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ISLAMComparative Religions
BACKGROUND
Islam comes from the word salam which means ‘peace’ and ‘surrender’
So, Islam means there is peace in surrendering oneself to God
Muslims are those who follow the teaching of Islam
Muslims feel Islam did not begin in the 6th century with Muhammad, but in the beginning of time Allah literally means ‘the God’
Adam was the first man, his descendants led to Noah, Noah’s descendants led to Abraham. Abraham found Allah
Abraham married Sarah who couldn’t have kids so he took Hagar as a second wife and they had Ishmael.
Sarah then had a son, Isaac, and demanded Hagar and Ishmael be banished from the tribe This is where the Koran veers off from the Jewish
and Christian faiths.
Ishmael ended up in Mecca and his descendants became Muslims
Isaac stayed in Palestine and his descendants were the Hebrews or Jews
According to Muslims, Abraham took his son, Ishmael and the boy’s mother, Hagar, to the Valley of Baca to resettle them. This later became Mecca The Valley of Baca was barren and rocky.
They discovered a water well that saved Hagar and Ishmael.
Also, according to tradition, the wells in the area became more abundant, becoming an oasis in the desert which attracted nomads
The Ka’bah, or Cube, the object of the Pilgrimage to Mecca, is believed to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael.
Muhammad got rid of idols and restored it when he took over Mecca and established Islam there
Today, the Ka’bah is covered with a black cloth with verses from the Qur’an embroidered in gold around its circumference. The covering is replaced each year The old coverings are cut up and given away as gifts
and for charity
THE SEAL OF THE PROPHETS
Late 6th Century Muhammad is the prophet through whom Islam reached it definitive form.
There would be no prophet after Muhammad so he is called The Seal of the Prophets
In 6th Century Mecca, there was political chaos which made it a perfect setting for a change
Muhammad was born around 570 ce His name means ‘highly praised’ He was soon orphaned at a young age and
raised by an uncle Muslims believe
The angels of God were told to open Muhammad’s heart and fill it with light
He was pure-hearted Beloved by his friends Sweet and gentle Was always ready to help others
As an adult he went into the caravan business for a wealthy widow, 15 years older than him, whom he later married
Muhammad often frequented a cave on the outskirts of Mecca where he Sought solitude Delved into the mysteries of good and evil He was reaching out for God
Through these vigils, Muhammad realized Allah was far greater than his countrymen supposed
He realized Allah was the God One night, around 610 ce, in the cave, an
angel came to Muhammad and said “Proclaim” Muhammad protested The angel said, “Proclaim in the name of your Lord
who created man from blood coagulated! Proclaim: your Lord is wondrous kind, Who teaches by the pen, Things men knew not, being blind” Koran 96:1-3
Muhammad rushed home, told his wife, and eventually she was converted.
Muhammad then began to preach for the next 23 years
Muhammad said Allah had not sent him to work wonders. If you wanted to see God’s wonders, look at the wonders of nature!
Muhammad received violent reactions to his preaching for three reasons: His monotheism threatened current
polytheistic beliefs and that threatened the money being made off of all the polytheistic shrines
His moral teachings demanded an end to the licentiousness that many citizens enjoyed
His change to social statuses challenged the unjust order of things.
Meccan leaders Ridiculed him Threatened him Persecuted him
Persecution only made Muhammad and his converts stronger
Slowly and steadily his converts increased which troubled Meccan leaders
THE MIGRATION THAT LED TO VICTORY
Muhammad’s teaching got a firm hold on Mecca The city was torn so they needed a strong impartial
leader Muhammad seemed to be their man
In 622ce Muhammad had to flee for his life to Yathrib This migration to Yathrib is called the hijra and
Muslims see this as the turning point in their faith. This is when the Islamic Calendar begins Yathrib would later have its name changed to Medina
Once in Medina, Muhammad became more of an administrator of Islam than a prophet Lived in a common clay house Milked his own goats Was accessible night and day
Muhammad became a brilliant statesman The Medinese found him easy to love and easy to
obey Muhammad brought peace to Medina and it
became a city people looked to as an example
Meccans did not like the reputation Medina had earned Meccans wanted to control the minds of all
Arabians Meccans attacked Medina
Many serious battles occurred Muhammad and the Medinese were the victors Muhammad would return to Mecca as a
conqueror!
He went first to the Ka’bah Cubical temple Said to have been built by Abraham
In Mecca, Muhammad rededicated the temple to Allah He consecrated it as the center of Islam
geographically He accepted the mass conversion of the Meccans
Muhammad then returned to Medina He died two years later in 632 ce
THE STANDING MIRACLE
Muslims admire and respect Muhammad, but he is not the center of their religion Western society at one time tried to call Islam
Muhammadism. This is VERY incorrect because is means Muslims worship Muhammad which they don’t.
The center of their faith is the Koran. Literally translated, qur’an means recitation Muhammad considered the Koran the only
miracle God worked through him. He called it God’s ‘standing miracle’
Muslims tend to read the Koran literally. They consider it the earthly facsimile of an
Uncreated Koran the same way Christians consider Jesus to have been the human incarnation of God.
The words of the Koran came to Muhammad in manageable segments over 23 years through voices that sounded at first like reverberating bells The sounds gradually condensed into a single
voice that identified itself as Gabriel
Muhammad had no control over when Gabriel would speak to him When he did, Muhammad’s state would
visibly change He said the worlds assaulted him as if they
were solid and heavy
The Koran continues God’s revelations to the Jews and Christians It presents itself as their culmination It says the Old and New Testaments have two
defects The Hebrew and Christian Bibles record only
portions of the Truth They were partially corrupted in transmission which
explains the differences in them and the Koran They see the Koran as the final and infallible
revelation of God’s will.
The Old and New Testaments are directly historical and indirectly doctrinal
The Koran is directly doctrinal and indirectly historical The Koran’s job is to proclaim the unity,
omnipotence, omniscience, and mercy of God
By proclaiming this, historical aspects are not of any real significance
In the Koran, God speaks in the first person Describing himself Making known his laws
Muslims consider each individual sentence of the Holy Book as a separate revelation and to experience the words themselves, even their sounds, as a means of grace
The Koran regulates every decision and interprets every event It is a memorandum for the faithful A reminder for daily doings A repository of revealed truth A manual of definitions and guarantees A road map for the will A collection of maxims to meditate on in
private
WHAT DOES THE QUR’AN SAY…
Taking a life Don’t take a life which Allah has made sacred except by way of
justice and law; thus does He command you that you may learn wisdom. (Qur’an 6:151
About war and fighting Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight you, but don’t
be the aggressors, because Allah doesn’t approve of aggression. Fight them wherever they are found, and drive them out from where they drove you out, because being oppressed is worse than being slaughtered…But if they cease being hostile, remember that Allah is the Forgiving, Source of All Mercy. But if they continue to oppress [people], then battle them until oppression is o more and justice and faith in Allah prevails. If they seek peace, then you seek it as well, but continue to pursue the evil doers (Qur’an 2:191-194)
Judging others Every soul draws the results of its actions on none but itself; no
bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another (Qur’an 6:164) The end of time
No, but I call your attention to the Day of Resurrection. And no, I call your attention to the accusing voice of every person’s own conscience. Do people think that we can’t resurrect them or knit their bones together again? Without a doubt we can recreate them down to their very fingertips! Even so, people choose to deny what lies ahead of them, asking “when will this resurrection day be?” But on that day when fear overshadows their sight and the moon is darkened and joined together with the sun, on that very day people will cry out “Where can we escape!” But no, there will be no escape. The journey will lead back to your Lord, alone. People will be informed, on that day, of all that they did and left undone. And no, every person will be their own accusing witness, even though they hide themselves in excuses (Qur’an 75:1-15)
BASIC THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
With only a few exceptions, the basic theological concepts of Islam are virtually identical with those of Judaism and Christianity.
The four most important concepts are God Creation The Human Self The Day of Judgment
GOD
Everything in Islam centers on its religious Ultimate, God
God is immaterial, invisible The Koran did not introduce the Arabs
to the unseen world or even to monotheism Hanifs – those already seeking God Islam wanted to rid the scene of all of
Allah’s polytheistic rivals
Muslims see monotheism as Islam’s contribution to religion in its entirety They believe the Hindu images prove they have
never arrived at the worship of a single God. Judaism was correctly instructed, but it confined it’s
teachings to the people of Israel Christians compromised their monotheism by
deifying Christ The Koran honors Jesus as a prophet and accepts his
virgin birth, but it draws the line at the doctrine of Incarnation and the Trinity – they think this blurs the line between Divine and Human distinction
Koranic depiction of God’s nature, the first thing that strikes us is his awe-inspiring power. Unlimited power inspires fear Muslims fear Allah
Not a cringing fear but an awe-struck fear at his power Good and evil matter Choices have consequences
Allah’s compassion and mercy are cited 192 times in the Koran, his wrath only 17 times!
CREATION
Allah deliberately created the world. This is important for two reasons The world of matter is completely real Having been made by a Craftsman that is
perfect, matter must be – not perfect, for there cannot be two perfections – but overwhelmingly good.
These two points inspire a respect for the material sides of life.
Judaism and Christianity affirm this too.
Muslims believe that God has no beginning and no end and that He exists independently of time or place.
According to the Qur’an, Allah didn’t say, “Let there be light,” he just said “Be” and an object like a ball appeared and then He split it into pieces. The materials from this initial explosion were the building blocks for all things in the universe. “Don’t the people who hide the truth see that space
and the earth were all joined together in one unit of creation and then We split them apart?” Qur’an 21:30
The formation of the planets and stars came next By the rotation of the stars and the orbit
and setting of the planets, by the night as it falls and the morning as it passes, certainly, this is the speech of an honored Messenger.” Qur’an 81:25
The Qur’an states that Allah created the world in six segments and the seventh was when he mounted the throne to govern the universe.
HUMAN SELF
The human self is the foremost of God’s creations
Human nature is unequivocally good The closest Islam comes to the
Christian doctrine of original sin is in its concept of forgetting. People do forget their divine origin Their nature is good
People have two obligations to the Creator since he gave us the gift of life Gratitude for life received
The Arabic word for infidel is shaded more toward one who lacks thankfulness than one who disbelieves
Surrender to the will of Allah Surrendering means to be free, free from
slavery to Greed anxiety Ambition Etc.
DAY OF JUDGMENT
The Koran presents life as a brief but immensely precious opportunity, offering a once-an-for-all choice
Depending on how the soul fares in its Reckoning it will either go to Heaven or Hell Muslims believe each soul will be held
accountable for its actions on earth Its future thereafter depends on how well it
has observed God’s commands
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Muslims feel Islam teaches them to ‘walk the straight line’ Islam is
Straightforward Direct Explicit
God’s revelation to mankind went through four stages: To Abraham God revealed monotheism To Moses God revealed the Ten Commandments To Jesus God revealed the Golden Rule To Muhammad the requirements of the Golden Rule – how to
practice it The guidelines are found in the Five Pillars of Islam and
the social teachings of the Koran
In the Koran, the souls judge themselves Death burns away the self-serving
defenses, forcing one to see with total objectivity how one has lived one’s life.
The Koran emphasizes deeds rather than ideas
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
1. The Shahadaha. “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is
His Prophet”1. At least once during the lifetime of a Muslim he/she
must say the shahadah correctly, slowly, thoughtfully, aloud, with full understanding, and with heartfelt conviction
2. The shahadah is the ultimate answer to all questions
b. The shahadah is a way for Muslims to slow down each day and remember God and his place in their lives.
2. Canonical Prayera. give voice to the gratitude one feels for life itselfb. keep human life in perspectivec. Story has it that God told Muhammad they must pray 50 times each day1. Moses said that was ridiculous and told Muhammad to negotiate2. Muhammad negotiated with God and got it down to 5 times a daya. when getting upb. at noonc. at mid-afternoond. at sunsete. when going to bed
Muslims do not have to attend prayers at a Mosque
Muslims do not have one specific Holy Day/Sabbath, but all Muslims are strongly encouraged to pray at the noon prayer on Fridays.
Muslims used to face Jerusalem when praying but a revelation to Muhammad had them begin facing Mecca
Prayer begins by standing, moves to kneeling, then ends with the subject being in the fetal position with his/her forehead touching the floor.
3. Charity Those who are comfortable should share
with the unfortunate Annually, 2 ½ percent of one’s holdings should
be distributed to the poor. Recipients should be
People in immediate need Slaves in the process of buying their freedom Debtors who are unable to meet their obligations Strangers & wayfarers Those who collect and distribute the donations
4. The observance of Ramadan – the holy month in the Islamic calendar
Celebrated because during it the Koranic revelation commenced and Muhammad effected his migration from Mecca
Able-bodied Muslims fast during Ramadan from sunrise to sunset. They fast by not
Eating Drinking Smoking Having sex
The fast makes one reflect Reminds one of their frailty and dependence Fosters compassion
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca Once in a Muslim’s lifetime, if he/she is able, they
are expected to travel to Mecca The journey is supposed to
Heighten the pilgrim’s commitment to God and his revealed will
The journey reminds one of human equality because when arriving all pilgrims become equal by exchanging their clothes for sheet-like garments
The journey promotes international understanding too
SOCIAL TEACHINGS
SOCIAL TEACHINGS
1. Economics Islam does NOT object to
Profit motive Economic competition Entrepreneurial initiatives
The Koran has been called ‘a manual for businessmen’ too
It insists on competition balanced by fair play and compassion
2. Status of Women The Koran reformed women’s status
Islam views women as equal partners with men in life as well as in religion. Islam does not teach that women are inferior to men.
Forbid infanticide Allowed daughters to received inheritance
Not an equal share, but ½ of what their brothers received
This is because women are not seen as having to support a family
Islamic Law does not allow wife beating. If abuse occurs in some Muslim homes, it is due to the same reasons that cause men to abuse wives in the West.
Required women give their consent before they marry
Doesn’t forbid divorce, but advises it only as a last resort
Either husband or wife can sue for divorce Poverty and illiteracy in general, not religion,
are the root cause for the plight of women in some developing nations (Afghanistan for one)
Polygamy is allowed. It is actually called polygyny – more than one wife Limits the number of wives to four A Muslim man can only have more than one wife if
he can treat each one equally. Therefore, monogamy is usually the norm in today’s society/economy.
Justifies polygyny as a morally preferable alternative if a war decimated the male population. That way a large portion of females would not be deprived of motherhood and a family
Veiling of women is not as strict in the Koran as some cultures make it.
3. Race Relations Islam stresses racial equality and has
achieved a remarkable degree of interracial coexistence
Cite Abraham because he married Hagar who was black
4. Use of Force The Koran does not counsel turning the other cheek
or pacifism It teaches forgiveness and the return of good for evil Agreements are to be honored Treachery is to be avoided Do not
Mutilate the wounded Disfigure the dead Spare women, children, and the elderly Spare orchards, crops, and sacred objects
A holy war in the Koran must be either defensive or to right an horrendous wrong
The Koran does not justify forcing Islam on people - “let there be no compulsion in religion” 2:257
UNDERSTANDING JIHAD
UNDERSTANDING JIHAD
Jihad – to struggle or strive for something
Just anyone can’t declare a jihad Only an Islamic government or a
recognized worldwide leader of Islam has the authority to declare a military jihad.
NEITHER ONE EXISTS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD RIGHT NOW!!!
“Let those fight in the Cause of God who sell the life of this world for the next life. To the one who fights in the Cause of God, whether he is killed or achieves victory. We shall soon give him a great reward. An why shouldn’t you fight in the Cause of God and of those who, being weak, are mistreated; the men, women, and children whose only cry is, “Our Lord! Save us from this land whose people are oppressors and bring to us from You someone who will protect us and bring to us from You someone who will help.” Those who believe fight in the Cause of God, and those who reject faith fight in the cause of evil. So fight against the friends of Shaytan.” (Qur’an 4:74-76)
Those declaring military jihad today Came about due to oppression from a
totalitarian regime OR A specific attack or invasion from outside
their country Hamas came into existence because of Israel Al Qaeda came into existence due to the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan
Jihad can relate to fights against social problems to
Muslims must oppose (wage jihad against) The selling of
Alcohol Pornography Drugs
Littering and pollution Public disputes that turn chaotic Gossip or slander in the media Corruption in government Pedophilia Spousal abuse Cruelty to animals
“You who Believe, stand up firmly for justice as witnesses before Allah and even [be a fair witness] against ourselves or your parents or your relatives also. And whether it’s [against] the rich or poor, too, because Allah can protect both sides the best. Don’t follow the lusts [of your hearts] lest you swerve and if you distort [the truth] or decline to do justice, Allah is aware of everything you do.” (Qur’an 4:135)
According to Islamic Law, an armed struggle can be initiated only for the following three reasons: To defend your community or nation from
aggressors To liberate people living under oppressive
regimes To remove any government that will not
allow the free practice of Islam within its borders
Only the leader of an entire Muslim community can ask Muslims to enlist in the army and fight in a just war – that DOES NOT include someone with a big name or inflated sense of self-worth
A Muslim is NOT authorized by Islamic Law to tell his followers to go and fight because the main principle of Islamic governance is mutual consultation known as Shura. That’s like an Islamic House of Representatives – which doesn’t exist
Currently, there is NO worldwide Islamic government or forum where political issues can be discussed so… Rather than declaring jihad all over the world,
the proper goal of a sincere Muslim activist should be the establishment of a political system acceptable to all Muslims first.
Current “Islamic” nations are not TRUE Islamic nations because they are not based on tolerance and justice
EXPLAINING SUICIDE BOMBERS
Most people who are suicide bombers or members of extreme ‘jihadist’ groups live in a place where there is a sense of hopelessness about their future and the past has been filled with abuse, oppression, and terror. They feed on the verse “And those who, when oppressed wrongly,
help and defend themselves.” (Qur’an 42:39)
There is a lack of guidance in the right conduct for war in Islam. Excesses and misguided approaches are often the tools of choice for drawing attention to their cause.
With nothing left to live for, they choose suicide and the chance to take out as many ‘oppressors’ as they can.
Islam usually not what is on the minds of terrorists – revenge is what they seek. They use Islam as a front, possibly as a
weak mental justification
Islamic Rules of War Forbids killing noncombatants
It is forbidden to harm women, children, or the innocent
Suicide bombing of a marketplace does not kill soldiers “If you kill a life unjustly it is as if you killed all life.”
(Qur’an 5:32) Suicide is forbidden in Islam
“Whoever kills himself with a weapon will have that weapon in his hand, and will kill himself forever in the fire of Hell.” The Prophet Muhammad
Therefore, terrorism is forbidden in Islam
HISTORICAL DIVISIONS IN ISLAM
HISTORICAL DIVISIONS IN ISLAM
Political/Religious divisions Shia Sunni Sufis
Shia – this sect believes that the leaders of Islam should be direct descendents of Muhammad More strict in their views on the faith and the world Iran is a Shia state
Sunni – this sect believes that the leaders of Islam do NOT have to be direct descendents of Muhammad. Less strict on their views of the faith and the world Iraq is a Sunni state
Sufis Islamic mystics Name comes from the fact that they wear
plain woolen clothes – suf means wool The gifted sufis are called shaikhs or masters The orders of the shaikhs are called faqirs
Shaikhs are poor in the eyes of the world, but rich in their walk with God
They are continually delving deeper into the spiritual nature of God
Sufis developed three routes to getting closer to God Love Ecstasy Intuitive Discernment
Love Sufis love poetry
Rabi’a was an Islamic poet who wrote about God’s love
Ecstasy They lose consciousness of who they are, where they
are, and what is happening to them. They are entranced
They bring back with them visions of God when they come out of the trance
Intuitive No images are needed at this level of knowledge The sensory knowledge takes over The are seeing what is immaterial – spiritual objects It all boils down to symbolism
Example: Muslims take off their shoes before going into the Mosque as a mark of reverence
Sufis see this as symbolic of taking off everything that separates the soul from God – they ask forgiveness, not just for sins, but for even existing separate from God