IslamMeans submission to Allah

Started in Saudi Arabia

Definition: the monotheistic religion of the Muslims

Islam

• Means: “peace through submission to the will of Allah”

• Those who follow Islam are called Muslim – “one who submits”

People of the Arabian Peninsula

• Nomads: no settled home• Knowledge of desert, good guides for

traders• Mecca: Important trading center• Goods traded: perfume, spices,

incense, cloth, elephant tusks and gold

Muhammad the Prophet

• Allah spoke to him through an angel and Mohamed experienced a revelation.

• Muhammed recited “inspired” words• Recognized Moses and Jesus as

prophets• Muhammad is from Mecca. Traveled

to Medina to speak of his message.

More on Muhammad

• Followers to Medina: called hijra. The year is 622. This is the first year on the Muslim calendar.

• Although Muhammad is the leader, he is NOT divine

• Images of Muhammad are forbidden

The Quran

• Final revelations of Allah given to Muhammad

• Muhammad’s revelations make up the Quran

• contains ethical guidelines

Teachings of the Quran

• Only one God, Allah, and Muhammad was his prophet

• Allah is omnipotent• Those who followed

Allah’s commands would be rewarded, those who did not punished

The Kaaba

• Abraham and Ishmael built Kaaba (house of worship)

• cornerstone sacred- Black Stone

• supreme god Allah along with the tribal gods

Muslims, Mosques, Minarets

View on Christianity

• View Christians and Jews as people of the book

• Recognize prophets. See Jesus as prophet. Muhammad was last prophet

Important Facts

• Monotheistic• Don’t see Jesus as Savior, but as a prophet• Holy Book- Quran

Hilal e Ehmer

The five pillars of Islam

– Follow the Five Pillars to Islam and you will go to heaven• Proclamation of

Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Pilgrimage, Alms

1. Proclamation of Faith

• Must affirm faith in 1 god- Allah and Muhammad is his last prophet

• last in long line of human prophets

• not a new religion but revival of true word that God revealed to Abraham and others

2. Prayer

• Pray 5 times a day at intervals from dawn to sunset

• face Kaaba and bow in submission

• Friday is day of communal worship

• Gather at noon in mosques

3. Fasting

• Fast from dawn to dusk during month of Ramadan

• This is month that Muhammad received revelation

• time of atonement and reminder

4. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)

• Make pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime

• Reminder to Muslims of their shared faith

• keep pilgrimage route safe

5. Alms

• Annual wealth tax that Muslims must pay

• developed in practice to 2.5% of wealth and assets

Divisions based on succession

Muhammad never named a successor

There is a division of Muslims based on who should be Muhammad’s successor

Sunni Muslims

• Sunni: accept the best person

• caliphs are mortals with no divine powers

• No man should interpret God’s message

• Most Muslims: 85%

Shia Muslims

• Only accept descendents of Muhammad as true rulers of Islam

• Divine inspiration passed down from caliph to caliph

• Explain messages from God

• Most Muslims in the Middle East are Sunni, Majority in Iran /Iraq are Shia

• Spread of Islam beyond Middle East to Africa, Asia, Europe and US