Name: Casey Humpherys

Unit: Islam
Religion 351 | Woodward

Unit Summary & Reflection Paper

Key History of Islam
2nd largest religion on earth. Refer to themselves as Muslim, or “submitter to God”. Islam means
“Submission”. Has high conversion rates to its lifestyle and its birthrates.

Also the worlds most misunderstood religion.

A few days after 9/11 President Bush visited an Islamic building to demonstrate that we were at
war with terrorists, not with muslims.

Common Misconceptions
Jihad is a war against unbelievers, in reality it is a fight against the worldly man
Terrorism is forbidden in Islam
Murder is strictly forbidden in Qu’ran Mohammad said anyone who is violent goes to
hell. Qu’ran forbids imposing islam on other people by force. Allah says that Jews and
Christians also go to paradise alonside Muslims.

All 9/11 showed us was that humans are capable of being radicalized in the name of religion.

“Do not be people without minds of your own.” - Mohammad

Their history claims to go back to Adam, but we will start with Abraham and Ishmael. They
rebuilt the Kaaba in Mecca (a black house of God) after the flood destroyed it. This building has
a black stone in the corner that is said to have fallen from Heaven. Pre-Mohammad, it was filled
with Idols and people came from all over to worship. Mecca is in modernday Saudi Araba along
the spice trail alongside the Red Sea.The Kaaba was later cleansed by Mohammad and his
followers and redidicated to Allah.

Mohammad was born in 570 AD in Mecca. While his mother was pregnant, it is said light
emanated from her womb. He grew up in poverty and was orphaned young, raised by his
grandfather then an uncle. He was hired to work by a lady named Khadija (super wealthy
business woman) and even though she was older than him by a lot, she proposed to him. They
marry.

In 610, Muhammad meets the Angel Gabriel in Mount Heerah(?). It was here that Mohammad
received his first revelation for the Qu’ran.
Muhammad or Joseph Smith?
He was an unlearned man, taught by an angel of God. His revelations were often recited to others
who wrote them down. They were eventually published together in book form. The Qu’ran is
similar to our Doctrine and Covenants.

Qu’ran means recitations, it was what he recited from what the Angel taught him. Because it was
not compiled until 20 years after his death, and even then there were competing versions of it
until one day those all got discarded; this left room for errors. But this book was intended for
every nation.

Could Mohammad truly have been inspired by God? Of course!

(“God’s Love for All Mankind,” First Presidency Statement, Feb. 15, 1978)

The qu’ran taught that God was one, and had no partners. Therefore, to them, Jesus was only a
prophet and not divine. They acknowledge his miraculous birth and everything Jesus did except
for the Atonement and believe in the second coming, but the teaching of no divine partners is so
strong that it limits Christ according to the logic of Islam.

Who was the first “Muslim”?

His wife, Khadija who believed in him when no one else did. She accepted Islam when people
rejected him and helped and comforted him when no one else was there to lend him a helping
hand.
Some people also consider it to be Ishmael’s mom, Hagar.

Muhammad’s Night Journey: His believing in one God was “bad for business” for those who
made money off of worshipping multiple Gods. However, one night, Gabriel introduced him to
Barack (Man horse thing) that took him to Jerusalem. It took him to the Dome of the Rock and as
he goes to this farthest Mosque he is ascended into Heaven and meets prophets until his descends
up to God (Allah). He was told that His people must pray 50 times a day, but Moses tells him to
get him to talk that down like 9 times to negotiate (according to some accounts) and that’s how 5
prayers a day happens. Muslims refer to this experience as Mi’raj

First Umma Established in Medina. He sends some followers and they check out Medina away
from persecutions happening in Mecca. Hijra is when they travel to Medina and start their
Calendar. Medina is like our Nauvoo, a time to establish rituals of religion away from
persecution for a while.

Muhammad or Joseph Smith?

He was persecuted for his teachings by the establishment. To escape persecution he, with his
followers whose property thad been stoken from them, fled to another town.

It was there that the prophet set down the rituals of the faith (washings, fasting, etc.)
It was there that the prophet became a political and miliatary leader over his people
It was there that the prophet practiced polygamy
The Succession Crisis: Who should lead after Mohammad? The Sunnis, those who follow his
examples or the Shias, those who follow his bloodline?
Sunnis Successor: Abu Bakr
Shias: Ali

They go with the Sunnis, but eventually Ali came in this line in “The Four Rightly Guided
Caliphs” but Kharijites who believe they are BOTH wrong in succession assacinate Ali. This
leads to the Umayyad Dynasty begins in 661-750 AD

Ali’s son Husain led a failed uprising against the Umayyads and was killed (680 AD) and the
split was solidified.

So now we have about 11% Shia and 89% Sunni. Then there are more splits with different kinds
of Shias and Sunnies

Sharia law means “path to the water”

Key Beliefs of Islam

They have seven “articles of faith”

1. One God (tawheed)
2. Angels
3. Holy Books: Torah, Psalms of David, Hadith, and the Qu’ran
4. Prophets
5. Day of Judgement
6. Divine Foreordination of All Things
7. Resurrection

Nature of God:
Completely other and unlike us- their is a vast gap between creator and created
He is not anthropomorphic, not a person. One can not conceive God, He is never pictured,
No Godhead, no spouse, no partners, no worthy opponents
Merciful, Just, and Forgiving.

Problem: Pride; thinking/living like we don’t need God. This leads to Jahannam (Hell).

Solution: Belief and works, submission of the whole self-mind and body- to God’s will. Qu’ran
2:82 (Omni 1:26 and Mosiah 3:19 is similar for our religion)
Techniques: The Five Pillars, following Qu’ran, the Hadith, Sharia Law or “Path of the Water”

Exemplars: Muhammad and Khadija. WWMD?

Their feelings about Jews and Christians are in Chapter 2 of the Qu’ran around verse 110 or so.
Then later in verse 217. Also refer to Surah 5:44-48 (Jews will be judged by that revealed to
Jews, Christians to Christians, and Muslims to Muslims) “Compete with one another in doing
good”. Missionaries are seen as a threat that could turn their families into “inmates of the fire”
we choose to respect this.

Key Religious Practices of Islam

Dress, Grooming, and Apparel
The beards are more of a cultural thing, Mohammad had a beard so a lot of men want to follow
this example. It is a way of showing dignity and maturity, not required.

Keffiyehs (headcovers), Thobes(nice robes) for men.

Veils for Modesty, not surpression but protection and respect

Hijab Chador Niqab Burka
Face and some hair just face just eyes nothing

Role of Qur’an in Daily Life

Christianty and Islam Slide here
Reading the Qu’ran is a sacramental kind of experience.

Hafiz Competitions - Memorizing the whole Qur’an in Arabic. If you memorize 20 verses a day,
you could complete this in one year. A lot of these people studies as children in special Islamic
schools ro madrasahs. They believe Allah will reward greatly and rise in status for memorizing
the Qur’an.

Shahada - Witness of Faith is all you need to declare to join the faith
Salat - Prayer 5 times a day - Always wash first!
Zakat - Almsgiving (tithes and offerings), 2.5% of their net worth
The poor, the needy, the wayfarer(travelers with a worthy goal or refugees), those in the
cause of Allah, those whose hearts have to be reconciled(allies in the cause of Islam or
are recently converted with needs), administrators of Zakat, those in captivity, those in
debt. Zakat purifies your wealth possessions and makes them pleasing to God.
Sawm - Fasting, Ramadan (celebrating reception of Qur’an and seeking blessings from Allah).
End their fasting on Eid al-Fitr and celebrate with a big meal.
Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca in Honor of Ibrihim(traveling to Mecca at least once in your life)
You
actually have to fill out an application to go to Hajj. You start in Mecca and circle the
Kaaba 7 times and then go to Mina and typically stay in Tents and do prayer and Qur’an
readings. Then, you head over to Mount Arafat, or mountain of Mercy. The day is spent
on repentance. Then you go to Muzdakufah and pick up 49 rocks to throw at Jamarat
 which are pillars representing stoning the Devil and resisting temptation like Ibrihim did.
The last day, and most sacred holiday is Eid Al-Adha or the day of sacrifice. They
sacrifice animals on this day in celebration, cut the meat into thirds (friends, family, and
give away) and men shave their hair to represent their rebirth.

My Personal Reflections on Islam

(Answers that are too brief or superficial in this section will lose points.)

Beauty: What do I find virtuous, lovely, and praiseworthy in this religion?

I find their pilgrimage to Mecca or participating in Hajj to be praiseworthy. The amount of time
and resources one has to sacrifice to make this happen in their life is pretty grand. I find it very
lovely how much they are willing to sacrifice to God and the commitments to make their way
into His presence one day. If I met someone who had made a pilgrimage to Mecca, I think I’d
congratulate them for accomplishing something so important and heavyloaded.

Divinity: What in this religion do I believe was genuinely inspired by God? Why?

Honestly, I think a lot of the Qur’an was genuinely inspired by God. I believe God was trying to
share His word with a prophet. It is just unfortunate that the 20 years for it to get written down,
there is likely some error imparted by man. I love how they revere and admire Jesus, even if
there is a distinct difference of belief in Jesus as a Savior.

Holy Envy: What do the true practitioners of this religion do very well that I want to incorporate
into my own religious practice? How might I do this?

I really admire their commitment to God through extensive prayer and fasting. Their total days of
fasting, if including white days, is over 60. That is 5x as much as a typical Latter-Day Saint fasts.
Their ritual for payer is also very complex, I’m not sure how well I would do trying to wash
myself every time. I do like that thay have a call to prayer as a reminder to pray, I would like to
incorporate some sort of reminder in my life to help me pray more than just before bedtime or at
meals. Maybe I could set an alarm on phone to accomplish this.

Additional Reflections:

This lesson made me really want to have Muslim friends, low key so I can get invited to a Eid al-
Fitr feast to end Ramadan.