ISLAM Rhianna Polson Lily Bishop Victoria Burrows Leona Jest THE ORIGIN OF ISLAM •Islam began originally in Arabia where the religion was revealed to the world through the Prophet Muhammad •Those who follow Islam are called Muslims •It is essential to Islam belief that Allah is the one and true God with no partner or equal •There are several branches to Islam which have much variety within them. The two divisions within this tradition are the Sunni and Shi’a, both claiming different means of carrying on religious authority •One of the characteristics of Islam is the Five Pillars, the fundamental practices of Islam. These are faith, a ritual prayer, the zakat, fasting and the hajj Followers of Islam are called, Muslims BELIEFS AT A GLANCE The word Islam means: 'submission to the will of God' There are 5 basic pillars of Islam... FACTS ABOUT ISLAM Praying five times a day Declaration of faith Muslims believe there is only one God. The Arabic word for God is, Allah It's the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers! The Qur'an and the Sunnah are the holy books which Muslims base their laws on Muslims believe Islam was revealed in Mecca (Arabia) over 1400 years ago! Muslims believe the Sunnah is the practical example of Prophet Muhammad Taking part in a pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once) Giving money to charity Fasting WUDU - RITUAL WASHING PRAYER AND WORSHIP MOSQUE Mosque is the building in which Muslims worship, at the entrance of most Mosques there is an area where worshippers remove there shoes. Before praying there is an area where Muslims will carry out there ritual washing. Everyone sits on the floor and everywhere is of equal status, a niche in one of the walls, called a mihrab, tells the worshippers which way to face in order to face Mecca. Men and women don't sit together in the Mosque, this shows modesty and prevents distraction. Women are often known to pray at home. PRAYER MOVEMENTS Muslims can pray to God at any time, there are five prayers they have to perform throughout the day. The same pattern is used so everyone can follow, prayers are always recited in Arabic. Takbir - Muslims face towards Makkah and say 'Allahu Akba' meaning God is great. Qiyaam - Right hand is placed over the left on their chest or navel while in the standing position. Verses from the Qu'ran are recited throughout. Ruku - Means bowing, this is done 3 times. Sujud - Means to prostrate; palms, knees, toes, forehead and nose must be on the ground. Sitting - This gives Muslims a chance to pause and rest, sometimes they say a short prayer. Tashahhud - Now Muslims praise God, send peace on the prophet and recite the declaration of faith. Finally, they ask for forgiveness and mercy. Peace to the right/left - Muslims look to the right first as they believe this is where the angel records good actions, the left angel records bad actions. Muslims must be clean and wear presentable clothes before they pray to God. Hands - they start by washing there right hand, followed by there left. Mouth - the mouth is then washed. Nose - water is breathed in gently through the nose. Face /Ears- the face is an essential part of wudu and must be washed atlesat once. Arms - one of the four essential parts which must be washed, includes hands and elbows. Right arm first. Hair - hair must be rinsed with water, only once. Feet - right foot then left foot up to the ankle must be washed. Everything must be washed three times before presenting yourself to Allah. PRACTICES IN ISLAM There are many practices in Islam, Ramadan being the most well-known, all which have great depth and meaning behind them. However, there is one practice which all Muslims must follow in order to live a good and responsible Islamic life. This practice is known as “The Five Pillars of Islam”. Shahadah: the statement of faith Zakat: charity Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca Salat: daily prayer Sawm: fasting HAJJ IN DEPTH Hajj is the final pillar of Islam. It is a ritual http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v =coZHaFpOCT4#t=42 that is carried out once a year by Muslims all over the world, regardless of their colour, social status, culture or ethnicity. It takes place at Mecca – the place that is so holy to all Muslims, that no non-Muslim is allowed to enter. The ritual takes place when everyone is gathered together, and they begin acts of worship and the praising of Allah in unison. The aim of this ritual is to show that everyone is equal in the eyes of Allah, and promotes bonds within the Muslim community. During Hajj, everyone is dressed in Ihram. These are simple white clothes that, once again, reaffirm that everybody is equal. Hajj takes place during the month of Dhul Hijjah - the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. For many Muslims, this is a rite of passage that each individual should take at least once in their life. WEDDINGS RITES AND RITUALS BIRTH RITES • • • • • • • The father of the baby recites prayers into his right ear, these will be the first words he/she hears. The baby’s first taste will be something sweet, the parents will chew a date and rub the juice onto the baby’s gums – this was carried out by the prophet Muhammad. After 7 days the baby’s head is shaved – this shows that the child is a servant of Allah. The hair is then weighed and the money it is worth is given to charity. The baby’s name is chosen on the 7th day. Most Muslim boys get circumcised in the 7th day. A sheep is sacrificed on the 7th day, the parts are to be given to neighbours, relatives and the poor. • Muslim weddings vary according to the culture and the people involved. • For many Muslims, the term ‘wedding’ is the Islamic ceremony that counts as the actual wedding and not the confirmation. • Many Mosques in the UK have not been legally registered for weddings and so any wedding that takes place in a UK Mosque has to be confirmed with the UK law in order to be valid. • Usually arranged by the parents. • Divorce is allowed however, it is said that it is the thing Allah ‘likes least.’ • It is forbidden for Muslim parents to force their children to marry. • It is expected for the couple to be virgin’s before their wedding day. • Men give women money as a gift on their wedding day (mahr), if the bride wants a divorce she is to return the money. • Sometimes Muslims weddings last for several days. HOLY TEXTS The holy text in Islam is the The Qur'an, which is revealed in stages to the Prophet Muhammad over 23 years. It contains 114, which are written in the old Arabic dialect. The revelations in The Qur’an are regarded by Muslims as the sacred word of God. They are intended to correct any errors in previous holy books such as the Old and New Testaments. All of the chapters within The Qur’an (except one) begin with the sentence Bismillahir rahmanir raheem, which is translated as 'In the name of Allah the most merciful and the most kind'. This is the thought with which Muslims should start every action. The Qur'an is treated with enormous respect by Muslims because it is the sacred word of God. While the Qur'an is recited aloud, Muslims should behave respectfully and refrain from speaking, eating or drinking, or making any noises that could cause distraction. Other than The Qur’an, there are holy texts known as the Sunnah and the Hadith. The Sunnah is the practise and examples of the Prophet Muhammad's life, and the Hadith reports of what the prophet Muhammad said or approved. SUBDIVISIONS OF ISLAM Sufism (or Tasawwuf as it is known to Muslims) is Islamic mysticism. People who are non-Muslims often mistake Sufism as a sect of Islam. Sufism is more accurately described as an aspect or dimension of Islam. Sufi orders (Tariqas) can be found in Sunni, Shi’a and other Islamic groups. Although Sufis are relatively small in number, they have greatly shaped Islamic thought and history. Through the centuries Sufis contributed immensely to Islamic literature. For example Rumi, Omar Khayyám and Al-Ghazali's influence extended beyond Muslim lands to be quoted by Western philosophers, writers and theologians. Sufis were influential in spreading Islam particularly to the furthest outposts of the Muslim world in Africa, India and the Far East. ISLAMIC ART AND CULTURE Poetry Al-burda- This is an Arabic poem which honours the Prophet Muhammad. The name means ‘poem of the mantle’ The poem is seen by believers all across the world. Jalaluddin Rumi- This poet is known as one of the most famous Persian poets of all time and had big influence on Muslim Writing and Culture. Until this poet was about 35, he spent his time teaching and giving lectures to the public. • Ghazals – are numerous lines of love poetry which Rumi wrote Music There are many types of Muslim devotional recitation and music to express feelings and beliefs. Here is an example of a piece of Islamic music; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR75mrVwUEA Art Islamic art is often very vibrant and distinctive What does it include? •Includes all Muslim art and not just religious art •It portrays the significance and essence of things, rather than just their physical form •Crafts and expressive arts which have a very significant art status •Calligraphy and books are both very well used and important art-forms •Geometry and patterns are often used and considered important Architecture • Architecture is one of the greatest Islamic art forms, which is usually seen in Mosques but also gardens and houses • The buildings are often highly decorated and colour is very often essential • Religious buildings in will often use geometry to symbolic effect ISLAM ON ETHICS Contraception •Islam is very strongly pro family as they believe that children are a gift from God •Muslim ethics believe that sex should be between husband and wife and so birth control should be understood within this context •There is no single rule to contraception with Islam, but eight of the nine classic schools of Islam permit it Euthanasia & Suicide •Muslims are against Euthanasia, as they believe that all human life is sacred • They believe that Allah is the one to choose how long someone should live, and humans shouldn’t interfere with this •Whilst they believe that turning off a life-support machine is allowed, hastening death using medication is not allowed as this would lead to euthanasia ISLAM ON ETHICS Stem Cell Research Unlike Roman Catholicism, Islam does not have a centralised authority. Also, Most Muslim countries have not yet introduced laws on embryonic stem cell research and human cloning. Some Muslims are in favour of research, arguing that the embryo does not have a soul until the later stages of its development. Others agree with the Catholic Church which says that it is immoral to destroy embryos at any stage to harvest stem cells. Abortion Muslims regard abortion as wrong and haram (meaning forbidden), but many accept that it may be allowed in certain cases. All schools of Muslim law accept that abortion is permitted if continuing the pregnancy would put the mother's life in real danger. This is the only reason accepted for abortion after 120 days of the pregnancy. Some schools of Muslim law consent to abortion in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy, while others only allowit in the first 7 weeks. However, even those scholars who would permit early abortion in certain cases still regard abortion as wrong, but do not regard it as a punishable wrong. The more advanced the pregnancy is, the greater the wrong. ISLAM ON ETHICS War In Islam, war is only permitted if it is in self-defence, if another nation has attacked an Islamic nation or if a nation is oppressing its own Muslims. “Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Shaitan” - Qur'an 4:76 Muslims must follow this quote from the Qur’an and only fight by the principles of justice declared by Allah. They favour peace and are against war and violence unless necessary. Jihad The word Jihad is used to describe 3 main different kinds of struggle that Muslims may face in their life. The first struggle is internal, and it is the challenge to live out the Muslim faith as well as they can. The second struggle is to try and build a good Muslim society. The third struggle is the struggle to defend Islam, with force, if necessary. This is known as “Holy War”. CONCLUSION  "Islam" literally translates as "submission“  this reflects the way in which Muslims submit to God The Prophet Muhammad dedicated his life to spread the word of Allah; a message of monotheism in a polytheistic world His work is recorded in the Qur’an, the Islamic holy book The 5 Pillars of Islam are of utmost importance to devout Muslims Islam has been wrongly judged for being responsible for the terrorist attacks and suicide-bombers in the Western world in recent years, by a small minority who claim they are acting in the name of Allah. This prejudice is unfortunately still present in modern society. Despite this, Islam is currently the fastest growing religion in the world