Download By Ariella, Emmy, and Gabi

Islam
By Ariella, Emmy, and Gabi
The Hearth and Origin of Islam
•  Makka (Mecca)
–  Modern Day Saudi Arabia
•  Early 7th century CE, teachings going back 1500 years
•  All universalizing religions trace origins to the first man, Adam,
and descendent, Abraham
•  Abraham married Sarah, then married Hagar, bearing a son,
Ishmael
•  Sarah then bore Isaac and banished Hagar and Ishmael
•  Muslims follow the story of Hagar and Ishmael
•  Muhammad was Ishmael’s descendent, born in Makka-570 CE,
then the founder of Islam
•  At age 40, Muhammad had his first revelation from God
through the angel, Gabriel
•  Muhammad migrated from Makka(Mecca) to Yathrib (Medinacity of the prophet), since God commanded him to after his
sufferings
Effects of beliefs, traditions and
practices from natural environment
•  In Islam concerns for environment conservation are based on
the belief that God created everything in the universe including
the earth and all life forms.
•  Muslims believe that god created humans to be his rulers on his
behalf—to look after the planet and manage it in the best
possible way.
•  Surah 6:165 translation states: “It is he who has appointed you
viceroys in the earth…that he may try you in what he has given
you” (Arbery).
•  Qur’an interpreted as stating that God allows human beings to
enjoy everything necessary to satisfy their desires, such as food,
clothing, housing, transport and every other ornament or
means of enjoyment-but with balance and moderation and no
excess or overuse.
Diffusion of Islam
•  Muhammad’s followers organized into armies
•  Increased area where Islam was practiced over North Africa,
Asia, and Europe
•  After Muhammad’s death the armies took over Palestine, the
Persian Empire, and most of India
•  Muslims forcefully converted Non-Arabs from lands they
captured to Islam through intermarriage
•  Muslims captured North Africa and crossed the Strait of
Gibraltar
•  Maintained power of western Europe (present day Spain) until
1492
•  Christians took over western Europe, and Muslims took over
southeastern Europe and Turkey
•  Muslim missionaries brought Islam to Sub-Saharan Africa and
southeast Asia
Map of Diffusion of Islam
How was Islam altered due to its diffusion? •  After the prophet Muhammad's death in 632 Islam became divided into two branches: The Shiites and The Sunnis. •  Disagreement over the line of succession in Islamic religion caused this split. •  Shiites comprise only 16% of the Muslim population. Most Shiites live in Iran, Pakistan, and Iraq. •  Sunnis comprise 83% of the Muslim population. Sunnis practice a more orthodox form of Islam than the Shiites. •  Sunnis are the largest branch in most Muslim countries in the Middle East and Asia. `
Divisions’ Effect on Distribution
• 
All branches' distributions
–  Europe-5%
–  France-4 million
•  Legacy of immigration from predominantly Muslim
former colonies in North Africa
–  Germany-3 million
•  Legacy of immigration from Turkey
–  Southeast Europe, Albania, Bosnia and Serbia-2 million
Muslims in each
• 
Shiites branch
–  16% of Muslims are Shiites
–  Iran-30%
–  Pakistan-15%
–  Iraq-10%
–  90% of Iran’s population
Sunni branch
–  83% of Muslims are Sunnis
• 
Hajj
How does Islam change place to place?
•  Hajj- "set out for place".
•  pilgrimage to Kaaba in Makkah(Mecca)
•  responsibility of physically and financially able Muslims
•  once in a lifetime
•  10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah (the 12th and the final
month of the Islamic calendar)
•  symbol of unity
•  from all over the world
•  brings all the Muslims on one platform
Hearth vs. State Religion Population
How does Islam change place to place?
•  Saudi Arabia
–  Governs citizens personal, political, economic and
legal lives
–  100%
–  Hearth
•  Brunei
–  67%
–  Shafeite sect
–  State Religion
–  Required class in schools (even Christian)
–  No Religious Freedom
Islam in the United States
How does Islam change place to
place?
•  Brought by migrants in 1800’s
•  Less emphasis on strict observance of mosque
functions
•  Adapted to fit Christian church schedule
•  Hard to avoid American culture
–  Immodest dress
–  Alcohol
•  Majority of non-immigrant Muslims in US are African
Americans, whom were not accepted Christians
How Islam Affects Cultural
Landscape
•  Mosques can be found more frequently in places with
higher dominance of Islamic religion
•  Mosques may be found in larger cities of Muslim dominance
•  This includes the Middle East, North and Central America,
Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia
•  A minaret -a tower where a man (muzzan) stays to summon
people to worship, like in present day Saudi Arabia
•  Rural villages have simpler structures as islamic places for
prayer
How Islam Organizes Space
•  Every community of Muslims has a mosque dedicated to
prayer.
•  Building materials and design depend on the culture,
heritage, and resources of each Muslim community.
•  The Central area for prayer is called a musalla-“place for
prayer”. No furniture is needed. Most worshippers sit,
kneel, and bow on the floor. There are book shelves along
the walls which hold copies of the Qur’an, rugs, and other
religious materials.
•  Men and Women are separated and do not pray together.
•  The Mihrab is an ornamental indentation in the wall of a
mosque which marks the direction of the Qiblah.
Conflicts Between Other Religions or
Cultures Through Interaction
•  Muslims are prone to discrimination due to historical
and political factors and the media
•  Many Muslims either leave a location (hijira) or fight
(jihad) against discrimination
•  Differences/conflicts between Shiites and Sunnis started
from disagreement of Muhammad’s successor/the line
of Islamic succession
•  Sufism, the inner, mystical, psycho-spiritual dimension
of Islam is controversial whether it is actually Islam or
it’s own religion
•  Wahhabism is a strict form of Islam (Sunni branch)
forcing literal interpretation and following of the Qur’an
Hijrah, Hegira, Hejira, Hijra
Conflicts
•  Muhammad- prophet, based his life on Islam.
•  Grew up in Mecca and began to preach there in the 600’s
•  Aroused the people with polytheistic views, because of his
monotheistic beliefs
•  Muhammad left Mecca to avoid persecution and to run a
community
•  Migrated to Yathrib
– 
– 
– 
– 
622 C.E.
Had followers there
200 miles north of Mecca
al-Madinat al-Nabi or Medina
•  Mecca and Medina are the two holiest cities in Islam.
Globalization
• 
• 
• 
• 
discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia in 1938; resulting wealth
modern travel
the pilgrimage to Mecca has changed
wealthy pilgrims
–  private or commercial jets, air-conditioned BMWs, Hilton Hotel, airconditioned underground tunnels
•  Billboards
–  McDonald’s
•  pilgrims who save for many years to make the once-in-alifetime trip
–  the sacredness of the rituals/sites and the kinship of believers outweigh
the commercialization that crops up along the route
•  "Islam." World Geography: Understanding
a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, 2011.
Web. 7 Jan. 2011
•  Tomek,Vladimir."Environmental Concerns. Muslim Response". Religious Tolerance.
27 August 2006. Wed. 12 Jan. 2011
•  Amin, Hussein. "Origin of the Sunni/Shia split in Islam". Islam For Today. 2001.
Wed. 12 Jan. 2011 •  Huba. "Islam Mosque Architecture". About. 1998. Wed. 12 Jan. 2011
•  Amery, Hussein. "3. Islam and the Environment". International Development
Research Center. Wed. 12 Jan.2011
•  "Islam." Brittanica Academic Edition. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2011. <http://
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295507/Islam/69160/ Origins- natureand-significance-of-Islamic-theology>.
•  Rubenstein, James M. "Religion." 1996. An Introduction to Human Geography. Vol. 9. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008. 180-216. Print. 10 vols.
•  "Hijrah." WorldBookOnline.com. World Book Online, 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2011. <http://worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar724664&st=hejira>.
•  Ahmed, Akbar S. Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World. New
York: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd, 1999. Print
Bibliography
Questions
• What are the differences or conflicts
between Sunni and Shiite branches of
Islam?
• Why is the population of Muslims higher
in Saudi Arabia then in Brunei, where it is
the official religion?