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Islam. Important Terms. Islam : an Arabic word that means “peace through submission to God” Muslim : a person who follows the teachings of Islam. It means “anyone or anything that submits to the will of God.” All creation is Muslim.
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Important Terms • Islam: an Arabic word that means “peace through submission to God” • Muslim: a person who follows the teachings of Islam. It means “anyone or anything that submits to the will of God.” All creation is Muslim. • Shahadah: “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”. • Allah: Arabic name for God. It is preferred over other names because it has no gender affiliation and does not have plurality
Basic Information • Islam is the third in succession of the three monotheistic and Abrahamic faiths • Historically: Judaism, Christianity, Islam • All three trace their roots to Abraham • Islam claims to contain the next revelation after Christ • Islam is the second largest religion in world • Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world
Muhammad’s Early Life • Muhammad Ibn (son of) Adballah • Abū al-QāsimMuḥammadibnʿAbdAllāhibnʿAbd al-MuṭṭalibibnHāshim • Born 570/571 AD in Mecca, (Saudi) Arabia • 13 wives • One from 595-619; 12 after she died • Trade merchant; Warrior • Descendant of Abraham
Abraham Ismail Adnan Quraiysh Qussaiy Abdmanaf AbdshamsHashem (Amneh+) AbdallahAbutalibHamzehAlabbasAbulahabAlhareth Adbelmuttalib Muhammad Ali Ummayah Dynasty Abbbassides Dynasty (661-750) (750-1258)
Muhammad’s Later Life • Islamic Tradition • Angel Gabriel appears to Muhammad in 610 AD • Muhammad was either deeply distressed (Sunni) or not frightened (Shi’a) at the appearance of Gabriel • Over several years, wrote the revelation (Qur’an) • Founded Islam in 622 in Mecca • Consolidated warring tribes • Nicknames: Almustapha (the chosen), Alamin (the faithful) • Titles: The prophet, the messenger (Alrasul) • Died 632 AD in Medina, (Saudi) Arabia
The Rise of Islam • Begins in Arabia • Arabs were • Semitic-speaking people • Nomadic • Organized into federated tribes • Independent but cooperative • Led by a sheikh • Chosen from a council of elders • Lived in the arid, harsh climate of the Arabian Peninsula
The Rise of Islam • The Arabian Peninsula was an important center for trade. • Trade via caravans across the desert • Camels important • Empires grew • Mecca • Key trading center • Became rich • As the merchants became rich from the Caravan traffic the life of the poor people of the area suffered
The Rise of Islam • Theologically, most early Arabs were polytheistic • They recognized a chief, or supreme god who they called Allah which is Arabic for “God.” • Allah was symbolized by a sacred stone • Each tribe had their own stone • One central stone called the Black stone which was placed in the shrine called the Ka’bah. • This shrine was located in the city of Makkah (Mecca) in what is now Saudi Arabia
The Beginnings • 610 First revelation in the Harraa cave (27 Ramadan). • 622 “Hijra”or Escape. • Muhammad and followers escape prosecution and go to Almadinah (Yathrib). • Year 1 in the Islamic calendar • ‘Missionaries’ sent all over Arabia building peaceful coalition • 629 Muhammad conquers Mecca • Destroys idols in Alqaaba. • Single-handedly, brings peace to war-torn Arabia • Either peaceful or out of revenge
Islam in 632
After Muhammad’s Death • Abu-Bakr - 632-634 • The first elected official. Wise leader, crisis manager • Omar IbnElkhattab - 634-644 • A first-rate statesman. Honest, modest and just. • Conquered the Levant, Egypt, Iraq, Persia • Damascus (635) • Jerusalem (638) • A modern state: Treasury, communication, defense. Engraved currency.
The Levant Mesopotamia The fertile Crescent H I j a z ARABIA EGYPT • Medinah •Mecca Dynasties of the South
After Muhammad’s Death • 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 • Emergence of political parties • End of democracy. • UmmayahDynasty in Damascus, Muawyia (661-680)
Belief & Witness • The Shahadah • Believing and professing the unity of God and the messengership of Muhammad • “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” • The Qur’an requires the faithful to tell others of Islam • However, it rules out the use of coercion in spreading the message • The Qur’an insists on respect for all prophets and all revealed scriptures.
Daily Prayer • Five times a day • Facing Mecca • Recitation of a series of prayers and passages from the Qur’an • Unites community around the world • Prayers end as one turns to the two guardian angels on one’s shoulders to say the traditional Muslim greeting—“AssalamuAlaykum” (“Peace be on you”)
Tithing & Almsgiving • Zakat • 2.5% to needy • Purpose: decrease inequality & prevent personal greed
Fasting • Ramadan required • Frequent fasts recommended • Fasting • Liberates a person’s body from the heaviness of food • Teaches the soul not to allow anything into the mind and heart that would distract one from God. • Controls the body’s desires and builds the mastery needed to control the lower emotions, such as anger and jealousy.
Hijra • Pilgrimage to Mecca • At least once in life • Walk around Ka’bah seven times • Draws all Muslims together in one community
Ka’bah • According to Islamic tradition, • Abraham and Ishmael together built the Ka’bah. • The site of Adam’s original place of worship • Part of the cubic stone building is a venerated black meteorite • Is now the holiest sanctuary in Islam • Visit/Pilgrimage required once in a lifetime (one of the Five Pillars) • God told Abraham that the Ka’bah should be a place of pilgrimage.
Ka’bah • Remained a holy place by the Arabian tribes when they turned to polytheism • Centuries later, Muhammad was born • Father died before he was born • Grandfather raised Muhammad • He became a shepherd, then a tradesmen
Jihad • “Sixth Pillar” • Means “striving” • Safeguarding one’s life, faith, honor, livelihood, and the integrity of the Muslim community
Unity in God (Monotheism) • Absolute monotheism • No distinctions or divisions or persons in God • Opposes Christianity and Hinduism • Supports modern Judaism • The original faith • “Muslims think that the Oneness of God [monotheism] is the primordial religion taught by all prophets of all faiths.” (Fisher, 373) • No worship or prayers to anything other than Allah
Monotheism • Major sin: shirk (blasphemy) • The sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism • The sin of calling a human or material thing “God” • Associating anything else with divinity except the one God • The unforgiveable sin in Islam • Say: “Oh People of the book! / Come to common terms as between us and you: / That we worship none but Allah; / That we associate no partners with Him; / That we erect not from among ourselves / Lords and patrons other than Allah.” (Qur’an) • Sufism: There is nothing but God.
Unity in Thought • Monism—one absolute reality. • “The underlying essence of life is eternal unity rather than the apparent separateness of things in the physical world.” (Fisher, 373) • One reality, but some is unseen—not known to the senses • Angels – submissive servants of God • Satan – non-submissive being • jinn—immaterial beings of fire, whose nature is between that of humans and angels. • Satan was originally one of these
Unity in Purpose • Unity in Purpose • All humans are essentially good since humanity springs from the One Good (God) • Struggle for goodness (jihad) • Major sin: kufr • ungratefulness to God, unbelief, atheism • Problem with man is that he is forgetful; hence, struggle to overcome forgetfulness (Brodd, 252) • Abu HashimMadani, an Indian Sufi sage, is said to have taught: “There is only one thing to be gained in life, and that is to remember God with each breath; and there is only one loss in life, and that is the breath drawn without the remembrance of God.” (In Fisher, 373)
Unity with God • Goal: Union with Divine • Unity in Purpose realized • “In the life of the individual, every thought and action should spring from a heart and mind intimately integrated with the divine.” (Fisher, 373) • “To believe is to surrender totally to God” (Fisher, 375) • None believes in Our revelations save those who, when reminded of them, prostrate themselves in adoration and give glory to their Lord in all humility; who forsake their beds to pray to their Lord in fear and hope; who give in charity of that which We have bestowed on them. No mortal knows what bliss is in store for these as a reward for their labors. (Qur’an)
Unity in Community • Community: Umma (Brodd, 252) • Union among all Muslims & relationships (Struggling together) • “All humans, for that matter, are a global family; there is no one “chosen people,” for all are invited into a direct relationship with God.” (Fisher, 373)
Unity in Practice • Unified Ritual: Five Pillars • All Muslims must follow the Five Pillars to receive greater “rewards” or “enjoyments” in Paradise • Right shoulder angel records a Muslim’s attempts to keep the Five Pillars • Also, all good the Muslim does • Left shoulder angel records a Muslim’s failings at keeping the Five Pillars • Also, all evil the Muslim does • A personal diary or book is presented at the end of life which contains the record of the two angels
Afterlife • Heaven & Hell clearly distinguished • Resurrection of body and soul followed by eternal paradise or hell • Hell graphically described so that goodness is done and sin (shirk & kufr) is avoided • Hell is the grievous destiny of unrepentant non-believers—those who have rejected faith in and obedience to Allah and His Messenger, who are unjust and who do not forbid evil. Hell also awaits the hypocrites who even after making a covenant with Allah have turned away from their promise to give in charity and to pray regularly: (Fisher, 377) • It is a flaming Fire. It drags them down by their scalps; and it shall call him who turned his back and amassed riches and covetously hoarded them
Afterlife • By contrast, sinners and non-believers will experience the torments of hell, fire fueled by humans, boiling water, pus, chains, searing winds, food that chokes, and so forth. It is they who condemn themselves; their very bodies turn against them “on the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions” (Sura 24:24). The great medieval mystic al-Ghazali speaks of spiritual torments of the soul as well: the agony of being separated from worldly desires, burning shame at seeing one’s life projected, and terrible regret at being barred from the vision of God. (Fisher, 377)
Afterlife • Heaven is also graphically described to encourage remembering and goodness • For the just and merciful, the state after death is a Garden of Bliss. Those who say, “Our Lord is God . . . shall have all that your souls shall desire. . . . A hospitable gift from One Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!” (Sura 41:30–32).
Afterlife • The desire of the purified souls will be for closeness to God, and their spirits will live in different levels of this closeness. For them, there will be castles, couches, fruits, sweetmeats, honey, houris (beautiful virgin women), and immortal youths serving from goblets and golden platters. Such delights promised by the Qur’an are interpreted metaphorically to mean that human nature will be transformed in the next life to such an extent that the disturbing factors of this physical existence will no longer have any effect. (Fisher, 377)
Afterlife • No purgatory; just long repose in the grave • Last Judgment clearly taught
Summary • Belief in only One God. • He is defined as Eternal, Absolute, Infinite, Compassionate and Merciful, the sole Creator and Provider. • Engage only in Righteous Actions • in all areas: spiritual, intellectual and physical activity. • All God’s creation is “Muslim”. • Only humans are given CHOICE to submit (be Muslim) or reject submission to God’s will.
Summary • All children are born without sin and are Muslim. • As they grow older, they make their religious CHOICE. • God created human beings with a body and soul. • The body is a temporal host for this life, whereas the soul is eternal. • It is the soul that will survive beyond death. • Universality of the call. • All Muslims are brothers and equals without any distinction of class, race or tongue. • Superiority is only based on the greater fear of God and greater piety.
