Islam

and
The Five Pillars of Islam
Quick Review……
• “Islam” = “Surrendering to the will of Allah”
• “Allah” = Arabic word for “God”
• Muhammad – Prophet of Islam
• How did Muhammad’s early childhood affect
his beliefs?
– Honor the family – remember his hardships?
– Be fair in business – remember his early job?
– Help the poor – remember his reliance on
others?
• Some Islamic beliefs
– All people are equal before Allah
– The rich should share their wealth
– People should lead a good life
– On Judgment Day, God will reward the good and
punish the evil
• Why was there initial opposition to Islam?
– Wealthy merchants and religious leaders did not
like his message because it threatened their
power
• Why is A.D. 622 the first year in the Muslim
calendar?
– That’s when Muhammad left Makkah to go to
Yathrib
• What was that journey called?
– Hijrah
• Yathrib was renamed…..?
– Madinah “City of the Prophet”
• Muhammad became a political, religious, and
military leader
• He set up what kind of government?
– An Islamic State
– This required all Muslims to place their loyalty to the
Islamic state above the loyalty to their tribe
• Muhammad created an army and conquered
which city in A.D. 630?
– Makkah
• He destroyed all the idols around the Kaaba and
said: “Truth has come and falsehood has
vanished”
• Muhammad died two years later, but he
succeeded in unifying the Arabian Peninsula
under Islam.
 Islam Basics:
• Muhammad’s message was from Allah
• The holy book of Islam was the….
– Quran

• Moral teachings:
– Be honest
– Treat others fairly
– Honor parents
– Show kindness to neighbors
– Give to poor
– Don’t murder, lie, steal

• Customs based on Muhammad’s words and deed were

called……..
– Sunna
 Shari’a
• Shari’a is a body of Islamic law
– No pork, liquor, gambling
– laws regarding marriage, divorce, family life,
property rights, business practices
• The Shari’a regulates family life, moral conduct,
business conduct, and community interactions
• Islamic law pertains to all aspects of a Muslim’s life
• This brings unity to all Muslims
• The Quran teaches Muslims to be tolerant towards
Christians and Jews. In fact, Christians and Jews
are referred to as “people of the book”, since they
share the same God.
 The Five Pillars of Islam
•Iman – Faith/Belief
•Salah – Prayer
•Zakah – Charity
•Sawm – Fasting
•Hajj - Pilgrimage
Iman – Faith (Belief)
• “There is no god but Allah, and
Muhammad is his prophet”
• This declaration of faith is called the
Shahadah.
• This states the only purpose of life is
God, and this is achieved through the
teachings and practices of the Last
Prophet Muhammad
 Salah or Prayer
• Muslims must pray
five times a day at
dawn, mid-day, late-
afternoon, sunset
and nightfall.

• Muslims are called to

prayer by a muezzin
in a minaret. They
use public address
system or radio
broadcasting.
God is Great.
God is Great.
God is Great. A Call to Prayer:
God is Great.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except
God.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except
God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer!
Come to prayer!
Come to success!
Come to success!
God is Great!
God is Great!
There is none worthy of worship except God.
 Salah or Prayer
•Ideally, Muslims worship together in a
mosque, but a Muslim can pray almost
anywhere.
•“Mosque” = “place of kneeling to God”
•Muslims use movement during prayer to
include the body and mind in worship.
•There are no priests in Islam. Prayers are led
by a learned person who knows the Quran
and is generally chosen by the congregation.
•Prayers are said in Arabic
•Friday afternoons – communal worship and
prayer
 Zakah - Charity
• Muslims believe everything belongs to
God, and that wealth is therefore held by
human beings in trust.
• Muslims believe that it is their
responsibility to support the less fortunate.
• Muslims are required to give 2.5% of their
wealth to charity every year.
 Sawm (Fasting)
• Every year during Ramadan, all Muslims fast
from dawn until dusk
• At dusk they eat a simple meal
• This is to remind Muslims that they have “greater
needs than bread”.
• The Quran states: "O you who believe! Fasting
is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to
those before you that you may learn self-
restraint." (Qur'an 2:183)
 Ramadan
• Muslims believe that Allah revealed the
Quran to Muhammad during the ninth
month of the Islamic calendar
• The Islamic calendar is based on moon
cycles – from crescent moon to crescent
moon.
• The timing of Ramadan therefore changes
from year to year.
 Hajj - Pilgrimage
• All Muslims must make a pilgrimage,
known as the hajj to Mecca once in their
life.
• When they arrive in Mecca, they wear
identical simple white garments which
represent humility and their equality before
Allah.