INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGIONS AND BELIEF SYSTEMS WEEK 6

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Examine the brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices, and related issues of ISLAM

What I need to know:

Islam is the youngest among the world’s major religions. Established in the 7th century C.E.it has currently more than 1.5
billion adherents comprising almost one-fourth of the entire world population. Islam is the second largest group and one of
the fasting growing religions in the world. Established by Muhammad ibn Abdullah, Islam is a religion of complete surrender
to God. Islam literally means to submit in Arabic. A Muslim, therefore, is a “person who surrenders or submits himself to
obey God”. Allah, God in Arabic is a compound word composed of al(the one) and ilah (deity). Joined together Allah means
“ the one who is God. The Islam religion does not pale in the beauty compared to other Abrahamic religions. Through its
history, mysticism and founding of belief systems we are brought to a more holistic side of humanity and his experience of
the divine. In this lesson we will be talking of the about the practices of Pre-Islamic people, the roots of Islam to Abraham,
core teachings and spiritual practices and the related issues of modern Islam as a belief system.

Learning objectives:
Analyze the brief history, core teachings, and fundamental beliefs, and practices of Judaism
Examine the related issues of Islam

What I know: Pre -Test

_____1. The sacred teachings of the Islam faith.

A. Bible B.Quran C. Torah D. Vedas

_____2. The founder of the Islam faith.

A. Isa B. Musa C. Muhammad D. Yussof

_____3. The name of the Prophet Moses in Islam faith

A. Isa B. Musa C. Muhammad D. Yussof

_____4. The name of Jesus, a prophet in Islam.

A. Isa B. Musa C. Muhammad D. Yussof

_____5.A collection of the deeds and sayings of Muhammad and his followers
A. Aldin B. Haddith C. Ibadah D. Kaaba

_____6. The black ancient stone in Mecca where the adherents of Islam go to do Hajj.
A. Aldin B. Haddith C. Ibadah D. Kaaba

_____7. A practice by Muslims to express obedience to Allah and the readiness to relinquish pleasures in their live
A. Salat B. Saum C. Shahada D. Zakat

_____8.The basic creed of every Muslim which asserts that Allah is the only divinity and that he has relayed his will through
Muhammad.
A. Salat B. Saum C. Shahada D. Zakat

_____9. An annual wealth tax practiced by Muslims that serves as just and lawful claim of the poor against the affluent ones
A. Salat B. Saum C. Shahada D. Zakat

_____10. It is a spiritual practice Islam where in adherents mus pray 5 times each and every day.
A. Salat B. Saum C. Shahada D. Zakat

What’s in?
The star and crescent, hilal, is acknowledged as the representation of the Islamic faith and a symbol of Arab nationalism seen in
the flags of nations formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. The birth of Islam is significant not only as a religious movement but also a
political one. Pre Islamic Arabs were obsessed over the possession over a large ancient rock known as the Kaaba. The rock was
believed to have fallen to Mecca from the sky. Pre- islamic religions were animistic in nature and they build different idols to honor the
Jinn(deities or can be expressed as evil spiritss/ demons by modern Islam) surrounding the Kaaba since the it was also an object of
veneration for them. Popularly known as the “Black Stone”, situated in Mecca, believed to be as old as the time of Adam and Eve is
now an important pilgrimage site for Muslims throughout the world.
Mecca is also the birth place of the Muhammad ibn Abdullah the founder of the Islamic faith. His father, Abdullah, died before he was
born while his mother, Aminah, also died before he turned six years old. He was left in the care of his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib and
later on to his paternal uncle Abu Talib, chief of the Quraysh tribe. The Quraysh tribe controlled the Kaaba and the caravan trade
during that time and Muhammad worked as a caravan worker or driver with no formal schooling. Traveling from one place to another,
he met a rich widow by the name of Khadija who was 15 years his senior. Having been impressed by Muhammad’s work, they married
and later on became one of the converts and supporters of Muhammand for the new religion.
Muhammad, started hearing the voice of God in 610 C.E.. It happened that Pre-Islamic religions offered blood sacrifices to the idols
surrounding the Kaaba and it disturbed Muhammad. He would go to a cave in Mt. Hira to pray and be quiet but one day to his surprise
The Angel Jibreel(Gabriel, messenger of God) was there and he shouted at Muhammad, “Read!”. Muhammad did not know how to
read but the angel kept shouting at him in a threatening manner until when the angel took hold of his arm, Muhammad was able to
read out loud the message of the One true God. It was then that Muhammand began to hear and sometimes see the messages
coming directly from God. Muhammad first disclosed these revelations only to his wife since revealing these messages to his tribe
could disturb the social order that was primarily anchored on clan and kinship. He was preaching a new order built upon God’s will and
human submission to this belief.The term “Islam” originated from an Arabic word meaning “to surrender”. A Muslim is someone who
surrenders himself in obedience to God’s will. This idea of surrender to one God was too radical for some people and it also
threatened the established political system’s power. It led to persecution and in turn Muhammad and his followers had to migrate to
Medina or Yathrib, this journey was known as Hijra(migration). The Life of Muhammad is somewhat the basis for the practices of
modern day Muslims. Following the death of his wife and uncle, Muhammad is devastated in grief but the Angel once again reveals
himself and encourages him to be strong. He is magically brought to Jerusalem by the angel for him to see all the prophets that ever
lived and then taken to heaven to be able to talk to them and then brought back Mecca. This is known as the Night Journey. It is said
that from this journey, Muhammand was told by Allah to pray five times a day(salat). After gaining followers and forces in Medina, the
Muslims engaged in three big battles to regain Mecca namely; The battle of Badr; The battle of Uhud; and the battle of the Trench. The
Muhammad decided to retake Mecca with no more blood shed so he marched the dessert with his 10000 Muslim followers and
smashed 360 pagan idols displayed in the shrine, rededicating the Kaaba to Allah. The Muslims do not have an image of Muhammad
since they strictly follow the belief that they will only worship Allah. There are no pictures of Muhammad to stop Muslims from making
him an idol and there is no Image of Allah since he is like nothing of this world.

Guided Activity
What is your impression of Islam as a religion and of Muslims as a people?
List 2 positive points each about Islam as a religion and Muslims as followers of Islam

Guided Assessment
Identification
_______1. The prophet who founded the Islam religion.
_______2. The angel who brought the message of God the prophet.
_______3. The core teaching of the Islam faith.
_______4. It means one who surrenders to the will of God
_______5. A meteoric stone believe to have fallen to Mecca during the time of Adam and Eve.
_______6. The wife of Muhammad
_______7. The journey from Mecca to Medina.

Enrichment 1 - Beliefs and Practices in Islam

Islam began as a way of life(din). God had to send several prophets, including Musa (Moses) and ‘Isa (Jesus), to summon people
back to the din as a result of human rebellion and transgression. Ultimately, all prophets were rejected, persecuted, or killed except for
Muhammad.The Muslims are guided by the Islam faith by practicing 5 pillars of Islam or Arkan Al-din. While differences may occur in
the interpretation of Islamic law, all Muslims believe and accept the entirety of these obligations that must be strictly observed to avoid
being sent to hell on the “Day of Judgment.” The Five Pillars give structure and unity to all believers of Islam. Foremost among all
Muslims’ obligations is the declaration of their statement of belief called shahada (“witness”) that is recited during prayers and rituals.
Apart from shahada, the four other duties that must be performed by all Muslims are collectively called as ibadah (“state of
submission”). The ibadah aims to discipline the adherents and eliminate impostors to the Islamic faith. The ibadah is composed of
praying five times a day(Salat), fasting(Saum) during the time of Ramadan, giving of annual charity(Zukat), and undertaking a
pilgrimage to Mecca once in a Muslim’s lifetime(Hajj). For Muslim men to participate in hajj, they must be sound, physically able, and
able to provide for their dependents while they are on pilgrimage to Mecca. On the other hand, Muslim women may also take part in
hajj subject to a number of restrictions. For example, women must be accompanied by a male chaperon (mahram) who must be a
man they are legally unable to marry, such as their father or brother pilgrims (hajji) pray incessantly and perform extended washing
rituals. Pilgrims also shave and cut their hair and nails. For men, they wear a special ihram outfit that consists of two large pieces of
white, unhemmed clothes. One piece wraps around the waist and the other goes over the right shoulder. For women, they wear simple
white dresses.Once pilgrims are wearing their ihram, they are prohibited from removing this ritual dress, even when sleeping. They are
also forbidden from clipping their nails, hunting, arguing, or engaging in any sexual activity (Belt 2001). In ihram, Muslims cannot
shave, wash themselves, shampoo their hair, scratch themselves, kill anything (even a fly or mosquito), walk on grass, or injure any
living thing (Frager 2002)
The Islamic calendar is composed of 12 lunar months of between 29 and 30 days. A year in the Islamic calendar constitutes a total of
354 days. The difference between the solar and lunar calendar is adjusted by adding one day to the last month of the year 11 times
each 30 years

MONTH Festivities and Signigicance

Month 1: Muharram The Islamic year starts in the day of the hijra, Muhammad’s journey
(“The Sacred Month”) from Mecca to Medina in 622 C.E. •
Ashura: The assassination of the Imam Husayn at Karbala’in 680 C.E.
is commemorated on the 10th by Shi’ite Muslims
Month 3: Rabi al-Awai Birth of the Prophet: Muhammad’s birthday is celebrated on the 12th
(“The Spring”)
Month 9: Ramadan Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours throughout the month.
(“The Month of Great Laylat al-Qadr: The commemoration of the first revelation to the
Heat”) prophet is often celebrated on the 27th.
Month 10: Shawwal ‘Id al-Fitr: The Festival of Breaking the Fast at the beginning of
(“The Month of Shawwal concludes the fasting season.
Hunting”)
Month 12: Dhu al-Hijja Month of pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca. • Yawn Arafat: On the 9th, fasting
(“The Month of pilgrims perform the wuquf, standing before God on Mount Arafat.
Hajj”) ‘Id al-Adha: The Festival of Sacrifice on the 10th recalls the
sacrificial ram God gave to Abraham in place of his son, and coincides
with the end of Haj

Friday is the special day of worship for the Muslims as commanded by Muhammad. In mosques, Muslims are required to pray with his
fellows and prayers are led by an imam. An imam is a member of the community selected to lead the congregation due to the
devoutness and religiosity he manifests to the people (Hopfe 1983).

Guidede Activity: Make a reflection paper about the five pillars of the Islam and how it could have affected the lives of the prophet
Muhammad, Musa and Isa. Use the following questions as guide.
1. How do you feel about Moses and Jesus being regarded as prophets in the Islam faith? Why?
2. Do you think they also practiced the five pillars of Islam in a way? Why do you thinks so?
3. How would knowing the five pillars and the lives of prophets Musa, Isa and Muhammad make you understand religion at a deeper
level?

Guided Assessment

1. The name of the prophet Moses in Islam

2. The name of Jesus as prophet in Islam
3. The creed recited during rituals and prayers
as part of the five pillars of Islam
4. The pilgrimage to Mecca by Muslims
5. Ritual fasting during the Ramadan
6. Obligatory daily prayer for Muslims
7. A special outfit worn by pilgrims during hajj
8. Giving of annual charity for the benefit of
fellow Muslims

Enrichment 2 - Islamic law, Subdivisions and Selected Issues

The concept of law and justice in Islam, or the shari’a (“the road to the watering place”), is based upon the Quranic verses as
revealed by God to Muhammad. The universal laws passed down by God govern both the affairs of human and laws of nature (Horrie
& Chippindale 2003). Apart from the Quran(reading), the teachings of Muhammad or the hadiths(narratives) form the basis of
Islamic legal system. The shari’a is a path of conduct that must be followed by all Muslims. It concerns almost the totality of a Muslim’s
life – from home life, business interests, marital relations, inheritance, and various duties to the state and community (Brown 1975).
.Islamic jurisprudence or the science of Islamic law is called fiqh. All aspects of Muslim way of life and actions are covered
through fiqh. Human behavior may be classified into five categories: forbidden (haram), discouraged (makruh), neutral (mubah),
recommended (mandub), and obligatory (fard). Forbidden(haram) actions are both sinful and criminal under pain of punishment.
Accordingly, it is forbidden for all Muslims to eat animals that have died from natural causes or those animals that were not ritually
slaughtered. Pork is considered as the most unclean of all meats and must not be eaten no matter how the pig meat was produced.
Other haram behaviors include drinking blood, eating dried blood, and taking liquors. The Five Pillars is an example of an obligatory
category. Failure to observe these obligations is sinful and punishable as crime. Reprehended actions but not subject to punishments
belong to makruh. Meritorious or recommended deeds fall under mandub. Permitted behaviors that are neither good nor bad but
neutral are classified as mubah. The hadith collections can be consulted to resolve these matters.
Subdivisions
Similar to most major religions, Islam also has sects, which vary primarily as to how these sects interpret some aspects of the
Islamic faith and of the Quran. The Sunnis (“Followers of the Smooth Path”) are traditionalists and are considered the orthodox of
Islam as they endeavor to follow the original religion established by Muhammad and guided by the first four righteous caliphs
(Known as rashiduns (“rightly-guided caliphs”), the Sunnis accepted the legitimacy of the first four successors of Muhammad: Abu
Bakr (632-634 C.E.), Umar ibn al-Khattab (634-644 C.E.), Uthman ibn Affan (644-656 C.E.), and Ali ibn Abi Talib (656-661
C.E.).)(Hopfe 1983) These Muslims follow the sunnah (“customary practice”) of Muhammad from which their name originated. Sunnah
pertains to the orally transmitted record of wisdom, conduct, and sayings attributed to Muhammad and his earliest companions as
recorded in hadith. Muslims whose concern mainly dwell for a mystical union with God are collectively called Sufis. Their name
originate from the word suf that means “woolen” since they wore coarse wool garments or robes to symbolize poverty and
denunciation of worldly pleasures (Hopfe 1983). The Sufi movement may have started around the ninth century C.E. at the time when
there came a clarion call to live a simpler and austere life far from the splendor and grandeur that characterized the Abbasid Dynasty.
The Shi’ite Muslims are the largest faction within the Islam religion that separated from the rest of the community (Brown 1975).
Historically speaking, three close associates of Muhammad became successive leaders or caliphs of Islam with the death of the
founder in 632 C.E. The caliphate acted as a central unifying agency in Islamic history.
Selected Issues
Women in Islam must accept that their roles in society vary greatly when compared to men. Foremost, they must remain obedient
to their fathers and husband. A surah in the Quran depicts a woman’s father or husband as master and portrays the superiority of men
on women.When a woman is having her usual menstrual period, she must not enter any mosque. In some countries, Muslim women
are required to cover their face(abaya) and bodies when in company with men other than their immediate kin. The Quran views women
as spiritually equal to men. As both shall be assessed during the “Day of Judgment,” they must both perform good deeds.
Nevertheless, despite the elevation in the status of women in Muslim society, they remain seemingly inferior to men.
One controversial requirement placed upon Muslims by their faith concerns holy war or jihad. A frequently mistranslated term,
jihad means “effort” or “struggle” to convince unbelievers to pursue the Muslim way of life (Fletcher 2003). Strictly speaking, it could
mean a Muslim going to war to wipe out the infidels in the name of Allah (Hopfe 1983). However, the method of a jihadist can be a
peaceful one, such as living a pious life or observing the required obligations to his faith, or through violent means, especially if the
infidels are obstinate (Fletcher 2003).Islam is a religion of mercy that prohibits terrorism. During Muhammad’s time, he proscribed his
soldiers to kill women and children, and even listed murder as the second of the major sins (Ibrahim 1997). Punishment through the
use of fire was also forbidden by Muhammad. Since Islam is a religion of peace and mercy, terrorism in all its forms are abhorred by
Muslims. Destruction of human lives, buildings, infrastructures, shrines, and other properties are despicable in the light of various
Islamic texts (Ibrahim 1997). Muslims who promote terrorism and mass slaughter of innocent and helpless civilians do not embody
Islamic ideals. Their blatant disregard of Quranic teachings distorts the very essence of Islam as a peaceful religion. The presence of
violence in Islamic society cannot be attributed to the teachings of Islam but to the failings of human adherents of the religion (Frager
2002). A person committing an act of terrorism is guilty of violating Islamic laws for that matter.

Guided Assessment: True or False

_____1. Islam is peaceful religion..
_____2. Jihad means the effort to convince non believers to pursue the Muslim way of life.
_____3. The surah in the Quran portrays the woman as the master of the household.
_____4 Terrorism is a form of Holy War.
_____5. Sufis are concerned primarily concerned about the mystical union with God.
_____6.Shi’ites are the smallest faction of the Islam faith.
_____7. Pork is the cleanest meat a Muslim can eat according to Haram.
_____8. Not following the five pillars of Islam is punishable by Islamic Law
_____9. Meritorious or recommended deeds are called Haram.
_____10. Mubah, acording to Islamic law are actions that are neither good nor bad.

Reflection and evaluation:

Answer these questions to evaluate what you learned in this lesson.
What part of the lesson do you find most interesting and easy to understand?
What concpets do you find difficult to grasp and difficult to understand?

Referrences:
Jerome A. Ong and Mary Dorothy dL. Jose. Introduction to World religions and Belief Systems, Vibal
Group Inc.

*note.
 Kindly answer all activities except ones specified as opitonal.
 NO ANSWER KEY was provided in this lesson to encourage the learner to read and comprehend the
concepts at their own pace.
 If you find some concepts difficult you are encouraged to discuss your concerns and clarifications with
your teacher facilitator.
 Do not write anything on this booklet. Kindly write your answers on the medium specified by your
teacher facilitator. .