INTRODUCTION TO WORLD

RELIGION

AND BELIEFS SYSTEM

ISLAM
 At the end of the lesson, you should be
able to:
Identify the life of Muhammad as a prophet
of Islam.
Explain the basic features of Islam's sacred
texts, namely the Qur'an and Hadith.
Explain the Five Pillars of Islam, namely,
shahadah, salat, zakat, sawm, and hajj.
Discuss some of the challenges faced today
by Islam.
 Islam and the Muslims
The word Islam literally means “surrender” or
“submission.” In the context of the religious tradition
of Islam, the word specifically means “surrender or
submission to God.” The word Muslim or Moslem, on
the other hand, means “one who submits to God.”
Thus the followers of Islam are the Muslims (or
Moslems).
Founder: Muhammad
Islam began and developed
in the region of Arabia,
particularly in the cities of
Mecca and Yathrib (Medina-
meaning,” the city of the
Prophet”) in the early
seventh century CE.
Muslims believe that the
teachings of Islam all come
from God or Allah through
the revelations Muhammad
(also spelled as
“Mohammad” or
“Mohammed.”
Sacred Texts: Qur’an and Hadith
The Qur’an which literally
means “the recitation” is the
central religious text of Islam.
Muslims revere the Qur’an as
Allah’s revelations. It is
written in Arabic wherein
chapters are called suras and
the verses are called aryas. The
Qur’an consists of 114 suras,
which cover a wide variety of
topics which include origins of
Islam in the persons of the
different prophets, values, and
specific instructions on how to
live an ethical life.
Sacred Texts: Qur’an and Hadith
The Sura Al-Fatiha is the first
chapter of the Qur’an. Its verses
constitute the prayer for God’s
guidance and stress the Lordship
and Mercy of Allah.

The Sura Al-Fatiha has a special

role in a Muslim’s salat or daily
prayers since it is recited at the start
of every rak’ah (unit of prayer).
Doctrines
Islam has five pillars which serve as
the bastion of their faith. They are
Shahadah, Salat, Sawm, Zakat, and
Hajj. These five pillars are acts that
are mandatory among all Muslims.
They are summarized in the hadith of
Gabriel as narrated by the successor
to Muhammad.
 Five Pillars of Islam
Shahadah: Faith
The Shahadah or the Islamic testimony of faith
is the most important among the pillars for it
serves as the foundation for other pillars. The
Shahadah is a Muslim’s declaration of faith. A
Muslim professes that “there is only one God
(Allah) and that the prophet Muhammad is
God’s messenger.” The Shahadah is essential to
be uttered by a person who wants to be a
Muslim and convert to Islam.
 Five Pillars of Islam
Salat: Prayer

Salat is an Islamic prayer which consists of five daily

prayers.
Muslims pray at Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (noon), Asr
(afternoon), Maghrib (evening), and Isha (night)
Five Pillars of Islam

Zakat: Alms-giving

Muslims are obligated to give alms and pay religious tax.

The act of alms-giving or Zakat is based on income and the
value of a Muslim’s possessions. The practice of Zakat is
also an act of purification and growth for Muslims because
it allows a believer to achieve balance.
Five Pillars of Islam

Sawm: Fasting
Muslims are also required
to perform a ritual fasting
called Sawm. On the month
of Ramadan, Muslims must
abstain from food and drink
starting from dawn to dusk
during this month, and are
to be especially mindful of
their sins.
Five Pillars of Islam
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca

The Hajj is a pilgrimage that occurs during Islamic month of Dhu al-
Hijjah to the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim (and those who
can afford it) is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once.
Upon completion of the pilgrimage, Muslim is called a hajji (male
pilgrim) or hajjiyah (a female pilgrim).
God: Allah
“Allah” is the Arabic word for
“God.” Muslims believe that
there is only One God and that is
Allah. In Islam, Allah is the
creator of the universe and the
judge of the humankind.
Practitioners: Sunni Muslims, Shia
Muslims, and Sufi Muslims
Sunni Muslims
Sunni Muslims, who are also known as “Ahl as-
Sunnah” or “people of the tradition of
Muhammad” are the largest denomination among
the three. Sunni Muslims follow the Qur’an as
well as the hadith which are preserved in
traditions known as Al-Kutub Al-Sittah (six major
books).
Sunni Muslims believe that the first four caliphs
namely: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali
were the rightful successors to Muhammad.
Practitioners: Sunni Muslims, Shia
Muslims, and Sufi Muslims
Shia Muslims
Shia Muslims constitute around 10-20%
of the believers of Islam and are
considered as the second largest
denomination. As opposed to the Sunni
Muslims who believe that a caliph should
be elected by the Ummah, Shia Muslims
believe that the prophet Muhammad
appointed Ali ibn Abi Talib as his
successor.
Practitioners: Sunni Muslims, Shia
Muslims, and Sufi Muslims
Sufi Muslims
Adherents to Sufism believe in the
“spiritual” aspect of Islam, Sufis dive love
and knowledge through a direct personal
experience of Allah. By focusing on the
more spiritual aspects of Islam, Sufi
Muslims strive to experience the divine.
 SOME
MAJOR
ISSUES
 Gender Inequality
Gender inequality refers to the
unequal treatment or perceptions of
individuals based on their gender.
There are critics of Islam who
argue that Islamic law and its
societal norms discriminate against
women.
 Gender Inequality
Sophie Simon (n.d.) in a paper entitled “Women in
Islam: Are gender equality and religious freedom
mutually exclusive?”

Muslim scholar Hadhrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din

Mahmud Ahmad (2008) who said “The Holy Prophet
declared that God has particularly entrusted him with
the task of safeguarding the rights of the women. He
proclaimed in the name of God that man and woman
by virtue of their humanity were equal to each other.”
 Militant Islam
If Islam is a religion that compels a
believer to totally submit himself or
herself to Allah, and Muslims revere Allah
as the “Most Beneficent and the Most
Merciful,’ why is it that there are violent
acts as murder, genocide, child
molestation and modern-day slavery are
committed in the name of Islam?”
 Migration
When a group of people move from one
country, region, or place to another we say
that humans has occurred. Among
Muslims, migration is not only an act of
transferring from one location to the next
but an event that has repercussions to their
Islamic faith.
Regional Origins of Muslim Migrants

Percentage of Muslim migrants who have come from each region

Middle East-North
Africa
Europe
33%
45%
Latin America

North America
8%
14% Sub-Saharan Africa
1%
1%
Top 10 Countries of Origin
For Muslim migrants
1. Palestinian territory 5,680,000
2. Pakistan 3,360,000
3. Bangladesh 3,320,000
4. India 3,200,000
5. Afghanistan 2,990,000
6. Turkey 2,880,000
7. Morocco 2,850,000
8. Egypt 2,600,000
9. Iraq 2,320,000
10.Kazakhstan 2,130,000
 
Regional Destinations of Muslim Migrants

Percentage of Muslim migrants who have come from each region

19%

33% Middle East-North

Africa
Europe
Latin America
12% North America
Sub-Saharan Africa
Asia Pacific

5%

1%

30%
Top 10 Destination Countries
For Muslim migrants
1. Saudi Arabia 5,620,000
2. Russia 4,030,000
3. Germany 3,230,000
4. France 3,040,000
5. Jordan 2,830,000
6. Pakistan 2,460,000
7. United States 2,130,000
8. Iran 2,100,000
9. United Arab Emirates 2,090,000
10.Syria 1,970,000