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RELIGION OF ISLAM
Julia Canty & D Cicchiello
“Allah” in Arabic
Introduction
 The name of the religion is Islam.
The founder is the prophet Muhammad,who was born in Mecca in
5770 CE .
Islam is the true religion of "Allah“ and the Arabic word means the
submission to the will of Allah "God". Anyone who surrenders to
Allah is termed a "Muslim”.
The deity is Allah.
 The Islamic religion originated in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 610 AD.
There are an estimated 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide.
Major locations today are the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
Source 2 & 4
Historical Context of Founding
Prophet Muhammad
The night Muhammad was called to become a
prophet of Allah, he claimed to have been
visited by the angel Gabriel and received
visions. He then began preaching the visions
he received to the people of Mecca, focusing
on the oneness of Allah and urging people to
show goodwill towards another. Muhammad
gathered a variety of followers from the
Meccan society to abolish paganism and
together they criticized competition and the
high value placed on material goods. They
called for everyone to surrender to the will of
God. Because Mecca was an important trade
center, the Meccans did not want Muhammad
to continue preaching about social justice, yet
he did not cooperate and therefore he and his
followers were persecuted.
Source 2
..Continued
Afterwards, they emigrated to Medina and there established the
first mosque in the holy city and a treaty where all of the clans
agreed to live in harmony and mutual respect. Previously,
Muhammad was preaching that God’s revelation was a
culmination of the Jewish and Christian revelations, but he later
received a revelation from God to form Islam as a separate
religion.
How/Why Islamic Religion Spread
Islam began to spread rapidly after the death of Prophet
Muhammad in the year 632. The Muslim community came into
existence during the period of the prophet. This community started
to spread from the Arabian Peninsula to countries all over the world
after various empires began to establish, such as the Abbasids,
Seljuk Turks, Mughals, Almoravids, Safavids and Ottomans.
 Islam promised to reveal paradise after death, which gave people
more encouragement to follow the religion.
The religious principle to live as all-embracing and allcomprehensive way was an important aspect to its rapid spread.
The Islam followers who preached the idea of transmission of God
to others also contributed to the religion’s rapid spread.
Source 10
Source 14
Abraham
Abraham (Ibrahim) is known to be one of the first and most
important prophets of Islam, called Friend of God and father of his
people.
In Muslim belief, Abraham accomplished all the commandments
and trials God gave him throughout his lifetime. One such trial was
to sacrifice of his only son, which he complied with and his son was
spared.
 As a result of his unchanging faith in God, Abraham was promised
by God to be a leader to all the nations of the world. Abraham is the
epitome of the perfect Muslim and the Qur‘an mentions Abraham
as a model for al humanity.
Source 2
Symbols
The crescent moon and star is an
internationally recognized symbol
of the faith of Islam.
 It is featured on the flags of many
countries in the Islamic world, such
as Turkey and Pakistan.
It is an icon that was adopted
during the spread of Islam.
The color green is universally
associated with Islam.
According to Muslims the color
green symbolizes nature and
life.
Some believe that the color
green was the color of the
prophet Muhammad's tribe.
Sacred Texts
The two main sacred texts are the Qur’an and Hadith.
 The Qur’an is most sacred text which is said to be the literal word of God. It
is the primary source of belief and practice for Muslims as well as the source
for understanding God's will. It establishes the basis of Islam. In addition, it
is read from right to left opposed to being read from left to right.
 The Hadith is the book that contains the sayings of Muhammad and his
prophets along with sacred history. It also has the stories and actions of
Muhammad which became the basis of behavior set for Muslims.
 The Shariah is the code of Islamic religious law that define the rules for good
behavior. It is based on the Qur’an and the Hadith.
Source 6
Holy Cities
 Mecca:
This city is
referred to as the
holiest city, being that
it’s where Muhammad
was born and where he
converted Arabs to
Islam. For all Muslims,
going on a pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once in
their life is one of the
Five Pillars of Islam,
otherwise known as the
five duties of Muslims.
 Medina:
This holy city
is the second holiest city
and became known as
the city of the prophet
when Muhammad and
his
followers
were
exiled here. It was in
this city where he
established the first
mosque. Medina was
also the capital of the
Muslim empire until 661
when it was moved. In
addition, Medina is the
burial place of the
prophet Muhammad.
 Jerusalem:
This city
is regarded as the third
holiest city.
Muslims
believed that Muhammad
visited Heaven from a
site in Jerusalem and a
golden shrine was built in
this spot, called the
Dome of the Rock.
Muslims visit this site for
religious purposes, as
well as an ancient
mosque built in the city
where Muslims pray.
Places of Worship
• A mosque is very important to the community of Muslims; it is their
house of prayer and worship.
• A mosque is very big for and is built in the direction of Mecca,
indicated by mihrab, or niche, on the wall with a roofed area in
front of it. Also, there cannot be any doors on the wall of the
mihrab.
• There are two types of mosques:
• A jamaca, which is where the Friday prayer takes places
• The other type is the masjid, meaning ‘place of prostration’, where early
Muslims went to pray.
• Important features of a mosque are the minaret, or tower, where a
muezzin calls the Muslims to prayer, and a room for ritual washing
so that Muslim can be cleansed for prayers.
Source 5
Source 9
Major Islamic Holidays
1. The Islamic New Year (Muharram)
The month of Muharram indicates the beginning of the Islamic
liturgical year. The Islamic year begins on the first day of Muharram,
and is counted from the Hegira, the year when Muhammad
emigrated from Mecca to Medina.
 The Islamic new year is celebrated quietly, filled with prayers and
readings.
2. Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Mawlid al-Nabi (12 Rabi 1))
 This holiday celebrates the birthday of Muhammad. It is on the
12th day of the month of Rabi I in the Islamic calendar. Mawlid
means birthday of a holy figure and al-Nabi means prophet.
 The day is honored with recollections and the significance of
Muhammad's life.
Holidays Continued
3. Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal)
Ramadan is the month of fasting and it ends with the festival of Eid
al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr means "Festival of Breaking the Fast.” At Eid al-Fitr
people dress in their finest clothes, decorate their homes with lights
and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends
and family. As the month comes to an end, Muslims are expected to
share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions
to
mosques.
4. Eid al-Adha (10 Dhu'l-Hijjah)
Eid al-Adha is the Feast of Sacrifice and commemorates the prophet
Abraham’s willingness to obey Allah by sacrificing his son Ishmael.
Eid al-Adha begins on the 10 day of the last month of the Islamic
calendar. It occurs at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and
lasts for three days. Muslims all over the world celebrate it.
The festival is celebrated by sacrificing a lamb or other animal and
giving the meat to relatives, friends, and the poor. The sacrifice
represents obedience to Allah and generosity towards others.
Source 7
Roles of Men/Women
The Qur’an considers women and men alike to be equal in human
dignity, however this view is not represented in Muslim laws.
Women do not have equal rights to make any decisions regarding
marriage, divorce, or custody.
Women are expected to be obedient wives and men are expected
to protect and care for the family.
Male guardianship over women has become a part of Muslims laws
and is embedded in Muslim societies.
Because men and women pray separately, a mosque is divided into
two separate sections to maintain modesty and concentration on
prayers.
Source 11
Major Beliefs
Creation Story:
 Muslims believe that Allah created the heavens and the earth six
days in perfect harmony and balance. They also believe that he
that continues to reign over his wonderful creation.
 The Quran says that the heavens and the earth were joined
together as one unit before there was an explosion. After the
explosion, Allah turned to the sky and spoke to it and to the earth
saying 'Come together, willingly or unwillingly.' They replied by
saying 'We come together in willing obedience.' So the elements
and what was to become the planets and stars began to cool and
came together to form into shape and follow the natural laws that
Allah established in the universe.
 He made all the creatures and the first man and woman; Adam
and Eve.
Source 12
End Times Story
In Islam, the end of the world is
also called the Hour and involves
Jesus returning to Damascus to
defeat an anti-Christ. With the
anti-Christ out of the way, there
will be a period of perfect
harmony. Jesus will later die due
to a natural death, which will
cause a time of destruction that
will lead to the Hour.
Source 2
Important Commands/Laws
 Islam preaches the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Mankind and the
Oneness of the Message.
 A Muslim must believe in all of the prophets to be considered a true
believer, including Abraham, otherwise known as Ibrahim.
 Everyone must follow the Five Pillars of Life, which are Shahada
(Testify), Salah (Prayer), Seyam (Fasting) Zakat (Charity) and Hajj
(Pilgrimage).
 The relation of humanity to God is the most important concern in Islamic
ritual law.
 Muslims are called to pray five times a day: before dawn, at midday, in
the mid-afternoon, at sunset, and at night.
Source 13
Purpose of Life
 The object of life for Muslims is to live in a way that pleases Allah
so that they can gain Paradise.
 Islam is a religion of security, safety, and peace. These principles
embody the lives of Muslims. When Muslims stand to pray, they
turn to the Lord in obedience and cut their connection with this
world.
 Feeding others and greeting those you do and don’t know is the
most beneficial act of Islam.
Source 15 & 16
Influences on Architecture/Art
There are several examples of American buildings that possess
Islamic motifs, such churches, temples, movie theaters and even
the Twin Towers. The pointed arches at the base of each of the
former towers was very symbolic of Islamic design.
Islamic decorative arts were highly regarded to Europe throughout
the Middle Ages. Islamic pottery of everyday quality was preferred
to the Europeans.
There were many musical instruments used in European music that
were influenced by Arabic musical instruments.
Source 15
Influences on Technology/Science
There were some technologies in the Islamic world that were adopted in
European medieval technology, such as various crops and astronomical
instruments.
 The Islamic world made important advances in sciences such as in
algebra, chemistry, geology and spherical trigonometry, among others,
that were later transmitted to the West.
Islam introduced the concept of zero and decimal counting to the West.
 Islamic coinage had some influence on Medieval European
manufacturing. Gold coins of Islamic origin were manufactured in great
number in various parts of Europe.
The Quran and Shariah were main sources that helped develop moral
guidelines
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<http://islam.about.com/od/creation/a/creation.htm>.
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