Transcript The Teachings of Islam

The Teachings of Islam
Chapter 9
A little background
 Islam began in the Arabian Peninsula and
quickly spread throughout the Middle East,
across North Africa, to Spain, and across
central Asia
 The Islamic community blended many
peoples and cultures
 Islam now has more followers than any
religion except Christianity
 1/5 of the world’s population is Muslim
The Koran
 The foundation of Islam
 Describes Allah’s laws and moral teachings, the straight path
 It contains passages that Muhammad is believed to have
received from the angel Gabriel
 Muhammad could apparently not read or write, he
memorized the passages and his followers later wrote them
down into the Koran
 In 651, Caliph Uthman established an official edition of the
Koran that is still used today
 Muslims honor the Koran by not letting copies of the book
tough the ground or get dirty
The Sunnah and the Hadith
 The other foundation of Islam
 The Sunnah means “practice”
 This is the example that Muhammad set
for Muslims during his lifetime of how to
lead a Muslim life and follow the Koran
 The Hadith, tradition, is a collection of
written accounts of Muhammad’s
Sunnah as seen in his words and deeds
Shahadah: The
st
1
Pillar of Faith
 Shahadah means the declaration of faith and
shows one’s belief in one God and Muhammad
as his prophet.
 Muslims proclaim the words, “There is no god
but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of
God” often throughout their days
 People must not only declare that they believe in
God (Allah), but also must pledge their
submission to him
 Muslims also believe that all souls will face a day
of judgment when all of their actions will be
weighed, allowing souls to enter paradise or fall
into hell
Salat: The
nd
2
Pillar of Faith

Salat means daily ritual prayer

It emphasizes religious discipline, spirituality, and closeness to
God

Muslims are called to prayer 5 times per day: dawn, noon,
midday, sunset, and after nightfall

The muezzin (a crier) chants the call to prayer from the minaret
(tower of the mosque)

Muslims must wash hands, feet, and face before praying

The imam is the prayer leader and worshipers face in the
direction of Mecca

Muslims may worship anywhere in groups or alone

Muslims do not observe a sabbath, however on Fridays,
Muslims gather at a mosque for midday prayer, listen to the
imam’s sermon and to the Koran being read
Zakat: The
rd
3
Pillar of Faith
 Zakat means almsgiving or giving to the poor
 Muslims are commanded to give at least 2.5% of their wealth
 They do this in order to purify their wealth and also to control greed
 Zakat provides many needs including public fountains with clean water,
hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, and orphanages, and shelter for the poor
 Other religions, such as Christianity (tithe) and Judaism (tzedaka) also
emphasize helping the poor through charity
Siyam: The
th
4
Pillar of Faith
 Siyam means fasting, going without food
 Performed during Ramadan (the 9th month of the Muslim
calendar), Muslims fast during the daylight hours
 Not ALL Muslims have to fast
 Break the fast with traditional foods before the sunset prayer
 By the end of Ramadan, Muslims have read the entire Koran
 Fasting teaches Muslims self control and makes them realize
what it would be like to be poor and hungry
 Muslims try to avoid arguments and bad deeds and try to forgive
people
 The end of Ramadan is celebrated with Eid al-Fitr
Hajj: The
th
5
Pillar of Faith
 Hajj is a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca
 All adults are expected to make a Hajj one time in
their life
 Promotes equality and fellowship
 This is done in the Islamic year’s 12th month
 During Hajj, pilgrims follow the footsteps of
Abraham and Muhammad in order to draw
themselves closer to God
 The farewell day is celebrated by all Muslims
around the world, called Eid al-Adha
Jihad
 Jihad means “to strive”- it represents the human
struggle to overcome challenges and do things that
would be pleasing to Allah

Example: Muslims might work to become better
people, reform society, or correct injustice
 Early Muslims claimed Jihad in their efforts to protect
their territory
 However, Muslims are forbidden from forcing others to
convert- Muhammad also set other rules for war- not to
mutilate dead bodies, harm women children, old
people, or civilians, and to not destroy property.
 Lesser Jihad- external struggle against oppression
 Greater Jihad- internal struggle against evil within
oneself (working hard for a goal, giving up a bad habit,
getting an education, obeying your parents, etc.)
Shari’ah: Islamic Law
 Shari’ah is the collection of all Islamic law
and means “path to be followed”
 It promotes obedience to the Koran and
respect for others
 It places actions into 5 categories: forbidden,
discouraged, allowed, recommended, and
obligatory (required)
 In a Shari’ah court, a qadi (judge) hears cases
and makes rulings. Sometimes a mufti
(scholar of law) is consulted.
 Today most Muslim countries apply some
parts of Shari’ah and use other laws as well to
respond to modern ways of life.