Review for Islam Test
• Know Basic Facts on Study Guide
• Be able to explain major concepts on Study Guide
• Essay Option #1: How has Islam impacted the Middle
East?
• Essay Option #2: How does the media impact our
view of the Middle East?
• Mind Map of Terms: Making Connections
Background
• Founded by the Prophet Muhammad
• Muhammad was born 570 AD in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
• Muslims believe that the archangel Gabriel appeared to
Muhammad in his adult life and revealed truths to him
about how to live
• Monotheism (the belief in one god)
• Islam grew out of Judaism and Christianity and shares many
of the beliefs of these religions
• Two sects-the Sunni and the Shiite/Sh’ia-split after his
death over questions of leadership
• The word “Islam” is an Arabic word that means both
“surrender” and “peace”
• The word “Muslim” means “one who submits to Allah
(God)”
Basic Facts about Islam
• God is called Allah
• A person who submits to Allah and follows the teachings of
Islam is called a Muslim
• Islam is the world's second largest religion (behind Christianity)
• Over 1.3 billion people follow Islam
• More than half of world's Muslims live in South and Southeast
Asia
• The countries with the largest Muslim populations are
Indonesia, India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
• About one-fourth of all Muslims live in the Middle East.
• Several million Muslims live in the United States. 2nd largest
religion in US.
Judo-Christian-Islamic Tradition
• Similarities
– Monotheisim
– Belief in prophets
– Believe in a lineage
from Adam and Eve
– Belief in the Day of
Judgement
• Differences
– Jews do NOT believe
Jesus was the son of
God
– Christians do NOT
believe Muhammad
was the final prophet
sent by God
% of Muslim population
1.6 billion people are Muslim
23.4% of world’s population
20% live in the Middle East and North Africa
5 pillars
• Duties of Muslims
– Shahadah (profession of faith)
– Salat (prayer)
– Zakat (charity)
– Ramadan (holy month)
– Hajj (pilgrimage)
Sources of Authority
•
•
•
•
Quran: God’s word
Hadith: Sayings of Muhammad
Sunna: Behaviors of Muhammad
Sharia: Islamic law based on interpretations of
the Quran, Hadith and Sunna
Hadith
• Sayings of the Prophet
• Examples:
• “Whoever suppresseth his anger, when he hath in his power to show it,
God will give him a great reward.”
• “The exercise of religious duties will not atone for the fault of an abusive
tongue.”
• “Trust in God, but tether your camel”
• “The acquisition of knowledge is a duty incumbent on every Muslim, male
and female.”
• “The ink of the scholar is more holy than the blood of the martyr.”
Sunna
• Examples of the Prophet
• Examples:
• Dress: wear clean, neat clothing – not brightly colored.
• The specific method of prayer.
• Don’t eat garlic (or other pungent food) when you know you’ll be in a
closed space – mosque for example.
• Look people in the eyes when you talk to them.
• Cover for people’s flaws
Jihad
• Definition: struggle; a sincere and noticeable
effort for righteousness; achieving a higher
moral standard
• Levels of Jihad:
1. Personal Jihad – varying a bad habit, trying to be a better
person in some specific way (90+%)
2. Social Justice – resisting an injustice without fighting like MLK,
Gandhi (4%)
3. Just War – to struggle or fight against an injustice (1%) – a last
resort
Sunni - Shii
• Sunnis are the majority in most Muslim
communities.
• Indonesia has the largest number of Sunnis.
• Shii are the majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain.
• Iran has the largest number of Shii.
Sunni – Shii populations
Women
• Traditions often based on geography
• Burqas, hijabs, and other clothing
requirements in some areas and chosen by
some Islamic women in other areas
• Human rights violations are not approved of
by Islam
• The Quran supports the equality of men and
women