Islam Origins
Shares common history with Christianity and Judaism up until the time
of Abraham
Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad is a descendant of Ishmael,
the son Abraham banished Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad are all
considered to be prophets who attempted to reveal Allah's will to mankind
Only the Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE) is considered to have achieved
the definitive collection of revelations the Quran embodies He was born in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
He is said to have first communicated with the angel Gabriel at the age
of forty
Increasing problems with authorities in Mecca resulted
in his decision to leave, and he was invited to become the governor of Medina
in 622 CE, whereupon he converted the population to Islam
He formed an army and conquered many neighboring
communities
With military and diplomatic pressure, he succeeded in
securing Meccan submission and returned to Mecca in 630 CE
Eventually, he unified the Arab tribes under a theocracy
(governed by the will of Allah)
At the time of his death, he was the political and
religious authority throughout Arabia
Major Denominations
Sunni Islam
Believe religious authority is vested only in traditional
interpretations o the Quran
Accept that the rightful successor to Muhammad was the
Caliph, Abu Bakr
Shi'ite Islam
Believe that since the death of Muhammad, a number of
divinely inspired Iman have had the religious authority to give guidance
regarding Islamic practices
Believe that Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, should rightfully
have been the first Caliph, and after his assassination they followed his sons
Important Writings
The Hadith
A collection of the stories and sayings of Muhammad
Exemplifies proper behavior of a good Muslim
The Shariah
Islamic religious law
Scriptures
The Quran (Koran)
Arabic word for "recitation" It represents
the recitations Muhammad is said to have received from the angel Gabriel
Beliefs
There is no other god but Allah
Allah is both omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient
(all knowing)
Angels exist and act as the messengers of Allah
The Jinn, including Iblis (Satan), are creatures created
from fire with whom we share our earthly plane of existence
They are capable of both good and evil
The Quran contains Allah's complete and definitive
revelations for humanity
The prophets, of whom Muhammad is the last, have all been
chosen by Allah to attempt to deliver his revelations to humanity Every
person is born free from sin and is gifted with the intellect and the
spiritual potential necessary to submit to Allah, and
to live a life of worship
There will be a Judgment Day when the dead will be
resurrected and judged by Allah and Heaven and Earth will be transformed into
Paradise and Hell
Those who have submitted to the will of Allah will be
rewarded with eternal life in Paradise
Those who have rebelled will be eternally punished in Hell
The Five Pillars of Islam are religious duties that must be performed by
every Muslim
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
Muslims must recite the Shahadah; "There is no god
but Allah" and "Muhammad is his Prophet"
Salat (Prayers)
Muslims must pray five times daily: at dawn, at noon, in
mid-afternoon, after sunset, and in the late evening Siyah (Fasting)
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Muslims must abstain
from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from sunrise to sunset of each day
Zakah (Almsgiving)
A proportion of each Muslim's yearly earnings must be
given to the poor
It serves to purify the wealth of the giver
Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Every Muslim capable of journeying to Mecca must do so at
least once within his lifetime
Important Religious Ceremonies
Call to Prayer at birth
Circumcision
Marriage
Recitation of the Shahada before death
An Introduction to Islam
Read pp 68-69 and fill in the blanks with the appropriate words.
Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a worldwide religion covering every
continent and every _______________ of people. While Christianity is the largest
religion in the world, Islam is not far behind as the _______________ largest.
Islam came one the world scene in the ________ century with the preaching of the
Arab prophet ____________________, meaning "one who submits to the will of
God."
Islam is a monotheistic religion. In fact, Muslims are so adamant about the
oneness of God that some are uncomfortable celebrating the birthday of Muhammad
because it may take focus __________ from God. Allah, means
_____________________. Allah does not force anyone to submit to his will because
all of creation is inherently Muslim. Muslims insist that submitting to God is
not a ______________, _________________________; it is a surrendering to the
________________________, all-merciful Allah where __________________________
lies.
Because all creation is Muslim at birth, adherents to Islam ________
_______________________ Muhammad as the founder of Islam. According to Muslims,
Islam has always been; it is a _________________ religion. Muhammad himself was
both a ______________ leader and a __________________ leader.
Allah is at the __________________ of all Islamic life __________________,
_________________, ____________________, ____________________,
____________________, and ________________________.
Islam
- Introductory Points
Islam is the second largest religion in the world.
Islam is also the fastest growing religious tradition in the world.
Islam came on the world scene in the 7th century.
Those people who follow this tradition are called Muslims, which means
"one who submits to the will of God".
Islam is a monotheistic religion because they only believe in one God.
Muslims believe that all of life is sacred therefore there should be no
separation between the secular and the sacred.
Crescent Moon: Symbol of Islam?
The crescent moon and star is an internationally-recognized symbol of the
faith of Islam. The symbol is featured on the flags of several Muslim
countries, and is even part of the official emblem for the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Christians
have the cross, the Jews have the Star of David, and the Muslims have the
crescent moon, right?
What is the history behind the crescent moon symbol? What does it
symbolize or mean? How and when did it become associated with the
faith of Islam? Is it a valid symbol for the faith?
The crescent moon and star symbol actually pre-dates Islam by several
thousand years. Information on the origins of the symbol are difficult
to ascertain, but most sources agree that these ancient celestial symbols
were in use by the peoples of Central Asia and Siberia in their worship of
sun, moon, and sky gods. There are also reports that the crescent moon
and star were used to represent the Carthaginian goddess Tanit or the Greek
goddess Diana.
The city of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and Istanbul)
adopted the crescent moon symbol. According to some reports, they
chose it in honor of the goddess Diana. Others indicate that it dates
back to a battle in which the Romans defeated the Goths on the first day of
a lunar month. In any event, the crescent moon was featured on the
city's flag even before the birth of Christ.
The early Muslim community did not really have a symbol. During the
time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islamic armies and
caravans flew simple solid-colored flags (generally black, green, or white)
for identification purposes. In later generations, the Muslim leaders
continued to use a simple black, white, or green flag with no markings,
writing, or symbolism on it.
It wasn't until the Ottoman Empire that the crescent moon and star became
affiliated with the Muslim world. When the Turks conquered
Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, they adopted the city's existing flag and
symbol. Legend holds that the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman,
had a dream in which the crescent moon stretched from one end of the earth
to the other. Taking this as a good omen, he chose to keep the
crescent and make it the symbol of his dynasty. There is speculation
that the five points on the star represent the five pillars of Islam, but
this is pure conjecture. The five points were not standard on the
Ottoman flags, and as you will see on the following page, it is still not
standard on flags used in the Muslim world today.
For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire ruled over the Muslim
world. After centuries of battle with Christian Europe, it is
understandable how the symbols of this empire became linked in people's
minds with the faith of Islam as a whole.
Based on this history, many Muslims reject using the crescent moon as a
symbol of Islam. The faith of Islam has historically had no symbol,
and many refuse to accept what is essentially an ancient pagan icon.
It is certainly not in uniform use among Muslims.
Five Pillars
The following are the Five Pillars or Duties of Islam. Describe in detain
five pillars in your religion which correspond to each of these.
First Pillar: Recitation
of Creed There is no God but Allah, and
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.
Second Pillar: Prayer - Muslims pray five times daily
(dawn, noon, mid
afternoon, sunset, and total darkness).
Third Pillar: Fasting Muslims fast from sunrise
until sunset during the
month of Ramadan
Fourth Pillar: Almsgiving - 2.5 percent of ones
income goes to the poor.
Fifth Pillar: Pilgrimage All healthy Muslims must
make a pilgrimage to
Mecca, the sacred city of Islam.
