Transcript Islam
ISLAM AND THE
ISLAMIC SECTS
WORLD RELIGIONS
ANTHROPOLOGY
NEW DIMENSIONS
Demographics
Those who practice the Islamic faith are
Muslims
Islam is distributed throughout Africa, the
Middle East and parts of Asia and Europe
Growing population is in the United States
More than 6 million+ Muslims are U.S.
residents
Origin/History
Abrahamic Faith: Originated in the Middle
East after Judaism and Christianity
Founded by the prophet, Muhammad
Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (570-632 C.E.)
Islam means “to submit” in Arabic
Jihad means “fighting or striving”
Holy war is not literal, applied to historical wars
with non-Muslims
Deity
Monotheistic: belief in one God, Allah
Allah is the sole God, the creator, the
sustainer and restorer of the world
Muhammad is the last, perfect of God’s
messengers
Others include Adam, Abraham, Moses and
Jesus
Sacred/Holy Texts
These form the basics of Islamic law
The Qur’an ( or the Koran)
Written by God and revealed to Muhammad
Never been corrupted
Hadith
Muhammad’s sayings and stories of his life
Second to the authority of the Qur’an
Contains specific details/laws on how to live
Spiritual Leaders
Imam
Leads community prayers
Performs marriages and funerals
Gives advice about Islamic law, chosen for his
wisdom
Muezzin
Crier, proclaims the call to worship
Khatib
Preaches the Friday sermon
Main Tenets
5 Pillars of Islam
1. Profession of Faith
No God but God, Muhammad is the prophet of God
2. Prayer
Must pray 5 times a day, facing Mecca
3. The Zakat
Must pay an obligatory tax annually to the state gov’t
4. Fasting
Must fast for the month of Ramadan (9th month)
Daybreak-sunset: No eating, drinking, smoking, sex
5. Hajj
Must make a pilgrimage to Mecca in their life
Creation
Allah is the Creator
A “day” is equivalent to 50, 000 years
Do not believe God rested on the 7th day
Why would God need to rest?
It is a sin to confuse the Creator and
creation
Nothing else should be associated with God
Reject Trinity and Jesus as incarnate
Death/Afterlife
The Qur’an posits that life is a test
Deaths are predetermined by Allah
Day of Judgment
Good to Paradise
Others to the Fire
Dead are buried in 3 linen shrouds
Martyrs are buried in the clothes they
died in
Rituals & Customs
First thing a baby should hear is the call to
prayer whispered in each ear
Boys must be circumcised (7 mos-12 yrs)
Parents choose the marriage partners for
their children
Divorce is discouraged
More than one wife allowed
Holidays/Holy Days
Muslims follow a different calendar than
Western world
Based on Muhammad’s move to Medina in 622
Ramadan
9th Muslim month
Many other holy days (see pages 78 & 79)
Worship
Fridays: all men to mosque for midday prayer
All must remove shoes and wear a habit, or hiram
Women to mosque
Cover hair completely
Seated in a separate area
Believed to distract opposite sex
When in a congregation, stand shoulder to
shoulder with no gaps
All Muslim prayers are memorized
Worship of idols is forbidden
No images of Allah or Muhammad
Lifestyle Practices
Islam is a way of life, not simply a religion
Family life is central: care for one another
“ummah”=community
Alcohol is forbidden
Gambling is forbidden
Consuming the meat of a pig is forbidden
Shirk: sin regarding intercessions, astrology
Blasphemy or idolatry
Subdivisions/Sects
SUNNIS
90% of Muslims (1 billion people)
Consider themselves traditional, mainstream
SHIITES
10% of Muslims (80 million people)
Voice of militant Islamic fundamentalism
Their disputes center around the rightful successors
of Muhammad
SUFISM
Mystical sect: believe in a direct experience with Allah