Islam

• Means “submission to God’s will”

• Muslims (followers of Islam, “those who submit”) trace their religion back to the Hebrew scriptures:– Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, moved to

Mecca, according to the Koran– Mohammed was a descendent of Ishmael

Muhammad

• The “Seal of the Prophets”—the last of the prophets, namely:– Abraham: monotheism– Moses: Ten Commandments– Jesus: Golden Rule– Mohammed: put the teachings of Jesus into

laws

Who was Muhammad?

• Born in 570 in Mecca on the Arabian peninsula, a Bedouin Arab

• Orphaned at 6; at 9, his grandfather dies; raised by his uncle

• At 25, marries Khadijah, a rich widow 15 years older than him

• He spends time praying in solitude in the desert

Muhammad

• Around age 41, Angel Gabriel calls him to be the prophet

• 622, the hegira (“migration”): Muhammad leaves Mecca and converts Yathrib, which is renamed Medina (Medinat un-Nabi=City of the Prophet). Beginning of Muslim calendar.

Muhammad

• C. 630, Muhammad and followers conquer Mecca

• By 632, year of Muhammad’s death, all of Arabia under his control

• By 732 (when Muslims defeated in Tours, France), Muslims conquered Armenia, Persia, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, north Africa, Spain

Muhammad

• Since his death, more male children in the world have been named Muhammad than any other name

Five Pillars of Islam

1. Oral declaration of faith: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet.”

--Allah= al (the) + Illah (God)

2. Prayer 5 times a day--dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, after sunset, before bed

--facing Mecca, no matter where you are in the world

--before praying, ritual washing (with water or sand)

--call to prayer by muezzin

Muezzin

5 Pillars of Islam

3. Charity: 2.5% of savings a person has had for one year.

4. Fasting during Ramadan (9th mo. lunar calendar): no food or drink or sex from dawn to sunset.

5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in lifetime (if physically and financially able).

Kaaba• Cubical structure traditionally believed built

by Abraham and Ishmael• Believed to be on site where Abraham

prepared to sacrifice Isaac• Pilgrims circle the Kaaba• Effects of Hajj:

– Greater devotion to Allah– Experience equality of people, meet Muslims

from around the world

The Quran

• Muslim holy book, also written Koran

• Means “recitation”

• It is Muhammad’s followers’ written record of his teachings, recorded after his death

• In Arabic and considered untranslatable

• Believed to be God’s final revelation—the most perfect

Spread of Islam• Islam’s appeal: simple, free of dogma and

hierarchy

• Jihad: religious struggle– Lesser jihad: holy war– Greater jihad: self-control

• Non-religious benefits of conversion: – Freedom from poll tax– Access to power

Branches of Islam

• Sunni– “tradition of the

Prophet”: religious rulers (Caliphs) chosen by faithful through historical development

– 90% of Muslims today

• Shiites– Authority passed down

through the descendents of Ali (Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law)

– 10% Muslims today

– Majority in Iran and Iraq; rule Iran

Islamic Law

• Called sharia

• Derived from the Quran and the Hadith (collection of Muhammad’s words and practices)

• Covers all aspects of life: commerce, marriage, crime, international relations

Islamic Law

• Condemns usury, eating pork, alcohol, gambling

• Mullah: scholar who interprets sharia

Islam and Tolerance

• Islam has a tradition of racial equality

• Islam supports religious tolerance– Quran: “Let there be no compulsion in

religion”

Islam and Women

• Quran: men and women equal before God, but men “a degree higher than women” as providers

• According to tradition, women must veil their faces in public

• Men can marry up to 4 wives, but most men marry only 1

• Men have rights of divorce

Islam and Women

• In fact, Muhammad improved women’s rights in his society– He condemned the practice of burying

daughters alive as babies– He gave women specific rights, including

property rights and the right to alimony after divorce

Islamic Culture

• Islamic scholars preserved Greek and Latin texts– Paper-making came from China

– Translated into Arabic, retranslated into Latin in Middle Ages in the West

• Islamic philosophers (faylasufs)– Tried to reconcile Greek philosophy with Islam

– Averroes (1126-1198): “the Commentator”

• “Arabic numbers” (actually Hindu) replace Roman

Islamic Architecture

Great Mosque, Cordoba, Spain

Mihrab

Minarets at Hagia Sophia