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Islam
The Prophet Muhammad, c. 570 – 632
 Received revelations of God’s word
from the Angel Gabriel between 610
and his death
 Words repeated to others
 Written down shortly after
his death as the Koran
(Qur’an)
 Chosen as the “final
prophet”
 Not new revelations
 Accepted Jewish and
Christian prophets (Abraham,
Moses, Jesus, etc.)
 Islam (submission to God)
Timeline of Early Islam
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570—Muhammad born
610—receives his first revelation
622—Hijrah (escape) to Medina
630—Muhammad re-enters Mecca
632—Death of the Prophet
632 – 680—The First Five (“Rightly Guided”)
Caliphs
Five Pillars of Islam
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Shahadah – testimony of faith
Salah – Prayer five times a day
Zakah – Charity
Sawm – Fasting during Ramadan
Hajj - Pilgrimage
Six Fundamental Beliefs of Islam
• A single, indivisible God. “Allah” is Arabic for God
• Angels
• Divine scriptures – Torah, Psalms, Bible, Qu’ran;
“people of the book”
• Messengers of God – Adam, Noah, Abraham,
Moses, David, Jesus, Mohammad (Again –
Muhammad’s message is final universal one for
humanity)
• Day of Judgement
• Supremacy of God’s will
Islam by 750
The Sunni/Shi’a Split
 Shia’s do not recognize the 1st three caliphs
 Ali (4th and cousin of Muhammad) is seen as
legitimate
 Shia’s argue that all caliphs must come from
lineage of The Prophet
 Shi’a imams are not just prayer leaders; they
are the political and spiritual authorities,
much like the Prophet
 Some minor differences in rituals
 Today’s world: 85% Sunni
 Iran (90%), Iraq, Bahrain are majority Shi’a
Shari’ah
• “Islamic Law”
– System of civil laws based on the Qur’an and Islam
– The Qur’an is as much a social and political as
religious guide
• Purpose of the State
– To preserve and expand Islam
– To provide for justice for the masses of subjects
• Fully a component of Shari’ah
• Applied to non-Muslims as well
Tolerance
• Minority Groups
– Explicit acceptance of “People of the Book”
– Historical tolerance (Mughal and Ottoman
Empires
• Not all of Shar’iah applied to non-Muslims
• Jizya tax, but large degree of self-rule
• Ancient Scholarship
– “House of Wisdom” in Baghdad
– Kept alive the scholarship of Greco-Romans
Islam Nuts ‘n’ Bolts
• From the Hijra (escape) in 622 C. E.
• Worldwide population of 1.3 billion
– 85% Sunni; 15% Shi’a
– Sufis (mystical, direct contact with the Holy) within
both major sects
• Population Centers:
– Indonesia: 220 million
– South Asia (Subcontinent) 450 million
– Arab countries: 400 million
– United States: 2-4 Million
Islamic Holy Days and Celebrations
• Al-hijra/Muharram – Muslim New Year, the beginning
of the first lunar month
• ‘Ashura – recalls event c. 680 CE in Iraq, martyrdom of
~70 individuals who refused to submit to authority of
the Caliph, one of martyrs was Imam Husein, youngest
grandson of Muhammad
• Ramadan – holiest period in the Islamic year; during 9th
lunar month; month in which Quran was revealed to
Muhammad, fast sunup to sundown
• Id al-Fitr (a.k.a. “Id”) first day of 10th lunar month—i.e.
Day after Ramadan. Rejoicing, gift giving, house
decorating
Islamic Holy Days and Celebrations
• Id al-Adha (a.k.a. the Feast of Sacrifice or Day
of Sacrifice) during 12th month of Islamic year
during the season of the Hajj. It recalls the day
when Abraham intended to follow the
instructions of God, and sacrifice his son
Ishmael. (Muslims believe that Abraham was
prepared to sacrifice his elder son Ishmael;
Judeo-Christians believe that Isaac was
involved in the near sacrifice)