Islam: From Faith to Civilization

Developed by Abigail S. Chill

What distinguishes a faith from a civilization?

A Civilization:Encompasses masses of people

Builds cities

Develops written language

Crosses political boundaries

Endures for centuries

Which of these characteristics enhances, inhibits or has no effect on the development of a faith into a civilization?

Belief in the superiority of

the cult.

Urban

Setting

Has no

written

language

Strong

military

A religion

with a code of behavior and rituals

Fears Foreigners

Nomadic Theocracy

Favors

Trade and

Travel

Rural

Setting

Values

Hospitality

No inter-

marriage

Strong

Oral

Tradition

Welcomes new

members?

What do we mean by the content of a civilization?

Content is…

Institutions

Values

Beliefs

Patterns of Behavior

Products

Which of these items would you call elements of American civilization?

Baseball

Democracy

Supreme Court

Civil Rights

Advanced Technology

Private Property

Separation of Church and State

The Judeo-Christian Heritage

What are some of the components of Islamic civilization?

21

The Quran

The Five Pillars of Islam

Islamic Architecture

Sharia and Hadith

The Arabic Language and Literature

3

Elements of Islamic Civilization

The Rashidun or “Rightly Guided” Caliphs (first four after Muhammad) expanded Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula.

4

The Alhambra in Spain

Rapid expansion created questions such as: How should Islam respond to non-Arab or non-Muslim people?

Accept non-Arab people and non-Muslims as equals?

Welcome non-Arab, pagan, or other monotheists into our community?

Trade with other peoples who are not Muslims?

Intermarry with non-Muslim people?

The answer Muslims found to these questions laid a foundation for Islam’s growth into a civilization.

The Umma was open to all. Islam incorporated elements from other faiths into the practice of the new religion.

Judaism—Fast Days, Importance of Jerusalem, Centrality of Abraham, Circumcision,

Dietary Laws, PrayerChristianity– Charity, Importance of Jesus, PrayerZoroastrianism—Belief in the Duality of Good and EvilPaganism–Pilgrimage to the Kaaba Shrine at Mecca