Transcript Slide 1

Submission to the will of Allah
IslamAn Abrahamic
Religion
 Muslims are strict monotheists.

They believe in the JudeoChristian God, which they call
Allah.
Abraham’s Genealogy
HAGAR
ABRAHAM
Ishmael
12 Arabian
Tribes
SARAH
Isaac
Jacob
12 Tribes of
Israel
Esau
The Prophetic Tradition
Adam
Noah
Abraham
Moses
Jesus
Muhammad



Muhammad received his first
revelation from the angel
Gabriel in the Cave of Hira in 610
622  Hijrah  Muhammed
flees Mecca for Medina.
* The beginning of the
Muslim calendar (1 A.H.)
Muhammad’s revelations were
compiled into the Qur’an after
his death
The Qur’an
 Muslims believe it contains the word of God

114 suras (chapters)
Written
in Arabic
The Five Pillars of Islam
1. The Shahada: Declaration of Faith
2. The Salat: Mandatory Prayers
3. The Zakat: Almsgiving
4. The Sawm: Fasting during the holy
month of Ramadan
5. The Hajj: The Pilgrimage to Mecca
The Dome of the Rock
Mosque in Jerusalem
Mount Moriah Rock where Muhammad
ascended into heaven.
Other Islamic Religious
Practices
 Up to four wives allowed at once

No alcohol or pork

No gambling

Sharia  body of Islamic law to

regulate daily living
Three holiest cities in Islam:
* Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem
What
Sunni
there
sects
is the difference between
and Shia Muslims and why is
animosity between these two
of Islam?
Dispute over succession
• When Muhammad died, he did not, at least in
public, name an heir….
• So, Muhammad’s father-in-law took over and
held the new Muslim “empire” together as the
first Caliph (or successor).
• Soon, by the time of the third Caliph a dispute
began over who should rightfully become the
Caliph, leader of Islam.
• Uthman, the third caliph was assassinated.
– The Shia believe that the heir should be a family
member.
– The Sunni believe that the heir should be selected by
the previous caliph.
The Spread of Islam

Easy to learn and practice

No priesthood

Teaches equality among men

“Peoples of the Book,” were allowed religious
freedom, but paid additional taxes.

Easily “portable”  nomads & trade
routes.

Jihad (“struggle”) against pagans
and other non-believers
Internal
and External
Expansion of Islam
• Mecca and Medina and the rapid spread of Islam
• Battle of Constantinople (the gateway to Europe) 717
– Greek Fire
• Tours and the croissant 732
• Numidians (the civilization that caused problems for the
Carthaginians) = Moors
Many North Africans
welcomed the Muslims
because the tax they
had to pay for their
freedom was less than
the tribute paid to
Constantinople.
However, many
individuals (according
to accounts) did resist
and were slaughtered
for their efforts.
Muslims in the World Today
Countries with the
Largest Muslim
Population
1. Indonesia
183,000,000
6. Iran
62,000,000
2. Pakistan
134,000,000
7. Egypt
59,000,000
3. India
121,000,000
8. Nigeria
53,000,000
4. Bangladesh
114,000,000
9. Algeria
31,000,000
10. Morocco
29,000,000
5. Turkey
66,000,000
* Arabs make up only 20% of the total
Muslim population of the world.