Transcript Islam: From Cult to Civilization

Islam: From Faith to
Civilization
Developed by Abigail S. Chill
What distinguishes a faith from
a civilization?
A Civilization:
Encompasses masses of people
Builds cities
Develops written language
Crosses political boundaries
Endures for centuries
Which of these characteristics
enhances, inhibits or has no effect
on the development of a faith into a
civilization?
Belief in the
superiority of
the cult.
Fears
Foreigners
Values
Hospitality
Has no
written
language
Strong
military
A religion
with a code
of behavior
and rituals
Nomadic
Theocracy
Favors
Trade and
Travel
Rural
Setting
No intermarriage
Strong
Oral
Tradition
Welcomes
new
members
?
Urban
Setting
What do we mean by the
content of a civilization?
Content is…
Institutions
Values
Beliefs
Patterns of Behavior
Products
Which of these items would you
call elements of American
civilization?
Baseball
Democracy
Supreme Court
Civil Rights
Advanced Technology
Private Property
Separation of
Church and State
The Judeo-Christian
Heritage
What are some of the components
of Islamic civilization?
1
2
Elements of Islamic Civilization
3
The Quran
The Five Pillars of
Islam
Islamic Architecture
Sharia and Hadith
The Arabic Language
and Literature
The Rashidun or “Rightly Guided” Caliphs (first
four after Muhammad) expanded Islam beyond
the Arabian Peninsula.
4
The Alhambra in Spain
Rapid expansion created questions
such as: How should Islam respond
to non-Arab or non-Muslim people?
Accept non-Arab people and nonMuslims as equals?
Welcome non-Arab, pagan, or other
monotheists into our community?
Trade with other peoples who are
not Muslims?
Intermarry with non-Muslim people?
The answer Muslims found to these
questions laid a foundation for
Islam’s growth into a civilization.
The Umma was open to all. Islam incorporated elements from
other faiths into the practice of the new religion.
Judaism—Fast Days, Importance of Jerusalem,
Centrality of Abraham, Circumcision,
Dietary Laws, Prayer
Christianity– Charity, Importance of Jesus,
Prayer
Zoroastrianism—Belief in the Duality of Good
and Evil
Paganism–Pilgrimage to the Kaaba Shrine at
Mecca