Holy Places of Worship
Mosque: Muslim gathering place, Prayers on Friday are mandatory for men in the Mosque, M’s house in Medina (modern day Saudi Arabia) is the first mosque
o Sahn (Courtyard): Must be able to hold large numbers of people, Large prayer hall + Fountains for ritual cleansing
o Qibla Wall: A niche in the wall that represents the direction to Mecca (holiest city), Mecca is the home of Muhammad and the most important site for Muslims, the Ka’bah
o Mihrab: alcove in Qibla wall. Imam stand in alcove to deliver prayers. Intricate decorations. Points to Ka-bah in Makkah.
o Minbar(Stairs): Used on Fridays (holy days), person delivering prayer stands on lowest steps, top steps reserved for prophet
o Minaret: towers attached to mosque. Call to prayer announced here (Adhan). Reminder of presence of Islam
o Qubba: 1 or more domes in mosque. Represents vault of heaven. Intricate patterns/motifs, gives place for hot air to go + sound travels
o Washing area: remove shoes, wash hands feet, mouth, separate area for men and women
o Furnishings: Inscriptions from Qur’an. Hanging lamps. Zakat box. Charity institutions, soup kitchen, hospital, library = knowledge is important = math, science, etc.
o Ka’bah: Means cube in Arabic in Saudi Arabia. Prayers directed here. Made of black stone, gold door, draped in cotton veil
o Ibrahim/son Ismael made Ka’bah. Og is simple unroofed rectangle structure w/ black stone. Held pagan god statue. M cleansed Ka’bah of idolatry, final Hajj in last yr of life for rites/rituals of pilgrimmage
Holy Cribs – Mosque comes from the word Massid
o Take shoes off to keep Mosque clean and holy. Simple + modest clothes, Women wear hijab + long skirt.
o Wudu is performed, wash hand face feet 3 times each before prayer in main prayer hall
o Chandelier: represent light of God, ppl know they face the right direction when they see Mihrab: helps to reflect Imam’s voice + carpet shows correct direction
Islamic Festivals
Ramadan: Commemorates when Qur’an was revealed to Muhammed. Most blessed month of
Islamic year. Eat, drink smoke, sex, prohibited from dusk to dawn. Practice “sawn”(religious fast)
o Draws muslims closer to god, develop spiritual purity, patience, perseverance
Eid al-Fitr: End of Ramadan. Eid is arabic for “festivity”, Fitr means “to break the fast”
o Begins w sighting of new moon, wake up early for 1st everyday prayer + eat a little
o Attend short congregational prayers, + great/embrace w hugs in spirit of peace/love
o Visiting homes of relatives/friends, a joyous occasion for piety, forgiveness, moral victory,
sharing + brotherhood
o Thank god for strength of self control during Ramadan + wear holiday attire
Eid al-Adha
o Commemorate abraham’s willingness to sacrifice son Ishmael for God
o Begins w/ short prayer follow by sermon, ppl expected to dress in finest clothes
o Perform eid-prayer at mosque, sacrifice best animal(sheep/camel/cow/goat) like Abraham
o Allah’s name recited during sacrifice, portion is given to poor/needy, rest is eaten in meal
Mi’raj: Night/Journey or ascension: celebrated on 27th day of 7th Islamic month.
Sacred Writing: Qur’an given to M through Gabriel. Memorized what was told, M believe Qur’an
is word of Allah (direct quote). Only authentic when written in Arabic. Holiest book in Islam,
usually recited or chanted, then read. 1st source of Islamic law.
Hadith: 2nd source of Islamic law. Further mentioned religious practice, i.e. prayer/charity. 2
kinds: saying directly associated w M, actions of his, silent approval of other’s actions
Milad ul-Nabi: Muhammed’s birthday. 12 day of 3rd month (Rabbi-Awwal)
Muharram: 1 of 4 sacred months. 1st ten days of Muslim new year, celebrated by Shi-ahs by
fasting. Commemorated martyrdom of Husain(son of Ali), who died in battle of Karabl in 680 CE
Islamic new year: 1st day of 1st month of muharram
-
Destroy idols in Conquest of Mecca
Uthman expanded north Africa to india
Wipe clean past sins, start anew before God, submission tno God, cleansing
, bringing purity, hope renewal. Everyone is the same (i.e. stoning the devil
by expulsing of evil)
Hadith written by imams, or muhammed’s companions
o
Not explicitly accepted (not god’s word)
o
Based on his spoken word
Life for muslims today. Islamophobia
 Although Canada is fairly multicultural, prejudice and stereotypes are rampant within
society. There is a lot of prejudice against Islam in particular, because of harmful
stereotypes that arise from their traditions or from terrorist groups like ISIS who
claim that they are killing people in the name of Islam, which actively forbids
anything of the like. In Canada, everybody has religious freedom, such as wearing a
hijab. However, even if some may not hate Islam, stereotypes can influence people
easily, especially if they don’t know anything about it.
 Certain traditions to show devotion may not be easily understood by others, so
people are scared of it, and they associate it with evil things
 Today Islam has 2 major sects; Sunni and Shi’ah, though Sufi is more of a way of
approaching islam, than a whole entire sect
 2016 poll: 54% have bad opinion of Muslims, hate crimes increase 50% in 2017
against muslims
 Today, many hate crimes are directed towards muslims, like shootings, vandalism,
mosque, hate speech,

Festivals, Symbols, Milestones
o Crescent moon/star symbol in Constantinople, but became a Muslim city in 1453 CE
o Shahadah against green more fitting of Islam, = M’s fav colour
o 3 holy sites in Islam: Ka’bah (prayers directed towards it), prophet’s mosque in Madinah, dome of the
rock in Jerusalem
o Aqiqah: name giving ceremony. Hair is shaved. Name is M’s name or family names
o Niqah: marriage contract. Many men died in battle before, so widows could remarry
o
Up to 4 wives, need permission from 1st
o Burial: take place on death day, taken to grave, recite Qur’an abt day of judgement. 2 days after
mourning, dead visited by 2 angels who question them about deeds + life
Dietary Restrictions
Alcohol
Bad habit, drives ppl away from God, Initially forbade attending prayers while intoxicated,
eventually forbid it. Alcohol trade illegal, no selling, distributing, buying, etc.
Halal/Haram
Halal: pure, good food, Can consume haram food if no other food is available
Haram: forbidden food, drinks,= dead meat, blood, pork, alcohol, meat sacrificed to idols,
Halal
or died electrocution, strangulation or blunt force. Meat that wild animals have eaten.
Certification
Meat is allowed if the animal didn’t suffer, all blood must be drained, aquatic life is halal
Credible Islamic organization that certified products that can be consumed by Muslims
Kosher Judaism vs Halal in Islam
Specific rules on slaughtering or preparing animals for food, Restrict certain types of meat, Both have
certification in stores and labels, Based on religious text laws, Blood must be completely drained
Islam and Women
Hijab: Arabic word: Hide from view
1.
Allah tells women to wear hijab: modest in all aspects of life. Appearance doesn’t define them
2.
Can liberate them. Subjects to cat calls, ppl judged by appearance. Media capture bodies vs faces men
3.
Visible sign of Islamic faith. Don’t need to tell anyone
4.
Spark conversation, encourage non muslim to learn abt islam
Pros
Cons
Western criticizes polygamy ignoring adultery.
Polygamy= necessity (wars, death, other things
Family is important to Islam, More men than women
happening to threaten the existence of Islam)
polygamy should not be abused
keep women away from potential “sin”
Only allowed for men, burden too great for women
man can’t be fair to four wives at the same time
Islam and Women
Sunni
existence after the M’s
death, Word comes from
sunna, “well-trodden path”
Shi’ah
Sufi
Believe in traditions of Prophet + 4 schools of Sunni law: Hanafi,
Shafi’i, Hanbali and Maliki, Believe in building consensus within
the community in order to arrive at a just and equitable society
“Party of Ali”
Prior to Muhammed’s death, he
chose his son in law as a successor
means “wool”, names after the
ascetic clothing they wore
Sufi derived from safa, meaning
“purity”
Believe that after Muhammed’s death, Imams (series of
infallible leaders), were to take control of Islam and guide
the community
developed into mystical philosophy of Islam
Goal: develop spiritually inwardly/outwardly to discover
the reality of God, emphasize sincerity and excellence,
performing prayer and meditations, use methods playing
Sufi music, chanting God’s name repeatedly, or dancing to
develop constant + deep concentration
Jesus Christ
Islam
Jesus is just a prophet/messenger of God, not God. One of the many prophets of God that came before
Muhammed, but Muhammed is the last one. Was raised to heaven without being put on the cross. Doesn’t
believe in the death + resurrection of jesus Christ.
Christianity
Believe in holy trinity, Jesus was betrayed, crucified then came back to life to spread the gospel, but then
was raised to heaven. Christians believe Jesus died for the sins of the world. Because people could never live
a life worthy of God on their own, so Jesus lived a sinless life and was crucified so that Christians could have
eternal life in Heaven.
Both: Monotheistic, virgin mary, had 12 disciples. He performed miracles, healing lepersgiving sight to blind.
Will return to bring justice day of resurrection and judgement vs the second coming, he was arrested and
sent to the romans. Both texts refer to Jesus as the Messiah, and he was charged with treason because the
Elders/Romans believed his teachings threatened their way of life basically.
Concepts
Holiday/Celebration/Historical Events
Allah: Standard Arabic word for God, Muslim: Followers of Islam.
Eid ul-Adha: honours Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice Ismael as act of obedience to Allah
Halal: “Permissible” in Muslim law, Idolatry: Worshipping an idol/false God.
Ghusl: Full body ritual purification for adult Muslims after ejaculation/period. Washing hands
Islam: Abrahamic Religion, Arabic word for “submission to God”
up to wrist, perform Wudu, pour water over the head 3 times
Jihad: Struggle/striving, Patriarchal Society: society men have power over women
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca, every adult Muslim expected to perform this once in a lifetime.
Polygamy: marrying multiple spouses, usually 1 man with multiple wives.
Hijrah: Migration of Muhammed and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622CE
Polytheist: Belief in more than 1 God
Mi’raj: Ascension of Muhammed into the 7 heavens.
Shahadah: profession of faith; 1 of 5 pillars, I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear
Practices
witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God."
Wudu: Procedure for cleansing parts of the body.
Shi’ite: A person who is a part of Shia Islam
Zakat: Religious offering/charity to help those in need.
Sufi: Islamic mysticism or aestheticism practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of love or
Salat: Daily ritual prayer 5 times a day, forms a pillar of Islam.
knowledge through personal experience of God
Sawm: Fasting from dusk to dawn in Ramadan.
Sunnah: Traditions and practice of Muhammed that make up a model of life for Muslims to follow.
People/Objects/Buildings/Religious Texts
Sunni: Largest branch of Islam.
Bedouin: Nomad/Desert dweller in North Africa and the Middle East
Surah: Chapter in the Qu’ran
Imam: A Muslim leader; leads prayers in a mosque.
Umma: Community of Muslims that are bound by religion
Ka’bah: Building: courtyard of Great Mosque-Mecca w/ a sacred black stone. House of God
Mosque: Place of worship for Muslims
Intro - Origins of Islam
Hijab: Head coverings worn by Muslim women
 Based on Muhammed teachings ( in Arabia 1400 yrs ago), central Islam figure to lead them away from idolatry
Hadith: Collection of sayings from prophet Muhammed
 Main religion: Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria
Ayat: Verses of Qu’ran
Seal of the Prophets: Last ppl to convey God’s wisdom->humans. Direct word, finish teachings of previous prophets
Qur’an: Religious text that is revelations from God to Muhammed.
Muhammed’s Teachings: no idols, kind, generous to poor/weak, no gambling/alcohol
Revelation: Word of God received by Muhammed.
Time/Era
Description
Shari’ah: Religious law derived from the Qu’ran
Youth
Born 570 CE in Quraysh tribe in Mecca. Orphaned as boy. Journeyed w/ grandfather/uncle as
merchant, became successful. Troubled by evil: greed, cruelty, Arabs =pagans – idolatry.
The Muslim Jesus – reWATCH VIDEOOOO
Marriage
Married to Khadijah (25 years). Devoted to community, gave money to needy in Makkah.
Similarities
Mount Hira
610 CE Ramadan, Muhammed meditated at Mount Hira cave. Angel Gabriel commanded him to
 Mary + Birth of Jesus (son of God) = important, was chosen to bear Jesus
read a passage + gave revelation.
 Angel Gabriel told her she will bear Jesus, will be honoured in this life + next
Revelations
For 23 years, he got revelations to form Qu’ran. talk ppl in Mecca/world abt how to live life. at 40
 Jesus in Jerusalem, saw afflicted people (miracles, gave a man ability to walk)
Year of Sorrow
His wife Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib died
 Belief in salvation, he was betrayed by Judas
Hijrah 622
Upset Mecca ppl, idol-worshippers might stay away = lose trade, Muhammed/followers forced to
 No money, children, 12 disciples spread gospel (less educated/lower rank society)
(Migration)
go, go to oasis of Medina (Yathrib).
 Believed that he was betrayed
Night Journey: Muhammed/Gabriel travel winged horse(Buraq) Mecca to Jerusalem. Before mecca – 621 CE
Differences - Islam
Ascension/Mi’raj: Ascended through 7 heavens, met people (before going to mecca) -621 CE
 Shake palm tree behind you, fruit appeared for Mary to comfort her in conception
1st heaven: he met Adam, 2nd: John, Jesus, 5 more: Joseph, Enoch, Aaron, Moses, Abraham
 Christmas too commercialized for Islamic religion
622
CE: Moved to Yathrib – became Madinah. Made large group united in Islam.
 Jesus tells ppl after his ascension to heaven, ppl w/ knowledge, does good go to
 Pagan Arabs thought he destroy them/way of life. Wanted to kill him. 3 battles Muhammed + Makkans
heaven, Muhammad also said the same thing 600 years later
10 year war between Mecca + Muslims, Muslims won
 Jesus revered for wisdom and lessons (just a prophet)
 Battles solidified position of Islam in Madinah, Muslim conversion went on in Makkah + Madinah
 Muslims are the messengers of the prophets
629 CE: Muhammed returned to Mecca, smashed idols in Kaaba (main shrine)
 Spiritually not killed, his teachings + message + call for peace + justice was not
630 CE: Conquest of Makkah: He led 10,000 in Makkah. Reminded them of Muslim persecution – told them they are
killed (wasn’t resurrected)
free. Were conquered, became liberated: importance Islam teaching: forgiven for wrongdoings.
 Muslims believe Allah raised him to heavens before Romans got to him
632 CE: age 62, Muslims spread Islam Spain-India, in Africa, Southeast Asia
 Judas was made to look like Jesus and crucified in his place
 Jesus is a sign for the day of resurrection?
 Foundation of Islamic faith is no god but one god and is saying nothing else or no
one else can be associated with the concept of unity
Differences – Christianity
 Easter → Jesus was betrayed, crucified then came back to life
 Dealing with conversations with Jesus and his disciples (Jesus was talking to the
disciples and asked to wash their feet → he showed his humility) and then he said,
continue this lesson of humbleness
14 and Muslim
 Pros of Islamic School: IFS: Continuation of culture, comfortable, being able to be together with others that have
similar beliefs, the community is like a family, learn about their faith
 Fears: Fitting in, ppl believe they are terrorists, losing friends/culture, accepting Catholic beliefs
 Benefits: Easier to make friends w/ non muslims, less fear of attacks, can strengthen own beliefs
 Islamophobia: Mosque vandalisms, Bullying, hate speech, shooting, not Canadian/don’t learn regular topics
6 Articles of Faith
Monotheistic, Belief in Angels, Belief in Prophets, Day of Judgement, Belief in fate, Belief in the Qu’ran
Breaking Down Stereotypes
 Islam promotes violence/terrorism: Killing is a crime, Islam prohibits terrorism
 Islam oppresses women: Qu’ran granted women rights they didn’t have before. Inherit property, do business,
access to knowledge. Arranged marriage is cultural, allowed divorce, humans have same responsibility to god
 Women forced by men to wear hijab: Desire to please God, Hijab protect’s dignity. Exists in other religions.
 Allah is god of Abraham, moses, jesus, mary
 2016 poll: 54% have bad opinion of Muslims, hate crimes increase 50% in 2017 against muslims
Islamic Divide
Conflict: Muhammad died in 632 C.E., didn’t designate an heir before death. They didn’t agree on Umma leader
Umma: whole community of Muslims bound together by ties of religion
Sunni’s = 90% of Muslim (1.6 billion Muslims worldwide): Comes from Sunnah, Examples of Muhammad
Shia’s - 10% of Muslims (concentrated in Iraq and Iran): Party of Ali, believe next caliph should be M’s family
Debate: Muhammad gives important sermon, last sermon before death (Sermon by the Pond)
 Says Ali is his Mawla (meaning protector, ruler, guider, friend)
 Shia’s believe Muhammad declared a successor, Sunni’s believe not correct because Mawla means “friend”
Abu Bakr: Ruled from 632 – 634, Organized Muhammad’s revelations in the Qur’an
 conducted Hajj, led prayers, Arabian tribes began to reject Muslim rule (particularly in Medina)
 Used military to stop tribes from exercising autonomy, Extended Muslim rule to all of Arabia
Umar: Ruled from 634- 644 CE (expanded to Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Persia)
 Numerous successful military conquests, Respected other religions, Known as “commander of the faithful”
 Established a shura (committee) to help pick the next caliph
Uthman: Ruled from 644- 656 CE (expanded North Africa, India, China)
 Accused of favoritism = Selected close friends to fill prestigious positions
 Developed official version of the Qur’an , Assassinated by a band of rebellious Egyptian soldiers.
Ali: Ruled from 656- 661 CE
 Married to Fatima, Received criticism for failing to punish Uthman’s killers (no pledge of allegiance)
 Moves caliphate to Iraq, Syria, one of the Islamic provinces, challenged Ali’s authority
 Govern of Syria – Mu’awiya refused to step down as Ali asked, Ali want free migration to all of Muslim empire
 Armies met May 657 CE, Mu-awiya convinced Ali to negotiate
 Amr ibn al-As was appointed arbitrator for Syria and Abu Musa al-Ash’ ari was appointed arbitrator for Iraq
 Arbitration efforts were disastrous for Ali, Ali was murdered by a Kharijite
o extremist group of Muslims who were angry over Ali’s decision to go to arbitration
Mu’awiya
o Syria = power base, expanded muslim sphere of control, made caliphate dynasty w his son Yazid
o Ruined reputation of caliphs
5 Pillars of Islam
Shahadah: Creed: Most sacred statement in Islam
 Muslim profession of faith: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah.” In prayer, underlying belief of Islam, sign of belonging
 3 times a day: say it in front of 2 ppl to be legally considered a Muslim.
 Shahid: martyr who lived w belief in Allah. Willing to die to proclaim their faith.
Salah: Ritual prayer of praise 5 times a day to God
 Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (midday), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), Isha (night)
 face Mecca in Arabia on prayer mat in clean place anywhere
 Women prayer separately from men to avoid distraction in prayer
 Wash(Wudu) b4, kneel + forehead on ground to express servant status of to Allah
 Al-Jumah: Sacred day of worship in mosque. Chosen by Allah, you move astray if
you miss the Friday prayer
 Can also pray privately throughout day: called du’a
Zakah: Give savings to charity to help poor/build mosques to make wealth pure
 Zakat: Share wealth in Muslim society fairly, 2.5 % of wealth yearly
 Paid in secret to encourage others, not performative to help. Not for credit
 Sadaqah: Not obligatory act to help others, Zakah is obligatory
 Allah owns wealth. Blessing flow from God. (Helps u to be kind, caring, humble)
Sawm: No food/drink during Ramadan (muhammed got 1st revelation) in daylight hrs
 abstain from food, evil thoughts, drinking, smoking, and sex from dawn-dusk
 In evening, families + friends gather to break the day’s fast with a light meal
 Goal to practice self-restraint, generosity, develop spiritual piety
 Sick, ppl on period, pregnant, prepubescent kids don’t have to fast
 9 month of Islamic calendar: Ramadan ends with the 3-day feast of Eid al-Fitr
Hajj: Pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca at least once in life if affordable/good health
 Strengthen unity with Allah, religious heritage, other Muslims
 Have to be Muslims, of sound minds, reach puberty, be free, money, plain white
 Niyyah: Intention to do Hajj, muslims can donate money for ppl who can go if cant
 Last day : return to Mecca to stone the devil, commemorate Abraham sacrifice
Important People M = Muhammed
Abu- Talib: M’s uncle who takes him into his custody
Khadija: M’s wife (15 years older than him)
Fatima: M’s daughter
Ali:Fatima’s husband, Abu-Talib’s son, M’s cousin/ son-in-law
Hussain+ Hassan: Fatima + Ali’s sons
Aisha: M’s second wife, author of Hadith
Abu Bakr: M’s close friend, caliph
Umar: Caliph (“rightly guided”)
Uthman: Caliph (“rightly guided”)