Download Islam

“Muhammad” in
Arabic
“Allah” in
Arabic
The Middle East:
Geography and
Religion
Geography of the Middle East
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Southwest Asia
Some people include
Egypt as part of the
“Mideast”
Why the name,
“Mideast”?
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Eurocentric perspective
East of Europe, but not
as far east as China /
India = Middle East
Religions of the Middle East: Islam
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Founding of religion
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Established in 600s by
Muhammad, an Arab
merchant
Series of revelations to
Muhammad, by God
Muhammad led Muslims to
conquest of all of Arabian
peninsula by his death in 632
After his death, over the next
100 years or so, the Caliphs
(leaders) led Muslims on
conquest of much of the
known world
Religions of the Middle East: Islam
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Conquests of Caliphs
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All of North Africa
All of Spain, and into
Spain – stopped by
Charles Martel in France
at the Battle of Tours,
732
All of Iraq, Iran
Afghanistan and parts of
India
The Muslim Caliphate
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Caliphate = Lands under
Muslims rule
Stretched from Atlantic
Ocean to India
Eventually broke up into
individual caliphates, by 1000
AD
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Caliphate centered on Spain /
Africa
Caliphate centered in Egypt
Caliphate centered on
Damascus
Caliphate centered on Baghdad
Ottoman Empire (1299-1922)
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Major Islamic empire
centered on modern day
Turkey
At its height, it governed
a massive empire
Empire included much of
SE Europe, including
Greece, Hungary, and
former Yugoslavia
Overthrown and
dissolved after WWI
Muslim Beliefs
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Monotheistic faith
Believed they were
chosen by God
(ALLAH) to show how
man was to worship
Him
Beliefs centered on
“Five Pillars of Islam”
Five Pillars of Islam
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Shahada
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Salat
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Muslims performing the Salat
2.5% tithe to charity
Sawm
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Mandatory prayer 5 times a day
(connect to God)
Zakat
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Declaration of Faith
“There is no God but Allah &
Muhammad is his Prophet”
Fasting during Ramadan (purify)
Hajj
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Pilgrimage to Mecca
The hajj
Sources of Islamic Teaching
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Koran (revelations of God
made to Muhammad)
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Hadith (traditions relating to
life, deeds of Muhammad)
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Taught by oral repetition
“Perfection” of monotheistic
teachings about God
Important tools for determining
how Muslims should live
First written down in 7th C.
Sharia (Islamic law)
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Regulations of public, private
life
Traditional way of living
Sunni vs. Shia
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Split in Muslim world around 700 AD over proper
Caliph
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Sunni (“majority”) = elect caliph
Shia = caliph should be relative of Muhammad
Sunni
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Majority of Muslims, today
Generally more secular
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Shia
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Make up about 10% of
Muslims
More fundamentalist
Found mainly in Iran, Eastern
Iraq
Where do Muslims come from?
Holy Cities of Islam
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Mecca (1st in importance)
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Medina (2nd in importance)
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Saudi Arabia
Home of Muhammad
Location of kaaba
Saudi Arabia
Home of the Masjid al Nabawi,
the most important mosque
Jerusalem (3rd in importance)
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Israel
Home of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Judaism: Origin & History
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First prophet was
Abraham, a Sumerian
Focused on attaining a
homeland for the Jewish
people, in Canaan
(modern Israel); moved to
Egypt
Egypt (Moses) to Canaan
(David) and
establishment of
kingdoms of Israel and
Judah
Beliefs of Judaism
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Monotheistic faith
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God = Yahweh
All powerful, personal, eternal
Jewish people were chosen
by Yahweh to show rest of
the world how Yahweh
wanted to be worshipped
Contractual relationship
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Jewish people follow 10
commandments
Yahweh protects Jewish
people
Judaism: Important Books
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Torah
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First five books of Bible
Tells story of how Yahweh
chose Jewish people to
be examples of how to
live, worship
Talmud
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Law for the Jewish people
Organized topically
Originally passed down
orally
Political Judaism
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State existed from about 990 –
586 BC, then 538 BC – 135 AD
State destroyed by the Roman
Empire
Modern state of Israel founded
in 1948
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Remember context of WWII:
Holocaust, building pressure to
settle surviving Jews
Palestinian (Arab Muslims) living
in lands were displaced
State of Israel’s biggest ally is
the United States
Political Judaism: Conflict with
the Muslim World
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1948 War: Israel invaded by
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan,
and Egypt
1956 War: Egypt takes over
Suez; Fr, GB, Israelis invade
1967: Israeli surprise attack
vs. Egypt, Syria
1973: Egypt, Syria surprise
attack; Israel (+ US) push
them back
1982: Palestinians launch
1000s of attacks from
Lebanon; Israel invades
Essential Questions
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How do you think the Muslims feel about
Israel, today?
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How do you think the Israelis feel about
Muslim countries, today?