Download Introduction to Islam (1)

WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE MAIN FEATURES
OF ISLAM?
Hywel Bennett
Introduction
• My name is Hywel Bennett,
and I am delighted to meet you
all
• Today I will be completing an
introductory lesson on Islam
Learning Objectives
1)Learning about some of the main features of the Islamic religion
2)Discovering some of the key words of this topic
3)Working with others, discussion work and showing
understanding through the preparation of a list of questions to
ask a Muslim
Starter
• Work with a partner to make a
list of areas to include in a
possible exhibition on World
Religions
• Which areas will you include?
Islam Today
•
•
•
•
The word Islam means submission to the will of
God
Islam is the second largest religion in the world
with over 1 billion followers
People who follow the faith of Islam are called
Muslims
1,591,000 Muslims in the UK which is around
2.7% of the population
• Muslims believe there is only one God
(MONOTHEISM)
• ALLAH is the Arabic name for God
• Muslims believe that Allah had special
messengers or prophets, these were
ABRAHAM, MOSES, JESUS and
MUHAMMAD
• When Muslims say the names of the
prophets they say ‘Peace be upon him’
afterwards
• Allah created the earth and everything on it
in 7 days
The QUR’AN
• The Qur’an is the holy book for Muslims
• Muslims believe it was revealed by Allah to the
prophet and it was the direct word of Allah
• The Qur’an was originally written in Arabic but
is now translated in over 40 languages
• There are 114 chapters in the Qur’an
• Muslims are taught to learn and recite the Qur’an
in Arabic
• Anyone who knows the Qur’an off by heart is
referred to as HAFIZ
Rules of the Qur’an
• Before touching the Qur’an you must perform a ritual
washing (washing face then 2 hands all the way up to the
elbows, followed by washing part of the head and finally
washing the feet up to the ankles)
• This is known as ABLUTION or WUDU
• No text is allowed to be placed above the Qur’an
• The book is highly respected and when being read
Muslims have to refrain from talking, eating, drinking or
making distracted noises
• A special stand called the RIHAL is used to keep the
Qur’an off the floor in respect for the Holy Book
Muslim name for God
Name of Islamic Holy Book
Washing yourself before touching the Qur’an
Submission to will of God
Belief in only one God
Monotheism
Allah
Wudu
Qur’an
Islam
Extension : Why do you think Muslims treat the Qur’an so very carefully?
Write a sentence or two in your own words.
The Five Pillars of Islam
• Muslims follow the Five Pillars of Islam which are considered duties for
all followers
Shahadah
• This is the faith or belief that
there is no God except Allah and
the prophet Muhammad as his
messenger
Salat
• This is prayer which needs to
be done five times a day.
• This is at dawn, midday, late
afternoon, sunset and at
night
Zakat
• This is charity, helping the poor
and needy
• Once a year Muslims are
supposed to donate 2.5% of their
wealth to charity
Sawm
• This is the act of fasting
(going without food and
drink for a period of time)
• This takes every year
between dawn and dusk
during the month of
RAMADAN
Hajj
• This means pilgrimage (or
going on a special journey)
• Every Muslim should visit
Mecca in Saudi Arabia (the
birth-place of Islam) at least
once in their life
Task
You have been asked to prepare for the visit of a Muslim to
your school. In pairs make a list of questions you would like
to ask. Please use the information sheet provided to help you
with this.
Plenary
Learning Reflection
3 new things I learnt today
2 things that surprised me
1 further question I would like to ask