IslamWorking for Unity in the Middle East

World’s Second Largest Religion(1.5 Billion Followers)

History of Islam• Pre-500AD – Saudi Arabia is largely unconnected, pagan tribes• 610 AD – “Night of Power” - Muhammad receives first

revelation• 622 AD – Year 0 on the Muslim Calendar - Muhammad flees

from Mecca to Medina and begins a community• 630 AD – Muhammad gains control of Mecca

▫ 632 AD – Muhammad dies without establishing order of succession• 732 AD – Islam spreads all the way to Europe, but stopped by the

French at the Battle of Tours• 1099 AD – Christian Crusaders conquer Jerusalem from the

Muslims• 1291 AD – Christians expelled from Israel by the Muslims• 1453 AD – Muslims conquer Constantinople (renamed Istanbul) • 1492 AD – Muslims expelled from Spain• 1947 AD – Pakistan gain independence as an Islamic nation

Asia—West

Islam as Unifying Politics• Before Islam existed the religions around the Arabian Peninsula

were Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism▫ Also, many in the area practiced various religions▫ Tree spirits, tribal gods, and jinni (carefree spirits)▫ Allah was the supreme god of these groups

Three Daughters of Allah: al-Lat, Manat, and al-Uzza (goddesses of nature, the moon, and fertility)

• Mecca was already a site of religious pilgrimage▫ Kabah – “the cube” around meteorite; considered message from the

gods, surrounded by shrines to more than 360 gods▫ 4-month regular truce was practiced by the tribes for religious festivals

in Mecca▫ Mecca was considered holy (no fighting allowed there)

• The tribes constantly fought and stole from one another▫ No farming, no trade; only land

• Naturally, there was a need for something that unified the tribes

Name Meanings• As in Judaism, names often are foreshadowing for the

life of the person:▫ Abdul – “servant”▫ Abdullah – “servant of Allah”▫ Barak – “blessing”▫ Hassan – “lovely”▫ Jamal – “beauty”▫ Kareem – “generous, noble”▫ Latifah – “gentle”▫ Mustafa – “chosen”▫ Rasheed – “wise”▫ Shakira – “grateful”▫ Yasmine – “jasmine”

Muhammad (570-632 AD)• Abd al-Muttalib – Muhammad’s grandfather was the head of the Quraysh tribe

and the “Keeper of the Kabah”▫ Muhammad’s parents died when he is very young, and he lives with his

grandfather▫ After his grandfather’s death, he lives with his uncle, Abu Talib

• Muhammad worked as a caravan driver for Khadijah, a wealthy widow (she was 15 years older than him, but they marry)▫ By leading a caravan, he traveled and encountered many cultures (Jews and

Christians)▫ Zoroastrianism – believed in an eternal struggle between good and evil

• At 40 years old, he heard a voice of an angel (Gabriel) with his first revelation▫ Shared this insight with his wife, cousin (Ali), and friend (Abu Bakr)▫ These followers become the first Muslim – one who submits to Allah

• Muhammad has the Quran (Muslim holy book) revealed over the course of his life

• Muslims are persecuted for beliefs and commands, and Muhammad flees to Yathrib (later called Medina)▫ Created the first Islamic mosque – Muslim house of worship

• After a long struggle, Muhammad returned to Mecca

Power Struggles• Muhammad died without a true successor, so the big question is who

would be the next leader▫ Caliph - successor

• First, Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s father-in-law)▫ Died 2 years later

• Second, Umar (Muhammad’s cousin)▫ Assassinated

• Third, Uthman ▫ Assassinated

• Fourth, Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law)▫ Assassinated

• 600s AD- Umayyad Dynasty - Muslims conquer Syria, Persia, Egypt, and Eastern Africa

• 711 AD – Muslims conquer Spain; Stopped from spreading all over Europe by the Battle of Tours in France

• Islam’s “capital” becomes Baghdad• 1453 AD – Muslims conquer the Christian capital of Constantinople

(renamed to Istanbul) – Becomes the center of Ottoman Empire

Asia—West

The Quran• The Koran – means “the recitation”

▫ The Arabic translation is considered the most authoritative▫ Of divine origin, considered “Allah’s Words”▫ Revealed over 20 years to Muhammad▫ It is a series of sermons▫ And, it is very repetitive

• Discusses Biblical Characters▫ Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Solomon, David,

Jesus, and Mary• 114 Suras – chapters of the Koran

▫ Chapters are often titled for the images▫ Chapters are not in order of which they were revealed

• Because images are prohibited within Islam, calligraphy of the Arabic becomes central art

• Also, the Quran is most often heard chanted with it’s repetitive words

Basic Beliefs• Islam – word means “surrender” or “submission”

▫ Salam – Arabic word for “peace”▫ Inner peace is found by those who surrender to Allah▫ Ancestry traced back to Abraham’s son, Ishmael

• Islam is monotheistic (Allah – Arabic word for “god”)▫ Allah is all-powerful, over-all, present in all, creator God▫ Allah has many names, and is meant to be understood as a personal being with

no gender▫ Allah has spoken through human beings:

Abraham, Moses, and Jesus are prophets Muhammad is the last and final prophet

• Theologies:▫ Bodily Resurrection, the Soul, Final Judgment, Afterlife ▫ Promoted kindness, honesty, support for the poor, and protection of the weak▫ Demanded strict monotheism, called for no usury (lending money at high rates)▫ The Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible are valid revelations, but are

misinterpreted by Jews and Christians▫ Christians and Jews are considered “people of the book” and “children of

Abraham”

Basic Practices• Diet – no pork or wine

▫ Wine is associated with violence and addiction• No Interest in Loans or Gambling

▫ Islam is deeply focused on taking care of the people without the ability to take care of themselves, especially in regards to money

• Circumcision – at 7-8 years old▫ Quran does not command this practice

• Marriage – civil contract arranged between families▫ Ceremony is at home and for witnessing the contract▫ Islam has a very low divorce rate

• Women’s Roles – primarily wife and mother▫ Women should not raise attention to themselves▫ In some places, women are to be veiled in public

• Death Rituals ▫ Readings from the Quran, males in white shroud, face turned toward

Mecca

Five Pillars of Islam1. The Creed

▫ “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger” ▫ When said with belief, this sentence makes a person a Muslim▫ Should be said in Arabic, during prayers, and at various times during

the day▫ Statement of strict monotheism▫ Muhammad is not divine, he is merely a prophet

2. Prayer▫ Wudu – the practice of cleaning before prayer▫ Prayer times 5 times a day▫ Begins: Allahu Akbar (“God is supreme”)▫ Prayer is done in mosques and homes facing Mecca

Mihrab – special niche in mosques pointing to Mecca▫ Friday is the day of public prayer▫ Prayer in various positions: standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting▫ Men and Women are separated for the times of prayer▫ In Muslim countries, Friday is taken as a day of rest

More Pillars…3. Charity to the Poor (Zakat)

▫ Muhammad desired a more just and generous society▫ 2.5% tax on possessions (20% more in strict branches)▫ Islamic practice is that this tax is on all that one owns▫ In Islamic countries, this is a governmental tax▫ A Muslim is also expected to exercise random acts of generosity throughout the year

4. Ramadan Fasting▫ Fasting – to abstain from food for a certain amount of time▫ Ninth Month of the Islamic Calendar

354 day/year▫ Fasting from dawn until dusk▫ Month ends with Id al-fatr - a celebration feast

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)▫ Pilgrimage – a religious journey to a religious site▫ Goal to see Mecca at least once in a Muslim’s lifetime▫ Men wear one seamless white robe for the pilgrimage, called “the Robe of Abraham”▫ The meteorite, surrounded by the Kabah, was thought to be brought by Gabriel as a

sign from Allah▫ 2,000, 000 visitors come to Mecca every year▫ “Greater Pilgrimage” – travelling to Mecca during the special pilgrimage month (7th)▫ “Lesser Pilgrimage” – travelling to Mecca at any other month of the year

Holy Days• Islam has few holy days, because they emphasize “life as a continual

remembrance of the divine” and “nothing should be a distraction from Allah” (including holy days)▫ Many Muslims do not practice holy days other than those associated

with the Five Pillars• Id al-Adha - The Day of Sacrifice

▫ Every head of the family is expected to sacrifice, or pay someone to sacrifice, a sheep, goat, cow, or camel

▫ Remembering Abraham’s sacrifice of Ishmael▫ Meat is cooked and fed to the family▫ Associated with the Hajj

• Id al-Fitr – The Day of Breaking the Fast▫ After the month of Ramadan is over, the Muslims practice a massive

feast with parties▫ Associated with the Fasting Pillar of Ramadan

• Muhammad’s Birthday▫ 12th day of the 3rd month of the Islamic year

Divisions of Islam• The Divisions of Islam center around who should be the right

caliph (direct family or tribe)• Sunni - 85-90% of Muslim population (tribal)

▫ No separation of religious and political lives▫ Scholarly debate is central to Sunni Islam▫ Wahhabi – most conservative sect (most famous: Osama bin Laden)▫ “Cultural Muslims” - many are Muslim by name and not practice▫ Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the centers of Sunni Islam

• Shiite – 10-15% of Muslims (familial)▫ Think the right of succession should go through Ali’s sons (Hassan

and Hussein – both killed)▫ Hussein is considered a martyr (one who dies for a cause) worthy of

being imitated▫ Imams – twelve successors who are legitimate leaders

Last Imam – Muhammad al-Madhi is thought to be “coming back” to restore Shiite Islam

▫ 12ers, 7ers, 5ers – all disagree on line of succession▫ Iran is the center of Shiite Islam

Islamic Mysticism• Sufism – movement beginning because of respect for the

spirituality of the Christian monks and hermits▫ Begins in 922 AD▫ Muslims wore robe made of wool ( word “Suf” means “wool”)▫ Fighting against luxury and wealth▫ Rejection of laws as Islamic practice alone; entrance of emotions;

known as the “heart of Islam”▫ Goal: Experiencing Allah face-to-face is the whole purpose of life▫ Took passages of the Quran that required interpretation and focused

on them▫ Experience Fana – the loss of the sense of self

• Sufi Scholar al-Ghazali▫ Professor who adopted Sufism▫ Formed the Sufi Brotherhood that later branched▫ Whirling Dervish – group famous for spinning dancers

• Sufi promotes poetry and special worship practices

Zoroastrianism (Part of Islamic Origin)• Monotheistic religion in the Middle East and Near East

▫ Small now, but it was once all over the region of Persia• Zarathustra – “Zoraster”, the founder

▫ He hated the sacrifices of animals to appease a god, but fire was a symbol of divine goodness

▫ At 30, he had a vision that changed his life▫ Ahura Mazda – the High God and Wise Lord

Associated with cosmic justice▫ Eventually, he converted the Iranian King▫ Avesta – the holy book

• Teachings:▫ Ahura Mazda expresses himself through virtues▫ He manifests himself in spirits, the most important is Spenta Mainyu

(”the holy spirit”)▫ There are forces of good and forces of evil▫ Idea of divine judgment and punishment or reward in the afterlife▫ Belief in resurrection▫ Practice a rite of passage for boys and girls

Discussing “Jihad”• Jihad – term for “struggle”, at times refers to holy wars

▫ By some, called “the 6th pillar of Islam”▫ Two Types of Jihad:

Personal – internal struggle to live with virtue Christian Equivalent = “Battle Belongs to the Lord”; Spiritual Warfare

Public – the goal to establish all of society with the Islamic ideals of truth, morality, and justice Christian Equivalent = The Kingdom of God; Evangelism Crusades

• The Quran has many different sayings about the use of force during jihad▫ At some points, Muhammad encourages to “fight for the causes of Allah”▫ At others, he says to never “compel others into religion”

• Also, the Quran offers specific consequences for errors and taboos. Some of these are different from most Western culture▫ Public execution for adultery; Robbers limbs are amputated▫ Therefore, a government that bends to taboos needs to be replaced

• Of the 1.5 billion Muslims, most are moderate and peaceful• However, the tension exists where extremists decide to fight for an

Islamic cultural ideal

Islam and America• 6 million Muslims live in America today (2% of population)• History:

▫ 1920 – Wallace Fard starts the “Nation of Islam” (mixture of Muslim and African toleration movement in America)

▫ 1960s – Malcolm Little (Malcolm X or Malik Shabazz) takes a hajj and returns to America to condemn racial inequality (assassinated)

▫ 1978 – Louis Farrakhan revitalized the Nation of Islam into the mainstream culture

• Problems:1. Many Muslims are of African or Middle-Eastern origin (America has a

history of racial oppression against those groups)2. Western Secularism – clothing, food, economy, and philosophy are

totally different than the Community of the Quran Taliban – “seekers of the truth”; strict followers of the Quran

3. Need for Middle Eastern Resources – America consumes more oil than most nations combined and forces economic sanctions

4. History of Democratization – America has a history of removing governments to set up democracy

5. America is viewed as a “Christian Nation” (85% Christian)