1. How it Began: The Arabian Peninsula
Arabia was sparsely populated 1,500 years ago. Small bands of ______________ moved their herds between oases in the desert.
____________ limited in Arabia
Commerce lively
_______________ converged at Arabian Peninsula
___________ as well as merchandise exchanged
Trade-dependent _________ rose near coasts
_______, near Red Sea, most important of coastal towns
The Setting
The _________, cube-shaped structure, at heart of Mecca
500s, already ancient, considered ___________
Possible meteorite, “_______ from heaven”
________ of local gods inside
Site drew religious _________
One god considered supreme: ____________
Religious Function

2. Muhammad the Messenger
Muhammad ibn Abd Allah born ______
Parents died, Muhammad raised by uncle, powerful clan leader
Grew up to have successful career in Mecca as ____________
Married to older woman at age 25, fathered ________ children, all but one of whom died young
Met followers of Judaism, Christianity while ______________
____________________________
Early Life
Had always been _____________, but faiths of others probably also influenced Muhammad’s thinking
Took frequent spiritual __________
__________ appeared to him during retreat, commanded him to speak messages from Allah
Muhammad disturbed by visitation, unsure of meaning
After more visits from angel, Muhammad concluded God _____
____________________________
Muhammad’s Faith

3. The Revelations to Muhammad
Messages
Among many messages from angel, Muhammad reported Allah __________
__________________________________________________________.
Other messages, instructions on how to live to please Allah, live in paradise
Public Preaching
Muhammad originally told only wife, few friends about experiences
Began to preach in public after about ______ years, attracted many followers
Some powerful _________________ did not accept teachings
Safety
Many disliked Muhammad’s criticism of ______________________________
Only protection of ______________ kept him safe
After uncle’s death Muhammad knew he and followers not safe in Mecca

4. Sharing the Revelations
Hegira
______, Muhammad moved to Yathrib, came to be called ___________, “the Prophet’s City”; journey from Mecca to Medina came to be known as hegira
Later Muslims marked year of ___________ as first year of Islamic calendar
Building Faith
Muhammad spent a ______________ building community of fellow believers
Called faith Islam, meaning “______________________________________”
Followers known as ____________
Mecca
People of ____________ who wanted Muhammad stopped did not give up
Fought several battles with Muhammad, followers, ultimately lost ground
630, Muhammad ______________________ Mecca, influence unmatched

5. Basic Ideas of Islam Qur’an Five Pillars of Islam
As Muhammad gained __________________, revelations continued
Muhammad could not read, write; __________________ revelations
Followers _____________________ words, some wrote them down
Writings Muslims believe as direct revelations from God collected in ________________, sacred test of Islam
Muslims read from Qur’an to hear Allah’s _____________________
Seek _______________________ in rhythm, beauty of words
______________________ known only in original Arabic language
Qur’an
Five ________________________
_________________ central to Islam
Profession of ___________
Performance of _____ daily prayers
Giving of alms to ______________
_______ during month of Ramadan
Make _______________ to Mecca
Five Pillars of Islam

6. Guidelines for Behavior
Qur’an provides _________________________________________
Muslims may not eat _______, drink _______________, must wash before ___________________
Qur’an prohibits _________________________________________
Requires _______, to defend Muslim community
Sunna and Sharia
Record of Muhammad’s ______________, teachings known as Sunna, “______________,” provides guidance in personal relationships, business
Muslim __________ system known as Sharia, reflects various rules by which Muslims should live, outlines reasoning, _____________ for legal cases; opinions, writings over several ________________

7. The Basics of Faith Belief in One God: _______________
All the __________________ Books as revealed by _________ to various prophets
__________, Jinns(Demons), Life after Death and the Day of _________________, Heaven and Hell

8. Allah – the One God
Allah is the Arabic name for God used by Muslims of the world as well as Arab Christians.
Say: He is God, the One and Only;  God, the Eternal, Absolute;  He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. (The Quran, Chapter 112)

9. Who is God, “Allah?”
One God, the one _________________ by Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Noah, Josef, Jesus …etc
__________________ God, i.e. does not need to rest, does not make mistakes, all knowing, in full control, and has all the attributes of beauty and greatness. FLAWLESS.
Did not _________ nor was he ______________; infinite and eternal
Not being able to see him ≠ does not exist, signs of _____________________________ are every where

10. Chain of the Prophets
All Prophets came with same ________________ and taught the same guidance
Adam
Idris
Noah
Muslims believe in all the Prophets without making any _____________ among them. They are all equally loved and _____________.
Lot
Hud
Abraham
Jacob
Joseph
Moses
David
Solomon
Isra
John
Prophets are sent as ___________ to human kind to lead them from ______________to light.
Jesus
Mohamed

11. Prophet Muhammad
Descendant of _______________, the first son of Abraham.
Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in the year _________ C.E.
Received first revelation at the age 40 through angel __________________.
Died in the year 632 C.E, after preaching Islam for ______ years.

12. Belief in the Holy Books (Scripture)‏
___________________ sacred books revealed to the Prophets from the Lord brought down by the archangel, Jibraa’il (Gabriel).
1) The _______________(Biblical name) / ______________ (Qur’anic name) revealed to Prophet David‏
They were:
2) The ______________ (Biblical name) / __________________ (Qur’anic name) revealed to Prophet Moses
3) The _______________(Biblical name) / ________________ (Qur’anic name) revealed to Prophet Jesus.
4) The ______________(Biblical name) / __________________ (Qur’anic name) revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

13. Quran: The Holy Book
______________________ as given by the Prophet in Arabic
_______ years of revelations ( C.E.)‏
_____ Chapters; One chapter, ______________ revelations
Historic ___________ matters
Verses explain ____________
___________________ needed in the light of Arabic, history, and Sunnah (tradition)‏

14. Angels of God and Demons (Jinn)‏
The Almighty Powerful King should have __________ to carry on his orders and commands: angels
Created from _____________
Do not have a ________________ to obey or disobey; have only good will to obey.
___________ was not an angel, he was from the _________ (demons) created from _____.
Demons do not have a free will to obey or disobey; have only __________ will to disobey.

15. Five Pillars of Worship and Obedience
_________ (There is no God but Allah)‏
_________ (Salah)‏
___________ (Zakat)‏
___________ ( Ramadan)‏
____________ (Hajj)‏
Optional 6th: Any act done according to Quran and Sunnah to_________________

16. Prayers (Salah)‏
______ Daily Prayers from Dawn to Late Evening regulate a Muslim’s day
Prayers involve _________, standing, bowing, prostrating, sitting ________
Face ___________, prayers in Arabic
as taught by the Prophet.
Additional Prayers
optional

17. Charity (Zakat)‏
So establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity; and obey the Apostle; that ye may receive mercy. (The Quran)‏
Required ________charity on yearly savings to assist the poor, widows, orphans, those in heavy debt, slaves, etc., and to further the spread of Islam.
A Muslim must be a ______________ person, in actions as well as in tithing.

18. Fasting
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint. (The Quran)‏
Ramadan is _____month in Islamic Lunar calendar
Daily dawn to sunset fast for 29/30 days (no food or drink)‏
Spiritual exercise to train the spiritual muscle of _____________________

19. Hajj (Pilgrimage)‏
Pilgrimage to Mecca __________________ ______________for able Muslims.
About 2-3 million Muslims perform ______ each year from all over the world.
Eidul-Adha: the biggest Muslim Holiday

20. Purpose of Life
All creation worships God without a ____________. They can not choose not to worship him with the exception of human and Jinn.
God created us and gave us ___________________ to worship him with our choice. Worship, obey, sacrifice, fight evil, even though we have the choice to do otherwise.
We were inspired with both ________________ and evil __________________, so we must have a free will to choose.

21. Meaning of Islam
Islam is “________________ to the Will of Allah” (Deity).
Islam is derived from the word ___________ (peace), so its literal meaning is PEACE.
The people who practice Islam are called
__________________ There is an estimate of billion Muslims in the world!