Islam Introduction

Robert D. Patton

Missionary to Suriname

Islam – Introduction: Pre-Islamic ArabiaPrayer

Islam

Rapidly growing religion

Dominates in 52 countries

Total population of Islam – about 1,000,000,000 – 1/6 world population

Only 20% in middle east.

The largest Muslim country is Indonesia

Muslim Population Worldwide

Islam

Rapidly growing in Europe – now the second largest religion in Europe

However, only a small percentage of missionaries have been working with Muslims

Islam

Expanded from Arabia into both eastern and western Europe for centuries

Dominated North Africa, the middle east and Central Asia

Extended to Indonesia, Philippine Islands

Islam

It is tied with 7th century Arabian culture, and is a deification of that culture.

You cannot separate the culture and the religion – they are tied together in politics, family structure, food, clothing, religious rites, etc.

Ideal – live like Muhammed; make the whole world Islamic

Islam – submit

Islam = submission of body and soul to Allah

Muslim = those who submit

Pre-Arabian – one who submits even knowing that they will die (Fighting in the Alamo). The hero dies

Difference – in Christianity, He died for us

Islam – submit

Terrorists in the eyes of many Muslims are true Muslim heroes who die for their faith

Caliph = successor; but they are also Amirs, or military leaders

Islam – Arabian Culture

Before Muhammad

Dr. Robert Patton

Missionary to Suriname, South America

Arabia ArabiaMuhammad

Land area 1/3 size of continental USA

Dry, little rain or agriculture

Nomadic life – Bedouins

Tribe run by head of families – sheik

Moved their herds – also plundered caravans

Pre-Islamic Arabia

No real government – and no law and order

Major restraint is fear of reprisals & vendettas

Only protection was from the tribe

Thus strong family ties

Arabian law

Tribe would protect their members, even when they had committed a crime

Failure to protect was despised

‘asabyya – tribal spirit – dominated

Similar to many primarily oral cultures

Warfare

Ceaseless warfare – intertribal warfare controlled the population

War was a “dangerous sport”, a chance to show their skill at archery, the sword, riding the horse

Heroism & glory for the tribe

Plundering caravans

A way of life

Often paid off for protection

Manslaughter – blood for blood. You paid back with their blood, or occasionally with property…

Code of ethics

Muru’ah – manly virtue, with duty, devotion to what must be done

Sometimes men would join other groups for profit or to avoid restrictions

Code of ethics

Conflicting statements about women –

some said they were free with minimal restrictions;

others say that they were virtual slaves

Arab characteristics

Many described as arrogant, conceit, boastful, vindictive

Love of plunder

Lack of political discipline until Islam

The leader in a fight was leader only till the end of the fight, and sharing of booty

Drunkenness common

Women

Sometimes buried female infants alive

Women were sex objects

If a man died, his son inherited his wives, except for his own mother

Women

No limitation to number of wives

Many women were prostitutes and flew flags over their dwellings

Desert life

Women were a liability financially

Infant babies were often buried alive

Marriage – 4 types

As now – betrothal, dowry and marriage

Nikah al-istibda Husband sends a wife to another man, first making sure she is not pregnant, and holds himself from her until she is pregnant from another man. He did that to seek a noble child.

Marriage – 4 types

Marriage considered raht – woman visited by less than 10 men. She would call the men and name the father; they could not refuse

Prostitution – she would call a person to decide who most likely was the father; he could not refuse

Muhammad eliminated the last 3 types