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Islam
Islam means “to submit to God’s will” and is the second largest religion in the world, having over a billion followers.
Muslims (meaning “one who has submitted”) believe their religion has always existed, but that it was revealed by Allah
to Muhammad, his greatest and final prophet, over 1400 years ago in Mecca, Arabia. The fundamental belief of
Muslims is that there is only one God, named Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet. Muslims recognize a number of
holy prophets as being sent by God, but that the final prophet was Muhammad. The prophets were like teachers,
showing us how to live.
Islam honors the Qur’an, the Hadith and the Sunnah as sacred texts. The Qur’an is a holy book full of instructions and
corrections to Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Muslims believe that Allah revealed the Qur’an over the course of 23
years to the prophet Muhammad. The Sunnah is the life and practices of Muhammad and teach about the Five Pillars
of Islam: The Declaration of Faith (Shahadah), Praying Five Times a Day(Salah), Almsgiving, Fasting and Pilgrimage
to Mecca(the Hajj). The Declaration of Faith is called the Shahadah and is recited (in English): "There is no God but
Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger." Reciting this prayer admits the faith of the Muslims in Allah and
Muhammad, but also implies the obedience to Islam of the person reciting it. To become a Muslim, you have to recite
this declaration three times in front of witnesses, knowing what it means and believing what it says. The phrase is
written on Saudi Arabia’s flag in Arabic. The Hadith is a collection of teachings and sayings by Muhammad.
The Islamic “Doctrine of Abrogation” allows Allah to change his mind at any time, for any reason, and is used to
account for the contradictions found in the text of the Qur’an. It is believed that the more recent ones cancel out the
older ones. The Qur’an is not written in chronological order, though. Some contradictions within the Qur’an include:
1). Surah 96:1­2 state that Allah made man from a blood clot, but Surah 21:30 say man was made from water and
Surah 15:26 says man was made from clay. 2) Surahs 2:62 and 5:69 allow for Jews and Christians to get into
heaven, while Surahs 5:72 and 3:85 say they cannot.
There are six main beliefs in Islam: 1) Allah is the one and only God. 2) Belief in angels. 3) Belief in the Holy Books. 4)
Belief in the prophets (Moses, Abraham, Jesus, Muhammad). 5) Belief in the Day of Judgment. 6) Belief in
Predestination.
On the Day of Judgment, every human being will be sent to heaven or to hell, based on their activities on Earth. The
Predestination concept in Islam is slightly different from the Predestination of the Calvinist Christians. Muslims
recognize Allah’s omnipotence and omniscience by stating that Allah knows everything that will happen, but that
knowledge doesn’t prevent or interfere with free will in any way.
Allah is the name of the Muslim God and he has some of the following characteristics: eternal, omniscient,
omnipotent, invisible, inaudible, genderless, righteous, just, fair, merciful. They believe that Allah has no partners, no
children, no equals. He has always existed and was never created. To communicate with Allah, a Muslim can pray,
recite the Qur’an, or worship. Before Islam, the Arab tribes had 360 gods and the chief god, god of the moon and of
war, was named Allah. Ka’ba was a black meteor worshiped by Arabs as part of the shrine to the chief male god
Hubel. Muhammad believed the black meteor had power and made it the focus of the Hajj pilgrimage of Muslims. At
the great Mosque, in Mecca, there is a great large black box, known as the Ka’ba. Muslims believe the box was built
by Abraham on his pilgrimage to Mecca, and contains the 360 idols worshipped by the Arab tribes.
Each Muslim is called, by duty, to Jihad. Jihad is defined in three ways: 1)an interior struggle to live out Islamic faith as
well as possible. 2) The struggle to build a good Muslim society. 3) Holy War: The struggle to defend Islam, using
force, if necessary. Ways they engage in the internal struggle, jihad: 1) memorizing the Qur’an in Arabic (the only true
translation.) 2) Overcoming anger, greed, hatred. 3) Giving up smoking and drinking alcohol. 4) Forgiving another
person. 5) Working for social justice. Reasons a military jihad is acceptable to Muslims: 1) to strengthen Islam. 2)
Self defense. 3) Protecting Islam’s freedom of practice. 4) Punishing an enemy who breaks an oath. 5) Righting a
wrong. Military Jihad should not be pre­emptive; should not be fought over land; should be led by a religious leader;
must be fought to bring about a good that Allah would approve of; should not kill innocent people, women or children;
must stop when the enemy asks for peace; must treat the enemies with justice; must not damage property.
Polygamy may be practiced by Muslims. One scholar states that men are biologically designed to seek out multiple
mates. Men can have as many as four wives at one time and women are permitted only one husband at a time.
(Surah 4:3). Also, a man must be able to provide equal treatment to all the wives he takes. Men can ask for a divorce,
but women need the permission of the man to ask for one (Surah 2:229).
Hijab, meaning protection or barrier, is a principle of modesty that governs both male and female Muslims. In some
schools of thought, a simple headscarf will fulfill this principle for women. In other schools of thought, full­length
burqas must be worn. Hijab does not apply in single­sex or family situations, but only around members of the
opposite sex whom they might marry. Also, both genders are encouraged to “lower their gaze” to protect the custody
of the eyes and maintain modesty. The Qur’an claims that Allah wants “Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters
and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable
that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. “(Surah 33:59)
The prophet Muhammad was a polygamist, marrying one wife as young as six years old. Tradition states that
Muhammad waited for her to reach puberty (9­10 y.o.) before consummating the union. Muslim countries prefer
women to get married once they begin to have sexual inclinations so they can engage in it with honor. Some
countries allow for frequent divorces, while others expect marriages to be lifelong.
Sharia law must be observed by all Muslims. The sources for the law include the Qur’an, the Hadith and the fatwas
(Islamic scholars who create rules). It has a historical expression in the removal of limbs, the stoning and lashing
punishments, and an eye­for­an­eye mentality. For Muslims, our souls are eternal but our time on earth is a trial, to
see if we really do love Allah. Sharia law is the only path humans can take to guarantee we are on the right path
towards eternal life and Allah. There are five categories of actions within Sharia law: 1) Obligatory. 2) Recommended.
3) Permitted. 4) Disliked. 5) Forbidden. Most of our actions are “permitted,” neither encouraged nor discouraged.
Those found to be committing Forbidden actions must be taken to trial and may be executed. Islamic stoning includes
having the person bound and a large stone is dropped on their head, to crush it. They believe their executions must
be performed quickly and mercifully, too. Women are not allowed to lead prayer or become Imams (Surah 4:34). In
fact, a woman cannot even answer the door if a husband isn’t home (Surah 33:53). Women should stay in their
houses and not travel without the permission of the men in their families (Surah 33:33). According to the Qur’an, a
husband may beat his wife into submission if the wife refuses sexual relations to him (Surah 4:34).
There are many Muslim holy days and feasts. There are two set in law: Eid al­Fitr and Eid ul Adha. Eid al­Fitr
celebrates the end of the fasting season of Ramadan and thanks Allah for the strength to persevere through the
fasting. It is a big feast with special foods and prayers. Eid ul Adha celebrates the sacrifice that Abraham was willing
to offer Allah when he nearly sacrificed his son. During this time, sheep may be sacrificed and the meat is distributed
among families. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and is a time of fasting during daylight hours for
Muslims. They fast because: 1) The Qur’an was revealed during Ramadan. 2) Heaven’s gates are open. 3) Hell’s
gates are shut, with the demons and devils inside. All able­bodied Muslims are required to fast the whole month.
Muhammad, the prophet, was orphaned at age 6 and raised by his grandfather and his uncle. At age 25, Muhammad
became a trader and a businessman. He married a businesswoman named Khadijah. According to Mulsim tradition,
in the year 610AD, the archangel Gabriel came to Muhammad in a dream and told him to “Recite” the name of the
Lord who created him. Then, Gabriel gave him 114 Surahs that make up the Qur’an/Koran. After an 8 year war,
Muhammad conquered Mecca in present day Saudi Arabia. He led 74 raids, expeditions or full­scale wars to unite the
arab world.
Muhammad forced his adopted son, Zaid, to divorce his wife so that Muhammad could marry her (sound like David
and Bathsheeba?) And then he changed Zaid’s name. Muhammad married 6 year old Aisha, but waited until she was
9 or 10 to consummate the union.
During one of the battles against the Quraish people of Mecca, in 628, Muhammad signed the Treaty of al Hudabiyah,
and then secretly built up his forces and massacred the Quraish people.
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest sect of Islam worldwide. Originally, Sunnis were followers of Abu Bakr, instead of the
prophet’s cousin/son­in­law. They are called Sunnis because they believe and follow the Sunnah of the life and
practice of Muhammad. Within the Sunni tradition, there are four schools of law, but they are not different sects of
Sunni Islam. They recognize the Shi’ite community as being innovative. They do not recognize the Nation of Islam or
various other sects of Islam. The Imam in Sunni Islam leads congregational prayer.
Shi’a Islam
Shi’ites followed Muhammad’s cousin/son­in­law, Ali, following the death of the prophet. Shi’a Islam recognizes the
dogma and institution of the Imamate. The Imam is a political and religious successor to Muhamma and there have
only been 12, at most. The twelve Imams who followed Muhammad are believed to have been without error or sin
because they were chosen by Allah and Muhammad. The twelfth of these Imams, a five year old when he became
Imam, is believed to have ascended and will return on the Judgment Day. Shi’a Islam has very fluid doctrine that is
re­examined regularly. Shi’ites observe a month of martyrdom, Muharram, and also pilgrimage to the shrines of the
12 Imams.
Sufism
Sufis are Islamic mystics and include the whirling dervishes found in Turkey. These mystics adhere to strict
observance of the Qur’an and seek contemplative life. They aim for a pure love of Allah that is detached from interest
in heaven or hell, but rather love for love’s sake. The life is ascetic.
Works Cited
“Islam.” BBC Religions. BBC: 2013. Web. 5 April 2013.
Gammell, Mr. “Islam and the Rise of Islamic Power.” Powerpoint. 2013.
“Sunni Islam.” Religion Facts. 2013. 5 April 2013.
“Sufism.” Religion Facts. 2013. 5 April 2013.
“Shi’a Islam.” Religion Facts. 2013. 5 April 2013.