Islam Notes PDF

The Birth of Islam Islam is Arabic for... “submission to God.”  Followers of Islam (those who submit to God) are called Muslims.  Allah is the name for the Muslim God, and he is their one and only God.  Christians, Jews, and Muslims pray to the same God, but...

The Birth of Islam Islam is Arabic for... “submission to God.”  Followers of Islam (those who submit to God) are called Muslims.  Allah is the name for the Muslim God, and he is their one and only God.  Christians, Jews, and Muslims pray to the same God, but disagree on the prophet. Christians believe the prophet (or messenger) from God was Jesus, Jewish people believe a prophet is yet to come, and Muslims believe it was Muhammad.  Muslims are to treat Allah and Muhammad with great respect. No images should ever be made depicting them.  Why? Creating an image creates a false idol – are people praying to the image instead of the spirit of Muhammad? The Angel Gabriel visited Muhammad and told him he was the Prophet of God. Muhammad’s teachings were not accepted initially In Mecca, mainly because Arabia was polytheistic. The belief in one god was seen as too radical. So, Muhammad left the area and spread his message to other regions. As a merchant, he spoke of Allah to everyone he Traded with.  Finally, with enough followers at his back, Muhammad returned to Mecca and waged war on  The war lasted for 10 years (from 622- 632 CE) until Mecca  Today, Mecca remains sacred as Muslims take a holy pilgrimage there annually.  The holiest shrine in Islam Is in mecca; It is called the Ka’bah and Is considered the “House of  Muslims worship in a mosque.  Muslims face toward mecca when praying.  The holy book of Islam is the Koran (Quran). The Koran is written in Arabic.  Muslims use calligraphy, instead of images, to represent Allah. This symbol means “Allah.” No idols or statues are used to depict Allah or Muhammad – no pictures either! Muslims have pro tested in recent y ears due their views Muslims are to follow the Five Pillars of Islam to understand proper conduct of Muslims.  The First Pillar of Islam is... Shahadah One must accept Allah as God and Muhammad as prophet. The Second Pillar of Islam is... Salat One should pray five times per day. The Third Pillar of Islam is... ZAKAT One should give to the needy (2.5% percent of annual income). The Fourth Pillar of Islam is... SAWM One should fast during the month of Ramadan (Daylight hours).  The Fifth Pillar of Islam is... Hajj One should travel to mecca and visit the holy shrines at least once in their lifetime. To Muslims, Life is a test. If you live well, you will be rewarded in paradise.  Muslims are divided into two groups that developed shortly after Muhammad’s death: Sunni and Shia. After Muhammad died, debate started over who would Lead the Islamic faith.  Most wanted the leader of the faith to be a pious person, one who lived the way of Muhammad's teachings. Today, these are Sunni Muslims and represent about 90% of all Muslims. Other followers wanted the leader to be of the same holy bloodline as Muhammad. These people are Shia, and today represent about 10% of Islam’s followers.