By: Ms. Susan M. Pojer
Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY



Muslims are strict monotheists.

They believe in the Judeo-
Christian God, which they call
Allah .

Muslims believe that the Torah and the Bible, like the Qur is the word of God.
’ an ,
Peoples of the Book

HAGAR
Ishmael
ABRAHAM
Isaac
SARAH
12 Arabian
Tribes
Jacob Esau
12 Tribes of
Israel

Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Jesus

Qur
an

Muhammad received his first revelation from the angel
Gabriel in the Cave of Hira in 610.

622  Hijrah  Muhammed fled Mecca for Medina.
* The beginning of the
Muslim calendar ( 1 A.H.
)

Muhammad ’ s revelations were compiled into the Qur his death.
’ an after

Qur
an

Muslims believe it contains the word of God.

114 suras (chapters).

In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful.

Written in Arabic.


The testimony.

The declaration of faith:
There is no god worthy of worship except God, and
Muhammad is His
Messenger [or Prophet].
1


The mandatory prayers performed 5 times a day:
* dawn
* noon
* late afternoon
* sunset
* before going to bed

Wash before praying.

Face Mecca and use a prayer rug.
2


The call to prayer by the muezzin in the minaret .

Example of one or two

Pray in the mosque on Friday.
2


Almsgiving (charitable donations).

Muslims believe that all things belong to God.

Zakat means both “ purification ” and “ growth.
”

About 2.5% of your income.
3


Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan .

Considered a method of selfpurification.

No eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset during
Ramadan.
4

End of the Ramadan holiday.


The pilgrimage to Mecca.

Must be done at least once in a
Muslim ’ s lifetime.

2-3 million Muslims make the pilgrimage every year.
5


Those who complete the pilgrimage can add the title hajji to their name.
5

The World of Islam
1 2 3 4 5

• What are the five pillars of Islam?
• What do “ Muslim ” and “ Islam ” mean?
• In what city did Muhammad die?
Ascend to heaven?
• To what city did Muhammad leave on the Hijrah?
• What is the Qur’an?


The Muslim place of worship.

Mount Moriah Rock where Muhammad ascended into heaven.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
QTkC-TTzZc
• http://www.videospider.tv/Videos/De tail/857371539.aspx

• Sunni Text of the adhan : God is The
Greatest; I bear witness that there is no lord except God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of
God; Make haste towards prayer;
Make haste towards welfare; God is greatest; There is no lord except
God


Follow Muhammad ’ s example: The
Sunna; and the Hadith,
Muhammad ’ s collected sayings

Polygamy is allowed.

No alcohol or pork.

No gambling.

Sharia  body of Islamic law to regulate daily living.

Three holiest cities in Islam:
* Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem.


Easy to learn and practice.

No priesthood (Ulama - those with knowledge; Imam - one who is front)

Teaches equality and tolerance.

Non-Muslims, who were “ Peoples of the Book, ” were allowed religious freedom, but paid additional taxes.

Easily “ portable ”  nomads & trade routes.

Jihad ( “ struggle ” ) against pagans and other non-believers.

• Muhammad ’ s successors or deputies, called caliphs, continued teaching the message of
Islam.
• “ Rightly Guided Caliphs ” were elected: Abu
Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali
• The Caliphate that followed Ali was hereditary
• The caliphs were able to expand the Muslim
Empire from the Atlantic ocean to the Indus
Valley
• The early Caliphs took advantage of the weakness of the Persian and Byzantine empires
• The Qur ’ an prohibits force conversion
– Islamic leaders allowed Christians and Jews to practice their beliefs but they could not spread their beliefs.

• Civil war erupted after the death of Hussein
Ibn Ali in Karbala, 680 CE.
• With the death, the process of electing
Caliphs ended
• The new leadership moved the capital to
Damascus (Syria) to make expansion easier
- the Ummayad Dynasty
• In addition to the move the new leaders moved away from the simple life of the caliphs and surrounded themselves with luxury

• Sunni
– Meaning “ followers of Muhammad ’ s example ”
– Followed the new leadership
– A majority of the people accepted the new rulers, to maintain peace
 Shi ’ a
- Meaning “ party ” of
Ali (Muhammad ’ s cousin and son-in-law)
- Resisted the new leaderships rule.
- Believed the Caliph needed to be a relative of the prophet Muhammad
- Another group, the Sufi, pursued a life of poverty in response to the luxury of the Sunni leadership.

 Under the leadership of various leaders the
Muslims spread as far north as France and south into southern Africa.
 A large Muslim settlement was established by the Berbers in Spain.
– Lead by Jabal Tariq
– He was so revered they named the Rock of
Gibraltar after him.
 Corodoba, in Spain became a center for the spread of Islam in Europe
– 70 libraries, 700 mosques, 27 free schools
– Population of 500,000
– All religions were welcome in Corodoba

• Throughout the Muslim Empire urban centers flourished
– Ummayad Caliphate: capital at Damascus (661-750 CE)
– Abbasid Caliphate: capital at Baghdad (750-1258)
– Ummayad Dynasty in Spain, followed the Berbers (North
African Muslims) who fought at the Battle of Tours in 732 and established the Al-Andalus
• There were four social classes
– The upper class - Muslims by birth
– Second class - converts to Islam (paid higher taxes)
– Third class “ The Protected People ” - Jews and
Christians, also Zoroastrians - higher taxes than 2nd class
– The Lowest Class - Slaves, all non-muslim, many were household workers or soldiers.

• The Role of Women
– The Qur ’ an states that men will manage a women ’ s affair
– An obedient women is a righteous women
– Muslim women had more rights than European women.
– Responsibilities varied based on the income of the husbands.
– Women raised the children
– In early Muslim society women participated in religious activities and were encouraged to get an education

• Turks who left central Asia and set up a
Muslim empire from Anatolia to the Punjab between 11th and 14th centuries
• Adopted Persian culture, eventually captured the Abbasid and Byzantine empires
• Principle enemy of Crusaders in the 11th-
15th centuries
• Set up the Ottoman Empire centered in
Anatolia, the Holy Lands, Arabia, North
Africa, and Persia - lasted until mid-15th century

• Many advances in medicine, mathematics, and astronomy are credited to the Muslim world
• Understanding of smallpox and measles
• Proper location for hospitals
• Muslims scholars charted stars, comets, and planets
• Many artists began the art of calligraphy, due to the banning of drawing images

• Islam comes from the Arabic word for
“ Peace ”
• Jihad can be interpreted many ways.
– Holy War, struggle against infidels (un-believers)
– Concept that includes “ struggle against evil inclinations against oneself, struggle to improve the quality of life in society, struggle in the battle for self-defense or fighting against tyranny and oppression, ” ( Islam: Opposing Viewpoints , p 14)
– “ Whoever killed a human being, except as a punishment for murder or villainy in the land, shall be looked upon as though he had killed all mankind, ” ( Islam: Opposing Viewpoints , p 14).