Islam

Created by

Augie Sell

Cards (55)

Traditional Origin of Islam
An Abrahamic Religion:
(cf. Hebrew Bible): Prior to conceiving Isaac with Sarah, Abraham conceived a son Ishmael with Hagar; Ishmael and Abraham construct the Ka’bah, a holy site (in Mecca) for local Arabian tribes.
Tribal polytheism overtakes Abraham’s monotheism (“age of ignorance”).
Muhammad - Prophet of God (Allah):
Mecca -> Medina -> Mecca
Revisionist Origin of Islam
Secular Historians: (studying natural influences, historical data)
Prior to 1970s: traditional origins story universally accepted and presumed.
Now: increasing lack of consensus on genre, setting, source, or use of the Qur’an: surrounding events (especially pre-Hijra) unclear as well
Why?: records come from much later; no acknowledgement of positive interaction with other monotheistic religions in sira (biogr).
Revisionist Timeframe of Islam
Few records of written Arabic in 500s; emerged in 600s.
Some have proposed compilations in early 800s; more likely mid-600s.
Revisionist Setting of Islam
Many references to biblical material; literary context suggests affiliation with other Judeo-Christian texts and communities. But where?
No consensus among revisionists. Likely a monotheistic “sectarian milieu”. Increasing attention to influence Syriac language; perhaps Christianity in Syria or nothern Arabia.
Five Pillars
Profession of Faith (Shahadah)
Daily Prayer (Salaat) - performed five times per day facing mecca
Almsgiving and Charity (Zakat) - "purity"
Fasting (Sawm) - especially during Ramadan. Abstaining from food, water, and other things during daylight hours.
Pilgrimage (Hajj) - to Mecca.
Qur'an
Islam’s sacred book; revealed; literally “recitation”; the Word of God made Arabic.
Genre:
sermon / homily
social commentary
Origins and transmission:
Revelation from Gabriel to Muhammad, initially oral transmission from the Prophet to his followers
Content of Surah 5, “The Table”:
social and religious ordinances; Jews and Christians
Not a narrative
Ka'bah
originally constructed by Ishmael and Abraham
a holy site (in Mecca) for local Arabian tribes.
Hijra
migration from Mecca in 622 CE; disputes with Jews.
Caliph / Caliphate
religious and political leaders; successors of the Prophet.
leader of worship, administrator of sacred Shari’ah law
Shari’ah includes liturgical instructions, social laws. Based on study of Qur’an and Hadith by ulama, scholars (e.g. at al-Azhar, Cairo)
Scholar-lawyers (muftis) can issue authoritative legal opinions based on Qur’an and Sunnah, called fatwas.
No universally recognized Sunni caliphs since 1924.
Crusades
Islam spread to the Christian West at the time of the Crusades
massive impact on Christian thought, scholastic theology (Thomas Aquinas)
Christian Crusaders capture Jerusalem
Quickly retaken, further attacks repelled
People of the Book
Jews and Christians to whom revealed Scripture (Torah and Gospel) was given earlier by God.
Shahadah
central expression of faith, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is God’s messenger.”
New members profess Shahadah w/conviction to convert.
Whispered in the ears of newborns; last words before death.
Prophets
Role, pattern: God sent prophets to every people and age to teach them in their specific situations, but the central “dogma” - submission to God and the acceptance of his prophets - is a constant.
Cyclical pattern: present God’s message, rejection by people (sometimes violent), punishment and vindication by God.
Examples: Noah, Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus. Mohammad - final and universal prophet, “seal”.
Mufti
Scholar-lawyers
Fatwas
Scholar-lawyers that can issue authoritative legal opinions based on Qur’an and Sunnah.
Anthropology
Adam created from clay, dirt, water, breath.
Subsequent life described in material terms too:
God creates people “out of a mere clot of congealed blood”
Qur’an has more transcendent elements, reminiscent of “P”
“God creates what He wills: When he has decreed a plan, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is!”
Eschatology
Bodily resurrection on Day of Judgement. Heaven/hell portrayed in material terms of bliss / torment; interpreted “spiritually” too.
Soteriology
“Deeds” based; one is judged based on life’s actions, including submission to God and acceptance of his prophet.
Salvation is an individual matter; no atonement, mediation, etc.
No “original sin”; born into the world “good”, can be seduced by evil.
Shari'ah Law
includes liturgical instructions, social laws. Based on study of Qur’an and Hadith by ulama, scholars (e.g. at al-Azhar, Cairo)
Imam
Shi’a tradition of leadership, originating from Muhammad.
Occultation
Shi’a (minority) belief that final Imam in hiding, will return on the Day of Judgement with the second coming of Jesus.
Sura / Surah
chapters in Qur’an
roughly arranged longest to shortest (not in order of revelation)
Sunnah
the sayings and actions of Muhammad.
contained in the Hadith.
Sunnis (majority) priviledge the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Hadith
traditional report about sayings and actions of Muhammad, much of it collected and compiled ~250 years after Muhammad died.
isnad: lineage of authenticity accompanying the Hadith report.
Ramadan
Month of fasting in commemoration of the revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad, which he received while on a spiritual retreat during this month.
Id al-Fitr
(Lesser Eid) - feast at the end of Ramadan on which Muslims breeak their fast. Marked by joy, festivals.
Id al-Adha
(Greater Eid) - feast honoring the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son (typically understood as Ishmael by contemporary Muslims; Qur’an doesn’t specify).
Qibla
the direction towards the Kaaba in Mecca
Inculturation
a religion expressing itself through local, “foreign” traditions and customs.
Kafir
unbeliever or apostate.
Sunni (majority)
Origin: Should elect caliph (Abu Bakr) Muhammad left no successor
Dispute leads to death of Husayn (680 CE); mourned by Shi’a
Self-understood traditionalists; privilege Qur’an and Sunnah
Caliphs: leaders of worship, administrator of sacred Shari’ah law.
Shi'a (minority)
Believe that Muhammad assigned Ali as his hereditary successor.
Succession of (for many, especially in Iraq and Iran) 12 Imams; Political leadership and divine guidance, passed from each Imam.
Common belief: final Imam in hiding (occultation), to return on the Day of Judgement with the second coming of Jesus.
Sufi
Mystic group within Islam.
Emphasis on unity, even dissolution into the One.
An “edgy” group in the minds of Sunni orthodoxy, though al-Ghazali helped bring acceptance.
Wahabbism
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (d. 1792) urged a “return to basics” (e.g. cease tomb visitation). Extreme interpretations of his movement have resulted in Islamic “fundamentalism” highly critical of non-Wahhabi Muslims, often labeled kafir (unbelievers or apostates).
Al-Qaeda: known for targeting the West, also targets Shias and Sufis.
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria/Levant (ISIS/ISIL): also Sunni extremest group; has claimed a caliphate authoritative for all Muslims.
ISIS
Islamic state in Iraq and Syria/Levant: also Sunni extremist group; has claimed a caliphate authoritative for all Muslims.
Mecca
location of the Ka’bah, a holy site for local Arabian tribes.
Gabriel (an angel) begins to transmit the text of the Qur’an.
Widespread opposition to Muhammad’s message.
Journey: Mecca -> Jerusalem -> heavens (meets other prophets.
Medina
Hijrah: migration from Mecca in 622 CE; disputes with Jews.
War with the Meccans quickly ensues; Mecca captured in 630 CE.
Expansion into surrounding regions; Muhammad dies 632 CE.
Successor dispute: Abu Bakr, elected (Sunni), Ali, lineage (Shi’a).
Collection and codification of Qur’an.
Jerusalem
Dome of the Rock is where Muhammad ascended to the heavens and met other prophets.
Population Distribution
more Muslims in India than all the Middle East combined.
80% of Muslims live where Arabic is not the first language.
Al-Azhar, Cairo
University in Cairo, Egypt, where scholars (ulama) study Qur’an and Hadith. Shari’ah law is based on this study.