Islamic Beliefs and Practices

Islam

• Two most important religious holidays are Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice).
• Muslims are obligated to donate a certain amount of food or money to the poor during Eid al-Fitr.
• A ram is sacrificed during Eid al-Adha.
• Muslims are prohibited from consuming alcohol, certain meats like pork and blood, gambling, and usury.
• Commandments include avoiding stealing, adultery, fornication, etc.
• Purification rites are performed during menstruation, after bedtime, after using the bathroom, after sex, or after being in contact with impure substances like corpses or wine.
• "Bismillah" (In the name of God) should be recited before any action.
• Two controversial issues in Islam include the status of women (polygamy, veiling) and Jihad.
• Jihad means "striving in the path of God" and can be interpreted in three ways: a) fighting against evil, b) personal struggle against sin, and c) holy war as an exceptional effort for the good of the Islamic community.

Denominations of Islam

• The unity of the Muslim community (Ummah) was broken after Muhammad's death.
• Two main branches of Islam emerged: Sunni and Shia.

Sunni Islam

• Sunnis follow the Sunnah, which is Muhammad's traditions or customs.
• Sunnis make up about 90% of Muslims worldwide, except in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and some Gulf states.
• Sunnis are subdivided into four legal schools.

Shia Islam

• Shia Muslims constitute about 10% of Muslims globally.
• Shia Muslims are the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, and Yemen.
• There are large Shia communities in Afghanistan, India, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Druze

• Currently live in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
• Between 350,000 and 900,000 Druze people exist.

Alawite

• Literally, Ali's followers.
• Originated in the 9th century.
• Believe that Ali is the manifestation of God.
• Located in Syria and parts of Turkey.
• Their rituals incorporate pre-Christian and Christian elements, as well as Shia and Sunni Islamic practices.
• Estimated population: 1.5 to 2.5 million.
• The Alawite minority (12%) in Syria has ruled the country since 1970.

Sunni-Shia Relationship

• Sectarianism has played a role in recent crises.
• Shia Muslims often face poverty and discrimination under Sunni rule.
• Sunni extremists frequently label Shia Muslims as heretics who should be killed.
• The Iranian Revolution of 1979 launched a radical Shia Islamist agenda, perceived as a challenge to conservative Sunni regimes, particularly in the Gulf.
• Tehran's support of Shia militias and parties beyond its borders led to Gulf states strengthening their ties with Sunni movements.
• Many conflicts in the region have sectarian overtones.

Ibadi

• Also known as Ibadism.
• A branch of Islam separate from Sunni and Shia.
• Considered self-cephalic churches following the Byzantine rite.
• Comprises four patriarchs who separated from Rome in 1054.

Monophysites and Nestorians

• Emphasize the single nature of Christ, rejecting the Council of Chalcedon, which underscored the dual nature of Christ.
• Located in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran.

Chaldean-Catholic Church

• Patriarch is in Baghdad, and liturgy is in Syriac.
• Population: More than 400,000.

Coptic-Catholic Church

• Located in Egypt.
• Head of the church is the Patriarch of Alexandria.
• Population: About 200,000.

Maronite Church

• Located in Lebanon, the US, Canada, Australia, etc.
• Rites are in Aramaic, Arabic, and other languages.

Christianity

• Includes Anglicans and Protestant churches.
• Introduced by the British and English, Scottish, and American Protestant missions during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Judaism

• The main figure is Patriarch Abraham.
• Originated in southern Mesopotamia (Ur of Chaldea).
• Emigrated to the land of Canaan (Palestine) promised by God to the children of Jacob (Israel).
• After the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, Jews scattered throughout the world.
• They maintained a spiritual bond through their rabbinical scriptures and traditions.
• Contains various interpretations of the Torah.
• Includes the Mishnah (meaning "to do again" or "repeat"), which encompasses Jewish oral traditions.
• The Mishnah is divided into six orders covering all aspects of life, including prayers, Sabbath, women, civil and criminal laws, and purity laws.
• The Talmud reviews the Torah and serves as a crucial addition to the written Torah.
• Contains 39 books organized into the Torah, Prophets, and Writings.
• Religious obligations include daily prayer, blessings, and temple attendance on the Sabbath.
• Main festivities include Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Rosh Hashanah (New Year).

Ethnic-Cultural Branches of Judaism

• Sephardic (Spain).
• Askenazi (Central and Eastern Europe).
• Arab Jews, also called Oriental Jews.
• Currently, only 1.5% of Jews in the Middle East and North Africa live outside Israel and Palestine.
• Small communities remain In Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria, and Egypt.

Groups Within Judaism

• Ultra-Orthodox and Orthodox, who hold fundamentalist and rigid interpretations of religion.

Kurds

• Live on the border between Turkey and Iraq (Iranian Kurdistan).
• Predominantly Sunni.
• Estimated population: 4 million.
• Compared to 12 million Kurds in Turkey and 6 million in Iran.

Iran

• Southern Khuzestan has a significant Arab population, mostly Shia, estimated at 3 million.
• Population is predominately Twelver Shia.
• Kurds are Sunni.
• Includes Assyrian Christians, Baha'is, and some followers of Zoroaster.
• Languages include Persian (Farsi), Turkish, and Kurdish, Baluchi, Arabic, Azerbaijani, and other dialects.

The Arab World

• Divided into four regions:
  • Nile Valley
  • Fertile Crescent
  • Arabian Peninsula
  • Maghreb

Nile Valley

• Includes Sudan and Egypt.
• Historically united due to their dependence on the Nile River.
• Culturally homogenous Arab-speaking population.
• Predominantly Sunni with a Coptic minority (5-10%).

Fertile Crescent

• Includes Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine.
• Agricultural region at the arch of the Syrian-Mesopotamian desert.
• Inhabited since the third millennium BC.
• Has been in constant interaction with various peoples, including Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Turks, and Circassians.
• Contains a Kurdish minority divided between Iraq and Syria.
• Armenian populations in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
• Arabized Gypsies.
• Predominantly Sunni with 12 different Christian communities, including Protestants and Shia sects.
• Shia Muslims are concentrated in Iraq (50%), Lebanon (30%), and Syria (11%).
• Druze in Lebanon (8%).

Arabian Peninsula

• Desert of 3 million km2.
• Cradle of Arabs and Islam.
• Population: about 90 million.
• Includes Saudi Arabia (34.2 million inhabitants).
• Five smaller states with a combined population of 24 million: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Oman.
• Yemen has 29.1 million inhabitants.
• Yemen's GDP per capita is $944 (2018 data), while Saudi Arabia's is $23,000 and Qatar's is $69,000.

Explore the key tenets and practices of Islam, including major religious holidays such as Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. This quiz covers regulations regarding food, purification rites, and significant commandments. Delve into controversial issues within Islam like the status of women and the concept of Jihad.