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Section C: Islam
Part one
Islam began in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia.
Cultural context
 Many of the Arabs who settled in Saudi Arabia were desert people who
had wandered from place to place searching for water and grass for
their animals.
 Many Arabs settled in Mecca, a city which was an important centre for
trading routes. There were many markets here.
 Arabs were animists (they believed in good and bad spirits). They were
polytheists (they believed in many gods) and they worshipped idols in
the Ka’ba (a black stone believed to be brought to Mecca by Abraham).
There was a Zamzam (a holy well) near the Ka’ba.
 They had their own tribal beliefs and ways of life.
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Part two
Muhammad
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He was born in Mecca.
He was orphaned as a child as his uncle raised him.
Muhammad married Khadijah and they had 6 children.
He was a successful business man but he was troubled by
the corruption in Mecca.
Muhammad often prayed on his own and he realised that
there was only one God.
The night of power and excellence was when an angel
appeared to Muhammad while he was praying in a cave on Mount Hira.
Muhammad was told by the angel that he was a prophet. The messages
Muhammad received from God later became the Qur’an.
Muhammad began to preach to the people of Mecca that
there is only one God and that people should live good lives.
The people of Mecca disliked Muhammad’s message and
Muhammad was forced to go to the city of Medina- this journey is
known as the Hijra.
A mosque was built in Medina and the people here
accepted his message.
Muhammad eventually returned to Mecca with an army. He
had all the idols removed from the Ka’ba. The Ka’ba then became a
shrine to Allah.
Muhammad died in 632 CE.
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Qur’an (The sacred text of Islam)
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It has 114 surahs (chapters).
It is treated with great respect-Muslims wash their hands
before touching it and it is kept on a special stand.
A revelation is a vision contained in a message.
Muhammad’s revelations form the Qur’an. They are the
exact words of God.
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Development of the Qur’an
God’s message is revealed to Muhammad.
Muhammad recites the messages word for word.
He passes the messages onto his followers. They learn the messages off by
heart. Scribes write down some of the messages.
After Muhammad dies the oral and written sources are collected together.
This is how the Qur’an is written.
Part three
Six articles of faith:
1.
2.
3.
Belief in Allah.
Belief in Angels.
Belief in the
Qur’an.
4.
Five pillars of Islam:
1.
2.
Belief in
Prophets.
Belief in the day
of judgement.
6.
Belief in predestination.
3.
5.
4.
5.
Belief (Shahadah)
There is only one God and
Muhammad is his prophet.
Prayer (Salat)
Five times a day.
Charity (Zakat)
2.5% of savings.
Fasting (Sawm)
From sunrise to sunset during
Ramadan.
Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Mecca, once in a lifetime.
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Festival
Eid-ul-Fitr
Eid-ul-Adha
At the
end of....
Ramadan
Hajj
Why?
Muslims fast for one
month during Ramadan.
Eid-ul-Fitr is a joyful
festival to mark the end
of a period of selfdiscipline.
On the last day of the
hajj an animal is
sacrificed to recall the
sacrifice Abraham was
prepared to make.
Visit mosque
and pray?
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Share a meal, visit
family and friends?
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Special prayers are Celebration meal.
said to Allah for a
successful fast.
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A lamb is sacrificed
Special prayers are and meat is given to
said in the
the poor.
mosque.
Rituals
-A ritual is a symbolic action that helps people express what is deeply important.
-A ceremony is a series of formal acts that take place on a ritual occasion.
Birth: words from the Qur’an are whispered into the baby’s ear when the child
is born. When the baby is seven days old the Aqiqah ceremony takes place. The
baby’s hair is cut, the hair is weighed and its weight in gold/silver is given to
the poor. The baby is named.
Marriage: Marriage may be arranged by parents and a contract is drawn up.
The ceremony is short and simple. Verses are recited from the Qur’an.
Death: Burial takes place within 24 hours. The body is wrapped in white sheets
and taken to the mosque. Prayers are said. The body is buried facing Mecca.
Stages of the pilgrimage
1. Mecca- ritual washing, long white tunics.
2. Ka’ba- walk around.
3. Hills of Safa and Marwa- hurry 7 times
between the two small hills, water from
the well.
4. Plain of Arafat- listen to sermons, pray.
5. Pillars of Mina- stone the pillar, sacrifice a
sheep.
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Place of worship: Mosque
 Friday is the holy day of the week for Muslims.
 Men go to the mosque for prayer (women may go too). Men and
women worship in separate areas.
 A mosque may have the crescent moon and star symbol of Islam on the
top. A minaret is a tall narrow tower from where a muezzin calls people
to prayer.
 People remove footwear, cover their heads and perform wudu (ritual
cleansing which means washing feet, hands, arms and head) before
prayer.
 The main prayer hall is bare- there are no statues, candles, etc. The walls
are decorated with lines from the Qur’an.
 The mihrab is a small arch pointing towards Mecca.
 The minbar is a small pulpit for sermons.
 The imam leads the prayer.
Prayer
Salat
Du’ah
These are formal prayers that follow a
pattern of words or actions. Muslims
.
pray 5 times
a day at fixed times. Prayer
is obligatory
for anyone over the age of
.
12.This can be done alone or with others.
Muslims perform wudu (ritual cleaning),
stand on clean ground, use a prayer mat
and pray in Arabic facing Mecca. Rak’ah
are set movements during prayer. The
shahadah is said at the end of prayer
Informal prayers that do not
have a set pattern. They are
said any where at any time,
facing any direction. These can
be prayers of praise,
thanksgiving or petition. They do
not have to be said in Arabic.
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Part four
Important people and key moments in the development of Islam.
CE
570 Muhammad is born.
595 Muhammad and Khadijah get married.
610 The angel Gabriel appears to Muhammad (the night of power and
excellence). Muhammad receives many messages from the angel. He
learns them off by heart. He teaches the people of Mecca that there is
only one God and he condemns the worship of idols in the Ka’ba.
622 Muhammad is forced to flee to Medina (Hijra).
630 Muhammad returns to Mecca with an army. The people convert to Islam
and the idols are removed from the Ka’ba.
632 Muhammad dies.
Expansion
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Islam spread rapidly.
By Muhammad’s death Arabia had converted to Islam.
Islam spread into the countries beyond Arabia.
100 years after Muhammad’s death Islam spread as far east as India, as
well as northern Africa, Spain, Portugal and northern Europe.
 300 years after Muhammad’s death the cities of Cairo, Baghdad and
Cordoba were places of learning for Muslim scholars (especially maths,
science, medicine and the arts).
 Islam spread to Palestine, a city sacred to Christians and Jews. During
the Middle Ages the three religions fought battles around Jerusalem. A
mosque was built on the old site of the Jewish Temple.
 Islam also spread to Turkey and beyond during the 17th century. This
became known as the Ottoman Empire.
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There are 1 billion
Muslims worldwide.
Most Muslims live
in Saudi Arabia,
Iran, Iraq, the
Middle East, and
North Africa.
2 million Muslims
live in Britain and
32,000 Muslims
live in Ireland.
Schism
A schism is a division. In this case arose over who should succeed
Muhammad as leader after his death. Some felt that it should be Ali,
Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law while others felt is should be Abu Bakr,
Muhammad’s friend.
Shi’ah Muslims
 10% of all Muslims.
 Faithful to Qur’an and interpret it
strictly.
 They believe Ali was chosen to lead
the Muslim community. He is
thought to be infallible.
 This ability was passed to Ali’s son
and through the generations until
880 CE.
 They believe that Ali will return to
bring peace to the world.
 They mainly live in Iran, India and
Afghanistan.
Sunni Muslims
 90% of Muslims.
 They regard themselves as
orthodox, and the true
followers of Muhammad’s
teachings.
 They believe that
Muhammad is the final and
greatest prophet.
 They do not accept that Ali
and his sons were holy men.
To suggest so takes attention
away from Muhammad and
Allah.
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Part five
Key points
 Muhammad is the major prophet
of Islam.
 The followers of Islam are
Muslims.
 Muslims believe in one God. The
main beliefs are the Six Articles of
Faith and the Five Pillars.
 The Qur’an is the sacred text.
 Friday is the holy day of the week.
 Mosque is the place of worship.
Wudu (ritual washing) must take
place before prayer.
 Muslims pray 5 times a day.
 Muslims go on pilgrimage to
Mecca.
 Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha are the
main festivals.
 An imam leads prayer in the
mosque.
 Day to day, Muslims obey the Five
Pillars, follow a dress code and
they follow dietary laws (which
includes not drinking alcohol).
 Ceremonies mark birth, death and
marriage.
 The star and crescent moon is the
symbol of Islam.
Conflict and dialogue with other religions
 Over the centuries there has been much conflict between Jews, Muslims
and Christians in Palestine.
 The Three Faiths Forum (Jews, Muslims and Christians) tries to establish
links between the three religions in Ireland.
 Pope Benedict XVI met with Muslim leaders in May 2009.
Links with Christianity
□ Both religions are monotheistic.
□ Abraham is an important figure in both religions.
□ Prayer and pilgrimage are vital for believers of both religions.
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