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Islam
 Islam = a state of peace achieved through
surrender to God/Allah.
 Muslim = one who has achieved this state.
Qur’an
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Qur’an = Quran = Koran
Muslim Scripture
Last and complete revelation of God’s will.
Words of God dictated to Muhammad by an
angel.
 Any translation is no longer “Koran”
 114 chapters (surahs)
Origins
 Muslims believe Islam has always existed,
that God has provided a true path for
humans since the beginning of time.
 There has never been a people who did not
have a prophet who spoke to them in their
own language.
Pre-Islamic Arabia
 Bedouin Arabs, nomadic tribes
 Animists: believed in a number of spirits,
powers and demons. Spirits associated with
rocks, trees, springs especially important.
 The Kaaba was already an important
religious focal point. Many clans had
different shrines to their own gods in
Mecca.
Transition to Monotheism
 Influence from Semitic peoples introducing
deities associated with heavenly bodies.
 Allah was a superior deity, but with vague
function.
 Arabs already practiced many “Islamic”
traditions and duties.
Prophets
(rasul)
 Abraham: epitomized condition of
obedience to the divine will.
 Moses, David, Jesus: especially sacred
because of revelations of the divine in texts
associated with them.
 Muhammad: functioned to renew and
restore guidance given by those before him.
Muhammad the Man
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Born circa 570-580 CE
Member of Quraysh tribe
Merchant known for integrity and justice
Married to Khadijah, with no sons
Moved to Medina in 622 CE to help resolve
issues between tribes
 Died 632 CE
Muhammed the Prophet
 At age 40 (610 CE) began to receive verses
of the Quran in a cave above Mecca.
 Continued “receiving” the Quran over the
course of 22 years.
 623 CE entered Mecca and returned Kaaba
to the worship of one God
 At time of his death, Islam provided unity to
tribes of Arabs that had traditionally fought.
Kaaba/Mecca
 Muslims believe the Kaaba is a stone placed on its site (in
Mecca) by Abraham as an altar to worship God.
Expansion of Islam
First 4 Caliphs
 A successor or representative.
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Abu Bakr
Umar ibn ulKhattab
Uthman
Ali ibn Abi Talib
Sunni’ism
 Largest group within Islam
 Majority of Islamic populations in most
nations except Iraq and Iran
 Historically, acknowledged first four caliphs
as leaders of Muslim community
 “sunna” = “the path”
 Refers to exemplary practices, customs, and
traditions of Muhammed written in the Hadith.
Shi’ism
“Part of Ali”
 Historically, recognized Ali, son-in-law of
Muhammad, and Imams as the legitimate
leaders of Muslim community
 Imams = Muhammad’s direct family
members and descendents
 Today led by ayatollahs who represent the
Imams
 Druze and Bahai were Shi’a, are now
independent
Iraq Ethnic and Religious Groups
 Sunni groups largely
in the North.
 Shi’a groups largely in
the South.
 Within their religion,
Shi’a reject the idea of
leadership by election,
believe in divine right
of leadership.
Islamic Law
 Fiqh = human efforts to understand and
translate will of God into rules.
 Shariah = the pathway in which people
should walk to please God.
 Religion provides guidance for life above
all else.
 i.e. Right ways of acting.
Shariah, All human action:
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Fard: obligatory
Mandub: recommended
Mubah: neutral, neither good nor bad
Makruh: subject to punishment
Haram: forbidden
 Duties owed to both God and people.
5 Pillars
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Confession of Faith
Worship
Wealth Sharing
Fasting
Pilgrimage
Shahadah
 Declaration of faith
 “There is no God but Allah, and
Muhammad is his prophet.”
Salat
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Worship
Formalized prayer
Recited 5 times a day at given intervals
Done facing Kaaba (Mecca)
Preceded by ablutions
Zakat
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“sweetening”
Wealth sharing
All wealth belongs to God
Moral considerations in wealth gathering
Institutionalized charity:
 Levy, not just a recommended tithe or voluntary
donation.
Siyam
 Fasting
 Ritual from dawn to sunset during month of
Ramadan (9th month of lunar year
according to Muslim calendar)
 Time for spiritual stock-taking
 Self discipline
Hajj
 Pilgrimage
 Only a duty for those who have the wealth,
have paid the Zakat, an can provide for their
dependents during absence.
 Journey to Mecca to worship, meet the
Creator, and pay respects to the Prophet.
Understanding Osama
 The four primary
ethnic groups in
Afghanistan are the
Pashtuns, the Hazara,
the Uzbeks, and the
Tajiks. The Pashtuns
are Sunni Muslims.
Do This:
 Write an essay comparing “Male and
Female in Islamic Perspective” (Eastman
pp. 435-444) with the gender relationships
portrayed in Osama. What similarities and
differences do you see between Islamic
philosophy and Taliban rule?