Foundations of Islamic Beliefs

Global History I: Adamiak

1. The Profession of Faith

– Faith (shahada) “La ilah illa Allah wa Muhammad rasul Allah,” meaning “There is no God but the one God and Muhammad is His prophet.”

• Acknowledges that there is no god but God (Allah) and Muhammad is the messenger.

2. Five Daily Prayers

• Prayer (salat) Muslims must recite 5 daily prayers• Muslims must perform a ritual bathing

before prayer (wudu)• Prayer (Salat)

–Muezzin – Person who calls Muslims to the mosque for prayer or Friday services

3. Paying Zakat

– Almsgiving (zakat) a tax is levied on those living above subsistence and the tax is then supposed to be redistributed to the poor

– Zagat Tax Calculator: Depending on amount of income depends on how much your taxed.

Annual Income Zagat Tax

$50,000 $1287.550

$100,000 $2500.00

$5,000,000 $125000.00

4. Ramadan

• Ramadan month of fasting and worshipping that evokes better Allah-consciousness– Fasting promotes self-discipline and

spiritual awareness– Celebrates when the Qur’an was first

revealed to Muhammad – New crescent moon starts Ramadan,

while new moon ends Ramadan• Eid al-Fitr – feast that ends Ramadan

5. Hajj to Mecca

• Pilgrimage (Hajj) Every able-bodied Muslim must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime

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The Five Pillars of Islam: The Hajj

Inside the Ka’ba

Qur’an (Koran)

• Qur’an Islamic holy book– Considered the very word of Allah– Arabic for “recitation” since Muhammad

recited what the angel Gabriel told him– Difficult to translate– Not one version

Hadith

• Hadith collection of the sayings and traditions of Muhammad– Sunna The example of Muhammad

(“What would Muhammad do?”)

The Shari’ah

• The Shari’ah “The way”– Body of laws and rules that regulate

Islamic life• No alcohol• No pork• Not allowed to depict living things

– Countries like Iran base their laws on the Shari’ah

–Mufti experts on Islamic law