Islam

The Universe Next DoorChapter 10

“A View from the Middle East”

“There is no God but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God”

Basic Vocabulary • Islam- means submission or

surrender - obedience (peace) • Allah - Arabic for God – the one true

and ultimate supreme being • Abraham- patriarch of Islam

(monotheism)• Hagar - handmaid of Abraham’s

wife, Sara (mother of Ishmael)• Ishmael- first born son of Abraham

and Hagar - associated with the Arabs

- Ishmael means God hears

• Muhammad - prophet of Islam- Arabian merchant

• Mecca –birthplace of Muhammad (Saudi Arabia) – Site of the kaaba and the hajj

• Medina - burial place of Muhammad

• Jerusalem - site of the Dome of the Rock (mosque built on the Jewish temple mount)

• Hajj- annual pilgrimage to Mecca

• It is one of the five pillars of Islam

• Kaaba- holiest site in Islam – located in Mecca –associated with Abraham - establishment of monotheism in the region of Arabia

Pilgrims on hajj

• Shi’a- (Shiites) smaller more radical group - - associated with Iran

• Sunni- largest group within Islam - – @80 %of Muslims are Sunni – More moderate in their beliefs and practices

• Sufi- mystical branch of Islam • Jihad-”holy war” - literally means

struggle - – can refer to one’s personal struggle

with God – Or the struggle for the spread of Islam

• Qur’an- it is believed to be the revelation of God to the prophet (angelic visit by Gabriel) - must be in Arabic to be fully

authoritative - Qur’an means recitation

• Mullah (Imam) - Islamic leader and or teacher

• Mosque - Islamic place of worship • Minaret - prayer tower• Mahdi- associated with the

“second coming and final judgment of God – Some Muslims believe that Jesus may

be the Mahdi who will return to establish peace and justice before God’s final judgment

The great mosque and kaaba in Mecca

Saudi Arabia – royal family

The kaaba

The Five Pillars of Islam• There is no God but God and

Muhammad is the prophet of God• Pray 5 times a day facing Mecca

– (the kaaba) • Hajj- make the annual pilgrimage

to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime-– the hajj- weeklong event

• Give to poor – 2.5% of one’s wealth

• Fast from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan

Some Facts About Islam

• Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in world (120 million)

• Approximately 25% of the world’s population is Muslim

• @11 million Muslims live in the United States

• Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today

• The state of Israel is the major “flash point” between the Muslim world and the West

• @80 % of Muslims are NOT Arabic – (do not speak Arabic- different

culture) – Arab regions and countries –

•Middle East, North Africa, Iraq

– Non-Arab regions – •Parts of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central

Asia, Indonesia, etc.

Hajj pilgrimage – spiritual journey

• Hajj takes place in and around Mecca – population of 1 million

• Kaaba means “house of God”– Believed to be the original site of worship to

the one true God established by Abraham and reestablished by Muhammad

• Hajj seeks to retrace the pilgrimage (journey) of Abraham - the worship of the one true God

• Ihram – state of ritual purification during hajj – Pure state of mind – peace, patience,

brotherhood

• 2 million pilgrims come to Mecca for hajj each year

• Only Muslims may participate in hajj • Muslim women must be accompanied

by a male family member or be given written permission from a male family member to attend

Stages of hajj • Worship at the kaaba- circle the kaaba 7

times (prayer)– - ihram- ritual state of purification

• The Striving- reenactment of Hagar’s desperate search for water for her son Ismael – God provides a spring

• Walk to the Valley of Mina (Plain of Arafat) – Day of reckoning before God - seek

God’s grace and forgiveness

• Ritual stoning of Satan to defy temptation (3 stone pillars) – “Abraham threw stones at

Satan” when he tempted him to not sacrifice his son Ishmael

• Animal sacrifice made for each pilgrim

• Return to the kaaba – circle and prayer

How does Islam address the major worldview questions?

The Universe Next Door

Chapter 10

Basic Islamic Theism

Prime Reality • God (Allah) is the one and only supreme

being – The ultimate reality

• Allahu akbar-”God is greater than all others” – Infinite– Transcendent– Personal– Omniscient– Immanent– Sovereign– Good

• Allah reveals himself through human history

• Reveals himself through the Qur’an

• The Qur’an is believed to be God’s word given directly to the prophet Muhammad

• The Qur’an can be likened to the Christian teaching of the “Word” becoming a human being

• However, Muslims reject the teachings that Jesus was the “Son of God” - God as a human being

External Reality- Physical Reality • Allah created the physical world- universe

– ex nihilo- from nothing• The physical world is a

– cause and effect system- ordered and controlled by God

– The system is CLOSED- it is a determined system

• Nothing happens outside of Allah’s “divine decree” or will- he controls all aspects of his creation

– Allah not only knows everything that happens, he also controls everything

– “God’s will sets the boundary for what any creature can do as a causal agent.” (257)

Human beings• Humans are God’s highest creation –

possess special abilities and responsibilities

• Humans are both physical and spiritual beings

• Adam and Eve were the first humans• Humans are God’s representatives on

earth• Humans are born “pure” and

uncorrupted – This differs with the Christian view

of the sin nature- or the idea of “original sin”

• The goal of Muslims is to live out that purity in the world

Satan• Iblis

– Iblis was an angelic being who refused to bow down to Adam (God’s highest creation)

– “Bow down to Adam;” and they bowed down: Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith.” (Qur’an 3:34)

– Iblis’ rebellion - refused to acknowledge the superiority of human beings

Death• A period of “transition” between this

physical life and the eternal state of being• Heaven - “paradise” • Hell - place of punishment and eternal

torment where God punishes those who have refused to follow and obey him

• All human beings will stand before God’s judgment – Deeds will be judged– A Muslim has no definite assurance of

salvation•Exceptions- martyrs, young children,

people who are mentally impaired– Allah alone determines a person’s

ultimate eternal destiny

Heaven (Paradise) • “gardens of perpetual bliss”

– An oasis, rivers, lush gardens, etc.

• People will enjoy the pleasures of this world without the any of the negative aspects – Eating and drinking– Sex - Allah will provide virgins for

those who are in paradise – Women will presumably receive

whatever men are given

Knowing- Knowledge • Allah has given human beings the

ability to think and reason• God revealed himself through the

prophet Muhammad (Qur’an) – God’s other prophets (messengers)

• Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus

• “God’s sovereign decree limits human knowledge” (263)

God’s revelation• God alone is sovereign in

determining who will be open to his revelation

• “Those who God willeth to guide- he opens their breast to Islam; those whom he willeth to leave straying,- He maketh their breast closed and constricted…… thus does God (heap) the penalty on those who refuse to believe.” (6:125)

Right and Wrong Morality is based on the teachings of

the Qur’an• Islamic law- the shari’a • Muslim life is strictly regulated by law

– A person must live his or her life in strict accordance to Islamic law

• Islam focuses more on how one lives than on God’s grace

• Obedience to the law – devotion to God– avoid punishment

Human History • History is a reflection of God’s absolute

sovereignty• Human history provides people with the

opportunity to “demonstrate their submission” to Allah (269)

• Goal: bring the entire world under the Islamic community - creation of a unified Islamic state

• Muslims believe in a “second coming” when the Mahdi comes to establish peace and justice before God’s final judgment – Some Muslims believe that Jesus Christ is

the Mahdi