Part III
Pg. 258 – 266
What are Sufis?
o Sufis are the extreme in Islam, and are much more devoted to the faith for the opportunity to see Allah in this life rather than at the Judgment day.
- The root word of Sufism means wool
- The Sufis are the mystics of Islam
- They are the ones who bear the inner message of Islam
- The Sufis try to encounter God Now rather than wait till the judgment day
- The Sufis have 3 routes of reaching Allah, these being love, ecstasy, and intuition
Ka’bah, Muezzin, Mihrab
The Ka’bah is considered to be the most sacred place in Islam. It is in the Great Mosque in Mecca. The Mihrab in every Mosque and in most homes shows the direction toward the Ka’bah. The Muezzin is the one selected to call prayer five times a day and lead Friday services. When he calls everyone to prayer they all face a the Ka’bah in Mecca usually with the aide of the Mihrab.
Imam, Medina, Mohammed
Mohammed was the solidifying prophet of Allah’s will and the creator of Islam. Being the final prophet of Allah he quickly became an Imam, which is a person in a seat of power within the Islamic Faith. In Medina, because it was where Islam became more popular and really got of its start, Mohammed was not only an Imam in the faith, but also an Icon and an important figure in the community.
Jannah, Jahannam, Jinns, Qur’an
The Qur’an is the holy book in Islam and contains Allah’s teachings about how to live one’s life. If the laws and guidelines in the Qur’an are followed then the one following them will go to Jannah, or the Islamic concept of paradise. If they are not followed then the person will go to Jahannam or the Islamic concept of Hell. Jinns are unseen beings created by Allah who also live human-like lives and who are also judged on Yawmuddin to either go to Jannah or Jahannam.
Jinns, Mohammed, Qur’an
Mohammed was the portal for Allah’s message to be recorded as the Qur’an. Jinns are also a beings made by Allah who live like humans to be rewarded in an afterlife by Allah as well.
Shi’a, Ummah, Sunni
Shi’a are the second largest sect of Islam. They believe that the religion should be led by Ali when Mohammed. This group forms an Ummah or a religious community. The Sunni’s are the largest sect of Islam and believe that Mohammed’s grandson should lead the religion. This group also forms an Ummah. Also, the two and all other sects of the religion together form an Islamic Ummah.
Tawhid, Yawmuddin, Shari’a, Sunna
Shari’a is the way or path Muslims should follow to have a better life and improve the lives around them. Sunna is a normal routine or practice in Islam and usually refers to the usual practices Mohammed had throughout his life. Following the Shari’a includes following the Five Pillars, which is a Sunna because it is a daily practice. If one does this then they will be judged on the Yawmuddin or judgement day justly and go to Jannah. But only Allah who is Tawhid or the one god will be able to decide whether they go to Jannah or Jahannam on the Yawmuddin.
Sadaqa, Rasul
A Rasul is a messenger of Allah in the form of a prophet. These people follow the Five Pillars very strictly. One of the five pillars is Sadaqa, which is to volunteer for charity. This is preormed by a Rasul on a regular basis.
What are the Five Pillars?
- The Five Pillars teach the people of Islam to walk down the straight path
o Meaning that it teaches them how to live with faith and good judgment
o They claim this to be one of the religion’s strengths
- Muslims believe that Allah’s revelations to humanity happened in 4 stages
o The truth of monotheism – through Abraham
o The ten commandments – through Moses
o The golden rule – through Jesus
o The way to love one’s neighbor – answered in the Koran and through Mohammed
- There are the Five Pillars but they only tell of things one should do guidelines are present on what one should not do
- The are in place to help guide one’s life to do what is right and to praise Allah
What are the Social Teachings?
- The social teachings of Islam cover the life of the individual and the interaction of the society completely.
- Teach to treat each other with brotherly and sisterly love
- Mohammed made rules of polygamy to reinforce the distribution of love within the marriages.
- Polygamy is still allowed though
- The Qur’an stresses the belief that everyone is equal no matter race
- The Koran never says to fight but it doesn’t say not to
Islam Vocabulary -- done individually
Angels – divine messengers of God – Spiritual beings, in Islam they are light beings created by Allah to serve him. Beings that are created and will die at some point in time
Akhira – is the afterlife both in heaven and in hell.
Allah – Allah means The God in Arabic
The Five Pillars of Islam
- Shahada – refers to knowing Allah. It means to know and believe without complete sincerity, and without wavering. It is the also the name of the Islamic Creed. The belief in one god, Allah, and Mohammed as his prophet
- Salat – the ritual of prayer. It is mandatory to perform five times a day. The prayers are always directed toward Mecca
- Zakat – alms giving. It is the giving of a percentage of one’s wealth so that the poor and needy do not have to suffer as much. Serves as welfare distribution.
- Sawm – fasting. This is done in the month of Ramadan to make people understand the pain in going hungry so that they have more drive to make sure they leave nobody hungry if they cannot support themselves.
- Hajj – the pilgrimage to Mecca. Each person is required to make the journey to Mecca and dress in the Ihram clothing. This is a way to gain closeness to Allah and also to become closer to the people around one in the world and realize everyone is equal.
Hadiths – a saying of Mohammed or the telling of something he did. They are to encourage the righteous behavior in his followers.
Hijrah – this is the journey of Mohammed to Medina when he was driven out of Mecca by threats of other clan leaders on his life. His time in Medina as a city leader is when Islam is founded as a religion.
Ka’bah – this is a shrine located in Mecca near the center of the Great Mosque. It is considered to be the most sacred place on earth to Muslims. It predates Islam as a religion, and the Mosque was built around it.
Muezzin – the chosen person to lead the Friday service and calls everyone to prayer five times a day.
Mihrab – It is a wall in a Mosque that shows the direction toward Mecca for prayer. Supposed to be the front and the most holy place in the Mosque.
Imam – a position of leadership in Islam. Usually they are the leader of the mosque and the community. He is the one who leads the prayer in the Mosque, and would be where people went for advice or questions of Islam.
Jannah – the Islamic conception of heaven or paradise. Its literal translation is taken from the word Garden. It is said that everything one desires on earth will be there in Jannah.
Jannaham – the Islamic concept of hell. Only God knows who will come to Jannah while the others will stay in Jannaham until the judgment day.
Jihad – a noun, meaning struggle. It is a religious responsibility of Muslims. It’s a common word meaning to strive in the image, likeness, or way of Allah.
Jinns – translated to mean Hidden or things you don’t see. Mostly used to signify a creature that is made by God or that exists in another realm. They are made of fire and live almost like humans in that their righteous will be rewarded. They live lives with families and careers etc…
Medina – it was the place Mohammed went when he was driven out of Mecca. Originally known as Yathrib, but when Mohammed arrived and became a leader the name changed to Madinat un-Nabi meaning literally “city of the prophet”.
Muhammad – the last prophet of Allah. Though there were other authentic prophets of Allah before him , he was the last and the one who delivered Allah’s final revelation.
Qur’an – the holy book of Islam. Literally means the recitation. Believed to be the verbal verbal book of God on how prople are to live their life – divine guidance for mankind, and is the final revelation of God
Rasul – a messenger of Allah, in the form of an apostle or prophet (Mohammed)
Risalah – in Arabic it means pamphlet, book, or journal. Can inform on almost anything from worship to social endevors.
Sadaqa – one of the Five Pillars, meaning voluntary charity.
Shari’a – it means the way, or path, that Muslims should take. It is derived from the Qur’an because that is directly Allah’s teachings. Teachings are also taken from traditions throughout Mohammed’s life.
Shi’a – the second largest sect of Islam. They believe that after Mohammed died, the religion should be led by the one most educated in it and the one who was closest to Mohammed, Ali.
Sunna – means a usual practice or habit. The usage refers to Mohammed and his usual practices. It includes specific actions, words, and practices.
Sunni Islam – the largest branch of Islam in the world. They believe that when Mohammed died the leadership of the faith should go to his closest relative who was his grandson.
Shirk – this means to consider anyother than Allah a god, or of having god-like characteristics. It is the most unforgivable crime in Islam.
Tawhid – it means to be one, or oneness. It refers to Allah being only one and single in that he is the only god.
Ummah – it means community or nation. It is commonly used to mean a collection of states to be a nation, or as the Islamic nation throughout the world.
Yawm al-din / Yawmddin – this means the day of resurrection. This day is Allah’s final assessment of Humanity where it is decided who goes to Jannah and who goes to Jannaham.
Part II
Pg 231 – 242
What is the Standing Miracle?
- The Qur’an is known as the Standing Miracle because Mohammed thought saw it as Allah’s only major miracle
- He was uneducated in writing yet he produced such a great text is why it is seen as a miracle by him
- Not as long as the first testament
- Daily prayers in are all in one part and go from longest to shortest in order
- The miracle of the Qur’an is referring to the uncreated Qur’an which is divine where the created Qur’an is the earthly crystallization of the uncreated
- The words of the Qur’an came to Mohammed over the course of 23 years through the help of Gabriel
What are the Basic Theological Concepts?
- Same basic concepts of Christianity and Judaism
- Religion focus is on Allah who is immaterial and therefore invisible
- Didn’t introduce Arabs to the idea of spirits because hanifs had before Mohammed but it did remove idols in favor of Allah
- Arabs think fear should be the appropriate reaction to Allah because he is omnipotent and all powerful
- Yet Allah is still merciful and part of the root of the word Islam is Peace. He is not the tyrannical ruler of the world yet the compassionate ruler who rewards good with good yet punishes wrongdoing.
Part I: pages 221 – 231
What is Islam?
- Monotheistic
- Was formerly called Mohammedanism
- Offensive because Mohammed didn’t create the religion God did, Mohammed was only a prophet
- People are wanted to completely surrender to God
- Islamic people are called Muslims
Islam Background
- Around the name of `Arabs’ is a renown of conquerors
o They had an empire bigger than the Romans’
o It stretched from the Atlantic Ocean into china
o Had more ethnicities and aliens converted to their culture and speech than any other empire
- Islam was the cornerstone to their rise to such power
- Allah literally means the God
- Story of creation and early prophets are very similar
- First split between the bible and Koran is where Ishmael and Hagar are banished from Abraham’s tribe on orders of his first wife Sarah
What is the Seal of the Prophets?
- Mohammed is the Seal of the Prophets
- This is because he was the prophet that finalized the faith even though there were authentic prophets of God before him
- People in his time were self centered or cared only about the wellbeing of their tribe. Not only that but they were militant to other tribes. The city of Mecca was a wreck with ignorance everywhere
- Khadija, Mohammed’s wife, became his comfort during the rough times when everyone hated him and his religion. It is recorded that God consoled Mohammed through her.
- Mohammed had his first encounter with an angel in a cave on Mount Hira, a mountain near Mecca.
What is the Migration that Led to Victory?
- When Mohammed was beginning to convert families to Islam the city of Mecca turned on them and threatened their lives and preservation of the faith
- A city north of Mecca called Yathrib gave mohammed their word that they would worship allah and obey mohammed if he came to lead their city. God gave him a sign to take the offer.
- The warlords did everything they could to keep him in Mecca and kill him but he had a friend take his place in his house while he and another escaped preceded by about 70 families to walk 280 miles to Yathrib
- Yathrib soon became known as Medinat al-Nabi which means city of the prophet. Or Medina for short
- Mohammed became a master politician when he was forced into a position of power when he arrived in Medina. He changes from hated prophet to beloved leader
- He still lived as an ordinary person in a clay house throughout his time as a wonderful statesman
