Islam began in the city of Mecca in the Arabian Peninsula in the 600s AD.

Muhammad began to hear the voice of the angel Gabriel, calling on him to tell the word of God to the people.

He said they needed to rededicate themselves to the worship of only one God, who he called Allah

“Muslim” means “ones who submit” to the will of God

Muhammad became a political and religious leader

In 622 AD, Muhammad’s fled from Mecca to Medina. Muhammad’s teachings were not well received in Mecca, which ironically became the most holy of cities to the religion of Islam.

Together with Judaism & Christianity, Islam traces its roots to the prophet and patriarch Abraham

Muhammad was descended from Abraham’s first son Ishmael

Jews descended from Abraham’s son Isaac (Moses)

Christianity - also from Isaac (Jesus)

Muslims believe there is only one God They view Muhammad as his final prophet After Muhammad’s death in 632 AD, his

followers collected his teachings into the Koran

Much of the Old and New Testaments are included in the Koran, so Muslims see the Koran and Islam as the final and complete word of God.

For Muslims, the Koran offers a handbook for leading a respectable life

Some Muslim countries base their legal code on the Koran, a system known as shariah law

1. Shahada – belief that “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet”

2. Salat – praying five times a day facing the direction of Mecca. Also on Fridays, Muslims are expected to attend noon prayers at a mosque

3. Zakat – charity to the poor4. Sawm – no eating or drinking during the

daylight hours of the month of Ramadan, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar

5. Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca sometime during one’s lifetime

Vegetables and fish are permitted Pork is strictly forbidden Lamb, beef, chicken & turkey are

allowed as long as the animals are slaughtered according to certain guidelines

Alcohol is strictly forbidden

Sunni – believe that Muslim leadership can be passed to caliphs elected from within Muhammad’s tribe (about 80%)

Shia – believe that leadership was restricted to descendants from Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali (about 20%)

Caliph – Muslim leader Mosque – Muslim house of worship Jihad – holy war Hijrah – “migration”. Refers specifically to

Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina

Next – add to your notes:

Branches SUNNI Caliph should be

elected from anyone capable

Consider Shiites as Muslims

Believe decisions have a more governmental view and not strictly based on the Quran

Leader of the past – Saddam Hussein

SHIA Caliph should be a

direct descendant of Mohammad (Fatima)

Consider Sunnis as Muslims

Believe every decision should be based on the Quran

Leader of the past – Ayatollah Khomeini