ISLAM

Islam
 comes from an Arabic root word meaning "peace"
and "submission.

 The same Arabic root word gives us "Salaam

alaykum," ("Peace be with you"), the universal
Muslim greeting.

 Islam teaches that one can only find peace in one's

life by submitting to Almighty God (Allah) in heart,
soul and deed.
 Muslim
• A person who believes in and consciously
follows Islam is called a Muslim, also from the
same root word. So, the religion is called
"Islam," and a person who believes in and
follows it is a "Muslim."
 Origin
• Arabia (Mecca & Medina)
• 7th century
• Pre-Islamic Religious Life
• Muhammad the Prophet
– Born about 570 C.E. in Mecca. Died 632.
– Member of the Quraysh tribe
– Messenger of God: About 610 C.E. receives visit
from angel Gabriel and begins recitation (the
Qur’an)
 Quran
• The Quran is the most important book in
Islam. It contains the teachings andstory of
the chief prophet of Islam, Muhammad.
• It is the sacred text of Muslims and the highest
authority in both religious and legal matters
 Quran
• Means "recitation" in Arabic.
• The sacred text of Islam and the highest
authority in both religious and legal matters.
– Word of God (Not Muhammad)
– One god
– Ethical monotheism: God as just & judging
– Oral & written
– Most authoritative source of Islamic doctrine &
practice
 Quran
• The Quran consists of 114 Chapters (suras) of
different lengths, with a total of 6236 ayat
(verses).

• It provides detailed guidelines on the day-to-

day living of a Muslim.
 HADITH
• The sacred text called the "Hadith," which is
Arabic for "narrative" or "report," is a record
of Islamic tradition
• It is a record of the words and deeds of the
prophet Muhammad, his family, and his
companion.
• It is the second most important text in Islam
next to the Quran.
 Six Articles of Islamic faith
• Six Articles of Islamic Faith (for the Sunni majority)
– In addition to Five Pillars of Islamic Practice
– Together, make up Aqidah (“creed”)
– Sunni/Shia’s beliefs differ

• Having Iman (“to fully observe one’s faith”)

– Belief in the heart
– Profession by the tongue
– Performance of the deeds

• Without the articles of faith, there is no context for the

pillars of practice
 Six Articles of Islamic faith
• To Believe in God (Allah)
• To Believe in Unseen
• To Believe in Prophethood
• To Believe in Revelation
• To Believe in Day of Judgement
• To Believe in Divine Decree
 To Believe in God (Allah)
• Monotheism (tawhid = “divine unity”)
– God is absolute, a single inseparable unity
– One God  Same God for Jews, Christians, Muslims
– Allah: not a proper name, but the Arabic word for “God”
– “99 Names of God”: found throughout the Qur’an

• God has “no associate or partner”

– Muslims reject the Christian concept of “Trinity”
– God cannot become human; humans cannot be God
– Consider Jesus a great prophet, but not divine
 To Believe in the Unseen
• Angels
– God’s messengers; reveal messages to Prophets
• Ex: Angel Gabriel revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad
– No free will; sole purpose is serving God
– Accompany, guide, and protect people at all times

• Spirits (Jinn)
– Spiritual beings, with free will
– Thus can be good or evil
– Root of English word/concept: “genie”
 To Believe in Prophethood
• Prophets (nabi ) and Messengers (rasul )
– Prophets speak God’s words to people orally.
– Messengers record God’s words in book form.
– So, not all prophets are messengers,
but all messengers are also prophets.

• Muslims believe in 1000’s of prophets

– “Chain of Prophets”: Adam was first; Muhammad was last
• Also incl. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Jesus, etc.
– All transmit same basic message throughout history
 To Believe in Revelation
• Holy Books
– Revealed scriptures; messages from God
– Different languages, different cultures, different eras
– But same basic message, culminating in the Qur’an

• Progressive Revelation
– Books of Moses, Psalms of David, Gospels of Jesus
– Ultimately the Qur’an, revealed thru Muhammad

– NOTE: Most Muslims do not read the interpretations believing ancient

Jews & Christians altered the messages God had revealed through
Moses, David, and Jesus
 To Believe in the Day of Judgment

• Resurrection of the Dead

– At the end of time, all people will be raised
– Everyone is held accountable for his/her own deeds

• Judgment / Afterlife
– Everyone is judged based on one’s life/actions on earth
– If good deeds outweigh bad deeds:
• Reward  eternal life with God in heaven/paradise/garden
– If bad deeds outweigh good deeds:
• Punishment  in everlasting fires of hell
 To Believe in the Divine Decree
• Human Nature / Free Will
– Everyone has knowledge & ability to choose between right
& wrong, and so is held responsible
– Yet God has correct fore-knowledge of everyone’s path

• Destiny / Fate / Predestination

– God wrote down our destiny in the “Preserved Tablet”
– God knows what our nature will cause us to do
• A person’s actions are not caused by what God has written
• But God is omniscient  God knows in advance
 Islamic Sects
• Sunnis’ : Sunnis have their historical roots in the majority
group who followed Abu Bakr, an effective leader, as
Muhammad's successor instead of the Prophet's cousin and
son-in-law Ali. The Sunnis are so named because they believe
themselves to follow the sunnah ("custom" or "tradition") of
the Prophet and base their religion on the Quran.

• Shias’: the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith.

Shias adhere to the teachings of Muhammad and the religious
guidance of his family (who are referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt)
or his descendents known as Shia Imams.
 Five Pillars of Islam
1. The Shahada - The Profession of Faith
The shahada, (The Profession of Faith)—is the
most fundamental expression of Islamic beliefs. It
simply states that “There is no God but God and
Muhammad is his prophet.” It underscores the
monotheistic nature of Islam. It is an extremely
popular phrase in Arabic calligraphy and appears
in numerous manuscripts and religious buildings.
 Five Pillars of Islam
2. Salat- Daily Prayer
Muslims are expected to pray five times a day.
This does not mean that they need to attend a
mosque to pray; rather, the salat, or the daily
prayer, should be recited five times a day.
Muslims can pray anywhere; however, they are
meant to pray towards Mecca. Every Friday, many
Muslims attend a mosque near midday to pray
and to listen to a sermon, khutba.
 Five Pillars of Islam
3. Zakat- Alms giving
The giving of alms is the third pillar. Although not
defined in the Qu’ran, Muslims believe that they
are meant to share their wealth with those less
fortunate in their community of believers.
 Five Pillars of Islam
4. Saum- Fasting during Ramadan
During the holy month of Ramadan, the ninth
month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims are
expected to fast from dawn to dusk. While there
are exceptions made for the sick, elderly, and
pregnant, all are expected to refrain from eating
and drinking during daylight hours.
 Five Pillars of Islam
5. Hajj- Pilgrimage to Mecca
All Muslims who are able are required to make
the pilgrimage to Mecca and the surrounding
holy sites at least once in their lives. Pilgrimage
focuses on visiting the Kaaba and walking around
it seven times. Pilgrimage occurs in the 12th
month of the Islamic Calendar.
In Islam, faith and good works go hand-in-
hand. A mere verbal declaration of faith is not
enough, for belief in Allah makes obedience to
Him a duty. The Muslim concept of worship is
very broad, they consider everything they do
in life to be an act of worship, if it is done
according to Allah's guidance.
 Selected Issues on Islam
Islam and Women
All Muslim are required to observe the “Five Pillars of Islam.” However,
congregational prayers tend to be dominated by men while this activity
remains optional for women. Women in Islam are prohibited to lead
prayers. They are also prohibited to enter in mosque during the time of
their menstrual period. In some other countries, Muslim women are
required to cover their faced and bodies when in company with men and
other immediate relatives. They must also be obedient to their father and
husband.

However, in Quran, despite of so many restrictions, it assures women the

right to own property, dispose, inherit properties and earnings, receive
education, participate in political exercise and to sue for divorce.
Husbands are also encouraged to treat her wife well. In Quran teaching,
 Selected Issues on Islam
The Jihad
The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle or effort, and it means
much more than holy war. Muslims use the word Jihad to
describe three different kinds of struggle:
• A believer's internal struggle to live out the Muslim faith as
well as possible
• The struggle to build a good Muslim society
• Holy war: the struggle to defend Islam, with force if necessary
Many modern writers claim that the main meaning of Jihad is
the internal spiritual struggle, and this is accepted by many
Muslims. However, there are so many references to Jihad as a
military struggle in Islamic writings that it is incorrect to claim
 Selected Issues on Islam
Militancy and Terrorism
Since Islam is a religion of peace and mercy, terrorism in all
its forms are hated by Muslims. Destructions of human lives,
buildings, infrastructures, shrines and other properties are
despicable in the light of various Islamic texts(Ong, De Jose,
2016)
Muslims who promote terrorism and mass slaughter of
innocent and helpless civilians do not embody Islamic ideals.
The presence of violence in Islamic states cannot be
attributed to the teachings of Islam but to the failings of
human adherents of the religion. A person committing an act
of terrorism is guilty of violating Islamic laws for that matter.
 Selected Issues on Islam
Migration
Significant migration of Muslims from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and
to the United State happened after the Second World War,
European countries encourage emigration from former colonies
to augment manpower shortages. United Kingdom today is home
to more than two million Muslims, France five million and
Germany which has four million.

The Muslim population in Europe and in the US continue to rise

in the present century. Islam has now become an American
religion which around six million Muslims comprising population.
Almost two million are Americans converts that are mainly
African Americans and four million for Muslim immigrants and