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Introduction to Islam
Misperceptions
All Muslims are Arabs
– 80% not Arabs
– Majority in Indonesia
All Muslims are militant
fundamentalists
– Most are moderate
– Some are secular
– Some are non-militant Islamic
fundamentalists
Muslims by Country
Indonesia
182.2 m
Pakistan
136.9 m
Bangladesh
115.0 m
India
108.6 m
Iran
63.9 m
Turkey
61.0 m
Egypt
51.6 m
Nigeria
40.2 m
Algeria
29.1 m
China
29.1 m
Morocco
29.1 m
Iraq
21.4 m
History
Abraham, Moses, Jesus “early prophets”
570: Birth of Muhammad
610: Angel Gabriel reveals Qur'an (Koran)
to Muhammad
622: Flight from Mecca to Medina
633: Death of Mohammed
Sunni / Shi’a split
750: Islam spread to Spain & China
8th – 13th C: Golden Age of Islam
1095-1250: The Crusades
1299-1923: Ottoman Empire
19th-20th C: Colonialization
Five Pillars of Faith (Sunni)
1. Shahadah, the profession
of faith in Allah
2. Salāt, prayer
3. Sawm, fasting
4. Zakāh, the paying of alms
5. Hajj, the pilgrimage to
Mecca
Shahadah (Sunni)
" There is no god but Alláh,
Muhammad is the
Messenger of Alláh.”
Shahadah (Shi’a)
" There is no god but Alláh,
Muhammad is the
Messenger of Alláh.
Alí is the Friend of Alláh,
the Successor of the
Messenger of Alláh and his
first Caliph."
Shi’a
Imam Ali (ra), cousin of the
Prophet (pbuh), husband of his
daughter Fatima, father of Hassan
and Hussein and the second
person ever to embrace Islam.
The term Shia or Shi'ite derives
from a shortening of Shiat Ali or
partisans of Ali.
“Twelvers” (believe in 12 Imams)
After last descendant, Council of
Twelve elected Imam (e.g.,
Ayatollah Khomeni)
Shi’a
Sunni
Formal hierarchial clergy
with “holy” Imam; “Catholic”
No formal clergy (has scholars
and jurists); “Protestant”
Belief in Mohammed’s
descendants
Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar ibn alKhattab, Uthman ibn Affan, Ali
ibn Abi Talib)
Emphasis on suffering and
martyrdom
– Ashura commemorates
Battle of Karbala, in which
Hussein sacrificed self
against enemy Yazid
(self-flagellation)
Different interpretations of
Qur’an and hadith
Shi’a
Divorce and inheritance
laws more favorable to
women
Sunni
No formal clergy (has scholars
and jurists); “Protestant”
Recognize “temporary”
marriages
Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar ibn alKhattab, Uthman ibn Affan, Ali
ibn Abi Talib)
Shrines to saints
Different interpretations of
Generally poorer
Qur’an and hadith
Shi’a – Sunni Populations
Shi’a: Roots of Religion (Usūl al-Dīn)
Tawhīd (Oneness): The Oneness of God
Adalah (Justice): The Justice of God
Nubuwwah (Prophethood): God has
appointed perfect and infallible prophets
and messengers to teach mankind the
religion--that is, a perfect system of how to
live in "peace“ ("submission to God")
Imamah (Leadership): God has appointed
specific leaders to lead and guide
mankind—a prophet appoints a custodian
of the religion before his demise.
Qiyamah (The Day of Judgment): God will
raise mankind for Judgment
Shi’a: Branches of Religion (Furū al-Dīn)
Shahadah (Declaration) – the declaration that there is none worthy of worship
except God (Allah) and that Muhammad is His messenger.
Salat—called "Namaaz" in Persian (Prayer) – performing the five daily prayers
Sawm—called "Roozeh" in Persian (Fast) – fasting during the holy month of
Ramadhan
Hajj (Pilgrimage) – performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Zakat (Poor-rate) – paying the poor-tax
Khums (One-fifth) – paying tax
Jihad (Struggle) – struggling to please God. The greater, or internal Jihad is the
struggle against the evil within one's soul in every aspect of life. The lesser, or
external, Jihad is the struggle against the evil of one's environment in every aspect
of life.
Amr-Bil-Ma'rūf – commanding what is good
Nahi-Anil-Munkar – forbidding what is evil
Tawalla – loving the Ahlul Bayt and their followers
Tabarra – dissociating oneself from the enemies of the Ahlul Bayt
The Haaj
Vedic
Shar’ia
Muslim law system partially based
upon Qu’ran (also Sunna, traditional
laws and Imams)
Interpreted differently by different
Muslim cultures
It denotes an Islamic path of life that
is more than a system of criminal
justice
Religious observance plus criminal
law, family, marriage, inheritance, etc.
Interpreted differently by local
cultures
Shar’ia
All possible actions of a Muslim
are divided (in principle) into
five categories:
– Obligatory
– Meritorious
– Permissible
– Reprehensible
– Forbidden
Shar’ia
How Can I Become Acquainted to the Woman I am Proposing to?
Question:
When I go to propose to a young woman, how may I speak to
her, in order to know her beliefs, her piety, her character and
her manners? And is it permissible for me to sit with her?
Answer:
It is permissible for the suitor to look at the woman to whom he
is proposing, but without being alone with her, because the
Sunnah has been authentically reported from the Prophet
(sallallaahu alahi wasalam) to that effect. He may ask her and
her guardian about what is important to him regarding matters
related to marriage.
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz Fatawa Islamiyyah, Darussalam, volume 5, page 209
Shar’ia
The Ruling on Selling Video Tapes
Question:
What is the ruling on selling video tapes, which the least of
what they contain is women appearing unveiled and
performances of stories of love and passion? Is the money of
the merchant (who sells these tapes) forbidden? What must he
do? And how can he get rid of these tapes and equipment? May
Allaah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is forbidden to sell these tapes, purchase them, listen to what
is on them and look at them, because they call to Fitnah (evil
temptation, trials) and corruption. It is obligatory to destroy
them and rebuke whoever deals with them in order to shutdown
this corrupt material and protect the Muslims from causes of
Fitnah. And Allaah is the Giver of success.
Shar’ia
A man working in a girls' school
Question:
What is the ruling of Islaam upon a male teacher working in a
girls’ secondary school?
Answer:
This is not permissible, due to the exposure to fitnah (trials)
contained in this. And with Allaah is the tawfeeq. And may
peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad and his
family and his Companions.
Shar’ia
Shaking Hands with the Unbelievers
Question:
May Allaah reward you, if the unbelievers extend their hands to
shake hands, should one refuse [to shake hands]?
Answer:
If they salaam (greet) you and extend their hands to you, then
shake their hands there is no problem with it. As for you
[Muslim] initiating the salaam (greeting) and the shaking of the
hands then this is not allowed.
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan Silsilatu sharhir-Rasail, p241. Translated by Abu 'Abdillaah alKashmiri
Shar’ia
Women Dancing At Weddings
Question:
What is the ruling of women dancing amongst themselves
during a wedding or other than that? May Allaah reward you.
Answer:
There is no harm in the dancing of women on the occasion of
marriage and the beating of a simple drum) along with some
singing of virtuous songs (not containing sinful speech) because this is from the announcement of the marriage that
has been commanded by the sharee'ah. However with the
condition that this is done in the company of women only, with
voices that are not raised so that they pass outside of the
venue, and with the condition that there is complete seclusion
and screening. Also that the awrah (the areas of the body that
should be concealed) are not revealed whilst dancing, such as
her legs, or her arms or her upper arms - and that which is
shown from these is in accordance with the customs/habits of
the Muslim women in the presence of (other) women.
Shar’ia: The Extreme
Palestinian Honor Killings
If a woman brings shame to the
family--through allegations of
premarital or extramarital sex, by
refusing an arranged marriage, or
attempting to obtain a divorce-her male relatives are bound by
duty and culture to murder
her. "Honor is everything," says
Ahmed, a 52-year-old Palestinian
Muslim. "If a person loses his
honor, he becomes like an
animal."
Shar’ia: The Extreme
TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian
man cut off his seven- year-old
daughter's head after suspecting
she had been raped by her uncle,
the Jomhuri-ye Eslami newspaper
said on Sunday.
"The motive behind the killing
was to defend my honor, fame,
and dignity," the paper quoted the
father as saying.
Shar’ia: The Extreme
Iranian actress escapes lashing
Iran spares actress from flogging
for kissing man on the forehead.
A well-known Iranian actress has
been given a suspended sentence
of 74 lashes for kissing a man
during an awards ceremony.
Gohar Kheirandish landed in
court after kissing director Ali
Zamani on the forehead.
Shar’ia: The Extreme
Adultery = death
Theft = amputation
No pork, dog, or cat
Men can divorce at will (even by
text-messaging!)
Women must be covered
Beating wife is permissible
Death penalty for homosexuals
No criticism of Prophet
Conversion to another religion
punishable by death
Sunni Law
Four schools (madhabs):
General Principles:
Hanafi (founded by Abu Hanifa)
Maliki (founded by Malik)
Evidence:
Shafi'i (founded by Shafi'i)
Hanbali (founded by Ahmad bin
Hanbal)
Islam & Other Religions
Islam the sole universal truth
Rooted in but supplants JudeoChristianity
Views all others as infidels
Duty to spread Prophet’s message
to all mankind
Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, and
Judaism never attempted to
become world religions or convert
others
View of Christianity
Jesus was an “early” prophet
Trinity a blasphemy
God unknowable, cannot be
“humanized”
Bible is not a direct revelation
– Written centuries later
– Qur’an direct “recording”
Political hierarchy intervenes
between man and God
– Islam has no church or priests
The Concept of Nation
A Western idea
Middle-Eastern nations, such as
Lebanon and Jordan, were artificial
imperial creations
Vatan, meaning “country,” did not
appear until late 18th C
Call to war or martyrdom in the cause
of the true faith, rarely “country”
Ottoman Empire the exception
Turkey most nationalistic
Egypt only country with a national
identity from antiquity to modern age
“Church” and State
Separation of the two is a
Western concept
One and the same
The law is God’s law (there is
no church to be separated)
Today, only two states with
written constitutions do not
mention Islam as the
foundation of law:
– Turkey & Lebanon
From Theocracies to Democracies
Islamic Republics of Iran & Afghanistan
Nigeria & Somalia: Regional shari’a law
Saudia Arabia: dual legal system
Morocco: Monarchy based on Islamic
law & French/Spanish civil law system
Kuwait: Muslim law-personal matters
Syria (laws inspired by shari’a)
Egypt: banned religious parties
Turkey: Republican Parliamentary
Democracy (shari’a banned)
Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh:
secular constitutions and laws
Islamic Fundamentalists (Extremists)
Muslim Brotherhood
– 1928: Restore holy law in Egypt;
fight own government to protest
colonialization and Westernization
– 1936: Palestine cause (vs. UK)
– 1948: Assassinated Egypt PM
– 1952: Suez canal crisis
1919: Basmachi (anti-Soviet)
1940s-50s: Devotees of Islam
1960s – today: Fatah (PLO)
Islamic Fundamentalists: Today
PLO (secular)
Palestinian Hamas (Sunni)
Lebanese Hizb Allah (Hezbollah)
(Party of God) (Shi’a)
Al Qaeda (Sunni)
Islamic Fundamentalists: Today
“A lot of these organizations started as
community-based self-help projects. If
you look at the Muslim Brotherhood,
what did they do? Even today, it runs
medical clinics, job training programs,
subsidizes cheap food, collects
garbage. It does things the government
doesn’t. Religious groups are very
popular because they are meeting the
needs. They go into politics. They meet
violent resistance, and they react
violently.”
– Lawrence Davidson, West Chester
University, author of the book Islamic
Fundamentalism.
Islamic Fundamentalists: Today
“These movements are often rooted in
legitimate grievances voiced by
underrepresented and oppressed
segments of the population, particularly
the poor. And the U.S. is increasingly
identified with the political, social and
economic forces that are responsible
for their misery.”
– Stephen Zunes, San Francisco
University, author of Tinderbox: U.S.
Middle East Policy and the Roots of
Terrorism.
Fundamentalists: Misunderstood?
National Catholic Reporter (10/8/04):
– “Islamic revival simply means becoming
a more religiously observant Muslim”
– “it’s also about creating a more just,
moral, Islam-based society.”
– “most Muslims are wary of Islam as a
political movement, oppose Islam’s
manipulation for violent or revolutionary
ends, and don’t have confidence in
extreme Islamic movements.
Goal of Islamism
“Islamism represents for many
Muslims a last-ditch effort to better
their situation after decades of living
in impoverished states that have
experimented with socialism, Arab
nationalism, military dictatorships
and monarchies -- with little
discernible improvement in living
standards for the vast majority of
their populations.”
– National Catholic Reporter (10/8/04)
Goal of Islamism
Islamism is “an alternative to the secular
nation-state, to a Western, nonindigenous, non-Islamic form of social
organization and political process .”
– National Catholic Reporter (10/8/04)
US Policy?
The hard-line rhetoric adopted by the Bush
administration--references to the “axis of
evil” and “you’re either with us or against
us”--aggravates divisions between the
Muslim world and the West and glosses
over the real frictions that exist within the
Islamic world itself. At the same time,
continuing U.S. support for Israel’s
occupation of the West Bank and Gaza
Strip confirms many Muslims’ belief that
the United States is hostile to their interests
and hypocritical in its support for
democracy.
– Martin Marty, University of Chicago coeditor of The Fundamentalism Project
Integration and Understanding
“The corrective to militant
Islamism is to integrate
mainstream Islamists
[fundamentalists] into the
political process of their
respective countries.”
– Fawaz Gerges, Sarah Lawrence
College, author of Jihadists: Unholy
Warriors.
The Root Problem?
The inability of the West to
view Islam as Islam
Imposition of Western
perspective on Islamic world
And vice versa?
What is the real face of Islam?
Battle of Metanarratives?
VS.
Iran
Persian
Islamic Republic of Iran
Shi'a Islam is the official state religion
1979: Monarchy overthrown and
theocracy established
Growing diverse economy
Reform movement by moderates and
liberals squelched in 2000
Iran
All media in Iran is controlled directly
or indirectly by the state, and must be
approved by the Ministry of Islamic
Guidance before it can be released to
the public.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
Supreme Leader
The state also actively monitors the
Internet, which has become
enormously popular among the
Iranian youth. Iran is now the world's
fourth largest country of bloggers.
Ban on satellite dishes
“Restless youth who want moderation
and play rock in garages.”
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
President
Iranian Cinema
"We believe that the American
cinema system is devoid of all
culture and art and is only used
as a device.“
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
President
"Supervision of content from
films, TV series and their voiceovers is emphasized in order to
support spiritual cinema and to
eliminate triteness and
violence."
Iranian Cinema
Complete censorship:
– No alcohol
– No violence
– No touching (no sex)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
President
– Women must wear chadors, even
indoors
– Nothing that promotes secularism,
feminism, capitalism
Iranian Cinema
“Centered in Tehran, many moviemakers have produced more inward
looking existential films—a trend
that has led to a serious of critically
admired films and festival winners
in recent years, such as Abbas
Kiarostami’s film 10.”
DePardes Entertainment http://www.despardes.com/pk/ent/dec05/6.html
Abbas Kiarostami