ISLAM

Islam is a religion that was founded by Muhammad in Mecca around the 7th
century.
Islam means “submission to God.” Its followers are called Muslims meaning one
who surrenders or submits to Allah.
Muhammad was born in AD570 to a powerful tribe of the Quraishin Mecca.
His father was called Abdullah and his mother was Aminah. Both his parents
died when he was young and he was left in the custody of his grandfather.
After the death of his grandfather, Muhammad was raised by his uncle Abu Talib.
His uncle trained him in business skills and when he was of age Muhammad
worked for a rich widow named Khadijah.
He was very hardworking and competent. Khadijah was very impressed by his
character that she offered her hand in marriage which Muhammad gladly accepted.
Muhammad was at this point 25 years old while Khadijah was 40. History records
that Muhammad loved Khadijah so much that he married no other woman till her
death.
The couple had six children, two boys and four daughters. However, five of these
children died in their infancy; only one daughter Fatima survived.
After his marriage, Muhammad began to think about religious issues. He began
taking retreats in deserts and mountains searching for the ‘truth.’
During one of these retreats while meditating at Mt Hera, Muhammad received a
revelation from God. He was told by the angel Gabriel to read to which he replied
he could not. Then the first five verses of God were revealed to him;
According to the Koran, this was the first revelation of Allah to Muhammad and
Muslims refer to the night Muhammad received the first revelation as the ‘Night of
Power.
The message spread among his friends, family and the people of Mecca.
Muhammad was told by the angel Gabriel to condemn paganism and idolatry of
Mecca.

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He then started teaching in Mecca highlighting the judgement day. This was the
day
the good would be rewarded and the wicked would be punished in Hell.
They laughed at him. At one time they tried to kill him.
Some of his converts were persecuted and some fled to Ethiopia.
In 622 AD, Muhammad and his followers fled to Medina where they were
promised protection by the leaders of Medina who had accepted the Islamic faith.
Once in Medina, Muhammad abandoned the quiet, non-political approach he had
used in Mecca and established himself as a religious, political and military leader.
Some historical sources show that Muhammad resorted to intimidation and force as
a way of spreading Islam.
In Medina, Muhammad and his followers resorted to looting in order to fend for
themselves (Watt 1982).
In 630 AD, the city of Mecca was defeated and it fell under the control of
Muhammad.
Muhammad destroyed all the idols of Mecca and declared the Kaabah to be the
place of worship for Allah.
Many people declared their allegiance to Islam and Muhammad either out of
choice or out of cohesion.
At the time of his death, Muhammad had established a system of religion and
social order which is still dominant today.
The nature of the Quran & why the Quran has supreme authority for
Muslims.
Muslims believe the Quran is the direct word of Allah.
It is divine, heavenly, and authentic & considered to be a miracle.
The first Surah (chapter) to be revealed was Surah ‘Alaq’. This happened in the
cave of
Hira on the Night Of Power (laylatulqadr) through the angel Gabriel.
The entire Quran was revealed over a period of 23 years.

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The prophet Muhammad would dictate the verses to his scribes and tell them
where
to write each verse and where to place them.
Many of the companions also memorised the Quran.
The Quran is split into 114 Surahs (chapters), 30 ajza(parts). Each surah has
Ayat (verses).
The Quran has supreme authority for the Muslims because:
They believe it contains the exact words of Allah.
It was brought to people through the final prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) as a message
to all of mankind.
It was recited exactly by the prophet and recorded immediately and accurately by
his
companions.
It has never been changed, so they are sure their knowledge is correct.
It’s a miracle from Allah because Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) didn’t know how to
read and write.
It shows them how to follow the straight path.
It inspires them to struggle in the cause of Allah.
It makes clear to them their obligations and duties towards Allah.
It enables them to practice their religion properly and to be guided.
It encourages them through the examples of faithful believers.
It develops love for Allah.
Attributes of Allah
- Allah's essential attributes belong to Allah only; they are not owned by any other
being. For instance, the attribute Pre-Eternity is not in question for any other being.
The essential attributes have no relation with other beings.

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1- Wujud (Existence)
2- Qidam (Pre-eternity),
3- Baqa (Everlastingness),
4- Wahdaniyyah (Oneness, having no partners),
5- Qiyam bi Nafsihi (Self-existence),
6- Mukhalafalil-Hawadith (Non-resemblance to the creatures).
The Five Pillars of Islam
1. Faith or belief in the Oneness of God
(Allah) and the finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him
(pbuh);
2. Establishment of the 5 daily prayers;
3. Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
4. Self-purification through fasting in the month of Ramadan.
5. The pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able.
Ethical Teachings in the Qu’ran :-
The Ethical Teachings in the Qur’an are :-
1. Worship only Allah :- And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but
Him ( 17;23)
2. Be Kind, humble and honorable to one’s parents:- And that you be kind ( Dutiful
) to one’s
parents if one of or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word
of disrespect,
nor shout at them but address them in terms of honor(17:23/4:36).
3. Be Neither miserly nor wasteful in one’s expenditure: - And spend not
wastefully (your
wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, spendthrift is brothers of the devils
(Shyatin)

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(17:26-27).
4. Do not engage in mercy killings for fear of starvation: - And kill not your
children for fear
of poverty (starvation). We shall provide for them as well as for you. Surely, the
killing of them
is a grave sin (17:31).
5. Do not commit adultery:- And come not near to the unlawful sex. Verily, it is a
Fahishah
(grave sin) and an evil way (17:32).
6. Do not kill unjustly:- And don’t kill anyone whose killing Allah has forbidden,
expect for
just cause (17:33).
7. Care for orphaned children:- And come not near to the orphan’s property expect
to improve
it, until he attains the age of strength (17:34).
8. Fulfill promises:- And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be
questioned
about (17:34).
9. Be honest and fair in one’s interactions:- And give full measure when you
measure and
weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good (advantageous) and better in the
end (17:35).
10. Do not walk on earth arrogantly:- And walk not on earth with conceit and
arrogance. Verily!
You can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like the
mountains in
height (17:37/31:18).
11. Fear Allah and speak truth:- O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and
fear him, and

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speak (always) the truth (33:70).
12. Remain away from intoxicants and gambling: So, avoid (strictly all) that
(abomination) in order that you may be successful (5:90).
13. Be good and kind towards relatives and neighbours: - And do good to kinsfolk
(relatives),
orphans, the poor, the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger,
the company
by your side, the wayfarer (you meet) (4:36).
Key beliefs in Islam
Belief in Allah
 Muslims believe that there is only one Supreme Being whom they call Allah
who is without spouse, children or equals.
 Muslims believe that no one has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone.
 Allah is the true Supreme Being and other deities are false.
 No one shares his divinity nor his qualities.
 Allah alone is the almighty, the creator of everything in the whole universe.
Belief in Angels
 Muslims believe in the existence of the Angels and that they are unseen and
honoured creatures of Allah.
 The angels worship Allah alone, obey Him and act only through his command.
 Among the angels there is Gabriel who brought down the Quran to
Muhammad.
Belief in Prophets
 Muslims believe in prophets, starting with Adam,
including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Jesus.
 Muslims believe that Allah’s final message was revealed to Prophet

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Muhammad.
 Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last prophet sent by Allah. Quran 33
verse 40 says:
“Muhammad is not the father of your men, but he is the messenger of God and
the last of the prophets”.
Belief in the day of judgement
 Muslims believe in the day of judgement when all people will be resurrected
for Allah’s judgement according to their beliefs and deeds.
Belief in predestination
 Allah is all powerful and nothing can happen without his permission but he
has given people freedom to choose whether to be good or bad.
 Human beings were granted freewill by Allah so they are responsible for their
choices.
 The belief in divine predestination includes belief in four things which are:
i. Allah knows everything that has happened and what will happen.
ii. Allah has recorded all that has happened and what will happen.
iii. Allah’s will is what comes to pass, and whatever he wills not to happen
does not happen.
iv. Allah is the creator of everything.
SYMBOLS
Islamic symbols
 Islam was founded by Prophet Muhammad in Arabia.
 Symbols are tools which are used to teach others about the religion, and they
are items often passed down from generation to generation.
 There are many symbols of Islam which include the star and the crescent

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moon, Koran, prayer beads, Kaaba, prayer rugs.
The star and crescent
 The bilal or crescent moon is the primary and most commonly known symbol
of Islam.
 The star and crescent is widely accepted as a symbol of the Islamic faith, and is
used in decorative arts, jewellery and national flags.
 It signifies the importance of the lunar calendar in organizing the religious life
of Muslims.
 The crescent symbolizes concentration and openness.
 The star symbolizes paradise.
 It is, however, not accepted by all Muslims especially the modern Muslims
such as Sufis.
 The crescent moon is seen on the flags of many Muslim countries and is used
as a symbol for the Muslim’ Red Cross known as the Red Crescent.
Quran or Koran
 The Koran which is also known as the Quran is the sacred book of Islam and
the most important symbol of the faith.
 The Koran is written in Arabic.
 Muslims believe that the verses of the Koran are proof that Muhammad was a
prophet and the words in the Quran are the true words of God hence once
should study and know the Quran.
Prayer beads
 Prayer beads are also known as Masbaha, Sibha or Tasbeeh and are an
important symbol used in Islam for meditation.
 Islam prayer beads are made up of ninety-nine beads, each bead represents

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one of the ninety-nine names of Allah.
 The beads help Muslims to count the number of prayers said.
Prayer rugs
 Prayer rugs are an extremely important Islamic symbol and are used by
Muslims when they pray to Allah.
 The word 'salat' is used to describe the ritual of prayers is are recited five
times a day by those who follow the Islamic faith.
 Prayer mats are placed on the floor and worshippers kneel on the rug to say
their prayers.
 It is vital that the prayer mats are placed facing Mecca, the holy place for
Muslims.
 Prayers are usually said at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening.
Before praying, the hands, feet and face must be washed, the process is called
ablutions in Islam.
 The mats should be kept clean also.
 Carpet designs are many but a number of symbols on these rugs represent
different things. A Muslim prayer rug is designed with an arched doorway or
prayer niche (mihrab). The mihrab represents the direction to Mecca, ghebleh,
or qibla in Arabic. It guides believers in showing them the direction of prayer
which is Mecca.
 Some mihrab designs on prayer rugs resemble the arch of a door or a window
that opens to a garden which Muslim believe is the paradise or the Garden of
Eden.
 Other mats depict various versions of the tree of life.
 Many carpet designs bring the tree of life and the mihrab together in the

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same carpet.
The Hand of Fatima.
 Hamsa means five.
 It is an amulet shaped as a hand with three raised fingers and two thumbs.
 It is also known as the hand of Fatima or the eye of Fatima.
 It was named after the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.
 It represents five pillars of Islam or essential duties of every Muslim.

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