Islamic Timeline

• 570 M. born in Mecca

• 610 M. receives 1st vision, begins preaching

• 622 M. leaves Mecca for Medina, becomes leader of the city through diplomacy

• 630 M. conquers Mecca, returns to Medina

Islamic Timeline

• 632 M. dies, from past poisoning? Abu Bakr elected first Caliph (Deputy, Successor), orders suras collected

• Caliphate = Islamic Church-State Empire• 634-644 Umar, 2nd Caliph conquers Iraq,

some of Iran, N. Africa, Egypt, Israel…• 644-656 Uthman, 3rd Caliph, compiles

Qur’an, destroys other versions

Islamic Timeline

• 656 Uthman assassinated, Ali becomes 4th Caliph (656-661)

• Ali doesn’t find and punish Uthman’s assassins, Aisha, others, including Muawiyah rebell

• 661 Ali assassinated, cementing the Sunni/Shia rift.

The Bible vs. The Qur’an

• Composed over 1000+ years

• Many cultural and historical settings, many authors

• Began as oral tradition, edited by scholars

• Composed over two decades

• Composed in two cities by one author

• Transcript of ecstatic visions of uneducated man, compiled by one man

The Bible vs. The Qur’an

• Many genres

• Chronological and topical order

• Logical progression of ideas or themes

• Two genres: preaching and poetry

• Suras arranged longest to shortest

• Suras often jump from topic to topic

The Bible vs. The Qur’an

• Mostly 3rd person

• Historically accurate, used by archeologists

• Mostly 1st person pl. (“We” = Allah)

• Historical inaccuracies and anachronisms

The Afterlife

Like Christian picture but more literal, physical

Paradise features• Streams and pools of water• Lush gardens, birds• Riches, luxury• Doe-eyed virgin slave-girls (houris)

Paradise

The Afterlife

Hell• Firey torment

• Boiling water

• Eat heads of demons or snakes

• Like Christian medieval view

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. The Shahadah: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet."

2. Salat: Prayer towards Mecca 5x a day3. Zakat (annual charitable tax on net

worth)4. Sawm: Fasting during Ramadan (Month

in Muslim calendar)--no eating or drinking

5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once)