I.

Islam—peace; peace that comes from surrendering ones life to God

—1/5 of the worlds population
A) The Koran breaks away from the Bible with the story of Isaac (Hebrews) and
Ishmael
1. Progenitor to the Muslim nation
2. Banished by Abraham site of the city of Mecca
B) Mohammed=Seal of the Prophet -born: 570 A.D.
-received commission for Koran: 610 A.D.
-died: 632 AD.
1. Prior to Mohammed their were authentic prophets (Buddha, Moses, Jesus)
2. Prayed to Allah Meccans supreme God—Mohammed preached (26 yrs.)
monotheism: Not Well Received (3 reasons)
a. Monotheism threatened polytheistic beliefs of Meccans, as well
as the wealth gained from holy pilgrimages to Mecca
b. Demanded an end to licentious behavior (drinking, promiscuity)
c. Social content challenged an unjust order
C) Hijra—Mohammed’s deliverance from the city of Mecca to Yathrik (turning
pt. Of wold history for Muslims)
1. Yathrib—later known as Madinat al-Nabi (city of the prophet)
2. 10 yrs. later Mohammed conquers Mecca and the Ka’ba (black box temple
built by Abraham
II. Koran=recitation
A) The Standing Miracle—only miracle Mohammed claimed God worked
through him (angel Gabriel recited the Koran to him over 23 yrs.)
1. Earthly center of Islamic faith
2. Continuation of the revelations given to the Jews and Christians but
without the defects of Old & New Testament:
a) Hebrew and Christian bibles record only portions of the truth
b) Message is corrupted by its transmission
*Being free from these problems the Koran is the final and infallible
revelation of God
B) Difficult to read
1. It is in Arabic
2. Where OT& NT are directly historical and indirectly doctrinal Koran is the
opposite—Bible is a record of things that happened, in Koran God speaks
in the first person
III. Basic theological concepts of Islam are identical to that of Judaism and Christianity
A) God: ultimate, immaterial, and therefore invisible
Monotheism-feel they contributed entirely to its conceptualization
B) Creation
1. Allah deliberately created the world
2. Therefore, the world is good—inspires respect for material side of life
C) Human Nature—good, stained by no catastrophic fall (original sin)
Life is a gift from the Creator: 2 obligations
1. Gratitude for life
2. Voluntary submission/surrender of will to Allah
 D) Day of Judgment—life is fleeting yet important b/c of the choice we make
1. The moral choice we make determines whether soul goes to heaven or
hell
2. Koran emphasizes our deed not ideas
3. We are to judge ourselves, each soul is held accountable
IV. Five Pillars of Islam
1. The Creed (a confession of faith—shadada)
There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet
2. Canonical Prayer
i. To be said 5* a day (sunrise, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, before
bed)
ii. Must be facing in the direction of Mecca
3. Charity—those who have comfort should share with the poor Pinko Bastards
-2 1/2 % of holdings are to be given annually
4. Observation of Ramadan—holy month in Islamic calendar (divine revelation/
conquer of Mecca)—the able bodied must fast
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca—once in a lifetime