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ISLAM – SOME BASICS
Islam – submission
Muslim – one who submits
*Allah – ‘al’ = the
‘lah’ = god
*This god is the same God of
Christians and Jews
Mecca – most holy city
Kaaba – most holy shrine believed
built by Abraham, located in Mecca
Quran – the holy book of Islam,
ORIGINS
The Arabian Peninsula – 610 C.E.
(polytheistic traditions)
1. Muhammad (b. 570 – d. 632 C.E.)
2. The Revelation (610 C.E.)
3. Hirja – The Flight (622 C.E.)
Qur’an – literally ‘the recitation’
• believed a written record of the words revealed to Muhammad
by Allah (the God)
• recorded in Arabic – to completely understand one needs to
know Arabic
• believed to be the last word of God to people until the final
day of judgement
• used as a complete guide to life
- settle disputes
- guidance
issuing penalties
CALIPH = ‘SUCCESSOR’
SUNNI
SHIAH (Shiite)
- caliph can be any good Muslim
- caliph must be blood
- 90% of Muslims
relation to Muhammad
- some wearing of Western style
- 10% of Muslim
clothing
- many fundamentalists
- leader title ‘Ayatollah’
Hijab – literally ‘cover’
Jihad – literally ‘the struggle or striving’
• traditionally refers to one’s inner striving to rid self of evil and
live in accordance to God’ will
• the inner striving or struggle must expand beyond the
isolated self to the community at large
• can be interpreted to mean it is one’s duty to work to rid word of
evil/negative/wrong.
TECHNICALLY NOT ‘HOLY WAR’!