Religion InteractionCoach Grgurich

Unit 4B

Text: The Qur’an

The Qur'an is the central text in Islam, making it the holy book of the religion. Muslims believe it is the literal word of God in Arabic, reveled to mankind through the prophet Muhammad. Parts of the Qur'an are memorized to perform daily prayers. Because the Qur'an is considered to be God's words, Muslims are very respectful of the book and how it is handled. Before touching the Qur'an, a ritual cleaning with water, called wudu, must occur. The Qur'an is a focus of Muslim devotion and is treated as a sacred object in Muslim homes.

Sunnah

Sunnah is the ways and deeds of Muhammad during his ministry. It is the second source of Islamic law after the Qur'an. The Sunnah gives directions on rituals and worship based on how Muhammad performed the rituals and worship.

Five Pillars

The core of Islam is the Five Pillars. The Five Pillars are the most important acts of Muslims, which they perform faithfully to please Allah:

Belief in Allah and his prophet Muhammad

Prayer five times a day

Fasting (going without food and water during Ramadan)

Pilgrimage to Mecca

Giving charity to the needy

Six Articles of Belief

Islam also has Six Articles of Belief. These are the main tenets, or beliefs, that someone must believe to be a Muslim. They are:

Belief in God, the only one worthy to be worshipped

Belief in angels

Belief in the books sent by God, including the Quran

Belief in the prophets

Belief in life after death

Belief in fate

Similarities to Judaism and Christianity

Muslims believe that Muhammad was not the only prophet who received revelations from God. They also believe in the prophets Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, and Jesus, as do the Jewish and Christian faiths. They believe that parts of the Christian gospels, the Torah, and other Jewish prophetic books have been forgotten, edited, or misinterpreted by their followers. They view the Qur'an as a correction of those scriptures and the final revelation of God. They also see Abraham as a common root between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

Sects of Islam

There are many sects of Islam, but the two main groups are Sunni Islam and Shi'a Islam. The two groups differ in some understandings of Muslim beliefs, but the separation between them began after the death of Muhammad. The Sunni and Shi'a groups did not agree on who should be the leader of Islam after Muhammad, and the disagreement still exists today.

Sunni Muslims

Sunni Muslims believe the leader of the Muslim nation should be elected by the community. Sunni Muslims refer to many oral traditions in which Muhammad is said to have suggested elections as a way of making decisions in the Muslim community. Muhammad did not appoint a successor, so the Muslim community chose Abu Bakr, a close friend and adviser of Muhammad, as the new leader.

Shi’a Muslims

Shi'a Muslims believe the leader of the Muslim nation should have been a direct descendant of Muhammad. Shi'a Muslims do not recognize the authority of Muslim leaders that were elected or chosen to lead. Instead, Shi'a Muslims believe that there were twelve leaders of the Muslim community who were direct descendants of Muhammad.

Caliphate

As Islam spread from the Arabian Peninsula to Iraq, Persia, North Africa, and Spain, the Islamic State known as the caliphate was formed. Under the Islamic State, there was no separation between religion and politics. The Islamic State was led by a caliph who was the successor of Muhammad. The caliph was both a political and spiritual leader. Islamic law was based on the Qur'an and the Hadith, the sayings of Mohammad, which are known as the shari'ah.

Expansion of Muslim Rule

By the time of Muhammad's death in 632 A.D., Islam had spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula. By 750, Islam had spread to Iraq, Persia, North Africa, and Spain. Muslim caliphates controlled most of these areas.

The Ottoman Empire was an Islamic power during the Middle Ages. During this time, it stretched from Turkey and parts of the Middle East to southeastern Europe. The Ottoman Turks continued to expand into Europe until they were stopped at the Siege of Vienna in 1529.

Spread of Muslim Culture

Through trade and the Muslim conquests, the religion of Islam was spread. Religious practices of Muslims are included in this spread of culture.

Because the Quran was only written in Arabic, language was one aspect of Islam that was spread along with religious practices.

Literature was also spread - stories from the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey traveled throughout the Mediterranean.