In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Merci-Giving
An introduction to the
faith, culture and
people of Islam
by
Dr. Sahib Mustaqim Bleher
Outline

Muslims in the World

History of Islam

Beliefs and practice

Key differences

Misconceptions
 Questions/Answers
Muslims in the
World



1.2 billion, Muslims represent just over
20% of the world's population = 1 of 5
humans in the world is a Muslim
Second largest religion in the world
Fastest growing including Europe and
America
World Distribution of Muslims
Africa
308,660,000
27.4%
Asia
778,362,000
69.1%
Europe
32,032,000
2.8%
Latin America
1,356,000
0.1%
North America
5,530,000
0.5%
World
1,126,325,000 100%
Source: Britannica Yearbook, 1997
Muslims in Britain

1.6 million Muslims live in the UK
= 3% of general UK population
 Higher concentrations in metropolitan
areas, e.g
8.5% of London population
 Disproportionate presence in custody:
8 % of prison population in UK (x2.67)
Coin with Islamic
inscription issued by
Anglo-Saxon King Offa of
Mercia, 8th century
History of Islam

Monotheistic Tradition
 Prophet Muhammad in Arabia
 Expansion and development
 Fall of the Caliphate
Monotheistic Tradition

Islam literally means achieving peace with oneself
and one’s environment through submission to God
 It is seen as a continuation of the previous
monotheistic teachings, particularly Judaism and
Christianity (the people of the Book)
 The Qur’an confirms the Torah, the Psalms and the
Gospel as divinely revealed scriptures before the
Qur’an
Monotheistic Tradition

Most of the prophets mentioned in the Qur’an
are known to the previous traditions:

Adam (Adam), Idris, Nuh (Noah), Hud, Saleh,
Lut (Lot), Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael),
Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph),
Shu’ayb (Jethro), Ayyub (Job), Musa (Moses),
Harun (Aaron), Dawud (David), Sulayman
(Solomon), Yunus (Jonah), Ilyas (Elijah), AlYasa (Elisha), Dhu-l-Kifl, Zakariya (Zechariah),
Yahya (John), ‘Isa (Jesus)
Prophet
Muhammad in
Arabia



Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born in
Arabia in 570 and received the first revelation at
the age of 40.
After 10 years in Makkah, where the growing
faith was soon persecuted, he emigrated with
his followers to Madinah in 622. This is known
as the Hijrah and marks the beginning of the
Muslim lunar calendar.
During the remaining 13 years of his life he laid
the foundation for the city state at the heart of
the growing Muslim sphere of influence.
Expansion and development

Islamic rule spread within decades to the three
continents of Asia, Africa and Europe.

The developing civilisation absorbed and
adapted the heritage of ancient people like
Egypt, Persia and Greece and excelled in art,
architecture, astronomy, geography, history,
linguistics, literature, medicine, mathematics
and physics, laying the foundation for European
enlightenment.
Expansion and development

At the same time the Islamic sciences of
Qur’anic studies (Tafsir), Hadith
classification, Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh)
matured, leading to a wealth of religious
literature which formed the foundation for
subsequent development.
Fall of the Caliphate

Soon after the death of the prophet, however,
Islam also saw numerous political upheavals,
leading, for example to the split between Sunni
and Shi’a traditions.
 In spite of power struggles within the Islamic
territory, for most of the time there was some
kind of political unity.
 The dissolution of the Caliphate at the end of
WWI and the resulting age of colonialism
presented Muslims across the world with a new
phenomenon of fragmentation and disunity
from which they have still not recovered to date.
Beliefs and practice

Five pillars
 Halal and haram
 Variations within Islam
 Relationship to other faiths
The five pillars of Islam





Declaration of faith (Shahadah)
Prayer (Salah)
Charity (Zakah)
Fasting (Saum)
Pilgrimage (Hajj)
Beliefs of Islam






Allah
Angels
Scriptures
Messengers
Predestination
Hereafter
Belief:
Allah – One God


Allah is the Arabic name for God used by
Muslims of the world as well as Arab
Christians.
Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the
Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He
begotten; And there is none like Him. (The
Quran, Surah 112)
Belief: The Angels

Part of the belief in the unseen is the belief in
other forms of creation (the angels made from
light; the Jinn (spirits, demons) made from the
essence of fire)
 Some angels have specific tasks: Jibril
(Gabriel) brings the revelation, Israfil delivers
commands and blows the trumpet on the day of
judgment, Mika’il (Michael) is the bringer of
blessing and in charge of nature, Izra’il the
angel of death.
 Our deeds are recorded by two personal angels
Belief: Scriptures – The Qur’an

Revealed over 23 years in
Makkah and Madinah
 Both memorised and recorded
in writing, today’s copy is
proven to be exactly the same
as at the time of revelation
 114 Surahs (chapters) divided
in Ayahs (signs/verses)
 Explanation (Tafsir) takes
account of historic situation,
linguistic understanding, and
context of other verses
 Recited in Arabic during
prayer; translations are
accepted for personal use, but
not authoritative
Belief:
Messengers Muhammad





Descendant of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham.
Born in Mecca, Arabia, in the year 570
Received first revelation at the age 40 through angel
Gabriel.
Died in the year 632 C.E, after preaching Islam for
23 years.
Seal of the chain of prophets; no more prophets to
follow.
Belief: Predestination (Qadr)

We are accountable for our
deeds, but cannot influence the
events we encounter, which are
intended to test us
 Our knowledge is limited, but
the Creator has complete
knowledge of past present and
future
 The belief in predestination
helps in times of affliction but is
not intended to prevent us from
trying our best
Belief:
The Hereafter





Life is part of a journey from
God back to God
Life has a purpose; we are on
trial with regard to our
behaviour
The soul is eternal and will be
raised again
Perfect justice does not exist
on earth; full justice can only
be achieved in the Hereafter
Nobody will escape
accountability
Prayer (Salah)





Five Daily Prayers
Prayers involve ablution, standing,
bowing, prostrating, sitting postures,
followed by personal invocations
Muslim face a common prayer
direction (Qiblah) towards the
Kaabah in Makkah
Prayers can be said alone or in
congregation
On Fridays congregational prayers
preceded by a sermon are mandatory
Prayer (Salah)
The five daily prayers are:
 Fajr (from early twilight till just before
sunrise
 Zuhr (after the zenith of the sun till mid
afternoon
 Asr (between mid and late afternoon
 Maghrib (shortly after sunset)
 ‘Isha (during night-time and before the next
morning’s twilight)
There are additional voluntary prayers as well
as are prayers for special occasions
Prayer: The Mosque






Mosques do not contain statues or images
Calligraphy and arabesque geometric
designs beautify the mosque interior
There are no seats and no reserved places
Worshippers remove their shoes before entry
Washing facilities are attached to the
mosque
The mosque also serves as a cultural centre
Charity (Zakat)




Everybody above the poverty
threshold must pay 2.5% of
surplus (not income) for the
benefit of the needy annually
Only Muslims pay Zakah
Other charity can be given at
any time
The concept of Zakah ensures
an awareness of social
obligation and prevents hording
Fasting (in Ramadan)





Ramadan is 9th month in
Islamic Lunar calendar and
thus starts 10 days earlier
every year of the solar
calendar
Abstinence from food and
drink and marital relations
from dawn to sunset
It is traditional to break the
fast with dates
Fasting is to teach self-control
and awareness of God
Eid ul-Fitr holiday at the end;
celebrations are preceded by
giving charity and a
congregational prayer
Hajj (Pilgrimage)

Pilgrimage to Makkah once in life time for able Muslims
during the last month of the Muslim calendar
 About 2-3 million Muslims perform Hajj each year from
all over the world
 The rituals of Hajj commemorate the sacrifice of
Ibrahim (Abraham)
 Eid ul-Adha: the major Muslim holiday; congregational
prayer followed by sacrifice, food distribution and
celebrations
 A lesser pilgrimage (Umrah) can take place any time
during the year as a visit to the Kaabah
Halal and Haram

Islam governs personal
and public life through a
concept of permitted and
forbidden actions, further
divided into a complex
system of individual and
social rights and duties.
 The lawful and unlawful
actions are graded into the
obligatory, recommended,
value-neutral, disliked, and
prohibited.
Islamic Law: Shari’ah
Sources of laws
 Divine revelation
(Qur’an)
 Prophetic Tradition
(Hadith/Sunnah)
 Scholarly
analogy/consensus
(Ijtihad/Qiyas/Ijma’)
Islamic Law: Shari’ah
Classification of
laws
 Laws of God
(human rights)
 Laws of people
(public order)
 Laws of self
(private morals)
Islamic Law: Shari’ah
Jurisdictions
 Daru-l-Islam
(territory governed
by Islamic Law)
 Daru-l-Harb (enemy
territory)
 Daru-l-Ahd (territory
subject to
agreement with
Islamic State)
Islamic Law: Shari’ah
Dual Citizenship
 Muslims (to be
drafted/obliged to pay Zakah)
 Dhimmis (not to be
drafted/obliged to pay
Jizya/protection tax)
Minority rights
 Monotheists (Ahl Kitab)
 Polytheists
Halal/Haram: Food
 Carrion, blood and pork are amongst the forbidden
food items
 Meat must be slaughtered in the name of Allah and
all blood must be drained
 Only non-carnivorous animals are permitted for
consumption
 All sea animals are permitted
 Alcohol and intoxicating drugs are prohibited
completely
 Food prepared by the People of the Book
(Jews/Christians) is permitted; food dedicated to
other gods is prohibited
Halal/Haram: Behaviour
Prohibited actions:
 Murder
 Theft
 Usury
 Gambling
 Intimate relationships
outside marriage
 Same sex relationships
Variations
within Islam

Sunni
 Shi’a
 Sufi
 Different races,
different cultures
Relationships with other faiths

Monotheistic
faiths:
Jews
Christians
 Polytheistic faiths
 New faiths/cults
after Islam
Key Differences
The role of religion

Church and State
 No church hierarchy
 No separation of
religion and politics
Key differences: Christianity

No divinity of man
 No crucifixion
 No original sin
 Personal salvation
Misconceptions

A foreign
religion?
 Role of women,
polygamy
 Jihad (holy war)
 Confusion
between religious
and cultural
traditions
Questions and Answers
?
?
! !