The Teachings of Islam
Background on Islam
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Where did Islam come from?
 Islam came from Judaism and Christianity. Judaism is the "father"
religion of the three, followed by older brother Christianity,
followed by younger brother Islam.
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Islam, Judaism and Christianity have much in common
 They all are monotheists (belief in one God)
 They all trace their origins back to Abraham
 Their scriptures or sacred writings all include such figures as
Adam, Noah, Moses, and Mary (the Mother of Jesus)
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Most people in the Middle East and North Africa are Muslim, but
Muslims live in nearly every country of the world.
The Qur’an
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One of the 2 foundations of Islam is the
Qur’an
Through the Qur’an, God describes his
laws and moral teachings or the
“straight path”
The Qur’an contains passages that
Muhammad is believed to have received
from the angel Gabriel.
Muslims do not let copies of the Qur’an
touch the ground or get dirty.
Most Muslims memorize all or part of
the Qur’an
The Sunnah
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The Sunnah (practice) is the example
that Muhammad set for Muslims.
The Sunnah is second to the Qur’an in
religious authority.
What Muhammad did or said in a
situation is what Muslims do today.
The basic acts of worship for Muslims is
called the Five Pillars of Faith.
 The Qur’an provides the commands
to perform these duties and the
Sunnah explains how to perform them
using Muhammad’s example.