World
Religions
Islam
Overview – General
• Islam began in the interior of Arabia in the 7th
century AD
• Within 20 years it absorbed the tribesmen of the
entire peninsula, and continued to expand
geometrically
• Today there are approximately 1.2 billion
Muslims worldwide
• Between 1976 and 2003 Islam grew to 1.2
billion from .5 billion (that’s almost triple in 24
years!)
• Largest numbers in a belt of countries along
both side of the equator, stretching from
Morocco to the Philippines
Overview – General
– Greatest concentration are in the Indian sub-
continent (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India --- c.
250 million
– Indonesia has c. 175 million (more than Egypt,
Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran combined)
– USA 5 million, France 4.5 million, Germany 3
million, Turkey 2.5 million, Britain 2 million
In the US, Muslims outnumber all Episcopalians, and are a
little more than one third as large as the SBC, the largest
Protestant denomination in the world.
Overview – Arabia Before Muhammad
• Religious dissatisfaction in the years before the rise
of Islam
• Christianity and Judaism had made inroads to
Arabia
• Conflict between Christians and Jews, and between
Christian groups
• Knowledge of these religions and their conflicts
became important to the rise of Islam
• Allegedly, Christians ignored the Arab people and
failed to translate the Bible until after rise of Islam
Overview – The Prophet (570-632 AD)
• Muhammad born c. 570 AD in Mecca (modern Saudi
Arabia)
• Orphaned at 6 (father died before Muhammad was
born, mother died when he was 6); never formally
educated and illiterate
• In youth he worked along the caravan routes
between the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
• He encountered many Christians, Jews, and
Zoroastrians, heard their beliefs and witnessing their
disputes
• At 25 met an married Khadija, a wealthy widow of 40
Overview – The Prophet (570-632 AD)
• Khadija bore six children and became Muhammad’s
first convert
• No longer needing to work, he began going into the
hills to meditate c. 610
• During one such period, he claimed to have met the
angel Gabriel who brought him a special message
“Read in the name of thy Lord who created, who created man of blood
coagulated. Read! Thy Lord is the most beneficent, who taught by the
pen, taught that which they knew not, unto men.”
Claimed words were whispered in his ear by Gabriel in
dictation fashion---meaning words, form, and style
were all divine
Overview – The Prophet (570-632 AD)
• Claimed the messages “sent down” were from a
heavenly book which is eternal and co-existent with
God
It is the “Well Preserved Tablet” or “Mother of the Book”
It consists of God’s unchanging will and truth
Other books given to past prophets were also taken from this
book
Muslims believe that the nature of Muhammad’s
revelations were such that his mental processes were
suspended and he was in a trance-like state when the angel
communicated with him.
Overview – The Prophet (570-632 AD)
• Muhammad claimed the new book was given due to:
– the need for Arabs to have God’s word in their
language
– Corruption of former texts by Christians and Jews
• The Ou’ran (Koran), as the book became known, is
highly reverenced by Muslims
• Even handling the book is considered important
It is not allowed to be placed on the ground
Translation out of Arabic is frowned upon because
it is believed that in translation it loses it status as
the true word of God
Overview – The Prophet (570-632 AD)
• Muhammad’s visions and revelations continued – in
dreams & ecstatic seizures – for 23 years until his
death
• His revelations culminated in the conviction that
there was only one God, Allah, and he, Muhammad,
was the last (and greatest) prophet
• He began preaching this message to the people of
Mecca, with very little support – even hostility
• When he began to have converts they too were
persecuted
• In 620 a group of men traveled from Yathrib
(Medina) to confer with Muhammad
Overview – The Prophet (570-632 AD)
• 621 - 12 delegates (10 were Jews who thought he
was the Messiah) from Yathrib came to ask him to
be judge of the city
• 622 - Hearing of a plot to assassinate him, he moved
from Mecca to Medina, arriving on September 24.
This journey is called the “Hijrah” (migration), and is
the time from which Muslims date their calendars
• He consolidated his power into a spiritual/political
machine in Medina, but soon met with resistance
from local Jews
– In the beginning he told people to pray facing Jerusalem
– After hostilities from the Jews, he instructed people to
pray facing Mecca
Overview – The Prophet (570-632 AD)
• Muhammad led his people to raid Meccan traders
• 624 - angry Meccans sent an army against Medina,
but were defeated by Muhammad’s army
• 630 - Muhammad conquered Mecca with an army of
10,000
– Went to the Kaaba, the sacred temple in Mecca, and
destroyed 360 idols
– To this day the Kaaba is the most sacred sanctuary to
Muslims
• 632 - Muhammad returned to Medina, became ill,
and ultimately died
Muslim Theology
The Name Says It All
Islam – Submission, or to Submit
Muslim – One who Submits
The Qu’ran
A copy of the eternal book in heaven
The source of all education
A great act of piety to memorize the whole
text
It alone is God’s final revelation
It is guarded by God from any corruption or
distortion
Muslim Theology
The Qu’ran
Supposedly, the exact words of Allah given by
Gabriel to Muhammad
Zayd, Muhammad’s secretary, wrote them down
(remember, Muhammad was illerate)
Never published during Muhammad’s lifetime
114 “suras” (chapters) and 6,000 “ayas” verses
The combined Qu’ran, traditions, consensus, and
analogy, make up the “Shari’ah”, the rules and
regulations governing the day to day life of
Muslims
Muslim Theology
The Hadith
• A record of the carefully observed actions
and words of Muhammad
• Many accounts exist; six are considered
authentic
• The form is normally: “so and so heard from
so and so that the prophet said or did thus
and so.” The report of what the prophet said
or did will follow.
• Part of the governing teachings of Islam
Muslim Theology
The Nature of God
• God is absolute or unrestrained will
• God has no Son, thus Jesus is not God
• God has 99 names; devout Muslims repeat these as
Catholics would a rosary, often using beads to aid
memory
• The accepted prophets of Islam (including Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and
Jesus) were all created human beings, and therefore
have no divine characteristics
• There are other spiritual beings
Muslim Theology
The Nature of God
• Other spiritual beings (cont.)
– Angels
– Djinn – created of fire and are halfway between
humans and angels
• Some are guardian beings, others are demons
• The demon leader is a fallen angel, Iblis
• He is tempter and the prosecutor of humanity,
and was responsible for the fall of Adam
Muslim Theology
Predestination – Al-Qadar
• All is in the hands of God – He is absolute will
• He has planned all events in advance
• Muslims express this belief in the statement, “im
shallah” (if God wills it)
“This does not mean that human beings do not
have a free will. Man has a free will and is
therefore responsible for his own choices.”
Islam-guide.com
Muslim Theology
Predestination – Al-Qadar (cont.)
• The belief in predestination means four things:
– God knows everything; he knows what has happened and
what will happen
– God has recorded all this information
– Whatever God has willed to happen happens, and whatever
he wills not to happen does not happen
– God is the creator of everything
Eschatology – Judgment Day
-- At the last day, trumpet sounds, bodies rejoin souls
-- People are judged based on deeds and beliefs recorded in a
book kept for this purpose
-- The faithful and virtuous go to paradise, evil go to torment
Religious Institutions & Institutes
The Mosque
• Because Islam is not a temple centered religion, the
mosque is primarily a place for prayer (though some
instruction may take place there)
• Islam sees no need for priests, ministers, or
intermediaries
• In place of temples, Muslim life is governed by the
Shari’ah, the Qu’ran, & the Hadith, usually on a
personal and individual basis
• Thus, temples may be very bare places with only a
place to kneel for prayer
Religious Institutions & Institutes
The Five Pillars
• Shahadah (bearing witness by repetition of the
creed)
– “La ilaha illa Allah; Muhammad rasul Allah” There is
no God but Allah: Muhammad is a messenger of
Allah
– The devout utter it as often as possible everyday
– It is the Muslim profession of faith. To utter it makes
one a devout Muslim
– It affirms God’s oneness and Muhammad’s central
role in the religion
Religious Institutions & Institutes
The Five Pillars
• Salah (worship through daily prayer)
– The call to prayer is Adan, made five times a day: dawn,
midday, late afternoon, just after sunset, and at evening
– The call follows a specific script and order
– In the early days, Muezzins (criers) climbed to the
Minarets (other parts of the temple) five times a day and
called people to prayer
– Today this is usually done by prerecorded messages or
singing
– On Fridays a sermon is added to the noon prayer
– Before prayers, Muslims must wash (in sand if water is
unavailable)
Religious Institutions & Institutes
The Five Pillars
• Zakat (almsgiving)
– Proper Muslims share their belongings with people
of the community
– Begging is not dishonorable
– This is a mandatory tax on Muslims
– Not strictly enforced
– Given at specific time of year
– Amount 2.5% of cash income
Religious Institutions & Institutes
The Five Pillars
• Ramadan Fast
– 9th month of the Islamic calendar
– Must refrain from food, drink, smoking, and other things
deemed pleasurable until sunset (until one cannot tell the
difference between a white thread and a dark one)
– Ramadan is seen as an exercise in self-restraint in
obedience to God
– During the last 10 days of Ramadan the night of prayer
occurs
– After Ramadan, a three day fast ensues. Family visits
together and exchanges gifts
– Some can be excluded from the fast: sick, young, elderly,
pregnant, nursing, or during menstrual cycle
Religious Institutions & Institutes
The Five Pillars
• Hajj (the pilgrimage)
– During month of Dhu al-Hajj
– During pilgrimage, pilgrims must abstain from food and
drink during daylight hours
– Must visit the well of Zamzam, the place where Hagar and
Ishmael went on their journey
– After pilgrimage, pilgrims are known as Hajji
• Must have a Haj permit (visas based on the population of each
country)
• Washes himself, dons a white robe, and participates in the
ritual of absolution, after which he can never kill man, beast, or
plant
• During hajj, fingernails or hair cannot be cut, and sexual
activity is prohibited
Religious Institutions & Institutes
Jihad
• Historically, Muslims waged war to spread Muslim
rule rather than to force conversions (though forced
conversions did happen)
• Some Muslims see the Jihad as an allegory
• Four types of Jihad are taught:
– War with the tongue (proclamation of the message)
– War with the heart (most important)
– War with the sword (physical warfare)
– War with the hand (setting a good example)
Religious Institutions & Institutes
Ye should believe in Allah and his messenger,
Jihad and should strive for the cause of Allah with
your wealth and your lives (Surah 61:11)
• Many Muslims believe these words apply to
spiritual striving rather than physical, but
the concept of physical striving is important
to Muslims
• There are five rules that normally govern the
Jihad as holy war. They are:
Religious Institutions & Institutes
• Physical violence may never be used to advance the
cause of Islam (An Islamic country, therefore, may
never initiate conflict)
• Islam should be propagated only by reason and
rational appeal
• If another nation commits an act of aggression
against an Islamic country, the Islamic country is
justified in using military force to defend itself
• If a non-Islamic country uses physical force to
repress the free exercise of Islam, including the
propagation of Islam, those actions constitute
physical aggression against Islam, or a particular
Islamic country
Religious Institutions & Institutes
• If there is territory that once was Islamic, it must be
reclaimed. Reversion is therefore considered
physical aggression against Islam.
Also Important
A jihad warrior killed in battle is
assured of going to paradise
Religious Institutions & Institutes
• Islam and Women
– Muhammad raised status of women considerably (must
be historically and culturally relative to understand this)
– Muslim men may have only four wives
– Muslim men may divorce wife easily, but must pay a
dowry
– In most places Muslim women may not come to the
Mosque
– There are places and instances where this is changing. In
some mosques women are allowed to kneel on one side
of the building, while men kneel on another
Religious Institutions & Institutes
• The Role of Jesus
– The Qu’ran states that He was the greatest prophet before
Muhammad
– Jesus was called upon to protect the Torah
– The virgin birth is affirmed, but He was born under a palm
tree
– Mary is regarded as the greatest among women
– The last supper is mentioned, but not the crucifixion
– Jesus went directly to paradise
– Christ’s return is affirmed, but to establish the Muslim
religion
– The deity and son ship of Jesus are denied
Variations Within Islam
Sunnis
Orthodox & Traditionalists. Make up 85% of Muslims
worldwide
Fundamental authority is the Shari’ah as interpreted
by learned men who base their interpretation on the
Hadith
There are four divisions of Sunnis
Hanifites – Western Asia, India, lower Egypt
Malikites – North and West Africa, upper Egypt
Shafi’ites – lower Egypt, Syria, India, Indonesia
Hanbalites – Saudi Arabia (most conservative)
Variations Within Islam
Shi’ites
Developed as a result of a rupture in the religion
following Muhammad’s death
Muhammad’s son, Ali, was not chosen to be his
father’s successor (some claimed Muhammad had
chosen him)
He was murdered in 661 – the Ummayad dynasty
took over
Ali’s youngest son waged war against the
Ummayads, but was defeated at Karbala and
executed
His followers broke away and called themselves,
Shia Ali (the part of Ali). Later called Shi’ites
Variations Within Islam
• Shi’ites (cont.)
Largest group known as “Twelvers”
These refer to Ali and the eleven who succeeded
him as Imams
Each one died mysteriously except the twelfth,
Imam Zaman or Mahdi (Messiah)
He is believed to be alive even today, but invisible
One day, it is said, he will return and bring justice to
the earth
He is considered the Imam for all time
Variations Within Islam
• Differences Between Shi’ites and Sunnis
– Believe further revelations come through the Imams (the
great prophets)
– Believe that there have been seven such revelator
Imams—some never died
– Believe in Mahdi (messiah)
– Prize martyrdom
– Reject the current Qu’ran—believe it was tampered with.
Allegorical interpretation is the key to understanding it
Shia Islam is the official religion in Iran. It is the
largest group in southern Iraq. Worldwide, 10% to
15% of Muslims are Shi’ites
Variations Within Islam
Sufis
Muslim mystics and ascetics from c. 800
Sufi means “woolen” and refers to the course
woolen garments worn by Sufis
They live in poverty and reject the world’s niceties
Claim their lifestyle is more like early, “more pious”
Muslims
Following their founder, Mansur al-Hallaj, who
claimed mystical oneness with Allah and said, “I am
the truth,” they follow the more mystical aspects of
the faith
Variations Within Islam
• Sufis (cont.)
– Sufis constantly seek love and knowledge through a
direct experience with God
– Worship rituals include chanting, meditations, and
musical recitations
– They were persecuted early on and forced
underground (following the crucifixion of al-Hallaj)
– 12th century a professor of theology, Abu-Hamid al-
Ghazali, left his post seeking God through mystical
experiences. He joined the Sufis and ultimately
became their teacher
– Islam came to accept his teachings and Sufis began
building monasteries, training adherents
Variations Within Islam
• Sufis (cont.)
– When a convert joins a monastery he is known as a
fakir (poor man) or a dervish (one who comes to
the door)
– Discipline, poverty, abstinence, and sometimes
celibacy were hallmarks of the order
– Dervishes sometimes practice whirling for hours at
a time as a means to achieve a mystical encounter
What is the For the darkness of
Answer Islam?
“Anyone who comes to
me, I will not turn
away”
Not what --- Who!