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Islam
A Misunderstood Religion
“One who submits”
Islam
Monotheistic Religion
God is referred to Allah- “elah” ‘a god‘
Used 17 times in one page of Old Testament
Currently has 1.2 Billion followers
Fastest Growing Religion--#1 soon
Founder is the Prophet Muhammad
Scripture: Qur’an or Koran
Three foundations:
Qu’ran
Muhammad
Muslim Community/Umma
Muhammad and Qu’ran
Qu’ran
Qu’ran is comparable to Jesus for
Christianity
Both are sacred
Foundational Source of Religion
Qu’ran—Almost the size of New
Testament—114 suras/Chapters
Arabic ONLY-Direct words of Allah
Qu’ran means reading/recitation
Prophet Muhammad
Born 570 AD—leading Mecca Tribe
Most perfect of all humans
NOT a god. Not son of God, etc.
Shepherd boy, orphaned, uncle
Married 40 yr old widow at age 25
6 children, long marriage
Muhammad
Meditated, Spiritual Person
610-Angel Gabriel appeared
Asked to recite—Called Night of Power and
Excellence
Wife was first to convert
10 yrs—several hundred families
360 shrines to many gods---Only ONE
Advocated for Social Justice and economic justice
Hostility- Had to move to Yathrib (Medina)—
Hijra—Eventually moved back to Mecca
Teachings
Abraham, Moses, Jesus—revealed truth—
but not all. Muhammad revealed the rest.
He was the final seal.
Christ=holy presence,
Muhammad=delivered holy presence
Teachings called the Sunna (2nd)
Ascended heaven with Gabriel, saw Jesus,
Moses, Abraham—in Allah’s presence.
Finally received Qu’ran brought it down to earth
Principles
One God-Allah
Prophets are Messengers
of Allah
We are good, but we forget
There is a hell. You do
wrong, you go there.
Day of Judgment
Savior figure similar to
Jewish Messiah
Then Jesus will return to
usher this Judgment
Science is embraced as
way to know Allah’s world
Umma, Muslim community
Ideal, not always realized
Divine law, Shari’a
Obligatory
Recommended
Indifferent
Disapproved
Forbidden
Five Pillars of Islam
Confession of Faith—
Shahada
Prayer- Five times a
day, Prostration
Fasting-Ramadan(9th
month)
NO eating, drinking,
sex, or smoking
Alms
Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Ka’ba-built by Abraham
Personal/Social Life
Care of the body
Clean, washing, not overly seductive or
luxurious. Attractive/fashinable clothes Ok
Three joys: prayer, company of women,
perfume(reminder of paradise)
Regulation of Diet—No pork, alcohol
Sex only in marriage
Marry early, no dating, traditional arranged
marriages—Legal first then love grows
Women
Controversial
Bothered by accusation of male
chauvinism
Men and woman as equal, but different
roles
Most central institution: family
Divorce-3 times (detested but allowed)
Polygamy—limited, but allowed
Veil- Hijab
Expansion
Sufi
Sunni--Iraqi
Shi’ite--Iran
Imam-one who has special spiritual
insight