Let’s Talk About It: Muslim Journeys
Laramie County Library
2200 Pioneer Ave, Cheyenne, WY
Dr. Seth Ward, UW Religious Studies
Introduction to Islam for the Equality State
Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 6:30 p.m.
THANKS TO THE WYOMING
HUMANITIES COUNCIL
BOARD MEMBERS 2013-14
Dave Reetz, President, Powell
Rex Myers, President-Elect, Powell
Tom Rea, Past-President, Casper
Linda Fleming, Membership Chair, Secretary, Baggs
Nish Goicolea Ferrero, Parliamentarian, Rock Springs
Stu Healy, Development Task Force Chair, Cheyenne
Caroline Mills, Finance Committee Chair/Treasurer, Fort Washakie
Eric Sandeen, Grants Chair, Laramie
Carol Chidsey, Lander
Carma Corra, Cheyenne
Antoinette DeNapoli, Laramie
Karen Everett, Cheyenne
Don Hodgson, Torrington
JB King, Moorcroft
John Tollakson, Sheridan
Jan Torres, Rock Springs
Charlie Thomson, Jackson
Paul Ulrich, Pinedale
THANKS ESPECIALLY TO
STAFF
Shannon Smith, Executive Director
Sheila Bricher-Wade, Program Officer
Jason Burge, Communications Manager
Kathy Burman, Fiscal Officer
Leslie Capps, Associate Director
Emy DiGrappa, Field Officer
Jenny Ingram, Grants Coordinator
READ THE BOOKS
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
House of Stone by Anthony Shadid
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie
Dreams of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi
AN INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM
Islam is the religion of more than one fifth of the world's people,
and is often considered the fastest growing religion in America.
A brief presentation on Islam should examine its practices and
beliefs, its Scripture and its spirituality, its phenomenal growth
in America and the political and religious goals which motivate
activist adherents in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Muslims define the meaning of Islam as
submission to Allah's will.
A believer is a "Muslim," the religion is "Islam." "Muslim" or
"Islamic" are adjectives, for example, "Islamic practices" or "Muslim
beliefs."
“HADITH OF GABRIEL”
Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company
of Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) when there appeared before us a
man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There
were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last
he sat with the Apostle (peace be upon him) He knelt before him placed
his palms on his thighs and said:
Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam (submission to God).
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Al-Islam implies that
you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the
messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast
of Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the (House) if you are solvent
enough (to bear the expense of) the journey.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (the inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman (faith).
He (the Holy Prophet) replied: That you affirm your faith in
Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the
Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine
Decree about good and evil.
He (the inquirer) said: You have told the truth.
He (the inquirer) again said: Inform me about alIhsan (performance of good deeds).
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That you worship Allah as if
you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He,
verily, sees you.
He (the enquirer) again said: Inform me about the hour (of the Doom).
He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One who is asked knows no more
than the one who is inquiring (about it).
He (the inquirer) said: Tell me some of its indications.
He (the Holy Prophet) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to
her mistress and master, and that you will find barefooted,
destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction
of magnificent buildings.
He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said: Then he (the
inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him (the Holy
Prophet) for a long while. He then, said to me: Umar, do you
know who this inquirer was? I replied: Allah and His Apostle
knows best. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: He was Gabriel
(the angel). He came to you in order to instruct you in
matters of religion.
ISLAMIC BELIEFS: THE FIVE PILLARS
1. Shahada—testimony
2. Salat—Prayer
3. Sawm—Fasting
4. Zakat-Alms
5. Hajj-Pilgrimage
SHAHADA: TESTIMONY
There is no God but God,
Muhammad is the
Messenger of God
SALAT ‫صلوة‬
5 times a day
In the hadith of the “Night Journey and Ascent to Heaven” Muhammad goes
to the 7th heaven and receives the command regarding prayer.
Term is the same as pre-Islamic Selota
All Prayers include the recitation of the first chapter of the Qur’an
Prayer Times
Between Dawn and Sunrise
After the moment of Noon
Afternoon: halfway from Noon to Sunset
Evening: After Sunset but before Dark
Night
PRAYER CLOCKS
ZAKAT ‫زكوة‬
Term is the same as pre-Islamic Zechut “merit”
Sadaqa is used for “extra” alms.
Can be given to any deserving poor (not only Muslim).
ZAKAT CALCULATION
In order to calculate your zakat, please fill all of the fields. Please note
that Women’s jewelry is not subject to Zakat unless its amount is
excessive or the jewelry is not being used.
1. Cash on hand and in bank accounts (savings, checking)
2. Refundable deposits (e.g. on rented apartment)
3. Non-delinquent loans (money you loaned to others)
4. Expected Tax refund
5. Gold and its certificate
6. Shares, stocks, bonds, IRA, pension plans, options, etc.
7. Business cash on hand and in banks plus invoices due.
8. Business inventory Enter $0 if less than Nisab.
9. Net income you are entitled to as of Zakat due date.
10. Your liabilities
MOON SIGHTING
HAJJ--PILGRIMAGE
HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/KAABA
IMAM HUSSEIN MOSQUE KARBALAH
SIX BELIEFS
God
Angels
Prophets
Books
Judgment
Divine Power and Determination
MUHAMMAD
Muhammad lived approx. 570-632
First Revelation: about 610.
Preaching in Public: 612.
Emigration from Mecca to Medina: 622.
"Farewell" Pilgrimage to Mecca: 632.
Muhammad's practice (“sunnah”) is known
from the Hadith:
Muhammad's act, word, silence.
QUR’AN
First Revelation
Cave of Hira 610
Taught privately for 2 years
10 years in Mecca 612-622
10 years in Medina 622-632
Complete with
Al-Yawm akmaltu “Today I have completed
Your religion.”
THE FIRST CHAPTER OF
THE QUR'AN
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate! Praise
belongs to God, the Lord of the Worlds. The All Merciful, the
Compassionate,
Master of the Day of Judgment.
Thee only do we serve, to Thee alone do we pray for help.
Guide us on the Straight Path.
The Path of those whom Thou has graced; Not of those against
whom Thou art wrathful, nor of those who are astray.
DEFENSE, NO COMPULSION,
SWORD VERSES
[2.190] And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not
exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits. [2.191]
And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they
drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with
them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight
you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers (defensive
fighting verse)
[2.256] There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become
clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in
the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest
handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
(“No compulsion” verse)
[9.5] So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters
wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait
for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the
poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
(The Sword verse)
114 chapters, Meccan and Madinan.
Sermonic not narrative.
Stories of Prophets, support for poor.
Legal material ususally Medinan.
Uthmanic Recension.
God's uncreated Speech.
Qur’an memorized in Arabic.
LAW. RELIGIOUS CALENDAR
Law: shari’a. “revealed law” fiqh “jurisprudence”
fatwa “response/legal opinion” mufti “one eligible to give a response.”
Four sources of Law: Qur’an, Sunna, Qiyas (analogy), Ijma’ (consensus).
Religious Calendar: Fridays-Jum‘a (gathering for prayer), not Sabbath;
Ramadan and ‘Id al-Fitr,
Pilgrimage and‘Id al-Adha.
Shia: ‘Ashura and Arba‘in.
ISLAM IN AMERICA
962 Mosques in 1994
2000: 1,209
2011: 2,106
Immigrant/African American
Arab, Middle East (Turkish/Persian), African, South Asian, East Asian.
Students, esp. University / Community / Prison
Bagby: Muslims who attend Eid Prayer (the high holiday prayers after Ramadan and
Hajj) increased from about 2 million in 2000 to about 2.6 million in 2011. The
total Muslim population cannot be determined by this figure, but it does call into
question the low estimates of 1.1-2.4 million Muslims in America. If there are
2.6 million Muslims who pray the Eid prayer, then the total Muslim
Population should be closer to the estimates of up to 7 million.
Pew Study 2010
COUNTRY
Est. 2010 Muslim Population
United States
2,770,000
WYOMING
Association of Religion Data Archives: Using data from the 1980-2010 Religious Congregations
and Membership Studies, this list ranks U.S. counties on the highest total number of adherents and
the highest percent of the population who are Muslim. You can sort the list by clicking on the
column headings.
Congregational "Adherents" include all full members, their children, and others who regularly attend
services. "Percent" is the percentage of the total population that belongs to that denomination.
Note: Adherents are sometimes residents of a county different than the location of their
congregation.
Rank
2010
Rank
2000
County
Muslim
Population
2010
% total
popula
tion
2010
157
74
308
0.85
196
n/a
Albany County,
Wyoming
Laramie County,
Wyoming
408
0.44
Musli
m
Popula
tion
2000
263
% total
popula
tion
2000
No
Info
No
Info
0.82