Introducing Islam

In the name of God;

the most merciful
the most compassionate
 Islam
• The Arabic meaning of Islam is
submission to God/Allah; the
creator of the universe.
• Islam provides a comprehensive
concept to humanity’s eternal
question: who are we?
• Islam is a comprehensive and
balanced system of life
encompassing the spiritual and
the temporal realms.
 The Creator

• Attributes
 Genderless and beyond imagination
 Mercy

 We are his honoured creatures

 Direct relationship between God and the believers

 Worship is intimate & personal

 Humanity on Earth
A purpose and a design
Trustees of God on
Earth

Relationship with Nature

& Environment
• Harmony
• Complementary
• Animals are like us
Relationship with fellow humans

Relationship with
other religions
• Freedom of faith; no
compulsion in religion
• Inherent designed • Freedom of religious
diversity practice
• Special status for
• Based on justice &
Christian and Jews
fairness (monotheist outlook)
• Obligations towards
the poor
 Five tenets of Islam

• Declaring your faith (Shahada)

• Five daily prayers and one communal on Friday
• Fasting one month every year
• Pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia
once in a life time
• Helping the needy and the poor (Zakat)
 The Prophet
His background

• An orphan of a noble, but not well-to-do, family that

lived in Mecca.
• His father died before his birth. His mother died
when he was six. His uncle raised him.
• He was known for being honest and truthful before
prophethood.
• Worked as a shepherd and later as a trader
• Married his first wife Khadija, and the mother of his
surviving children, when he was 25. She was 40.
 The Prophet
His prophethood

• In 610, he received his first revelation at 43. These

revelations were compiled later into the Quran; the holy book
of Muslims
• The nobles of Mecca refused his call, ostracized and
persecuted him and his followers.
• After 12 difficult years, he immigrated in 622 to Medina
whose people welcomed him.
• In Medina, he was a prophet and a statesman.
• In 633, he died in Medina after 11 years at 63
• His personality revolves around the traits of mercy,
generosity and forgiveness.
 The Prophet
The message

• The oneness of God, the creator of the whole

universe
• Islam is the continuation of divine messages that
God sent to humanity through prophets like
Abraham, Isaac, Moses, and Jesus.
• The moral principles of the ten commandments
are reflected in the message of Muhammad.
• It acknowledges the diversity of the human race
and freedom of religions
 The Quran
• The revelation of God to
Muhammad
• It has been preserved as
revealed 14 centuries ago.
• It consists of 114 chapters
of various lengths. In
Arabic, it numbers about
604 pages.
• The translation of its
meaning is available in
English, French and most
of the world’s languages
 The Quran
• Appeals to the mind to reflect
on creations and the creator
• Glad tidings for the believers
• Admonitions to the non-
believers
• Stories of previous messengers
of God such as Noah, Abraham,
Isaac, Moses, Jesus, Mary, etc.
• Rulings on social and
commercial issues.
 What the Quran says about
• Moses: And we sent Moses with our signs; get your people
from darkness to light and remind them of the miracles of
Allah. For in it are signs for the thankful (14:5)
• Mary: The angels said. “O Mary! Allah has chosen, purified
and chosen you among the women of this world. Mary,
worship your Lord devoutly: Prostrate and bow with those
who bow down.(3:42-43)
• Jesus: The angels said, “O Mary! Allah brings you good
news; a word from Him whose name will be Christ Jesus,
the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the
hereafter and of those nearest to Allah. He shall speak to the
people when infant and old and shall be of the righteous.
(3:45-46)
 The Muslim legal code “Shari’a”

• Consists of the following

components:
• Rulings mentioned in the Quran
• Precedents in the life of Muhammad
as it explains and complements the
Quran in more details
• Opinions (fatwa) of Muhammad’s
prominent companions.
• Opinions of previous jurisprudents
• Opinions of contemporary scholars
• Importance of majority and consensus
 The Mosque
• The Muslim’s house of God
• Muslims are encouraged to pray their daily
prayers in congregation at the mosque.
• Consists, in Canada, of a prayer hall,
offices, washrooms, multi-purpose hall.
• The mosque is run by a board or a
committee.
• The Imam (religious leader) leads the
prayers and delivers sermons. His powers
vary but normally limited to just that.
• Persons entering the mosque are supposed
to have cleansed themselves.
• As a courtesy, and to avoid embarrassment
Islamic Foundation, Scarborough
or offence, non-Muslims should seek
permission before entering the mosque.
Friday sermon
& prayers
 The Muslims of the world
• The number of Muslims in the world is estimated between
1.2-1.5 billions
• The fastest growing religion
• Sects: Sunni (the majority), Shia 7%, Ismaili 1%?
• Homogenous when it comes to core beliefs and essential
practices of Islam like daily prayers, fasting, etc
• Like followers of international religions, Muslims are not
homogenous in their interpretation and practice of Islam.
History, dominant culture, government, and social factors
influence them.
• Socially diverse
 The Muslims of Canada

• Muslims in Canada: 700,000-750,000 with

about 450,000 in GTA.
• 86% live in 6 metropolitan areas: Toronto,
Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary and
Edmonton.
• Notable countries of origin: Pakistan, India,
Guyana, Somalia and Arab countries (North
Africa in Montreal).
 The Muslims of Canada

• Young: 27% of the Muslims are in age group 25 to 44

years and have one or more university degrees, 60%
higher than the population as a whole.
• Muslim families derive only 4% of their total income from
social security programs. The Canadian average is 7%.
• There are only five people working to support one in
retirement in the country, among Muslims there are 15
workers to support each retiree.
• The income of Muslims is below the national average. In
Toronto, about 60% of Muslim children live below
poverty line, compared with 14% for Jewish children.
 Muslims in the GTA
• Their numbers: about 450,000.
• Mostly in Scarborough, Markham, north
Etobicoke, and Mississauga.
• About 55 mosques.
• About 15 full-time schools and many weekend
schools at mosques.
• Housing co-op, seniors’ home, and ISSRA.
 Muslims in the GTA
MAJOR MOSQUES/ORGANIZATIONS
• Islamic Foundation, Markham
• Madina Mosque, Toronto
• Abubakr Mosque, Scarborough
• TARIC Mosque, N York
• Islamic Centre of Canada, Mississauga
• Al-Falah Mosque, north Oakville
• Khalid bin Al-Walid Mosque, Etobicoke
• Islamic Community Centre of Ontario, Etobicoke
• Masjid Toronto, Toronto downtown
Why Muslims are positive about Islam?
• Islam brought liberation and justice for
the underprivileged; the poor and
women.
• No nation can claim a monopoly on
Islam. Everyone is welcome to enter.
• The Muslim clergy, in general, defended
the rights of the oppressed and
constituted the moral and vocal
opposition to tyrants and dictatorships.
 The Muslim Women
• The first to accept Muhammad’s message was his wife Khadija.
Many of his followers were women who embraced Islam before
their spouses or fathers.
• Islam gave women the following rights, 1400 years ago:
– The right to decide their future Muslim husbands.
– The right to a definite share of the estate of a father, husband or
children. A will cannot take away or abrogate this right.
– The right to own property independently of their husbands or children.
– The right to education.
– The right to conduct their own commercial business.
– The right to participate in politics.
 The Muslim Women
• The family/home is the focus of the majority of Muslim women;
many qualified women don’t work, or defer work, for the sake of
looking after their children (usually longer than the Canadian
average).
• The relationship between a man and a woman is to be established
only through marriage with mutual, mostly traditional, roles and
commitments.
• Muslim men and women are urged “to keep the temptation away”
and to remain faithful to their spouses. To achieve this:
– Men are requested to lower their gaze when talking to women
and not to indulge in their beauty.
– Women are requested to dress modestly and cover their hair;
they display their beauty only to their near family.
– Separation between men and women, with various rigour and
degrees in different societies, at schools, work and social
functions
• Women keeping maiden names
 Islamic Terrorism
1. The expression

2. New phenomenon for Muslims.


3. Politically, and not religiously, rooted.

4. Grows with despair and hopelessness.

a. Hijacking
b. Suicide bombing

5. It has only political solutions.

 Myths Realities

1. Muslims have existed fundamentally and irreparably

in a state of conflict with the Judeo-Christian
civilization.

2. Islam is fundamentally aggressive or totalitarian.

3. Jihad can always have a radicalizing potential upon

any and all Muslims.

4. Muslims have different sets of standards or rules

when dealing with non-Muslims
 The Muslims’ Aspirations
For the past year Americans have asked why Muslims and Arabs hate them. Now they have the
most American of tools, opinion polls, to provide answers. The results of half a dozen surveys
show, broadly, that America is not hated for itself, but rather widely mistrusted because of its
policies in the region; that there is no clash of civilisations between Islam and the West since both
share similar values and concerns; that Muslims would like to have better relations with America;
and that even the most conservative Muslim societies are changing fast. Here are some highlights :

Arabs fav ourable to:

Am e rica n
2
policy

Am e rica n
1 fre e dom a nd
de m ocra cy

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

The Economist, October 19, 2002

 The Muslims’ Aspirations
Where religious groups would place the statement "I
approve of democratic ideals" on a scale of 1:100

3 M uslims

We ste rn
2
Christians

1 Othe rs

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

 The Muslims’ Aspirations
Iranians

w ho fa vour
2 re storing tie s
w ith Am e rica

w ho think
1 Am e rica is
frie ndly

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

 Dealing with Muslims

• Muslims take their religion, and its symbols, very seriously.

• Muslims invoke prayers frequently in their daily chores.
• Muslim women are required to dress modestly and not to show their
beauty except to near family.
• Muslims are not supposed to sit or meet alone with members of the
opposite sex.
• Muslims are respectful of elders, women and persons of authority.
Out of respect they may not look you in the eye, not because they are
avoiding you.
• Muslims have dietary restriction; mainly they are not allowed to eat
pork, wild animals or animal slaughtered improperly. Islam forbids
alcoholic beverages and drugs.
 Winning the Muslims

• While the absolute majority are law-abiding citizens, they’ll

feel uneasy about cooperation with the police for the
following reasons:
 Police in countries of origin represents the repression of
the state and the corruption of its apparatus.
 The perception, growing stronger everyday, about a
hidden agenda against Islam and Muslims.
 US policies (foreign and domestic) are perceived as
biased against Islamic issues.
 Muslims feel under siege especially with increased
scrutiny, stereotype and frenzy.
 Winning the Muslims
 Know them better; their religion and culture(s).
 Communicate with leaders and institutions to
build trust and cooperation.
 Solicit advice from leaders on handling issues and
situations.
 PR directed at Muslims and participation in
Muslim events to socialize with Muslims.
 Affirmative recruitment of Muslims to the force.
 Show respect and understanding: soft approach
works better than hard one.