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Islam
1
"
"Righteous is he who believes in Allah
and the Last Day and the Angels and the
Scriptures and the Prophets."
-- Qur'an 2:177
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Introduction
• Islam is a monotheistic religion based on
revelations received by the Prophet
Muhammad in the 7th century,
• which were later recorded in the Qur'an
(Koran), Islam's sacred text.
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• The faith spread rapidly and today Islam is
the second largest religion in the world.
• About 1 billion adherents
• The Arabic word islam means "submission,"
reflecting the religion's central tenet of
submitting to the will of God.
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• Islamic practices are defined by the
• Five Pillars of Islam:
• faith, prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and alms.
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History
• The Arabian Peninsula was originally the
home of nomadic peoples who coped with
the desert climate by migrating every season
"Arab" roughly translates as
"desert dweller”
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• When some began to establish settlements
around the fifth century BC, many chose
Mecca, near the west coast of Saudi Arabia,
as their home.
• It did not offer a favorable climate or many
natural resources, but it was the site of the
Ka'ba, a large cubical shrine dedicated to
various deities.
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• The religion of the Arab world before the
advent of Islam was an animistic polytheism.
• The desert was populated with fiery spirits
called jinn.
• Numerous gods were worshipped, with most
towns having their own patron god.
• Tribal Governments
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• Mecca soon became the religious center, with
360 shrines, one for each day in the lunar
year.
• Local merchants depended heavily on
pilgrims to these shrines for their livelihood,
a fact which would become significant for
Muhammad.
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• Arab polytheism was focused entirely on the
earthly life, and religion was not a source of
morality.
• By Muhammad's time, blood feuds, violence,
and general immorality abounded.
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• Yet monotheism was not unheard of among
the Arabs.
• There was contact with Zoroastrianism,
which was the official state religion of Persia
from the 3rd century BC to the 8th century
AD and influential on its neighbors.
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• It was a dualistic religion with beliefs in
heaven, hell and a final judgment. In
addition, both Judaism and Christianity had
established a presence on the Arabian
Peninsula, especially in the south.
• In Yathrib (later renamed Medina), the
Jewish population was especially influential.
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• Even among the innumerable deities of
Arabian polytheism was a god who was more
impressive than the rest.
• Allah (Arabic for "the god")
• Who was the creator, provider and
determiner of human destiny
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• In general, Allah was regarded as the greatest
among the many gods deserving worship,
• .
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• It was into this world of sporadic
monotheism and rampant immorality that
Islam was born.
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Early Life of the Prophet
• Muhammad
• (whose name means "highly praised")
• was born in Mecca in 570 AD.
• His father died shortly before his birth, and
he lost his mother at the age of six.
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• The young orphan was then raised primarily
by his uncle, for whom he worked as a
shepherd.
• At age 9 (some sources say 12), he joined his
uncle on a caravan to Syria.
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• As a young man, Muhammad worked as a
camel driver between Syria and Arabia.
• Soon he established a career managing
caravans on behalf of merchants.
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• Through his travel first with his uncle and
later in his career,
• Muhammad came into contact with people
of many nationalities and faiths,
• including Jews, Christians and pagans.
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• At age 25, Muhammad was employed by
Khadija, a wealthy Meccan widow 15 years
his senior.
• The two were married, and by all accounts
enjoyed a loving and happy marriage.
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• Early records report that
• "God comforted him through her, for she
made his burden light."
• Although polygamy was common practice at
the time,
• Muhammad took no other wife than Khadija
until her death 24 years later.
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Divine Revelation
• In his late 30s Muhammad took to regularly
visiting a cave in Mount Hira,
• on the outskirts of Mecca,
• to seek solitude and contemplation.
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• In 610, at the age of 40,
• Muhammad returned from one such visit
telling his wife he had either gone mad or
become a prophet,
• for he had been visited by an angel.
• The initially startled Khadija became his first
convert.
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• Muhammad reported that while in a trancelike state,
• the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and said
• “Recite" (Read)
• But like Moses, Muhammad was a reluctant
prophet.
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• He replied, "I am not a reciter."
• The angel persisted, and the Prophet
repeatedly resisted,
• until the angel finally overwhelmed
Muhammad and commanded him:
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• Proclaim in the name of your Lord who
created!
Created man from a clot of blood.
Proclaim: Your Lord is the Most Generous,
Who teaches by the pen;
Teaches man what he knew not.
• (Qur'an 96:1-3)
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• After receiving Khadija's support, and
additional angelic visits,
• Muhammad became confident he had indeed
been chosen as the messenger of God and
began to proclaim as he had been
commanded.
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• Muhammad's message to his countrymen
was to convert from
• pagan polytheism, immorality and
materialism,
• repent from evil and worship Allah, the only
true God.
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• He was always careful to clarify his role in
God's work –
• He was only a prophet.
• He was not an angel,
• He did not know the mind of God
• He did not work miracles.
• He simply preached what he had received.
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• In the first three years of his ministry,
Muhammad gained only 40 followers.
• And as his teachings threatened the Meccan
way of life, both moral and economic,
• he and his followers experienced heavy
persecution.
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• It first took the form of mockery, but soon
turned into open violence.
• Members of the small movement were
• stoned, covered in dirt as they prayed, beat
with sticks, thrown into prison and refused
service by merchants.
• Persecution continued to increase
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Hijira
• The city of Yathrib, 280 miles north of Mecca
had continuing conflict between factions within
the city
• The city was in need of a strong leader, and a
delegation from Yathrib proposed that
Muhammad take the job.
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• Muhammad has developed a reputation of
being
• Honest
• Good Leader
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• Allah revealed to Muhammed his approval of
this arrangement, and Muhammad made
plans to escape to Yathrib.
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• The leaders in Mecca heard of the planned
escape, and attempted to prevent it.
• But Muhammad and his close friend Abu
Bakr managed to make a narrow escape
north out of the city,
• evading a Meccan search party and arriving
safely in Yathrib.
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• This event is celebrated by Muslims as the
Hijira.
• The year in which it occurred, 622, is the date
at which the Muslim calendar begins.
• Yathrib was renamed Medinat al-Nabi, "the
City of the Prophet," and is now known
simply as Medina, "the City."
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• In Medina,
• Muhammad proved himself an able politician
and statesman as well as a prophet.
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• Exercising his political skills
• he united the five conflicting tribes of the
city
• His reputation spread
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Battle for Mecca
• After establishing himself in Medina and
accomplishing the job he had been invited to
do,
• the people of Medina began several years of
battle with Muhammad's former home city.
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• In 624, the Muslims won their first battle
against the Meccans.
• As the latter had a much larger army, the
former took the victory as a sign that God
was on their side.
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• However, a subsequent battle was not
victorious, and Muhammad himself was
wounded.
• But in 627, the Meccans attacked Medina,
and Medina defeated them.
• The Prophet was not to lose again.
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• In 630, Muhammad and his forces marched
to Mecca and conquered it.
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• The Prophet rededicated the Kaaba temple to
Allah,
• witnessed the conversion to Islam of nearly
the entire Meccan population,
• then returned to Medina.
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• Muhammad died in 632,
• having conquered nearly all of Arabia for
Islam.
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The Spread of Islam
• By 634, Islam had taken over the entire
Arabian peninsula.
• Within 100 years of Muhammad's death,
• it had reached the Atlantic in to the west and
borders of China on the east.
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• This success was due in large part to the
military and political abilities of
Muhammad's successors, the caliphs.
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The 5 Pillars of Islam
• Represent the core and common
denominator that unite all Muslims
• and distinguish from others religions
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• The Pillars of Islam involves a Muslim’s
• Mind
• Body
• Time
• Energy
• Wealth
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• Meeting the obligations required by the
pillars reinforces an
• ongoing sense of God’s existence and
presence and
• reminds Muslims of their membership in a
worldwide community of believers
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1. The Creed
• “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is
his messenger”
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• Allah is the Arabic word for God
• Just as Yahweh is the Hebrew word for God
• To be a Muslim one need only make this
simple proclamation or confession of faith
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• Affirms Islam’s absolute monotheism
• The oneness of God
• Anything else is idolatry
• The one unforgivable sin
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• Confession also affirms that Muhammad is
not only a prophet
• But also the messenger of God
• The one to whom God has sent a book for a
community
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• Muhammad is the vehicle for the final and
complete revelation
• The Quran
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• Muhammad serves as the preeminent role
model through his life example for the
believer
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• Muhammad’s example reflects the emphasis
of Islam on practice and action
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• This practical orientation is reflected in the
remaining four pillars of Islam
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2. Prayer
• Muslims pray or worship 5 times throughout
the day
• Daybreak
• Noon
• Mid-afternoon
• Sunset
• Evening
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• The prayers consist of
• recitations from the Quran in Arabic and
• glorification of God
62
• Muslims can pray alone or together
anywhere
• It is considered preferable and more
meritorious to pray with others
demonstrating brotherhood, equality and
solidarity
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• Pray facing Mecca
• The holy city that has the Kaaba
• The house of God believed to have been built
by Abraham and his son Ismail
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• Once a week on Friday
• The Muslim equivalent of the Sabbath
• The noon prayer is a congregational prayer
• At a mosque or Islamic center
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3. Almsgiving
• The Tithe
• Purification
• Individual and communal responsibility
• expressing worship of and thanksgiving to
God by supporting the poor
66
• Annual contribution of 2.5% of an individual’s
wealth and assets not merely income
• Not viewed as charity
• But an obligation to respond to the needs of
the less fortunate members of the
community
67
• Functions as a form of social security in a
Muslim society
68
4. The Fast of Ramadan
• Once each year during the month of
Ramadan
• 9th month of the Islamic calendar
• First revelation of Quran to Muhammad
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• Month long fast from dawn to sunset
• Not simply an act of self-denial
• It is a discipline intended to stimulate
religious reflection on human frailty and
dependence on God
70
• Many go to the Mosque for the evening
prayer
• Followed by special prayers recited only
during Ramadan
• Meal eaten after sunset
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• 27th day of Ramadan Muslims commemorate
• the “Night of Power”
• when Muhammad first received God’s
revelation
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• The Month of Ramadan ends with a
celebration
• Special celebration
• Gift Giving
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5. Pilgrimage to Mecca
• Hajj
• At least once in lifetime
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• 2 million believers per year
• From all over the world go to Mecca
• Wear simple garments the symbolize purity,
unity, equality
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Jihad
• “To strive or struggle”
• Sometimes referred to as the 6th Pillar of
Islam
• Although it has no official status
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• Refers to the obligation to strugle (jihad) to:
• Realize God’s will
• Lead a virtuous life
• Fulfill the universal mission of Islam
• Spread the Islamic community
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• Also means the struggle for or defense of
Islam
• Holy War
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• Despite the fact that jihad is not supposed to
include aggressive, offensive warfare,
• as distinct from defensive warfare,
• this has occurred throughout history
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Sacred Texts
• The Qur’an
• The Hadith
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The Qur’an
• The Qur'an is the most sacred text, as it is
believed to be the literal word of God as
revealed to Muhammad.
84
The Hadith
• The Hadith is a secondary text that records
sayings of Muhammad and his followers.
• These two texts form the basis for all Islamic
theology, practice and Sharia (Islamic law).
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The Qur’an
• The Qur'an, whose name means "recitation"
in Arabic,
• is the sacred text of Islam and the highest
authority in both religious and legal matters.
86
• Muslims believe the Qur'an to be a flawless
record of the Angel Gabriel's revelations to
Muhammad
• from 610 until his death in 632 AD.
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• It is also believed to be a perfect copy of a
heavenly Qur'an that has existed eternally
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• The Qur'an's name is derived from the
Gabriel's initial command to Muhammad to
“Recite!“
• Recitation is a fundamental concept
associated with the Qur'an.
89
• The first followers of the Prophet memorized
his recitation in order to recite it to others,
90
• The revelation was put in writing shortly
after Muhammad's death to preserve the
content from corruption,
• but it is still regarded as most authentic
when recited aloud.
91
• Professional reciters of the Qur'an (qurra')
are held in very high esteem,
• and have often been influential in deciding
matters of doctrine or policy.
92
• The Qur'an is roughly the length of the
Christian New Testament.
• It is divided into 114 surahs (chapters) of
widely varying length, which, with the
exception of the opening chapter,
• are generally arranged from longest to
shortest.
93
• As the shortest chapters seem to date from
the earlier period of Muhammad's
revelation,
• this arrangement results in a reverse
chronological order.
94
• Each chapter has a heading, which usually
incorporates the following elements:
• A title (e.g. "The Bee," "The Cow") taken
from a prominent word in the chapter,
• but one that does not usually represent its
overall contents.
95
• A formula prayer
• (e.g. "In the name of God the Merciful, the
Compassionate")
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• An indication as to whether it was received at
Mecca or Medina
97
• Most of the Qur'an is written in the first
person plural (We), with God as the speaker.
• When Muhammad himself speaks,
• his words are introduced by "Say," to clarify
he is being commanded by Allah to speak.
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The Hadith
• Hadith (Arabic for "narrative" or "report") is
Islamic tradition:
• it is a record of the words and deeds of the
Prophet, his family, and his companions.
99
• Although not regarded as the spoken Word of
God like the Qur’an,
• Hadith is an important source of doctrine,
law, and practice.
100
• Each Hadith consists of two parts:
• the tradition itself,
• (for instance, the words of the Prophet)
• and the chain of authorities.
• This indicates the human transmitters
through which the tradition was relayed.
101
• Collections of Hadith were compiled in the
first three centuries of Islamic history,
• with the above literary form taking shape
early in the second Islamic century (c. 720
CE).
• As might be expected, many Hadiths arose,
with varying degrees of authenticity.
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Beliefs
• There is no official creed to which one must
adhere to be considered a Muslim.
• All that is required is to believe and recite the
Shahada:
• "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is
his Prophet."
103
• Beyond this core belief, however, Muslim
doctrine is often summarized in "Six Articles
of Faith."
• Many Muslims believe that one must adhere
to the six articles to be considered a Muslim.
104
6 Articles of Faith
• Muslim doctrine is often summarized in
• "Six Articles of Faith."
• According to this list, to be a Muslim one
must believe in:
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• 1. One God;
• 2. The angels of God;
• 3. The books of God, especially the Qur'an;
• 4. The prophets of God, especially
Muhammad;
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• 5. The Day of Judgment (or the afterlife);
• 6. The supremacy of God's will (or
predestination).
• This list is sometimes shortened to Five
Articles of Faith,
• which leaves off belief in the supremacy of
God's will
107
Muslim Beliefs about God
• The single most important belief in Islam,
• and arguably the central theme of Islam,
• is that there is one God.
108
• The Muslim name for God is Allah,
• which is simply Arabic for "the (al) God
(Ilah)."
• The term is related to Elohim, the Hebrew
word for God.
109
• Muslims believe that God is the all-powerful
Creator of a perfect, ordered universe.
• He is transcendent and not a part of his
creation,
• and is most often referred to in terms and
with names that emphasize his majesty and
superiority.
110
• Although the God of Islam has revealed his
will through the prophets, his actual nature
remains ultimately unknowable.
• According to one Islamic scholar, God's will
"is all we have, and we have it in perfection
in the Qur'an.”
111
• But Islam does not equate the Qur'an with
the nature or essence of God.
• It is the Word of God,
• the Commandment of God,
• the Will of God.
112
• Despite God's transcendence and ultimate
unknowability,
• the Qur'an does not teach that God does not
know us,
• nor that he remains aloof in some distant
heaven.
113
• Quite the contrary:
• He is present everywhere
• close to a man
114
• The one thing that is made abundantly clear,
however,
• is that Allah is One.
• He is unique and indivisible.
115
• The Qur'an repeatedly emphasizes strict
monotheism,
• explicitly rejecting both polytheism and
• the Christian concept of the Trinity.
116
• Along with Judaism and Christianity,
• Islam belongs to the religious category of
• "ethical monotheism."
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• Allah is a God of justice,
• who expects righteous behavior and
submission to the divine will
• (the word Islam means "submission,"
• and a Muslim is literally "one who submits")
• and punishes unrighteousness.
118
• Yet divine mercy is not absent from the
Qur'an.
• It teaches that God will respond to anyone
who cries out to him in distress and
• that he mercifully provides guidance to
humanity so they can follow "the straight
path."
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The primary way God has done this is through
his prophets or messengers,
the last and most important of which is the
Prophet Muhammad.
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Beliefs about Human Nature
• According to the Qur'an, Allah "created man
from a clot of blood"
• Humans are the greatest of all creatures,
created with free will for the purpose of
obeying and serving God.
121
• The Qur'an includes a version of the biblical
story of the fall of Adam (Qur'an 7),
• but it does not conclude from it the doctrine
of original sin as some Christian theologians
have.
122
• In the Quranic version of the story, Adam and
Eve begged God's forgiveness (7:23)
• and he punished them with a mortal life on
earth but added,
• "from it [earth] you will be taken out at last"
(7:25).
123
• Since Allah forgave the sins of the first pair,
Muslims believe, all are born in Al-Fitra,
• a natural state of submission to Allah.
• True repentance from sin returns a person to
this original sinless state.
124
• According to Muslim theology, mankind's
chief failing is pride and rebellion.
• In their pride, humans attempt to partner
themselves with God and thereby damage
the unity of God.
• Thus pride is Islam's cardinal sin.
• The cardinal virtue, then, is submission, or
islam.
125
Life and Salvation
• For a Muslim, the purpose of life is to live in a
way that is pleasing to Allah
• so that one may gain Paradise.
126
• The Muslim doctrine of salvation is that
unbelievers ("those who are ungrateful")
• and sinners will be condemned,
• but genuine repentance results in Allah's
forgiveness and entrance into Paradise upon
death.
127
• The Qur'an teaches the necessity of both
faith and good works for salvation:
128
The Afterlife
• Like Christianity, Islam teaches the continued
existence of the soul and a transformed
physical existence after death.
• Muslims believe there will be a day of
judgment when all humans will be divided
between the eternal destinations of Paradise
and Hell.
129
• A central doctrine of the Qur’an is the Last
Day,
• on which the world will be destroyed and
• Allah will raise all people from the dead to be
judged.
130
• Until the Day of Judgment, deceased souls
remain in their graves awaiting the
resurrection.
131
• Those bound for hell will suffer in their
graves,
• while those bound for heaven will be in
peace until that time.
132
• The resurrection that will take place on the
Last Day is physical,
• and is explained by suggesting that God will
re-create the decayed body
• (17:100: "Could they not see that God who
created the heavens and the earth is able to
create the like of them"?).
133
• On the Last Day, resurrected humans will be
judged by Allah according to their deeds.
• One's eternal destination depends on
balance of good to bad deeds in life.
134
• They are either granted admission to
Paradise,
• where they will enjoy spiritual and physical
pleasures forever,
• or condemned to Hell to suffer spiritual and
physical torment for eternity.
135
• The day of judgment is described as passing
over Hell on a narrow bridge in order to enter
Paradise.
• Those who fall, weighted by their bad deeds,
will remain in Hell forever.
136
• The Qur'an specifies two exceptions to this
general rule:
• Warriors who die fighting in the cause of God
are ushered immediately to God's presence
(2:159 and 3:169); and
• "Enemies of Islam" are sentenced
immediately to Hell upon death.
137
Paradise
• Paradise, also called "The Garden“, is a place
of physical and spiritual pleasure, with lofty
mansions (39:20, 29:58-59),
• delicious food and drink (52:22, 52:19,
38:51), and
• virgin companions (56:17-19, 52:24-25, 76:19,
56:35-38, 37:48-49, 38:52-54, 44:51-56,
52:20-21).
138
Hell
• Hell is mentioned frequently in the Qur’an
using a variety of imagery.
139
• It has seven doors (Qur'an 39:71; 15:43)
leading to a fiery crater of various levels,
• the lowest of which contains the tree
Zaqqum and a cauldron of boiling pitch.
140
• The level of hell depends on the degree of
offenses.
• Suffering is both physical and spiritual.
141
• Being a Muslim does not keep one out of
Hell, but it is not clear whether Muslims
remain in Hell forever.
• Non-Muslims, however, will be punished
eternally.
142
The Prophets
• Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is revered
as "the Seal of the Prophets"
• the last and greatest of the messengers of
God.
143
• He is not divine in any way, for the strict
monotheism that characterizes Islam does
not allow for such an interpretation.
• Other prophets (nabi in Arabic) are important
in Islam as well,
• all of which are shared with the Jews or the
Christians.
144
The Five Prophets
• Noah
• Abraham
• Moses
• Jesus
• Muhammad
145
• Muslims trace their heritage to the Hebrew
people and prophets.
• The term "Semite" derives from Shem, the
son of Noah, and both Jews and Arabs
consider themselves Semitic people.
• In particular, they trace their ancestry to
Ishmael, the firstborn son of Abraham.
146
• In the Hebrew Scriptures, Abraham and
Sarah, approaching old age, had difficulty
bearing a child.
• This problem was made even more serious by
the fact that God had promised Abraham that
he would become the father of many nations
147
• So, with Sarah seemingly barren, Abraham
took Hagar as a second wife.
• Hagar bore Abraham a son, named Ishmael.
148
• Shortly thereafter, however, Sarah also bore
Abraham a son, named Isaac.
• Having fulfilled her marital duty and God's
promise,
• Sarah demanded that Abraham reject Hagar
and Ishmael.
149
• Abraham did so, and from this point,
• the Qur'an departs from the biblical story to
follow the story of Ishmael.
150
• According to the Qur'an,
• Ishmael went to the place that would later be
known as Mecca.
• His descendents would be the Muslims, while
Isaac's descendents became the Jews.
151
Islamic Sects
• Sunni 85%
• Shia 10%
• Sufism 5%
152
Sunni Islam
• With 940 million adherents out of about 1.1
billion Muslims,
• Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic sect.
153
• Sunnis have their historical roots in the
majority group who followed Abu Bakr, an
effective leader,
• as Muhammad's successor instead of the
Prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali.
• The Sunnis are so named because they
believe themselves to follow the sunnah
("custom" or "tradition") of the Prophet.
154
• Some general statistics:
• Algeria is nearly 99% Sunni (Sunni Islam is the
state religion),
• Kuwait is 70%
• Afghanistan is 80%.
155
• Sunnis also outnumber Shi'ites in
• Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Somalia, Uzbekistan,
Sudan (70%),
• Syria (80%),
• Tajikistan (85%),
• Libya (97%),
• Jordan (92%)
156
• Contrastingly, Iraq is only about 45-60%
Sunni, who are concentrated mostly in the
central and northern parts of the country.
• Sunni Muslims are a smaller minority in Iran
(10%) and Bahrain (30%).
157
• Sunnis base their religion on the Quran and
• the Sunnah
• four schools of religious law.
158
Shi’a Islam
• Shia Islam encompasses most Muslims who
are not counted among the Sunni.
• The division between Sunni and Shi'a, dates
to the death of the Prophet Muhammad
when his followers were faced with the
decision of who would be his successor as
the leader of Islam.
159
• Shi'ites are those who followed Ali, his sonin-law and the closest relative of
Muhammad, as Muhammad's successor.
• Today there are approximately 120 million
Shi'ite Muslims in the world.
160
• The distinctive dogma and institution of Shia
Islam is the Imam,
• which includes the idea that the successor of
Muhammad be more than merely a political
leader.
161
• The Imam must also be a spiritual leader,
• which means that he must have the ability to
interpret the inner mysteries of the Quran
and the sharia.
162
• The Shias further believe that the
• Twelve Imams who succeeded the Prophet
• were sinless and free from error and had
been chosen by God through Muhammad.
163
• The Imamate began with Ali,
• who is also accepted by Sunni Muslims as the
fourth of the "rightly guided caliphs" to
succeed the Prophet.
164
• Shias revere Ali as the First Imam,
• and his descendants, beginning with his sons
continue the line of the Imams until the
Twelfth,
• who is believed to have ascended into a
supernatural state to return to earth on
judgment day.
165
• Shias point to the close lifetime association
of Muhammad with Ali.
• When Ali was six years old, he was invited by
the Prophet to live with him,
• and Shias believe Ali was the first person to
make the declaration of faith in Islam.
166
• Ali also slept in Muhammad's bed on the
night of the hijra, or migration from Mecca to
Medina,
• when it was feared that the house would be
attacked by unbelievers and the Prophet
stabbed to death.
167
• He fought in all the battles Muhammad did
except one,
• and the Prophet chose him to be the husband
of his favorite daughter, Fatima.
168
• In Sunni Islam an imam is the leader of
congregational prayer.
• Among the Shias of Iran the term imam
traditionally has been used only for Ali and
his eleven descendants.
169
• None of the Twelve Imams,
• with the exception of Ali,
• ever ruled an Islamic government.
170
• During their lifetimes,
• their followers hoped that they would
assume the rulership of the Islamic
community,
• a rule that was believed to have been
wrongfully usurped.
171
Sufism
• Sufism is less an Islamic sect than a mystical
way of approaching the Islamic faith.
• It has been defined as "mystical Islamic belief
and practice in which Muslims seek to find
the truth of divine love and knowledge
through direct personal experience of God.”
172
• Sufism has been a prominent movement
within Islam throughout most of its history.
173
• It grew out of an early ascetic movement
within Islam, which,
• like its Christian monastic counterpart,
• sought to counteract the worldliness that
came with the rapid expansion of the Muslim
community.
174
• These early Sufis led a life of strict obedience
to Islamic scripture and tradition and were
known for their night prayers.
• Many of them concentrated their efforts
upon absolute trust in God, which became a
central concept of Sufism.
175
• The core principles of Sufism are
• absolute trust in God and
• the truth that there is no deity but God.
176
• The love of God for man and the love of man
for God are also very central to Sufism,
• and are the subjects of most Islamic mystical
poetry and hymns.
177