Download Understanding Islam - St Ann Catholic Church, Fayetteville

Understanding
Islam
A Catholic Perspective
The Direction of Intention
My God, give me the grace to
perform this action with you
and through love for you.
In advance, I offer to you all the
good that I will do and accept
all the difficulty I may meet therein.
St. Ann, Pray for us.
St. Francis de Sales, Pray for us.
Overview
• Week One
• Week Two
• Who was
• The Crusades
Mohammed?
• Differences between
• Islam as a
Christianity and Islam
Religious / Political
• What the Church
Movement
says about Islam
• The Bible and the
• Understanding Islam
Quran
from a Catholic
• Islamic view of
perspective
Judaism and
Christianity
The Basics
• CHRISTIANITY
• Founder: Jesus Christ
• First Century
• Monotheistic
• 3 billion members
• 1 Billion R.C.
• Internal Divisions
• Roman Catholic,
Protestant, Orthodox
• Mission: Evangelization
• To build the Kingdom of
God
• Sacred Text: Bible
• ISLAM
• Founder: Mohammed
• 6th Century
• Monotheistic
• 1.2 members
• Internal Divisions
• Sunni and Shia
• Mission: The
Shahdada – There is
One True God
• Sacred Text: Quran
The Basics
• Islam – Is a religion
• Middle East is a
geographic designation
• Muslim is a follower of
Islam
• Not everyone in the
Middle East is Arab or
• Arab is an ethnic
Muslim
designation
• All Muslims are part of • Other groups in the
Middle East
the Islamic faith but
• Christians, Jews, Hindus,
not all Arabs are
and others
Muslim
The Basics
The Middle East
The Basics
The Arab World
The Basics
The Islamic World
Who was
Mohammed
In the Sunni
tradition (most of
the Middle East
and North Africa) it
is unlawful to
reproduce a
physical
representation of
the Prophet
Mohammed or of
Allah
• 570 – 632
• Born in Mecca – Saudi Arabia
• Was a merchant – traveler with his uncle
• Experienced Judaism and Christianity
• Recognized that Arabs lacked a
monotheistic belief system
• Acutely aware of the unjust distribution
of wealth and the plight of the poor
Who was
Mohammed
The Shia
tradition (Iran
and Kuwait)
allow pictures
of the Prophet
Mohammed
but never of
Allah
• In 610 he has a vision of the Angel
Gabriel
• Received first revelation about the
One True God – Allah
• Would continue over the next 23 years
• Was encouraged by his wife and family to
speak openly about these revelations
• Begins writing Quran over the course of
revelations
Who was
Mohammed
A depiction of
Muhammad
advancing on
Mecca
• Began preaching “Islam” – Submission
to the will of God
• Persecuted in Mecca and moved to
Medina
• Begins attracting followers
• Second sons of tribal leaders and
merchants …
• Nomads
• Mohammed and early followers face
persecution from Arab leaders
• A Political / Religious Movement
ensued after 623 – followers subjugated
much of the Arabian Peninsula
UNITY UNDER THE
5 Pillars of Islam
The Hajj takes place
in Mecca. Pilgrims
converge on the
Kaaba (small
building in center)
believed to have
been build by
Abraham and
Ishmael. All
Muslims pray in the
direction of Mecca
and the Kaaba
• Shahadah: CREED: Acceptance of
Monotheism and Muhammad
• Salat: PRAYER: Consists of five daily
prayers according to the Quran
• Zakat: ALMSGIVING: practice of
charitable giving based on accumulated
wealth, 2.5% of one's wealth for the
benefit of the poor or needy, including
slaves, debtors and travelers.
• Sawm of Ramadan: FASTING
• Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
The Kaaba as a holy
site predates the
rise of Islam. Its
existence was
mentioned in the
ancient Greek
world. It was
formerly the site of
a pagan shrine and
believed to be the
center of the earth
and a gate way to
the after-life. At the
time of Mohammed
it was a pagan
shrine and Mecca a
city of pilgrimage.
The Quran
A Revelation of God
• Considered by Muslims as the Word of God
• The Quran (the word means “recitation”) was revealed to
Mohammad verse by verse over the space of 23 years.
• It contains 114 chapters, or suras, which cover a range of
topics from reverence for Allah to practical ways of living.
How the Quran Differs
from the Bible
• Bible is a collection of books.
• Compiled over a period of 13
centuries.
OT - 90 AD
NT - 120?
• Arranged chronologically.
• Many different authors.
• Bible does not as a whole,
mention itself.
• The Bible does not claim to
be literal revelation.
• Based extensively on Oral
Traditions
• Read in translation. Different
languages
• The Qur’an is one book.
• Was compiled over a period of
23 years.
•
632
• Not arranged chronologically.
• One author.
• The Qur’an, as a whole, is
mentioned often in the Qur’an.
• The Qur’an claims to be literal
revelation.
• No Oral Tradition
• Read in its original language.
The People of the Book
• The Qur'an teaches that Islam is the
continued faithful religion in the same line
as the Prophets who were before
Muhammad
• The Word of God was enjoined on
Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
(42:13 AYA).
• "We (Muslims) believe in the
Revelation which has come down to us
and in that which came down to you
(Jews & Christians); our Allah and your
Allah is One" (29:46 AYA).
Islam as a Religious /
Political Movement
• Islam did not develop in a vacuum
• The collapse of the Roman
Empire in North Africa
• Empire split in two – 386 AD
• The Christianization of the
Byzantine Empire and The West
• Christianity adopted as official
state Religion
• Religion and nationality
one in the same
• The emergence of weak City-States
and kingdoms in the West
The Mediterranean
World in 632
• Mohammed dies in 632
• Arabian Peninsula unified ?
• civil wars break out
• Powerful Byzantine Empire to the North
• Weak city-states across North Africa
• Mixture of Christian and pagan cultures
• Weak Iberian Peninsula
• Christianity primarily an urban religion
• Islam primarily a rural religion – carried along trade
routes