Islam:

History, values and culture

We are all Muslims; some have the Gospels, others have the Quran

A Patriarch from Syria

Islam:

Myths and Reality

Terminology:

The religion is called ISLAM. The people are MUSLIMS or Moslim.

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Myth #1: Most Muslims are Arabs who live in the Middle East.

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Reality: Of more than 1 billion Muslims worldwide, only about 1/5 are Arabs.

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Try to Guess:

Which country has more Muslims than any other country in the world?

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Answer:

Indonesia - with over 200 million Muslims.

Note: The U.S. has about 5 million Muslims.

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7http://www.skidmore.edu/academics/arthistory/ah369/islam_map.jpg

Myth #2: Muslims have a strange religion and worship a god called Allah.

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Reality: Muslims are monotheistic and worship the same one God as Christians and Jews. ?????

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Note:

‘Allah’ is the Arabic word for ‘God.’

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Myth #3:

Muslims believe it is o.k. to kill civilians in a holy war (“jihad”).

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Reality:

Only Muslim extremists believe this. (Just like most Christians do NOT believe in bombing abortion clinics.)

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Practice versus practitioner. Creator versus creation.

Myth #4:

Most Muslim women wear veils over their faces and are treated very badly.

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Reality:

Muslim women have many different styles of dress. (Very few cultures require women to cover their faces.)

The treatment of women varies from country to country and family to family.

Some Muslim countries, like Pakistan, have had female prime ministers. The U.S. has never had a female president.

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Pakistani dress (left); Saudi Arabian (right)

Shariah TV website

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Iranian woman

Green Cine.com 16

Somali (left); West African (right)

Shariah TV website

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Malaysian (left); Indian/Bangladeshi (right)

Shariah TV website

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Afghani women wearing burqas

International Medical Corps photo 19

Muslim girls in Texas protesting discrimination for wearing head scarves

http://www.cairdfw.org 20

Something to think about:

Should women in a Western country be allowed to wear a headscarf if they choose?

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Main Beliefs of Islam

5 Pillars of Islam

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Faith:

Belief in one God and that Muhammad is His prophet.

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Prayer:

5 times a day – facing Mecca

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/galleries/salah/images/5.jpg 24

Alms

Giving money to the poor is REQUIRED, not optional

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Fasting

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat or drink

anything during the daylight hours.

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Pilgrimage

Once in their lives – If they can afford it, Muslims make a

pilgrimage to Mecca

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In Mecca during the pilgrimage

www.thefaithclub.com 28

Vocabulary:

MOSQUE: a Muslim place of worship

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Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia

http://islamicbooks.info/H-21-Madh'habs 30

Mohammed Ali mosque, Cairo, Egypt

http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/egypt.htm 31

Inside the Mohammed Ali Mosque

http://www.ask-aladdin.com 32

http://www.ask-aladdin.com

Dome of the Mohammed Ali mosque

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Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque), Istanbul Turkey

http://cs.ua.edu/~greg/personal.html 34

Interior of the Blue Mosque

http://www.britannica.com 35

Dome of a mosque, Esfahan, Iran

http://www.perceptivetravel.com/issues/1106/maclean.html 36

Interior of a mosque in Iran

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/73022/photo621.html 37

Mosque in Djenne, Mali (West Africa)

http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/17028.html 38

North African mosque

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/tunis.htm 39

Indonesian mosque

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Brunei/index.html 40

Islamic architecture in Spain

http://www.islamservices.org 41

Muslim mosque and tombstone in Sarajevo, Bosnia

Yugoslavia: Republics and Provinces 42

Mosque in Tempe, Arizona

http://www.4uth.gov.ua/usa/english/society/muslimlife/mosques.htm 43

Vocabulary:

QURAN (or KORAN): Muslim holy book

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The Quran

http://www.minhajsisters.com/home/articles/index.minhaj?id=8 45

1. Which of the following is a true statement:

A. All Arabs are Muslims B. All Muslims are Arabs

C. Iran is an Arab country D. None of the above

1. Which of the following is a true statement:

A. All Arabs are Muslims B. All Muslims are Arabs

C. Iran is an Arab country D. None of the above

2. During prayer a Muslim should face:

A. Mecca B. Islamabad

C. Jerusalem D. Washington, DC

2. During prayer a Muslim should face:

A. Mecca B. Islamabad

C. Jerusalem D. Washington, DC

Islam• Founder: Muhammad Ibn (son of) Adballah• Born: 571 AD in Mecca, Arabia• Descendant of Abraham• Nicknames: Almustapha (the chosen), Alamin (the faithful)• Titles: The prophet, the messenger (Alrasul)• Tribe: Quraiysh• Holy Book: The Quran, derived from ‘read’

Quraiysh

Qussaiy

Abdmanaf

Abdshams Hashem

(Amneh+) Abdallah Abutalib Hamzeh Alabbas Abulahab Alhareth

(661-750) (750-1258)

Muhammad Ali

Adbelmuttalib

Ummayah Dynasty Abbbassides Dynasty

Abraham

Ismail

Adnan

Islam by the death of Mohammed 632

• Abu-Bakr - 632-634• The first elected official.

• Omar Ibn Elkhattab - 634-644 • Othman bin Affan - 644-656

Collected and compiled the Quran• Ali Bin Abitalib - 656-661

632-661: the Four Elected Successors (Caliphs)

Islam at 644, the year Omar died

732, 100 Yrs after Mohammed

The Abbassides Dynasty, 750-1258

• The center of the Empire moves to Iraq and Iran

• Baghdad, built 762 AD by Almansur (2nd Caliph).

• With over 2 M, Baghdad becomes the glamorous center of the world

Science, art, architecture, learning, and wealth

Lighted streets, public baths, public libraries and hospitals everywhere

• Cairo, built 968 AD

Islam as Monotheistic Religion

The Quran: 114 Chapters (chapter = Surah)

Special place for Virgin Mary, the only female (the Chapter of Mary)

God = Allah (Arabic) = Eluhim (Hebrew) = El (Aramaic)

One and only one God, no trinity Arabic as the language of the Quran

Jihad and the Conduct of War

• Jihad in Arabic does not mean "holy war”. It means "struggle” or “strive”.

• The "greater jihad” in the Quran is that of the soul, of the tongue, of the pen, of faith, of morality, etc. The "smaller jihad" is that of arms. Three levels:

– Personal: That of the soul– Verbal: "The most excellent jihad is the speaking of

truth in the face of a tyrant" – Physical: Combat waged in defense against oppression

and transgression.

Since good and evil cannot be equal, repel thou evil with something that is

better, and love he between whom and thy self was enmity may then become as though he had always been close unto thee, a true friend" (41:34)

• God does not allow harm of civilian, and requests the protection of women, children and the elderly during war (4:96; 9: 91; 48: 16,17)

“If any one slew a person--unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land--it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” (5:32)

Jihad and the Conduct of War

Jihad and the Conduct of War

"Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors." (2: 190).

– Notice: Defensive war, fight back• ‘Martyrdom’: Those killed during fighting or while doing civic

duties (martyrs) are promised a place in heaven (several

passages, e.g., 2:154; 3:169-172) • However, suicide is not allowed; it is forbidden and

condemned (e.g., 6:151, 17:33, 25:68) 'Do not attack a temple, a church, a synagogue. Do not

bring a tree or a plant down. Do not harm a horse or a camel’

Relation with other Faiths

• Like the Torah, the Quran permits retaliation eye for eye, tooth

for tooth. But, like the Gospels, it says “it is meritorious to forgo revenge in a spirit of charity (5: 45)

• Acknowledges Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob,

Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Zacharia, Jesus, John the baptist, and others as the “the good prophets of God”

• A special place for Jesus and Mary (e.g., 3:45,46; 4:156-158;

19:1-98)

• Accepts that Mary’s conception is from God’s soul.

• Rejects the divinity of Jesus (no trinity).

• Jesus was not killed (e.g., 4:155-159; 5:17-19)

"And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better, unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong: but say, 'We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow.”

• In one of his last public sermons Muhammad said “God tells all human beings, "O people! We have

formed you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another" (49: 13). Do not conquer, convert, subjugate, revile or slaughter but to reach out toward others with intelligence and understanding”

Relation with other Faiths

Sunni and Shiha

Sunni

• 90% of Muslims

• Follow the Quran and the Hadeeth as we have them today, and as interpreted by the Sunni scholars

Shiha

• Came to be as a sect after 680 A.D.

• Believe in the Quran and Hadeeth, like Sunni

• However, they place Ali very high as a holy figure, and think ‘main stream’ Islam discriminated against him

• Today Shiah is mainly in Iran (90%), Iraq (55%) and Lebanon (~40%)

Important Holidays

Al-adhaa (the sacrifice)

• Symbolizes Abraham attempt to sacrifice his son Ishmael by God’s request. • Should sacrifice an animal and give the food to the poor.

• The pilgrimage to Mecca

Alfetr • Observed at the end of the holy month of Ramadan (the fasting month)

The Islamic New Year• Yr 1, Islamic calendar = 622 A.D.

Alisraa Walmaaraj• Symbolizes the ascending, in Jerusalem, of Mohammed's soul to heaven

The Birthday of Muhammad

Ashuraa day (Shiha only)

Islam Today

• 1.3 Billion worldwide, three continents 0.3 Billion Arabs

Indonesia (200 M) > India (180 M) > Pakistan (160

M) > Bangladesh (120 M) >China (80 M) > Egypt (70 M)

• There are about 20 M Christian Arabs Egypt > Syria > Lebanon > Palestine > Iraq

• About 7 M Muslims in the USA, 3-4 M are Arabs

Roughly half of the Arab Americans are Christians