like "if they let you be, • and do not make war on you, and offer you peace, God does not allow you • to harm them" (2:90; 4: 90; 5: 2; 8: 61; 22: 39) • God does not allow harm of civilian, and requests the protection of women, • children and the elderly during war (4:96; 9: 91; 48: 16,17) • “If any one slew a person--unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land--it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”(5:32) • You shall feed and protect prisoners of war, and you shall not expect a • reward (4: 25,36; 5:24) • Thus, the only permissible war in the Quran is one of self-defense, you • cannot kill unarmed (civilian), and you have to protect prisoners of war

  19. Jihad and the Conduct of War • Warfare is always evil. Sometimes you have to fight to avoid persecution. • Muslims may not begin hostilities • "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors."(2: 190). • ‘Martyrdom’: Those killed during fighting or while doing civic duties (martyrs) are promised a place in heaven (several passages, e.g., 2:154; 3:169-172) • However, suicide is not allowed; it is forbidden and condemned (e.g., 6:151, 17:33, 25:68)

  20. Relation with other Faiths • Islam did not impose itself by the sword. • "There must be no coercion in matters of faith" (2: 256) • Muslims have to respect Jews and Christians, the "People of the Book," • who worship the same God (e.g., 2:62; 29:46). • "And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better, • unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong: but say, 'We believe in • the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down • to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow.” • In one of his last public sermons Muhammad said • “God tells all human beings, "O people! We have formed you into nations • and tribes so that you may know one another" (49: 13). Do not conquer, • convert, subjugate, revile or slaughter but to reach out toward otherswith • intelligence and understanding” • The Levant remained mainly Christian for almost 200 Yrs. • No one was forced to convert to Islam • The right of all faiths to warship was respected • Sites of warship, holy places and shrines of all faiths were protected

  21. Other Values • Right and Status of Women • Eliminated many pre-Islamic discriminatory practices • Gave women rights (e.g., inheritance) and believed men and women both were made • from a single soul (e.g., 4:1) • Limited the number of wives a man can marry • Treat women with kindness and respect their rights as equal to men • The hijab or head scarf • Modest dress appliesy to women and men equally (Quran and Hadith). • Women are required to cover their bodies so that their figure is not revealed. • The forbidden or ‘taboo’ (muharramat) include pork, blood, improperly butchered • animals, baby animals, gambling, and charging interest • Alcohol drinking was gradually disallowed

  22. Sunni and Shiha • Sunni • 90% of Muslims • Follow the Quran and the Hadith as we have them today, • and as interpreted by the Sunni scholars • Shia • Came to be a sect after 680 A.D. • Believe in the Quran and Hadith, like Sunni • However, they place Ali very high as a holy figure, and think ‘main stream’ • Islam discriminated against him • Today Shia is mainly in Iran (90%), Iraq (55%) and Lebanon (~40%)

  23. Islam Today • 1.3 Billion worldwide, three continents • 0.3 Billion Arabs • Indonesia (200 M) > India (180 M) > Pakistan (160 M) > Bangladesh (120 M) > • China (80 M) > Egypt (70 M) • There are about 20 M Christian Arabs • Egypt > Syria > Lebanon > Palestine > Iraq • About 7 M Muslims in the USA, 3-4 M are Arabs • Roughly half of the Arab Americans are Christians

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