Islam PDF

ISLAM What comes to your mind when you hear about Islam/Muslim?  The Qur’ran, Chapter XCVI, The Blood Clot(Beckerlegge 2000, 147-148) In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate Recite: In the Name of thy Lord who created, created Man of a blood-clot. Recite: And thy Lord is the...

ISLAM What comes to your mind when you hear about Islam/Muslim?  The Qur’ran, Chapter XCVI, The Blood Clot(Beckerlegge 2000, 147-148) In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate Recite: In the Name of thy Lord who created, created Man of a blood-clot. Recite: And thy Lord is the Most, Generous , who taught by the pen, taught man that he knew not. No indeed; surely man waxes insolent, for he thinks himself self-sufficient. Surely unto thy Lord is the Returning. What he thinkest thou? He who forbids a servant when he prays- What thinkest thou? If he were upon guidance or bade to godfearing- What thinkest thou? If he cries lies, and turns away- Did he not know that God sees? No indeed; surely, if he gives not over, We shall seize him by the forelock, A lying, sinful forelock. So let him call on his concourse! We shall call on the guards of hell. No indeed; do thou not obey him, And bow thyself, and draw nigh.  Form into Small groups and discuss the following questions: 1. What is the poem about? 2. What does it tell us about Islam? 3. What is valuable about this? In small groups, discuss the different stereotypes of a Muslim in the Philippines. How are these stereotypes allowing us to understand or not understand the Islamic faith? Islam -is the second most widespread religion, next to Christianity. Muslims –called for practicing Islam. Two major divisions of Islam: (Gordon,1991, 6,80 a. Sunnites b. Shiites Islam considers itself as the final and definitive revelation in the history of humanity. Muhammad – the prophet of Islam and he is often referred to as ‘the seal of the prophets’. He is the last prophet. The Islamic message is none other than the acceptance of God as the One and submission to Him, which results in peace; hence the name of Islam means surrender to the Will of the One God, and He is called Allah in Arabic” (Nars 1993, 428).  The Qur’an- the sacred text of Islam, is believed to be the literal Word of Allah.  They begin learning it an early age; the Qur’an is read to babies , and toddlers who can already speak are asked to memorize and recite Qur’anic verses.  Qur’an is written in Arabic, the language is respected by the Muslims. The book is unique event in history of humankind , held as eternal and unchangeable , just like Allah(Gordon 1991, 44-45).  The Qur’an consists of 114 chapters or surahs, each composed of verses or ayahs.  The shorter chapters are called Meccan Surahs because they are believed to have been revealed to Muhammad in Mecca.  The longer chapters are called Medinan Chapters, believed to have been revealed later when Muhammad was in Medina.  An important branch of Islam is the proper interpretation of Qur’an, and the intellectual explanation of Qur’an is called Tafsir, written by  TIME EVENTS 570-632 C.E. Life of Muhammad 610 C.E. Muhammad’s first revelation 622 C.E. Hijra: Muhammad’s flight from mecca to yathrib(Medina); Muslim year 1 630 C.E. Muhammad’s gain of control over Mecca 680 C.E. Death of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad 732 C.E. Battle of Tours: Muslim incrusion into France is halted 922 C.E. Execution of the Mystic al-Hallaj 1058- 1111 C.E. Life of the Sufi scholar al- Ghazali 1099 Conquest of Jerusalem by Crusaders 1207-1273 Life of the Sufi poet Jalal-ud-Din Rumi 1291 Muslim expulsion of the Crusaders from Israel 1453 Muslim capture of Constantinople 1492 Expulsion of Muslims from Spain 1592-1666 Life of Shah Jahan, builder of Taj Mahal 1947 Independence of Pakistan as a Muslim nation 1966 War between Arabs and Israelites FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM 1.SHAHADAH(CREED) 2.SALAT(PRAYER) 3.ZAKAT(CHARITY) 4.SAWM(FASTING ON RAMADAN) 5.HAJJ(PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA) SHAHADAH(creed) “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger” “It is the first sentence whispered into the ears of a newborn infant; it is recited daily in prayer; and it is written in Arabic everywhere inside the domes of mosques and over their doors”(Molloy 2005, 440). SALAT(prayer) Muslim pray five times a day: before dawn , midday, midafternoon, sunset, nighttime. Muslims pray facing Mecca as instructed. Friday is the day of Public Prayer. On other days, people may pray privately, at home or at work, as well as in a mosque(Molloy 2005, 440-441) Zakat (Charity) Muslims donate certain percentages of their wages to the poor. Islamic countries , the government is involved in imposing taxes for zakat. A good Muslim is expected to perform isolated acts of generosity and charity for the poor when such acts are called for in everyday life(Molloy 2005, 442). Sawm(Fasting on Ramadan)  Ramadan is a period of shared fasting among Muslims. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, which commemorates Allah’s first revelations to Muhammad.  The purpose of fasting is to discipline oneself, to develop sympathy for the poor and hungry, and to give to others what one would have eaten. Fasting is thought to be good for individual spiritual growth. (Molloy 2005, 442-443) Hajj(Pilgrimage to Mecca) Pilgrimage is a “religious journey by a believer to a sacred city or site. All Muslims(unless prevented by poverty or sickness) are expected to visit Mecca at least once in their lifetime( Molloy 2005, 443). Hajj is already a practice before Muhammad’s time. Two Major Divisions Of Islam Sunni And Shiites Sunni The majority of Muslims, making up between 85% and 90% of the world's Muslim population. Sunnis consider themselves the orthodox branch of Islam. They are the majority in countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. Shiite Make up about 10% of the world's Muslim population. They are the majority in countries like Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan. The divide between Sunnis and Shiites is the oldest and largest in Islam's history. The two groups formed soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 C.E. over a dispute about leadership succession. The divide has since broadened to include differences in religious practices and theological distinctions.  Common Islamic Expressions and Phrases  Alhamdulillah (Praise/Thanks be to God) – Used to expressed satisfaction and gratitude.  Allahu Akbar (God is great) – Often used to express delight.  Asalamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you) – The standard Islamic way of greeting or sending someone on their way.  Bismillah (In the name of God) – Said at the beginning of any action: eating, drinking, starting a task, etc.  Eid Mubarak (Happy Eid) – An expression wishing the blessings of a particular holiday or observance.  Insha Allah (If God wills) – Used when referring to future plans for which one asks God’s blessing.  Masha Allah (God has willed) – Also used to express appreciation for good news, or to acknowledge something as God’s doing.  Peace be upon him – Following the verbal or written mention of the names of recognized prophets, Islamic custom calls for the speaker to utter this blessing. It is a sign submission and honour of their message and its origins with God.  Ramadan Kareem (Blessed Ramadan) – Used at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.  Subhana Allah (Glory be to God) – Used to express amazement and delight.  Ya Allah! (Oh God) – This is shorthand expression used when asking God for something, expressing sincerity, sadness, surprise, etc.  Islamic Key Terms  Allah: Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. God is understood according to a strictly defined monotheism, and as a being who is eternal, all powerful, all knowing, all seeing, all hearing, merciful and beneficent. Islam holds that there are 99 special names for Allah, each which express an aspect of the God’s beautiful and majestic character.  Shirk: This is to posit any other being or aspect of creation as equal to or in partnership with God. This is, in fact, he most serious sin from an Islamic perspective. This includes any form of polytheism, as well as making any created thing an idol by giving it the honor which is only due to God.  Prophet: The Qur’an teaches that every group of people that has ever been has been sent a messenger from God. Twenty-five of these are referred to by name in the Qur’an itself, with special emphasis upon Moses, Jesus, and others. There are believed to have been many more whose names are no longer known. Each prophet was sent by God to teach the same overall message of faith in God and concern for others, though some of their specific practices differed. The authentic messages of all of these prophets are understood as anticipations of what would be fully revealed in the Qur’an, and Muslims are expected to honor them and their revelations. Muhammed is the final prophet, and his message completes humanity’s knowledge of God.  Qur’an: The Qur’an is the revelation of God as dictated to the Prophet Muhammed through the angel Jibril over the course of 23 years. It is divided into 114 chapters, or surahs, each with numerous verses varying in length. Recitation of the Qur’an is a very delicate and precise art.  Hadith: The Hadith’s are collections of teachings, sayings, stories either directly from the Prophet Muhammed himself or from those who knew him. Although they are not equivalent to the Qur’an, which is God’s own revelation, they carry an important weight as a secondary foundation after the Qur’an for Islamic theology and practice.  Mecca: Mecca is a city in present day Saudi Arabia where Muhammed first began to preach. It is a place of spiritual significance for it has been the location of the Ka’bah, which Muslims believe was the first house of worship devoted to God. Muslims believe it was built by the Prophets Abraham and Ishmael, though later it was filled by idols as their message became forgotten. The Prophet Muhammed called for a return to the monotheism of Abraham (from whom he is a descendent) and the removal of the idols in the temple. Mecca is also the direction towards which Muslim face when they pray and visiting Mecca on a pilgrimage known as the “hajj” is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.  Imam: An Imam is the leader of a local community of Muslims. Islam does not have a formal process for the ordination of clergy as is found in certain Christian denominations. Rather, individuals become recognized as Imams by the community on the basis of their knowledge and devotion. The term “imam” is traditionally limited to men. However, there are other terms of respect for Islamic spiritual leaders and scholars that are inclusive of men and women, such as Shaykh (elder), Mufti (consultant in religious law), and Ustadh (religious teacher). In the Shia tradition Imam has an added connotation, referring to the first 12 successors of Muhammed.  Shahada: Shahada refers to bearing witness to the unity and uniqueness of the nature of God, and to the pre-eminence of Muhammed as the definitive Prophet of God. All Muslims are required to recite this formula in order to be considered a follower of Islam: “I testify that there is no god but God, and Muhammed is the Messenger of God.”  Salah: Salah (sometimes written “salat”) means prayer, but prayer of a specific kind. Islam requires daily prayer at five intervals throughout the day according to a particular form. Other forms of prayer in both personal and communal forms are also possible and encouraged but are not requirements in the same way.  Hajj: Making pilgrimage to the city of Mecca during the twelfth month on the Muslim calendar is another requirement which all Muslims with the health and means to do so must perform.  Zakat: Zakat refers to the obligation each Muslim has to return 2.5% of their annual wealth to support the poor and those in other kinds of need. Further acts of generosity and charity are also encouraged, but paying zakat is understood to be a duty that one owes to God directly.  Mosque/Masjid: The word mosque literally translates to “a place of prostration”, referring to the action of bowing down for prayer. Masjid is simply the Arabic word for the anglicized mosque.  Ummah: The Ummah is the collective community of all those who follow the way of Islam. While it literally means “nation”, its religious connotations are transnational and multicultural, and carries with it a sense of interconnected relationship and common purpose in the cause of Islam.  Sharia: Sharia is commonly translated as law however it refers more comprehensively to all of the teachings of Islam (belief, ethics, and manners). In its original Arabic usage, it meant the “path to water” which – given the arid desert origins of the faith – gives a sense of it being the path to life and salvation. As Islam is a religion rooted in scripture, the interpretation of God’s word falls upon the responsibility of scholars who sometimes differ in their approach and interpretation of Islam’s scriptural tradition. Different scholarly approaches to scriptural interpretation have developed within Sunni and Shi’a Islam.