Download Understanding Islam

Understanding Islam
Denise Ozbudak
Boston Dialogue Foundation
05/20/04
"ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root
salaama peace, purity, submission and
obedience. In the religious sense, Islam
means submission to the will of God
Pillars of Islam
I. Witnessing (Shada) that Allah is One and Muhammad is
his Messenger.
II. Prayer
III. Fasting (Savm)
IV. Obligatory Charity (Zakah)
V. The Pilgrimage (Hajj)
The Article of faith
I. Belief in One God (Allah)
II. Belief in all Messengers of God (Jesus, Moses,
David,Muhammed)
II. Belief in Holy book
IV. Belief in Angels
V. Belief in Life after Death and the Day of
Judgment, Heaven and Hell
VI. Belief in Destiny (Qadaa and Qadr)
1- Belief in One God
• Allah is the Arabic name for God used by Muslims of the world as
well as Arab Christians.
• Say “ He is God, the One and Only;
God, the Eternal,
Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is
none like unto Him.”
(The Quran, Surah 112)
– Supreme
– Eternal
– Most Merciful
– Most Compassionate
– Creator
– None equal to Him
– He is God of all mankind
– He loves
– Most Generous
– The Provider
– The Unique
– Protector
– Knows every thing
– Hears every thing
– Sees every thing
– Most Forgiver
– Most Powerful
2- Belief in all Prophets of God
• SOME PROPHETS : Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Ishaq, Jacob
(Israel), Joseph, Benjamin, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Zakareya,
Jesus, Muhammad
•(peace be on them)
• Attributes Of Prophets
a) Sinless
b) Trustworhy
c) Righteous
d) Intellectual
3- Belief in all scriptures and revelations of God
• Original Old Testament (Torah)
• Original Psalm (Zabur)
• Original New testament (Injeel)
• Qur’an
Quran: The Holy Book
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Original intact as given by the Prophet in Arabic
23 Years of Revelations (610 - 632 C.E.)
114 Chapters; One Chapter, Multiple Revelations
Chapter (Surah) names
Historic Context matters
Verses Explain Verses
Commentary needed in the light of Arabic,
History, and Sunnah
5- Belief in Life after Death and the Day of Judgement, Heaven and Hell
• This world as we know it will come to an end, and the
dead will rise to stand for their final and fair trial.
Everything we do, say, make, intend and think are
accounted for and kept in accurate records. They are
brought up on the Day of Judgment.
4- Belief in Angels
• They are purely spiritual and splendid beings
created by God from Divine Light. They require no
food,drink or sleep. They have no physical desires
nor material needs. Angels spend their time in the
service of Allah.
6- Belief in Destiny (Qadaa and Qadr)
• A Muslim believes in Qadaa and Qadar which
relate to the ultimate power of Allah. Qadaa and
Qadar means the Timeless Knowledge of Allah and
His power to plan and execute His plans.
World Muslims
• 1.2 billion, Muslims represent between 19.2% and
22% of the world's population.
• One of every five humans in the world is a Muslim
• Second largest religion in the world
• Fastest growing including Europe and America
World Distribution of Muslims
Africa
308,660,000
27.4%
Asia
778,362,000
69.1%
Europe
32,032,000
2.8%
Latin America
1,356,000
0.1%
North America
5,530,000
0.5%
WORLD
1,126,325,000
100%
Source: Britannica Yearbook, 1997
American Muslims
• 6 million (The New York Times, Feb. 21, 1989)
• About 40% Afro-American
• Not all Muslims are Arabs, Not all Arabs are
Muslims
Status of Human Beings
• A Muslim believes that human beings enjoy an especially high
ranking status in the hierarchy of all known creatures
• Every person is born FREE FROM SIN
Salvation
• A Muslim believes that man must work out his
salvation through the guidance of God
• In order to obtain salvation, a person must combine
faith and action, belief and practice
• Allah does not hold any person responsible until he
has shown him the Right Way
• No one can act on behalf of another or intercede
between him and God
Saying Of Prophet Muhammed
"The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and
every person will get the reward according to what he
has intended.“
• Anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day
should not harm his neighbor, and anybody who
believes in Allah and the Last Day should entertain his
guest generously and anybody who believes in Allah
and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep
quiet. (i.e. abstain from all kinds of evil and dirty talk).
• The one who visits the sick is in fact like one who
is in the fruit garden of Paradise so long as he does
not return.
• "The strong is not the one who overcomes the
people by his strength, but the strong is the one who
controls himself while in anger.“
• "If any Muslim plants any plant and a human being
or an animal eats of it, he will be rewarded as if he
had given that much in charity."
Woman in Islam
•The right and duty to obtain education.
•The right to have their own independent property.
•The right to work to earn money if they need it or want it.
•The same injunctions and prohibitions of Islam equally
apply to both sexes.
The right to provisions from the husband for all her needs
and more.
•The right to negotiate marriage terms of her choice.
•The right to obtain divorce from her husband,
•The right to keep all her own money
•The right to get sexual satisfaction from her husband.
•The custody of their children after divorce
•The right to accept or reject a marriage proposal
free from pressure
•The right of inheritance and the right of individual
independent ownership unhampered by father,
husband, brother, son or anyone else.
•"Heaven is under the feet of mothers", is a basic
Islamic teaching.
•"The best of you are the kindest to their wives and
I am your best to mine",
•The women are not blamed for the exile of human
from heaven.
Islam’s approach to
other religions
Islam is the religion of all prophets. Muslims believe that
all the prophets were sent to their respective peoples from
God (Allah). They all had the same mission and message guiding people to the right path. The three revealed,
monotheistic religions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism,
go back to Abraham.
People of the book (Christian and Jews)
"Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish
(Scriptures), the Christians and the Sabians any who
believe In Allah and the last day, and work righteousness
shall have their reward with their Lord ;They will not be
overcome by fear nor grief [2,62]. "There is no compulsion
in religion 2:256
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says: "Whoever oppresses any
Dhimmi (non-Muslim citizen of the Muslim Country), I
shall be his prosecutor on the Day of Judgment."
Muslims Contribution To
Science
• Islam urges people to read and learn on every occasion.
The verses of the Qur'an command, advise, warn, and
encourage people to observe the phenomena of nature, the
succession of day and night, the movements of stars, the
sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies
• The Muslims invented the symbol for zero (The word
"cipher" comes from Arabic sifr), and they organized the
numbers into the decimal system - base 10. Additionally,
they invented the symbol to express an unknown quantity,
i.e. variables like x.
• Al-Khawarizmi, invented the subject of algebra (alJabr) Ibn Sina (d. 1037), better known to the West as
Avicenna, was perhaps the greatest physician until the
modern era. His famous book, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb,
remained a standard textbook even in Europe, for over
700 years.
• Many new stars were discovered, as we see in their
Arabic names - Algol, Deneb, Betelgeuse, Rigel,
Aldebaran.
Suleymaniye Mosque - Istanbul
For many Muslims, light is the symbol of divine unity. In Islamic architecture, light functions decoratively by modifying other elements or
by originating patterns. Light can add a dynamic quality to architecture, extending patterns, forms and designs into the dimensions of time.
And the combination of light and shade creates strong contrasts of planes and gives texture to sculpted stone.
Taj Mahal
Panoramic view of the Dome of the Rock
A window at Alhambra Palace, Granada
The Blue Mosque - Istanbul
The mystic ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes - Konya
Selimiye Mosque - Edirne
Halil Rahman Mosque - Urfa
Acknowledgements
• Alan Reynolds
• Salih Yucel