Download Islam - University of Mount Union

Islam
The Will of Allah
Meanings
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Allah is God
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Islam means submission
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Muslim is one who submits
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The Qur’an is the Sacred Text
Muhammad
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The Prophet who spread Islam
Was born in 570 CE in Mecca
His father died when he was very
young and his mother died soon after
He went to live with his grandfather
who died two years later
He then lived with his uncle Abu Talib
The Life of Muhammad
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He worked as a caravan driver for a
widow whom he later married
Influenced by Judaism and
Christianity
While meditating the angel Gabriel
appeared to him
He was commanded to recite what
later became known as the Qur’an
One of Many
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Muhammad is one of many
prophets
Moses, Isaiah, Elijah, Ezekiel,
Jesus, etc.
Descendents
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“Seed” of Abraham
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Ishmael was sacrificed
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People of Allah
The Five Pillars of Islam
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Creed - Shahadah
Prayer - Salat
Charity to the Poor - Zakat
Fasting during Ramadan
Pilgrimage to Mecca - Hajj
The First Pillar
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Creed - Shahadah - There is only
one God Allah and Muhammad
is his Prophet
• reciting this with belief makes one
a Muslim.
• it is simple.
• it emphasizes the unity of God.
The Second Pillar
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Prayer - Salat - Five daily
prayers facing the Holy City of
Mecca
• one prays before dawn, midday,
midafternoon, sunset and at night.
• Ritual cleansing is involved.
• times for prayer are announced by
a muezzin who calls out from the
top of a tower called a minaret.
Prayer
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When there is a prayer group one acts
as the leader.
Passages from the Qur’an are recited.
Friday is the public day of prayer
usually in the midafternoon. Men are
at the mosque and women are at
home.
• The Friday public prayer usually includes
a sermon.
The Third Pillar
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Giving of Alms - Zakat - One
gives 2.5 percent of one’s total
income to the poor usually
dispensed by the government.
A Muslim is also expected to
perform acts of charity as part
of one’s everyday life.
The Fourth Pillar
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Fasting during Ramadan
• One abstains from eating during the
daylight hours for a whole month.
• One also avoids liquid, tobacco and sex
from dusk until dawn.
Ramadan
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Purpose
• discipline
• develop sympathy for the poor
• give to others what you would have eaten
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It is the ninth month of the Muslim
calendar (lunar) cycle
It is the time during which Muhammad
received his revelations.
The Fifth Pillar
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Pilgrimage to the Holy City of
Mecca - Hajj
It is a religious journey by a
believer.
All Muslims, unless not able due
to sickness and poverty, are
expected to make the journey.
Only Muslims may visit the city.
The Pilgrimage
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The greater pilgrimage is made during
a special month dhu’l-Hijjah
The lesser pilgrimage is made during
other times of the year.
There is ritual and purification
involved.
• Uniformed clothing, special prayers, and
refraining from sex, violence and hunting.
The Ka’ba
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It is located in the center of the Great
Mosque of Mecca.
It is approximately 50’ high and 40’ wide
and covered with a black cloth.
The inside is empty and is ritually purified.
The Black Stone which is believed to be a
meteorite is embedded in one of the walls.
The Holy Qur’an
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The Qur’an (Koran) is believed to be
from Allah and was revealed to
Muhammad over a twenty year period.
The word Qur’an means recitation.
Muhammad’s followers wrote down
his revelations.
Only the Arabic version is considered
authoritative.
The Qur’an
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It is made up of 114 suras (chapters) and
each one has a name.
It contains teachings about life and
regulations about many things.
It has affected Islamic art.
Some handwritten copies of the Qur’an are
artwork themselves.
Passages from the Qur’an can be found on
buildings.
Islamic Law
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Islamic Law is called Sharia.
It guides the believer in every phase of his
or her life.
Traditional Islam does not separate religion
from secular; this is problematic in many
Islamic countries.
Traditional Islam is theocratic--that is it is
the “rule of God.”
Additional Islamic Practices
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Dietary - The Qur’an forbids the eating of
pork or the drinking of wine. The
prohibition on wine includes all alcohol.
Usury and Gambling - Charging interest on
loans is not allowed nor is gambling
allowed.
Circumcision - All males are to be
circumcised. Probably following the
practice of Abraham. Some Muslim
countries practice female circumcision.