1. Comparative Religions
Islam

2. Background

3. 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’

4. 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.

5. Ishmael ended up in Mecca and his descendants became Muslims
Isaac stayed in Palestine and his descendants were the Hebrews or Jews

6. 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

7. 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

8. The seal of the prophets

9. 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

10. 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

11. Muhammad often frequented a cave on the outskirts of Mecca where he
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

12. He realized Allah was the 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

13. 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!

14. 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.

15. Persecution only made Muhammad and his converts stronger
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

16. The migration that led to victory

17. 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

18. Muhammad became a brilliant statesman
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

19. 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!

20. 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

21. The standing miracle

22. The center of their faith is the Koran.
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’

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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.

26. The Koran is directly doctrinal and indirectly historical
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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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: )

30. The end of time 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)

31. Basic theological concepts

32. The four most important concepts are
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

33. 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

34. 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

35. 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!

36. 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.

37. 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

38. 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.

39. 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

40. 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.

41. 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

42. The five pillars of islam

43. 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

44. 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

45. Five pillars of islam 1. The Shahadah
a. “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet”
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
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.

46. 2. Canonical Prayer a. give voice to the gratitude one feels for life itself b. keep human life in perspective c. Story has it that God told Muhammad they must pray 50 times each day 1. Moses said that was ridiculous and told Muhammad to negotiate 2. Muhammad negotiated with God and got it down to 5 times a day a. when getting up b. at noon c. at mid-afternoon d. at sunset e. when going to bed

47. 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

48. Prayer begins by standing, moves to kneeling, then ends with the subject being in the fetal position with his/her forehead touching the floor.

49. 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

50. 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

51. 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

52. Social teachings

53. 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

54. 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

55. Islamic Law does not allow wife beating
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)

56. 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.

57. 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

58. 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

59. 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

60. Understanding jihad

61. 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!!!

62. “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)

63. 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

64. 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

65. “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)

66. 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

67. 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

68. 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

69. 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)

70. There is a lack of guidance in the right conduct for war in Islam
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.

71. 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

72. Therefore, terrorism is forbidden in Islam
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

73. Historical divisions in islam

74. 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

75. 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

76. Sufis developed three routes to getting closer to God
Love
Ecstasy
Intuitive Discernment
Sufis love poetry
Rabi’a was an Islamic poet who wrote about God’s love

77. 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