Introduction world Religions and beliefs

IWRDS

1. ELEMENTS OF ISLAM

2. What is Islam?

3. It is a monotheistic religion, meaning it shares common roots with Judaism and Christianity, and centers on the belief in one God, who is Allah, the sole creator and sustainer of the universe.

4. FOUNDER: PROPHET MUHAMMAD (570-632 A.D.)

5. Prophet Muhammad considered the final prophet in a line of prophets that began with Adam and includes figures like Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

6. Muhammad was born in Mecca around 570 CE. He belonged to the influential Quraysh tribe and worked as a merchant. At the age of 40, Muhammad began receiving revelations from God through the angel Gabriel, which continued over a period of 23 years.

7. Muhammad’s mission was to deliver the message of monotheism and guide people to worship the one true God. His teachings emphasized social justice, moral conduct, and the importance of compassion, charity, and kindness. He preached against idol worship and tribal divisions in the worship of one God.

8. SACRED TEXTS: Qur’an, Hadith

9. QUR’AN The Qur’an is the most sacred text for the Islamic religious tradition, as it considered the direct unedited word of God revealed to the prophet Muhammad. This holy book contains 144 chapters called surahs and over 6,000 verses called ayahs. It is not chronological order. It is known as the “Well- Preserved Book”, because Muslims believe the Qur’an is the earthly copy of the tablets that exist in heaven.

10. The main idea of the Qur’an is that Allah is the only God. This sacred doctrine is a guideline for how Muslim should live their lives: virtuously through respect, dignity, and humility. The Qur’an highlights the prophets such as Noah, Jonah, Joseph, and Moses. Within it covers contains the rights, responsibilities, and freedoms of men and women.

11. HADITH A record of traditions or stories about the prophet Muhammad. The Hadith is revered and accepted as a major source of sharia law, moral ethos, and second in its authority to the Qur’an. These texts differ from the Qur’an, as they are not a singular text, but a collection of them.

12. The Hadith consists of 6 collections. Two collections are held in the highest regard: Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The other 4 books are Sunan at Tirmidhi , Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan an- Nasai and Sunan lbn Majah .

13. The Hadith weren’t written down during the time of Muhammad. They were transmitted orally before being written down and gathered in the 8 th and 9 th centuries; more than 100 years after his death. The most accepted hadiths consist of core Islamic beliefs relating to the Qur’an. Hadiths are seen as less reliable, as they stretch away from the core tenets within the Qur’an.

14. DOCTRINES: The Five Pillars of Islam

15. There are Five Pillars of Islam because Allah asks only five duties of his followers. Muslims must profess their faith to Allah, pray five times daily, be charitable to the less fortunate, fast during the month of Ramadan, and make one journey to Mecca during their lifetimes.

16. SHAHADA (Profession of Faith) The First Pillar of Islam is the Shahada , or the declaration of faith. To become a person of Islam, the individual must acknowledge that there is one God, Allah. More precisely, they must verbally state that “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” three times in front of a witness. This is central to the Islamic faith.

17. Once this phrase is said truthfully and passionately, the individual becomes a member of the Islamic faith and is distinguished from other faiths.

18. SALAH (Prayer) Salah is the second of the Five Pillars. Prayer rituals are required of ach Muslims, and they take place five times a day, everyday of the year. During Salah, Muslims worship the will of Allah by facing towards Mecca, the holy city of Islam, where the religion founded. Salah can be completed individually or in a group setting, such as mosque.

19. At noontime on Fridays, it is common for Muslims to pray in a congregation, known as jum’a . Men gather in mosque and are required to participate, while women are welcome but not obligated to do so. These meetings are run similarly to those at other times of the week, where a group setting is used, featuring prayer, a sermon, and a reflection.

20. ZAKAT (Almsgiving) Almsgiving, or charity, to those who need it, is the third Pillar of Islam. It is considered to be the personal responsibility of all who have to give those who have not; to ease economic hardships, inequality and suffering. If one is wealthy, money can be given; if not, other deeds and actions can take the place of monetary assistance.

21. SAWM (fasting) The fourth Pillar is ritual fasting, where the adherent to Islam denies himself food and water during certain times of the year and certain times of the day. The fasting is obligatory during the holy month of Ramadan, where from dawn until dusk, Muslims may not eat food or drink anything.

22. Fasting is meant to focus the mind on matters of spirituality and on Allah, and the pangs of hunger remind one of true suffering that goes on in the world. The fasts are broken each day when the sun goes down, and obligatory fasting ends after Ramadan is complete.

23. HAJJ (pilgrimage) The final pillar of Islam is the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. As was the case during the life of Muhammad, Mecca remains the holiest city in the Islamic world, and it is the duty of every devout and able-bodied Muslim to travel to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. The act of pilgrimage is one of supreme devotion and provides the believer with a sense of spiritual satisfaction that few rites can.

24. ALLAH: The One God in Islam

25. Allah is the name for the one and only God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. The word “Allah” is the Arabic word for God, and it used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews as well as Muslims.

26. Muslims believe that Allah has 99 beautiful names , each reflecting a different aspect of HIS being. The names are not merely labels but are considered to be powerful in invocations that can be used for meditation, seeking blessings, and connecting with Allah.

27. The 4 most common names: Ar - Rahman (The Most Merciful) Ar -Rahim (The Most Compassionate) Al- Malik (The King) Al- Quddus (The Holy One)

28. Muslims believe that Allah created humanity with purpose and that HE guides them through revelation, prophets, and His divine laws. They believe that Allah loves His creation and wants them to live righteous lives, but He also holds them accountable to their actions.

29. PRACTITIONERS: Sunni, Shi’ite, Sufi

30. SUNNI The largest branch of Islam, accounting for approximately 85-90% of the world’s Muslim population. The term “Sunni” derives from the Arabic word Sunnah of Muhammad , the Prophet’s teachings and practices, as guide for their own lives.

31. Sunni Islam is characterized by its emphasis on consensus (ijma’), which allows for the incorporation of various customs and practices that have evolved over time. They also recognize six “sound” books of hadith and four schools of Islamic law: Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafi’i.

32. SHI’ITE The second largest branch of Islam, comprises approximately 10-15% of the world’s Muslim population. The term “Shi’ite” comes from the Arabic word Shi’a meaning “partisan” or “follower”. Shi’ites are followers of Ali ibn Abi Talib, whom they believe was divinely designated by Muhammad as his successor.

33. Shi’ites believe that leadership and authority in the Muslim community should be passed down through bloodline inheritance, specifically through the descendants of Ali and his firstborn son, Hasan. They revere Ali and his successors, known as imams , as their spiritual and political guides.

34. SUFI ( sufism ) Often referred to as Islamic mysticism , is not a separate branch of Islam but rather a mystical dimension within both Sunni and Shi’ite Islam. Sufi focus on purification, spirituality and esotericism in their quest for a direct, personal experience of God.

35. Sufism emphasizes the importance of dhikr , the practice of remembrance of God, and tasawwuf , the pursuit of moral excellence. They believe in achieving fanaa (annihilation of the ego) and baqaa (permanence in God) through various practices such as meditation, contemplation and spiritual guidance from a shaylk (spiritual master).

36. Opening lines/verses of Qur’an (English version)

37. “In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful” “It is You we worship, and upon You we call for help” “The path of those You have blessed, not of those against whom there is anger, nor of those who are misguided.” “Those who believe in the unseen, and perform the prayers, and give from what We have provided for them.”