Last Word: Chapter 26.1 Reading Guide due Wed.; QR reader

FrontPage: What comes to mind when you hear the word, “Islam”?

Spice up Goodwill paintings by adding monsters

The Beliefs and Teachings of…

Historical Background to Islam Pre-Islamic Arabia –

Home to nomadic herders, small towns (Mecca and Yathrib) Each tribe had own god, worshipped at the Kaaba in Mecca

Mohammed born in Mecca around 570 CE (AD) Became an orphan, raised by his uncle; married Khadija

Revelation of Mohammed in cave outside Mecca (around 610) Begins preaching; few people listen at first; eventually more

begin to follow and this angers local leaders The “Hejira”

In 622 Forced to flee to Yathrib (Medina) Year 1 of the Muslim calendar

Builds a following in Medina; returns to Mecca and conquers the city in 630 At the time of his death in 632, Islam had become the

dominant religion across the Arabian peninsula

Major Beliefs of Islam

The BasicsHoly BooksThe “5 Pillars”

The Basics Islam means “submission” or “surrender”, to God Muslims believe in only one God;

Named “Allah”

“Same” God as the Christians and Jews For this reason, Mohammed gave them a special,

protected status Called them “People of the Book” because of their

similar beliefs

**But also believe in angels, demons, life after death

Muhammed Considered a direct

descendent of Abraham, original leader of the Hebrews

Muslims believe he received divine revelations for 23 years after 610CE

Muslims also believe he is the last prophet Moses, Jesus, Abraham,

others

Holy Books The Koran (Quran, Q’ran)

The “holy book” of Islam Contains the word of God as spoken

through Mohammed Contains 114 suras, or chapters Most parts are commandments or

warnings, with very few stories Hadiths (a.k.a. “Sunna”) – collections

of the sayings and actions of Mohammed Used to bring clarification to certain ideas

5 Pillars of Islam Muslims are required to follow these 5

“pillars” (activities which are central to Islam)

Shahadah (“witnessing”) Salat (“prayer”) Zakat (“charity”) Sawm (“fasting”) Hajj (“pilgrimage”)

Shahadah (“witnessing”) Muslims are required to recite the

following: "I bear witness that there is no God

other than Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammed is His messenger."

(“Ashadu alla ilaha illa Allah, wa ashadu anna Muhammed ar-rasool Allah“.)

**Most Muslims recite this daily; required simply to recite once in a lifetime

Salat (“prayer”)

5 times a day, Muslims are required to face the Kaaba (Mecca) and pray  Before sunrise (Fajr), after the noon hour

(Zuhr), mid-afternoon (Asr), after sunset (Magrib) and night (Isha)

Involves several steps/procedures Wuudu – cleansing before the prayer Reciting your intentions, bowing, standing

The Mosque Islamic house of worship No set design; must

contain certain parts Mihrab – indicates the

direction of Mecca Must have a roofed area

in front of the mihrab Usually have minarets

Towers where the muezzincall Muslims to pray

The prayer call is named “athan” or “adhan”

                                                  

         

Charity (“zakat”)

Also called “alms-giving”

Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their yearly savings Muslims must have a

certain amount to be able to give

Fasting (“sawm”) During the lunar month of Ramadan

Believed to be the month when Gabriel appeared to Mohammed

Dawn to sunset fast for 29/30 days (no food or drink)

Required for all Muslims above the age of 13 (girls) and 14 (boys) Exemptions for aged, sick and pregnant

women

Fasting - Benefits Piety: Help believers to become more

holy and increases their faith. Learn self-control:

Helpful to control bad habits like smoking, excessive eating

Experience/sympathize with the pain of poor starving people.

Feel the weakness of one’s body and the continuous need for God’s support.

Hajj (Pilgrimage) Pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime

for able Muslims About 2-3 million Muslims perform Hajj

each year from all over the world. Perform acts related to historical events

in the history of Islam

Limits have been placed on how many people can enter Saudi Arabia for the hajj

The Kabaa (“the cube”) Most sacred site in all of Islam

Muslims must face it during prayer no matter where they are

Located inside of the most sacred mosque in all of Islam – Haram mosque Built first by Abraham

Essentially a large stone building with a marble floor

Inside the Kabaa

The Hajj

Jihad - A Sixth Pillar of Islam?

Some Muslims consider jihad, (“struggle”) to be a sixth pillar of Islam There are actually several different types of jihad

Personal – “inner struggle” to cleanse the spirit of sin

Verbal – to strive for justice with right speech and non-violent actions

Physical – use of force in defense of Islam

**This last type of jihad has been the source of much controversy…

Review:

What happened after Mohammed built a following in Medina?

What is one basic belief of Islam? What is the holy book in Islam called? What are the 5 Pillars of Islam? Which Muslim belief is considered by

some to be a 6th pillar of Islam?