Islam



Arabia before Islam espirit chart **The 5 Pillars of Islam ** Reading taken from //Muslim Holidays(//Fountain Valley, CA: Council on Islamic Education, 2002), 65-69
 * E || The early civilizations of the Islamic world were focused on two key towns Mecca and Medina for their large influence on trade and agriculture. The nomadic people who lived in clan groups and herded goats and camels. Their wealth lay in the city of Mecca. Mecca was known for having the most important shrine Ka’ba. People would travel to Mecca and trade. Medina was another popular town for trade. It was located on the oasis which made it perfect for agriculture. The inhabitants of Medina grew wheat, date palms, and other staples. ||
 * S || The organization of the town was based on clans, families, language, religion, and culture, which was similar to nomads. Loyalty to one’s family or clan was key. The women’s roles were to milk camels, weave cloth, and care for the children. The clans of men were usually on the move. Many tribes allowed men and women to have more than one partner. To get married, the male had to pay a price to the desired women’s family. In these time women weren’t pre selected nor wore veils. Women wrote many poems in this era. Although they had all these options women were still inferior to men. Their status depended on the clan or family. The practices of property control, divorce, or inheritance was up to the men. ||
 * P || The practice of watering places and grazing lands, were controlled by clan councils. There was inequality of wealth among the clan groups and tribes. They would elect a leader for the tribes called Shaykhs. These leaders were usually picked from elder advisors, and they had multiple wives, many children, large herds, and numerous retainers. ||
 * I || Each Clan was enforced by fierce inter-clan rivalry and struggles to control critical pasture and water supplies. Wars often broke out, and any member of a rival clan who was found stealing was killed. The constant fights caused them to become weekend in relation with their neighboring people. ||
 * R || The Bedouin religion was based on animism and polytheism. A tribe called Quraysh, knew Allah to be a supreme god. But they didn’t focus their prayers and rituals towards Allah, and did so to other spirits. The practice of worship was usually in sacred caves, pure springs, or groves of trees, it was the only options for their nomadic lifestyle. Religion did have much to do with ethics but had influence on standards of morality.  ||
 * I || The Bedouin creativity in pre-Islamic era was pottery, and clan and tribal bards told poems about their warriors and their clan’s greatest deeds. Some say that the poets were to have magical powers or be possessed. They told of love, generosity, passion, war, vendettas, and loyalty.  ||
 * T || The era of the pre-Islamic Arab was very limited in technology, and the poverty of their natural environmentcaused the Arab material culture and technology not to be very developed. They did have wells for their water supplies.  ||

The word Islam means “peace through submission to God.” Muslim practice is defined by the //Qur’an //(holy scripture) and the //Sunnah//, or example set by Prophet Muhammad and transmitted through the //Hadith// (recorded words and deeds).  Islam is a universal religion, meaning that anyone may accept its beliefs and become a Muslim, or follower of Islam. A Muslim is “one who seeks peace through submission to God.” This means striving to reach a goal rather than achieving a fixed identity. “Seeking the face of God” is an expression often used to describe this lifetime goal.  To fulfill the identity of a Muslim, a person must carry out certain acts, and live a moral, God-fearing life.

These basic acts required of a Muslim are called the Five Pillars. Accepting Islam requires only that a person state the basic creed, “There is no god but God ” and “ Muhammad is the messenger of God.” <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> That is the first of the five basic acts or duties. The Five Pillars of Islam are: <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">(1) //shahadah// -- <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">to state belief in One God and the prophethood of Muhammad, <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(2) //salat// -- to pray five obligatory prayers each day, <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(3) //siyam// -- to fast from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan each year, <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(4) //zakat// – to pay obligatory charity each year, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(5) // hajj // -- to make the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The following sections describe the pillars in detail. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">1. Shahadah (the Islamic Creed) **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The declaration of faith in Islam is a simple statement that <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">begins //Ashud anna//,” (“I witness that”), and continues with the statement //La illaha illa Allah// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(“ There is no god but God ”), and ends with the affirmation //wa Muhammad rasul Allah// (“and <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Muhammad is the messenger of God <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">”). The first part defines the role of the Muslim, a <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">continuous striving throughout life. This striving reaches into all aspects of personality and <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">activity toward the self, the family and the community, to the entire community of humankind <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">and the natural environment. The second part affirms the existence of one God by negating the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">existence of any other creature that people might worship, or any partner with God. It underlines <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">the Muslim’s direct relationship with God as a witness and as a servant of God. No central <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">authority nor privileged persons stand between God and the individual. The third part of the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">creed witnesses that God sent prophets to humankind, as stated in the scriptures revealed before <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">the Qur’an. Then, it affirms that Muhammad was a prophet, or messenger who received <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">revelation (the Qur’an) and guidance from God. Among the earlier revelations mentioned in the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Qur’an are the Torah (given to Moses), the Psalms (given to David) and the Evangelium (given <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">to Jesus). This series of prophets and revelation includes—among others—Adam, Noah, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus, and Muhammad, according to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">the universally accepted teachings of Islam. The Qur’an states that what was revealed to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Muhammad confirmed the basic message of the earlier scriptures.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2. Salah (Muslims’ Daily Prayer) **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is the five daily prayers that are the duty of every Muslim. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Muslims perform the recitations and physical movements of //salah// as taught by their prophet <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Muhammad, according to Islamic sources. Each of the five prayers can be performed within a <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">window of time. (1) between dawn and sunrise, (2) noon to mid-afternoon, (3) between midafternoon <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">and just before sunset, (4) at sunset, and (5) after twilight until nighttime. <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Prayer time <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">is determined by the sun’s position, which Muslims today calculate by clock time, using charts <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">that change with the longer and shorter days of each season. Before praying, Muslims perform a <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">brief ritual washing. This purification prepares the worshipper for entering the state of prayer, of <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">standing before God. It is a symbol of the cleansing effect of prayer. No matter what language <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">they speak, all Muslims pray in the Arabic language. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In the //salah//, Muslims recite specific words and selected verses from the Qur’an while standing, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">bowing, kneeling with the hands and forehead touching the ground, and sitting. Each cycle of <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">movements is one //rak’at//, or unit of prayer, and each of the five prayers has between two and <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">four units. At the end of the prayer, and throughout their lives, Muslims pray informally, asking <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">for guidance and help in their own words. They also recite special prayers passed down as the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">words of the prophets. If two or more Muslims pray together, one of them will be the //imam// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(prayer leader), and the others form rows behind the //imam//. //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Masjid //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is the Arabic name for an Islamic house of worship. The common English term //mosque// is <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">a French version of the Spanish word //mezquita//. The //masjid// is named after the position of prayer <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">called //sujud//, which means kneeling with the hands and forehead touching the ground. The //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">masjid //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">is a simple, enclosed space oriented towards the city of Makkah (on the Arabian <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Peninsula ) where Islam’s holiest place—the Ka’bah –--is located. There is no furniture except <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">mats or rugs, and Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder in rows, following the movements of the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">prayer leader all together. Because of these movements and the closeness of the worshippers, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">women pray together in rows behind the men.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">3. Sawm (Fasting) **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">During one month each year, Muslims fast, meaning that they do not eat or   <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">drink anything between dawn and sunset. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Fasting is a duty for adults, but many children <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">participate voluntarily, for at least part of the day, or only a few days. The fast begins with //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">sahoor //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">(a pre-dawn meal). While fasting, Muslims perform the dawn, noon and afternoon <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">prayers, and go about their normal duties. At sunset, Muslims break their fast with a few dates <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">and water, then pray, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> then eat //iftar// (a meal that breaks the fast). //Iftar// is usually eaten with family <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">and friends, or at the //masjid//, which hosts meals donated by community members for all. After <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">the evening prayer, many Muslims go to the //masjid// for congregational prayers that feature a <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">reading of one thirtieth of the Qur’an each night. They complete the whole Qur’an by the end of <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">the month.

<span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The Qur’an links fasting with the practice of earlier prophets and religions: “//You who believe!// //<span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you that you may learn selfrestraint //<span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">.”(Qur’an 2:183) <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The fast begins at dawn on the first day of Ramadan, the tenth month <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">of the Islamic lunar calendar. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Muslims may fast individually during the year, but doing it as a community magnifies the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">experience. The rhythm of life changes, and people’s relations soften. Daily schedules change, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">and some workplaces and schools can adjust their schedules. Living outside majority Muslim <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">countries, Muslims find ways to cope and make the most of Ramadan. Gathering with others is <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">an important part of that, whether in homes or in //masjids// and community centers. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Each individual experiences hunger and its discomforts, but in a few days, the body gets used to <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">it. Muslims are supposed to fast in the spirit as well, and make extra effort to avoid arguments, <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">conflicts and bad words, thoughts, and deeds <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. Fasting builds will-power against temptation, helps <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">people feel sympathy <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> for those in need, and encourages generosity toward others. Fasting causes <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">physical and psychological changes, and many claim that it is a healthy way to purify the body. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Fasting helps people to reevaluate their lives spiritually, and draw closer to God.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">3. **Zakah (Charity as a Duty)** is the annual giving of a percentage of a Muslim’s wealth and <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">possessions beyond basic needs. The word means " purification," meaning that a person is <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">purified from greed by giving wealth to others. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> When Muslims have cash savings for a year, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">they give 2.5% of it as //zakat. Zakat// on other forms of wealth, such as land, natural resources, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">and livestock is calculated at different rates. Paying the //zakat// reminds Muslims of the duty to <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">help those less fortunate <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, and that wealth is a gift entrusted to a person by God rather than a  <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">possession to be hoarded selfishly. Prophet Muhammad set the precedent that //zakah// was <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">collected and distributed locally, and what remained after meeting local needs was <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">distributed to the larger Muslim community through the general treasury. //Zakah// money <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">belongs to several categories of persons: “//The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">those [public servants] who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarers; a duty // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">.” (Qur’an 9:60). <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Muslims may distribute //zakah// to needy and deserving people and groups on their own, and each <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">person is responsible for figuring out the amount owed. Of course, 2.5% is a minimum amount, <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">and more may be given. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Islamic traditional sources mention charity often. A //hadith// of the Prophet said: “//Charity is a// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">necessity for every Muslim.” //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">He was asked: //‘What if a person has nothing?’ The Prophet// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">replied: ‘He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">earnings in charity.’ //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The Companions asked: //‘What if he is not able to work?’// The Prophet said: //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">‘He should help poor and needy persons.’ //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The Companions further asked: //‘What if he cannot do// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">even that?’ //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The Prophet said: //‘He should urge others to do good.’// The Companions said: //‘What// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">if he lacks that also?’ //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The Prophet said: //‘He should check himself from doing evil. That is also// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">charity //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">.’”

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">5. Hajj (Journey to Makkah) ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The basic act of worship in Islam is the pilgrimage (journey) to the city of Makkah during a  <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">certain time of year. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The //hajj// rites symbolically reenact the trials and sacrifices of Prophet <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Abraham, his wife Hajar, and their son Isma’il over 4,000 years ago. Muslims must perform the //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">hajj //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">at least once in their lives, provided their health and finances permit. The //hajj// is performed <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">annually by over 2,000,000 people during the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">, //Dhul-// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Hijjah //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. In commemoration of the trials of Abraham and his family in Makkah, which included <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in response to God’s command, Muslims make a <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">pilgrimage to the sacred city at least once in their lifetime. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> The //hajj// is one of the “five pillars” of <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Islam, and thus an essential part of the faith and practice of Muslims. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Muslims from all over the world, including the United States, travel to Makkah (in today’s Saudi <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Arabia). Before arriving in the holy city, Muslims enter a state of being called **//ihram//**. They <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">remove their ordinary clothes and put on the simple dress of pilgrims--two seamless white sheets <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">for men, and usually, white dresses and head covering for women <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">. The pilgrims are dressed in <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">the same simple clothes. No one can tell who is rich, famous or powerful. White clothes are a <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">symbol of purity, unity, and equality before God. The gathering of millions of pilgrims at <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Makkah is a reminder of the gathering of all humans before God at the Judgment Day. It is a <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">symbol of the Muslim ummah, because pilgrims gather from all corners of the earth. It is a <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">symbol of the past, because the pilgrims visit places where Abraham and his family faced the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">challenge of their faith, and where Muhammad was born and preached. Pilgrims go around the <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Ka’bah. According to Islamic teachings, it was the first house of worship for one God on earth. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Pilgrims call //“Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk,”// which means //“Here I am at your service, O// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">God, here I am!” //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This echoes the call of Abraham in the Hebrew Bible, in answer to the call of <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">God. Pilgrims also walk seven times between the hills named **Safa** and **Marwah**, where they <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">recall how Ishmael’s mother searched for water for him, and the spring of water called Zam-zam <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">flowed under his foot, and still flows. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Other stations of the pilgrimage are nearby Makkah, where they perform prayers, camp <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">overnight, and stand all together on the Plain of Arafat asking for God’s forgiveness and <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">guidance. <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> They recall Abraham’s struggle with Satan by casting pebbles at three stone columns. <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Pilgrims complete the hajj by sacrificing a sheep or other animal, whose meat is to be shared <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">with family, friends, and those in need. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Nowadays, a meat processing plant near the place of <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">sacrifice helps distribute the meat around the world. The sacrifice reminds of the Biblical and <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Quranic story telling how Abraham was willing to sacrifice even his son for God, and a ram <span style="background: aqua; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">appeared in the boy’s place. <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Pilgrims leave the state of ihram by trimming or cutting their hair and returning to Makkah for a <span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">final visit to the Ka’bah. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> A //hadith// of Prophet Muhammad says that a pilgrim “//will return as free// //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">of sin as a newborn baby //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">.” The pilgrimage brings Muslims from all around the world, of  <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">different nationalities, languages, races, and regions, to come together in a spirit of universal <span style="background: lime; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">humanity to worship God together. //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">And when We made the House at Makkah a place of assembly and a place of safety for // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">humankind, saying: Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood to // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">pray. And We laid a duty upon Abraham and Ishmael: Purify My house for those who go // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">around and those who meditate therein and those who bow down in worship. // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">And when Abraham prayed: My Lord! Make this a city of peace region of security and // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">feed its people with fruits, such of them as believe in God and the Last Day, He // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">answered: As for him who disbelieves, I shall leave him content for a while, then I shall // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">compel him to the doom of fire--a hapless journey’s end! // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">And remember when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House, with this // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">prayer: Our Lord! Accept from us this service. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the // //<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Knower. // <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">From Surat al-Baqara, Ayah 125-128 (adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall translation)

** Five Pillars of Islam: **
1. Devotion and belief in one god and the messenger of god/ prophet Mohammad. This is their declaration of faith called, “shadhadah”. The purpose of this is that life is purpose is to serve god under last prophet Mohammad’s teaching. 2. Prayers daily; Obligatory prayers are called Salah. Prayers are done five times a day. There is no priest, and prayer are done by those who best know the Quran and are chosen by congregation. Prayers are done at dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and night fall. Preferred to pray in mosques, but Muslim pray anywhere. 3. Giving to charity or less fortunate; It is believed that all things are gods’ and the wealth or money are given to humans as trust. The word Zakah is both purification and growth. Each Muslim is to set aside a proportion for the needy or society in general. 4. Fasting and self – purification; Ramadan is practiced once a year and all Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. Elderly, Women on menstruating, pregnant, or nursing may abstain from fasting but can make up the days later in the year. Children may begin after puberty. 5. For those who can ; travel or visit to Makah; The pilgrimage to makkah is called hajj, and is expected of those physically and financially stable. About 2 million people visit. Notes from video: · Call to all for prayer · Cultures across the globe are shaped by Islam · Mohammad – changed everything, that being so the creation of Islam developed · 570 A.D born · Sent to live with Bedouin because they were most cultured · His parents died when he was 6, and he live with his uncle, chief of the clan · He went around being a little bit of everyone’s family · Pre Islamic religion was passed orally and main by poets · Poems- would celebrate tribal war victories. · Water supply was sacred · They worshiped many natural spirits · Its was said that Abraham created the caba · The place in the middle of caba were everyone placed a hand- influenced trade · Arabic insecent, perfume, great mix of culture · Local religion of jews and Christians · Mohammad became a merchant, when he was 25 he was leding to mecca with a caraven, and met a women that caught his eyes and she proposed marriage · He had a way with people and solving their conflicts · The people called him the trusted one, he put back the sacred black stone · He talked to Christian and jewish sages, and use to meditate in the mountains · He had a vision that would define his life, an angel came to him to recite in the word of god powerful words to give the people a message: THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD! · No more tribal divisions because one god meant one people · A new way of life and equality · The quran was revieled oraly and then written down- it is a revelation of ethical and social guidance · Some of the tribes had douts about the message and didn’t feel that the quran was mirical enough for him to be a prophet and afterlife seemed to be a lie, they got together to eliminate mohhamad · 600 a.d, his wife and uncle his only protector die · A clan north of mecca invited mohhamad and his followers, and the went · Leaving everything behind was a big devotion, an dthey were bounded by faith · 622 was the first year of Islam · Medina was the city of the prophet · Mohammad house was the first mosque, the call of prayer began · He received the revelation to prayer towards Mecca, while Mecca was preparing to end the Muslims · The Muslims prepared but were out matched ( old men, and boy, and some women) · Fought 3 very bloody battles – three years · During the war the Muslim army grew – and Mohammad won and the630 A.D returned home, 10,00 strong · Little pity for the losing side men killed and women and kids sold into slavery · Mohammad entered the shrine in Mecca and destroyed the tribal system by disposing of the statues of the gods · This meant a new beginning and slowly every town joined in becoming Muslim · From 622 plus 50 years Islam continued to spread · The empire was larger than Rome
 * The five Pillars of Islam the Quran has with the pillars is that it brings together the religion. The Quran is the Holy Scriptures that Allah gave to Mohammad for to be a guide to their Islamic faith. They use the Quran in each of the five pillars; shahadah,Salat,siyam, zakat, and hajj.

Summary: The video talked about the begining of Islam and how Muhammad became the last prophet .The video describes how pre arabia clans ruled the Araibian penisula. Then goes in depth to describe Muhammad's up bringing. He was a admirable strong man who demostrated great leader skills. It tells of how he was recieved the message to give the people the Quran and that was his mircal, which created the Islamic faith expantion. It also talks of all his struggles to convert the tribal people to islam.

Questions: -After Muhammad’s death, Islamic followers worked in favorer of converting people to the Islamic faith. The empires that lacked a strong military were conquered and had them convert by force. By 633, Islam’s followers were a big group. What were the motivations for Islamic conquest? · The Islamic faith gave them strength to unit · They could leave the Bedouin warlike tribes · Also gave them freedom to worship (jihads) · Political weakness- Sasanian empire · The lack of unity in the Byzantine empire- they were betrayed · The Byzantine Empire was also weak after battles with Persia. The Sunni and Shi'a groups, divided due to conflict over who becomes the leader to take muhammad’s place as leader of Muslims. The shi’a wanted Ali to take the role of leader. The sunni believed that the heir should be -The extent went into Asia creating conflict with the Buddhist religion. They spread in to North Africa, west to India’s border, and conquered Spain. But we stopped by Charles Martel, and the Franks. -The people of the book were allowed to practice any religion but still had to pay taxes. They were accepted as full members of the Umma but were allowed to be part of the Arab clan. · Women were expected to be married, it was viewed ass ethical and morally correct. · They could not have more than one husband. · Men could marry up to four wives. · Adultery was forbidden for both · Women couldn’t lead prayers · -they abounded Muhammad’s teachings · Their legitimate had been questioned by factions · They didn’t want were and just wanted to rest in their luxury
 * 1) How did the death of Muhammad lead to the Expansion of Islam?
 * 1) How were the Umayyads able to defeat their adversaries?
 * 1) What caused the major division in Islam?
 * 1) What was the extent of the Islamic Empire under the Umayyads?
 * 1) How were people of the book treated under the Umayyads?
 * 1) Explain gender structures under the Umayyads?
 * 1) What factors led to the decline of the Umayyads?

**From Arab to Islamic Empire: The early Abbasid** Era:


 * E || The Abbasid era was the time of great inner-city expansion which was linked to a revival of the Afro-Eurasian trading network. And declined after the decline of Han China and the Fall of Rome. Arab trading ships called **dhows** were used to carry goods between civilizations, and Muslims merchants joined trading companies with Christians and Jews. The profits were invested in new business ventures, purchase of land, and construction of mansions. The merchants became rich by supplying the cities of the empire with provisions. Some of the wealth went to the charity, as demanded in the Quran. ||
 * S || The growing wealth of the Abbasid elite lead to a growing demand for both male and female slaves. These slaves were prized for their beauty and intelligence, and slaves were often quite learned. The male slaves actually had more freedom than free wives. Although lower class women would farm, rich women weren’t able to do much outside their home. The women were often married at puberty meaning around age 9. They had to devote their lives to running a house hold and their husbands. ||
 * P || The continuous support of the Shi's and mawali allowed the Abbasid to defeat any political rivalry. The Abbasid betrayed their old allies, becoming more self-righteous, eventually establishing a central empire in **Baghdad**. There was an ever expanding group of bureaucrats and servants. This was especially reflected in the increased power of the **Wazir**, or chief. ||
 * I || The main focus of art and self-expression was in Mosques and Palaces. The religious, politics, and philosophical discussion, they focused on math and science, and preservation of the ancient Greek advancements. ||
 * R || During the Abbasid rule, mass conversion to Islam was encouraged for all people of empire. Most converts were won peacefully through the appeal of Islamic beliefs and the advantage over non-converts. ||
 * I || For example, the **Buyid**, of Persia invaded the heartlands of Abbasid in 945AD and capture the capital. Buyid, who took the title of **sultan**, a term to label many Muslim rulers, especially in the West. While the Buyid controlled the court. The Buyid control over the caliphate was broken in turn by another nomadic group of invaders known as the **Seljuk Turks.** The Christian **Crusades** were the first direct opposition to the Seljuk. ||
 * T || Two major chemistry discoveries were the classification of an object as animal, vegetable, or minerals. Development of astronomical tables was demanded in other civilizations. Corrections to algebra and geometric theories and trigonometry: like sine, cosine, and tangent. Cairo had one of the best hospitals in the world. They produced papermaking, silk-weaving, and ceramic firing. ||

**Notes on Stateless societies, Songhay Kingdom, Congo society Swahili Coast:**
Stateless Societies: MI-Some African societies had rulers that practiced hierarchy of officials in what can be called states, but others were called stateless societies. These were organized kinship or other forms of obligation, but lacked a concentration of political power that we view to have authority of a state. Songhay Kingdom: MI: A successor state from the old empire began to arise. The people of Songhay controlled the areas of Niger valley. The Songhay society began to form in about 7th century as an independent kingdom. In 1010 they chose their capital at Gao on the Niger valley. Swahilis coast: MI: The Islamic pressures in these towns encouraged long-distance trade and growth, like with Arabia, India, Persia, and China. Islamic traditions were slow in reaching the population.
 * Stateless societies had little concentration of authority and it only affected a portion of the people lives.
 * Stateless societies found it hard to establish long distant trade, mobilize for war, and organize large building projects with others.
 * There was a secret society that control customs, beliefs and resolved conflicts.
 * Their rulers became Muslims, but the rest remained pagan.
 * Their society was made up of farmers, herders, and fishers
 * Gao became a large city which was established under Sunni Ali; it had many foreign merchants and mosques.
 * <span style="background: white; color: black; 0in margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Life in the Songhay Empire was a mix of Muslim and Pagan lifestyles, like Stateless societies.
 * <span style="background: white; color: black; 0in margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Muslim scholars were shocked by the local interpretations of Islamic laws
 * <span style="background: white; color: black; 0in margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"> For example, men and women mixing together, and women not wearing veils.
 * Royal families in these east African trading ports built many mosques and palaces
 * While the rulers and merchants were largely Muslim,
 * The majority of the population on the east African coast, retained their previous beliefs and culture.
 * Swahili was essentially a Bantu dialect with some Arabic words mixed in.
 * The language was written in Arabic script, but the main users were the lower class farmers, merchants, and hunters, but Islam didn’t influence them at all.
 * Syncretism was a major aspect of the Swahili culture.
 * Families traced ancestry through both native practice and Muslim practice).
 * By the time the Portuguese arrived circa 1500, Swahili culture was fixed.
 * Allowing Swahili culture to prevent the Portuguese from taking over the North Swahili coast.