world religions class 4 - calvarygc.org€¦ · world religions islam history • muhammad –a.d...

WORLD RELIGIONSIslam


• Islam: “Submission”

• Muslim: One who submits or surrenders

• Purpose: Bring true religion & salvation to the world (domination)

• Founder: Muhammad (A.D. 570 – 632)

• Source of Authority: The Qur’an (Recitations)

• Membership: Approximately 1.8 billion + (second largest)

• 30 – 34,000,000 Muslims are born each year

• 7 million+ Muslims in the US, and over 2000 mosques, Islamic schools and centers in America


• Year Began: Around A.D. 610

• Leadership: Caliph (spiritual leader; political) and Imam (leader at Mosque).

• Sacred Scriptures: The Qur’an (consists of 114 sura’s; some versions have less sura’s). Also the Haddith (narrative) informal record of practices

• Meeting Places: Mosques.

• Symbols: The Crescent Moon & Five Pointed Star.

• Revealed Teachings: Multiple divine revelations provided by Allah to Muhammad in Mecca and Medina.

• Claim: The true religion given by Allah to Muhammad his prophet– All people are born Muslims. People don't convert to Islam, they revert to the

religion of their birth


HistoryHistory

• Muhammad – A.D 570 near Mecca

• Arabian religions a mixture of polytheism and animism

• Small minority of monotheists (the hanif)

• Mecca a center for religious pilgrimage – The Ka’ba

• Muhammad from illiterate camel driver to wealthy merchant

• Growing interest in the hanif through business contacts

• A.D. 610 in a cave outside Mecca

• In a trance he heard the Angel Gabriel say, “Recite!”


HistoryHistory

• Visions continued for 22 years

• Became an uncompromising prophet– There is only one God to whom we must submit

– Day of judgment – whether or not people have obeyed

• Developed a gathering of followers eventually in the thousands

• A.D. 622 Meccan city fathers felt threatened and drove them from the city to Yathrib (Medina)

• Visions and recitations continued in Medina only more violent


HistoryHistory

• Returned , captured Mecca and cleansed the Ka’ba

• Begins mass conversions via military conquest

• A.D. 632 Muhammad dies with no surviving son

• Caliph – Successor– Abu Bakr: Father-in-law, Sunna (majority)

– Ali ibn Talib : Son -n-law / cousin, Shi’a (faction)

– The Fitna (Civil War)

– Bakr, Umar, Uthman, then Ali, then back to Sunni


Islamic SectsIslamic Sects

• There are 2 main branches:

– Sunni – Majority, 80% - 90% “Mainstream Islam”

– Shi’a – Follower/Faction, 10%-20%,

• succession of caliphate

Other Sects

– Sufi - purists

– The Nation of Islam (American Islam)


• Nation of Islam - This is by no means original Islamic theology– Timothy (Noble) Drew (Ali) (1886-1929) taught that the white man killed Jesus (who was

black)

– Drew being murdered, Wallace Dodd Fard (Wali Farad Muhammad) propagated his teachings

– Claimed to be the reincarnated Drew and preached to the poor that salvation can be obtained in discovering black roots as the original keepers of the Kaaba. Disappeared in 1934

– Succeeded by Elijah Muhammad declared Fard to be Allah incarnate and founded The Lost/Found Nation of Islam

– Then, Malcolm X (Malcolm Little), while in prison, discovered Elijah Muhammad’s teaching. Advanced NOI powerfully. Developed strong differences with the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and converted to Sunni Islam while on a pilgrimage to Mecca. This conversion angered NOI leadership and assassinated in 1965 by three NOI members

– Louis Farrakhan (Louis Eugene Walcott) 1978-1981


Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahadah: Confession - “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.” One becomes a Muslim by saying it publicly.

2. Sawm: Fast, Ramadan ( Month of fasting)

3. Salat: The Muslim is expected to pray five times a day, facing Mecca. The day of public worship is on Friday, when Muslims gather at the mosque.

4. Zakah: Alms/Giving to Poor. Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their income to help the poor or further Islam (mosques, religious schools, jihad)

5. Hajj: Mecca Pilgrimage. required of all Muslims at least once during their lifetimes, provided they have the means to do so


The Qur’anThe Qur’an

• “The Recitations” Absolutely fundamental. It is the sacred book of Muslim scripture and is said to be the perfect and eternal word of Allah, the final authority. It is incorruptible. It should be recited in Arabic.

• Compiled by Uthman by collecting followers dictations and burning everything that didn’t qualify

• It is divided into 114 chapters, known as Surahs

• Listed in order of size

• It is about the size of the New Testament


Six Articles of Faith Six Articles of Faith • Faith in Allah – Allah is absolutely one. Shirk is the greatest sin one can commit –

assigning partners to God

• Angels – The chief angel is Gabriel, revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad. Each person has 2 angels recording deeds

• Scripture – There are four books Muslims consider inspired: the Torah of Moses, the Zabur (Psalms of David), the Injil, (the gospel of Jesus) and the Qur'an.

• Prophets – The Qur'an lists 25 messengers, including Jesus. Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet.

• The Day of Judgment – On the last day Allah will judge each person according to deeds, sending them to heaven or hell

• Predestination – Muslims believe everything that happens, both good and evil, has been decreed by the will of Allah


• Attitude Towards Judaism and Christianity: Rejection. Muslims claim that the Bible has been corrupted.

• God: Allah. Only one God exists (monotheism). Autocratic, impersonal, arbitrary and unknowable

• Jesus: A prophet; not the Son of God, nor divine yet sinless and will return someday

• The Christ: Jesus is one of many prophets but waiting for the “Mahdi” (guided one)

• Holy Spirit: There is no Holy Spirit

• Trinity: A heresy since God is one - Tritheism

• Salvation: Obtained by good works unto Allah and Qur’anic guidance grounded in human strength and not grace

• Man: Man was created out of clay and ought to live in submission to Allah. Man was not created in the Image of God


• Sin: Man is not sinful. However, when a person chooses to reject Islam, Qur’anic guidance and reject righteous direction, forgiveness by Allah is required.

• Satan: Shaitan is the opposer to man.

• Fall: All of creation is good (except for infidels; non-Muslims).

• Bible: Muslim scholars claim that the Bible has been corrupted: the Jews, it is claimed, have corrupted the Tanakh (Old Testament) and Christians have corrupted the New Testament.

• Death: All persons are mortal.

• Heaven/Hell: The dead will be resurrected and judged by Allah. Heaven is a place of sensual pleasure.


According to the Qur’anAccording to the Qur’an

How the Bible and the Qur’an Differ

A few examples

• The Ark of Noah came to rest on Mt. Judi (Sura 11:44). The Bible says Mt. Ararat.

• Abraham’s father was Azar (Sura 6:74). The Bible says Tera was his father.

• Abraham did not intend to sacrifice Isaac but Ishmael (sura 37:100-112). The Bible says it was Isaac.

• Pharaoh's wife adopted Moses (sura 28:8-9), not Pharaoh’s daughter as the Bible states.

• Noah’s flood happened during the time of Moses (Sura 7:136 & 7:59). The Bible says it occurred way before Mosaic times.

• Mary gave birth to Jesus under a palm tree (sura 19:22) and not in a stable as the New Testament tells us.

This is clearly problematic is the Book(s) that came before the Qur’an were inspired by Allah . . . As well as the Qur’an is claimed to be inspired


According to the Qur’anAccording to the Qur’an

Other Problems

• The name Muhammad is not mentioned in the Bible yet the Qur’an states that he is “described in the Torah and the Gospel”.

• Abraham was not a Jew but a Muslim: “No; Abraham in truth was not a Jew, neither a Christian; but he was a Muslim”

• Jesus was not a Jew but a Muslim.

• The disciples of Jesus were not Christians but Muslim. 6 centuries before the time of Muhammad, the disciples of Jesus (according to the Qur’an) declared: “We believe; and bear thou witness that we are Muslim

• Muhammaad also confuses the persons of Saul and Gideon in Sura 2:241.

WORLD RELIGIONSBaha’i

Background Background

• It is the youngest of what would be considered a world religion

• About 6,000,000 followers worldwide, about 300,000 in US

• Islamic sect of the Shi’ites in Persia (Iran)

• 1844 Mirza Ali Muhammad, a descendant of the founder of Islam, declared himself to be the “Bab” (meaning “gate”)

• The Bab said he was the Madhi (Messiah) for whom the Muslims were waiting

• “A manifestation of God.” He announced that he was the forerunner of the World Teacher who would appear to unite mankind and bring a new era of peace

• Was executed in 1850.

• 1863, Mirza Husayn Ali, an imprisoned follower of the Bab, declared that he was the manifestation of God promised by the Bab. Most of the Babi’s embraced him


• Ali took for himself the name Baha’u’llah, which means “the glory of God,” and his followers became known as Baha’is

• He spent the rest of his life as a prisoner of the government in various cities, Baha'u'llah wrote over 100 books and letters describing the universal faith. These writings are considered sacred by the Baha'is.

• At the end of his life he spent several years in exile in the prison city of Akka

• Died a natural death in 1892 at the age of 75.

• Leadership of the Baha'is was assumed by the oldest son of Baha'u'llah, 'Abbas Effendi, who took the name 'Abdu'l-Baha', which means “the servant of Baha.” 'Abdu'l-Baha' proclaimed that he was the only rightful interpreter of the writings of his father and that his own writings carried equal weight to those of Baha'u'llah.


• After being freed from prison in 1908, 'Abdu'l-Baha' wrote and traveled extensively, promulgating the Baha'i religion in Europe and North America.

• 'Abdu'l-Baha' died in 1921. Because of a stipulation in his will, he was succeeded by his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as the leader of the movement.

• Emphasis of Effendi’s leadership was on organizing and establishing local and national spiritual assemblies so the teachings of Baha'u'llah could be propagated throughout the world.

• Since the death of Effendi in 1957, the Baha'is have been governed by an elected body of Baha'i representatives called the Universal House of Justice.

• International headquarters is in Haifa, Israel. There are eight Baha'i national temples located around the world, including the American headquarters in Wilmette, Illinois.


Basic Beliefs Basic Beliefs

• The oneness of the entire human race is the pivotal principle and the fundamental doctrine of the faith.

• There must be an independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition.

• There is a basic unity of all religions. Baha'i teaches that all religions essentially preach the same message.

• All forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national, are condemned.

• Harmony must exist between religion and science. These two forces must be harmonized.


• There is equality of men and women

• Compulsory education must prevail

• In addition to universal education, Baha'i teaches that there should be a universal language

• Extremes of wealth and poverty should be abolished.

• A world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes among nations should be instituted

• Work performed in the spirit of service should be exalted to the rank of worship. According to Baha'i, a good society is one in which everyone works at some task (There are no loafers or idlers)


• Justice should be glorified as the ruling principle in human society and religion, for the protection of all peoples and nations.

• Finally, as a capstone to all the teachings of Baha'i, the establishment of a permanent and universal peace should be the supreme goal of humankind.

• Baha'is believe that the founders of major world religions throughout history were each “manifestations of God” who taught essentially the same truths and progressively revealed the one true religion.

• Included in the list of manifestations are Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and Baha'u'llah, representing Judaism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, and Baha'ism


Doctrinal Beliefs

• God is unknowable in his essence, but His attributes are revealed by His divine manifestations. Baha’u’llah taught that the one God and the universe, which is an emanation of God, are co-eternal – therefore panentheism

• Jesus was one of the manifestations of God, in no way superior to the others. He was NOT God incarnate.

• The Christian concept of the triune God is false. God is one, absolutely indivisible.

• Salvation is obtained by believing in the manifestation of God in the age in which we live and by following his teachings.

• Baha'is deny the literal, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.

• Baha'is reject the notion of man having a sin nature; all people are born intrinsically good


Critique of Baha’i Teachings Critique of Baha’i Teachings

• The Baha’i view of God (panentheism) contradicts the teachings of every one of the other great teachers of other religions, whose teachings are supposed to be in harmony. – Moses wrote that there is one personal God who created all things.

– Krishna taught a mix of polytheism and pantheism.

– Zoroaster was a duelist, claiming that there are two equal forces, one good and one evil, eternally battling each other.

– Buddha was essentially agnostic; God was not relevant to his teachings.

– Confucius was a polytheist, but did not emphasize worship of gods.

– Jesus Christ declared that there is only one true and living God and that He was the incarnation of that God (God the son).

– Muhammad also said there is only one God, but he cannot have a son.

world religions class 4 - calvarygc.org€¦ · world religions islam history • muhammad –a.d...

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