Download Islam Lesson 1 - Cathedral of Hope

Circles of Hope- Islam, Lesson One- written by Dan Peeler
Hagar, Ishmael and Islam, Lesson 1
Icebreaker: How far back has your family tree been traced? Tell a personal story
or family legend about the earliest relative you can recall.
Background- The Abrahamic Religion Franchise
The story of the slave girl and her son who started a nation begins with the
Genesis story of Abraham and Sarah, about 3,800 years ago. The couple had
been told by God that through their male heir, God would build a great nation.
But there was a problem. Sarah was 90 years old and unable to have children.
So, Sarah offered her servant girl, Hagar, as a substitute mother. (This was part
of the customs of those days.) Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.
But later, true to the promise of God, Sarah, too, gave birth to a son, Isaac. When
Ishmael was about 15, Sarah wanted to make sure that her son would have no
competition as Abraham’s heir and had Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael into
the desert, banned forever from the tribe. Their story didn’t end there, however.
God spoke to the servant girl and told her that her son would also be the founder
of great nations. Today, the Muslims trace their beginnings back to the tribe of
Ishmael.
Questions:
1. We are not sure about the dates of these stories because they are based
on word of mouth legends. No one can be sure if any of these people ever
actually existed. But the people who started the Hebrew and Muslim faiths
believed in them. Why is it so important to some people to trace their
family tree?
2. If this story had been real, describe how each of the characters might
have felt about the events described.
According to Islam’s holy book, the Qur’an, Ishmael’s descendants settled in the
place where the holy Islamic city of Mecca would someday be. His descendants,
flourishing in Arabia, became Muslims. According to the Book of Genesis, the
descendants of Isaac, remaining in Palestine, were Hebrew and became later
became known as Jews (named after the tribe of Judah.)
Questions:
1. Who was the supposed father of both nations?
2. To which nation does Christianity trace its roots?
Christianity happened about 1,900 years after the time of the Abraham. The first
century Jews who believed Jesus was their expected Jewish messiah became a
Jewish cult later known as Christians. (The gentiles [non-Jews] also became
followers very quickly.)
Years later, in Arabia into the sixth century, a boy was born named
Muhammad. His early life, full of much pain and suffering, is said to have
awakened a compassion for the poor and weak. Then the angel Gabriel (the
same angel who had visited Daniel and Mary) came to Muhammad and
opened his heart and filled it with light.
Question: In what other faiths do we hear about the light coming into the world?
(Jesus: I am the way, the truth and the light.) (Genesis: Let there be light.)
(Buddha Dharma is the Light of Deliverance) (The light is Lord Rama-Hindu.)
What does “the light” mean to you?
Islam, Judaism and Christianity share the roots and the history of the Tanakh, the
Hebrew Scriptures, but the story is not as simple as that:
• The Hebrew Scriptures end about 100 years before the birth of
Jesus and awaits for the coming of their messiah.
• Christianity’s New Testament is also honored as scripture by Islam,
but not by the Jews.
• As the youngest of all major world religions, Islam teaches:
o The Islamic Bible, the Qur’an, is the inerrant and
indisputable word of God Allah as a final revelation to
humankind (and in which Allah describes himself and makes
known his laws). Inclusive language does not exist in Islam.
Questions:
1. Some people have the same attitude about the Bible being without any
errors. What do you think of this?
2. Even though all these religions mentioned are from the same roots, many
of their followers have been deadly enemies for thousands of years. Why?
What makes brothers and sisters fight? (Talk about wars happening when
any group believes it has all the answers; God’s final word.)
Ishmael’s Descendant Muhammad’s Contribution:
Although Muhammad’s life in the desert was as difficult as it would have been for
Ishmael, Muhammad found love with his wife, Khadija, and continued to open his
heart to the universe, often retreating in solitude to consider the mysteries of life.
It was during one of these retreats when, much like Buddha under the Bo tree, or
Jesus at his baptism, Muhammad is said to have received a life changing
glimpse into God’s understanding. Hearing the voice of God calling, Muhammad
dedicated the rest of his life in service to the Supreme Being, Allah. Over a
period of twenty-three years, God (through Gabriel) regularly gave to him the
words of Qur’an (Koran, or “recitation”), which he wrote down and preserved.
Question:
1. The Koran was received and written down by one person. How many
people wrote the Bible? (Many people; priests, prophets, poets,
storytellers; we don’t know how many.)
2. What do you think about the Bible or Qur’an being dictated by God or an
angel?
The Four Concepts of Islam about God:
1. God. One God, all powerful; this God (Allah) is peaceful, merciful and loving
and allows free choice. Islam believes that this God has none of the human
emotions of the God of Judaism. Therefore, the human Jesus is believed to be a
wise and honored prophet, not God in human form.
2. Creation. Creation is the act of Allah’s will. Because the physical world is a
perfect creation, Islam values science as a way to understand the world around
us.
3. The Human Self (Fitra). Muslims do not believe in the idea of “original sin,”
but believe humanity has been created as good. Sin is called “Ghalfa” –
forgetting one has been created by Allah. There are two obligations for the
Muslim soul:
• Gratitude for life received.
• Surrender (commitment to Allah).
Muslims believe each soul is unique—with the freedom to make moral and
spiritual decisions. Once created, the human soul lasts forever.
4. Judgment Day (Reckoning). On Judgment day, the Prophet Jesus Christ
will return to pass judgment on human kind, sending souls to heaven or hell
depending on how well a person has obeyed the commands.
Questions: Read the list again and:
1. Compare each of these concepts to Christian beliefs.
2. How are they alike and how are they different?
Next time: Islam’s Commandments.
Closing: Muslim Prayer for Peace:
The Lord is the one that
hears and knows all things.
And of the servants of God,
Most gracious are those who walk on
the Earth in humility, and when we
greet them, we say “PEACE.”