Introduction to Islam
World History 14-15
Islam Facts Today Islam is the
religion with the second largest following in the worldOver 20% of the world’s
population is Muslim Most Muslims live in
Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and Southeast Asia
Islam = the religion Muslims = the people
Islam Facts Islam was started by the
Prophet Muhammad in the early 7th century Muslims believe that the
word of Allah (God) was revealed to Muhammad
Muhammad told his followers that he was the “seal of the prophets” Other religious prophets,
like Moses and Jesus, also spoke the word of God and Muhammad said that he would be the last prophet
Islam Facts People of the book
Muhammad taught that Christians and Jews were to be respected because they believed in the same God
Muhammad believed that his message was more complete and that the beliefs of Christians and Jews had been corrupted over time
Beliefs of Islam In order to be a
Muslim, a believer must follow the Five Pillars of Islam
Beliefs of Islam Pillar #1: Belief/Faith
Muslims must
acknowledge Allah as the only god and Muhammad as his prophet
It affirms both Allah's importance and the central role of the Prophet
Beliefs of Islam Pillar #2: Worship/Prayer
Muslims must worship Allah five times a day while facing Mecca — at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall
The believer washes according to a ritual and prays on the ground in the direction of Mecca; it only takes a few minutes to perform and can be done anywhere
There is also a Friday service that men are supposed to attend at noon; in some Muslim communities women also attend but are often required to sit apart from the men
Beliefs of Islam
Beliefs of Islam Pillar #3: Fasting
Muslims must fast (not eat or drink) during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan (the 9th month in the Muslim calendar)
The end of the month of Ramadan is always marked by a feast, known as the Id al-Fitr
Beliefs of Islam Pillar #4: Almsgiving
Muslims must contribute alms (charity) for the relief of the weak and the poor and donate a fixed amount of their property to charity every year
Many Muslims established soup kitchens, hospitals, schools, libraries, mosques
One of the most common forms of charity in medieval Islamic cities was to establish a public drinking fountain, where fresh water was distributed freely
Beliefs of Islam Pillar #5: Pilgrimage (the
Hajj) Muslims, who are
physically and financially able, must make a pilgrimage (a religious journey) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime to honor Muhammad’s travels to Mecca
The hajj is carried out in the 12th month of the Muslim calendar
The HajjNamira mosque in Arafat, near MeccaNovember 15, 2010
The HajjGrand Mosque in Mecca, home of the Ka’ba, can accommodate close to 2 million worshipers
The HajjGrand Mosque at night
The HajjThe Ka’ba inside the Grand Mosque
Discussion What similarities do you see among Islam,
Judaism, and Christianity?Take 1 minute to write your answer in the left
margin of your notesTake 30 sec. to share your answer with the
person next to you
Sacred Texts & Laws The sacred book for
Muslims is the Qur’anMuhammad recited what the
angel Gabriel told him to share with his people, this is considered by Muslims to be the world of Allah
Originally, the Qur’an was memorized and passed down orally; it was after Muhammad’s death that his followers began writing it down
Muslims believe that the true Qur’an is the Arabic language version
Sacred Texts & Laws Sunna
Following the Sunna means using the prophet Muhammad’s life practices as an example of how to live
The hadith are things that Muhammad said
Sacred Texts & Laws Shari’a
Shari’a is an Islamic law code that is based on the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunna Shari’a law gives rules for family life, moral
behavior (deciding right from wrong), business, and community life
Shari’a also requires that Muslims show tolerance for Christians and Jews
Countries that use Shari’a today include Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and Egypt
Sects within Islam Within Islam, there are three major
divisionsThe two largest sects are the Sunni and Shi’a;
83% of Muslims today are Sunni and 16% are Shi’a Sunni – believe that the first four leaders after
Muhammad were legitimate leadersShi’a – believe that Muslim leaders should be
descendants of Muhammad and that Ali (Muhammad’s son-in-law) should have succeeded him
Both groups also say that the other has the wrong idea about the meaning of different parts of the Qur’an
Sects within Islam Sufi Muslims make up
about 1% of Muslims today The Sufi believe in living
a simple life devoted to prayer and devotion
They are less focused on memorizing doctrine
Many Sufis also worked to help people in need
Sufis celebrate through meditation, a trancelike dance known as whirling dervishes, music, and literature
Discussion How are Sunni and Shi’a Muslims different?Take 1 minute to write your answer in the left
margin of your notesDoes anyone want to share their answer?
Crash Coursehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
TpcbfxtdoI8
Top Related