Download Module5_PostAssessment_StudentISearchIslamic Culture

Ashley W.
The fortress-palace of Alhambra

Going into this project I wanted to pick
something that honestly I didn’t know
much about. I personally love learning
about other cultures and this was an
opportunity to learn about how other
people live. Other than what I have
heard on the news, I am completely a
blank slate.
What are the religious beliefs and practices in this
culture?
 What are the languages in this culture?
 What are their marriage practices?
 What is their art work like? Different styles?
 What is their architecture like?
 What are the music styles?
 How did their culture develop?
 What is a typical day living their culture?


Muhammad was born around the year 570 in Mecca, Arabia.

When he was about forty years old, Muhammad began to
experience what he called visions.

One day, a voice told him to “recite in the name of the Lord
who created you.…”

Muhammad tried to run away from what he was hearing, but
the voice continued, “O Muhammad, you are the messenger
of God, and I am the angel Gabriel.”

This was only the beginning of God’s messages to
Muhammad; and they continued for about ten years.

Muslims believe that Muhammad was
the last in a line of prophets and that the
message given to him was the final one.

They do not see him as the founder of
the religion, but believe that Islam has its
origin in the very creation of man.

Islam is a faith that is shared by more than a billion people all over the world. In Arabic that
word “Islam” means “submission” and it also comes from the word for peace. Therefore the
peace that Muslims receive is from submitting to God.

We have tended to associate Islam with the Middle East also thanks to the news and the
media. The Middle East is where it originated, but today Indonesia is home to the largest
Muslim population, more than live in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

The teachings of Islam as said in the last two slides were given to the Prophet Muhammad in
the seventh century A.D. Islam is also the youngest of the world’s great monotheistic religions.

Muslims see Islam as a continuation and the completion of Judaism and Christianity, and they
honor their elders and prophets from Abraham to Jesus as Muhammad’s predecessors.

When Muslims pray to Allah, they are praying to the same God worshiped by Christians and
Jews. Allah is simply his name in Arabic.

Islam makes strict distinction between the Creator and all parts of his creation; according to
Muslims, Muhammad did not share what is God’s divinity. He was God’s prophet, his
messenger and his image, but he is fully human.

Most Muslim prayers are said in praise and glory rather than as calls for divine help.

Muslims believe they will be judged on the righteousness of their lives on here on earth and
that their good will be rewarded with an eternal life in paradise.

God’s revelations to Muhammad are written in code in
the Qur’an, which is the essential basis of the Islamic faith.

Unlike the Old or New Testaments of the Bible, it is not a
narrative account of the Prophet’s life or a retelling of his
teachings but it is God’s own words as they were spoken
by the angel known as Gabriel. The word Qur’an means
“recitation.”

Reciting aloud the writings in the Qur’an still remains the
most profound expression of the faith. The Qur’an contains
God’s actual words, in Arabic. The importance of the
Qur’an and its Arabic text elevated the art form of
calligraphy.

Because of the absence of a normal
priest, Islam makes few request. It asks of
believers five fundamental requirements,
known as the Five Pillars.

Like the 10 Commandments.

1- Recite the shahadah, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his
prophet.”

A Muslim is supposed to pray it at least once in his lifetime, but they actually
pray it many times a day. The greatest phrase of the Arabic language: "La
ilaha illa Allah", "there is no God but Allah".

2- Perform the salat , which is where they recite prayer 5 times a day while
facing Mecca. While holding what is knows as the "Tasbih" ("Rosary"), or
"Subha, is like the Catholics Rosary.

3- Donate regularly to charity .

4- Fast during the month of Ramadan, which is the month that Mohammed
received the Qu'ran from Allah.

5- Make at least one visit to Mecca if economically and physically possible.
Pilgrims gathered around the Ka’bah in Mecca, 2002
photograph © Manoocher/Webistan/CORBIS
This is
“Ashley”
written in
traditional
arabic
ARABIC

Marriage in Islam very important.

The final prophet of Islam, Muhammad,
stated that "marriage is half of religion."

In Islam, marriage is a legal bond and
social contract between a man and a
woman as prompted by the Shari'a (an
Islamic religious law).
Islamic art includes the arts
produced from the 7th century
and beyond by people who are
not necessarily Muslim, who lived
within the territory that was
inhabited by culturally Islamic
populations.
It includes many different
medias such as architecture,
calligraphy, painting, and
ceramics, and many others.
Typically, though not entirely,
Islamic art has focused on the
depiction of patterns and Arabic
calligraphy, rather than on
anything religious because it is
feared by many Muslims that the
depiction of the human form is
wrong and it is a sin against
Allah, and is forbidden in the
Qur'an.

Islamic architecture incorporates a wide
range of both secular and religious styles
from the foundation of Islam to the present
day, which has influenced the design and
construction of buildings and structures in
Islamic culture.

The buildings show the wealth of the person
that lives in it. The principal Islamic
architectural types are: the Mosque, the
Tomb, the Palace and the Fort.
The interior side view of the main dome of Selimiye Mosque in
Edirne, Turkey

Islamic music or Muslim religious music, can
either be sung or played. It is mostly used in
public services or private devotions.

Because Islam is a such a multicultural
religion, the musical expression of its
creators and listeners are also diverse. The
aboriginal musical styles of Islamic nations
have shaped the devotional music enjoyed
by many contemporary Muslims

I learned that although there may be
many difference between our culture
and an Islamic culture there are some
things that are similar. The basics, we all
eat, read, write, listen to music, have a
certain style to our buildings and our
artwork. Even with the differences we all
still have a huge thing in common, we
area all unique.

The connection between My Forbidden
Face and my topic was that the girl that
wrote the story lives in this type of culture
and experiences these things everyday.
These things which are foreign to us.

Zeschky, Jan. "Patio de los Arrayanes".
Wikipedia . July 29, 2009
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Patio_d
e_los_Arrayanes.jpg>.

Unknown Author Name , "File:Moscheeisfahan.jpg". Wikipedia. July 29, 2009
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mosch
ee-isfahan.jpg>.
 Dominguez,
J. "All About MuslimsIslam". Unknown. July 29, 2009
<www.religioncults.com/Islam/islam.htm>.
 Unknown
Author Name , ISLAMIC ART
AND CULTURE. Washington: The
Publishing Office, 2004.