INTRODUCTION TO WORLD RELIGION

AND BELIEF SYSTEMS: LESSON 5

GRADE 11- ST. THOMAS MORE AND ST, THOMAS AQUINAS
PREPARED BY: MR. MAETHEL ANGELO S. SORIANO
OPENING
PRAYER
OPENING
PRAYER
 OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:

 Recognize the roots and development of the Islam faith in the world.

 Analyze the core teachings of Islam (Five Pillars), and its impact on
Muslims belief and practices.

 Create an understanding with other people despite the difference in

religions and belief.
 ACTIVITY

What pops up on your mind when you heard the word,

“Islam”?
• Click the Padlet link in the chat box and use it to place your
answer to the question above. You have 3-5 minutes to do
the task. Then type “done” in the chatbox when you are done
doing the task in Padlet.
 ISLAM

• Islam, is a major world religion (2nd Largest in the world)

promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula in
the 7th century CE. The Arabic term Islam, literally means
―surrender,‖ illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—
that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of Islam)
accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allāh: God).
 ISLAM

• Allah is viewed as the sole God—creator, sustainer, and

restorer of the world. The will of Allah, to which human
beings must submit, is made known through the sacred
scriptures, the Qurʾān (often spelled Koran/Quran in
English), which Allah revealed to his messenger,
Muhammad. Islam is usually symbolized today by a crescent
moon and a star though Muslims hold no sacred meanings
behind it.
THE FOUNDATIONS
OF ISLAM
 LEGACY OF MOHAMMED

• Islam was founded by Prophet Muhammad. (Mohammed). The meaning of the word
―Islam means "surrender" to the will of God. The fundamental belief of Islam is
mentioned in the article of faith which says, "There is no God, but Allah and
Muhammad is his messenger.
• The followers of Islam are called Muslims. As one of the Abrahamic religions, they
also recognized the Judeo-Christian figures like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and
Jesus who they believe were significant prophets before Muhammad.
 LEGACY OF MOHAMMED

• Muhammad was born in 570 C.E. in Mecca, and his early life was unremarkable. He
married his employer, Khadija, a wealthy widow who was 15 years older than him.
Approximately, around 610 C.E., Muhammad‘s religious calling began when he was
instructed to recite by the Angel Gabriel. Later on, the collection of Muhammad‘s
divine recitations developed into what the Muslims believe as their sacred book, the
Qur‘an
• The appearance of Angel Gabriel signals his mission to become a prophet but just
like other prophet he was adamant in accepting his role. After much reflection and
self-doubt, he eventually accepted his role as God‘s prophet and began to preach
the word of the one God, or Allah in Arabic. His first convert was his wife
 LEGACY OF MOHAMMED

• Unfortunately, the revelations are monotheistic in form and substance

hence a contradiction to the faith-belief of the tribe (the Quraysh), which
Muhammad was a part of. As a result, the early Muslims faced
significant persecution.
• Eventually, due to the pressure of persecution Muhammad and his
followers fled to Mecca towards the city of Yathrib, which is known as
Medina today. This event is known as the Hijra, or emigration. This
event marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar which is still being
used until today.
 LEGACY OF MOHAMMED

• Known to many, the Ka‘ba or Kaaba, is the place where the Muslims travel at least
once in their lifetime to follow one of the Five pillars of Islam. Before Muhammad,
Kaaba was a major site of pilgrimage for the polytheistic religious traditions of the
Arabian Peninsula and contained numerous idols of pagan gods
• Since Muhammad founded a monotheistic religion, he does away all the images, idols and
pagan gods and transformed Ka‘ba of what it is today, the most important center of
pilgrimage in Islam. The Ka‘ba is believed to have been built by Abraham (or Ibrahim as he
is known in Arabic) and his son, Ishmael. Ismael was the half-brother of Isaac, whose
mother was Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Isaac was the ancestor of the Christians while
Ismael, the son of Abraham from his maid Hagar, was believed to be the ancestor of the
Muslims.
 LEGACY OF MOHAMMED

• Known to many, the Ka‘ba or Kaaba, is the place where the Muslims travel at least once
in their lifetime to follow one of the Five pillars of Islam. Before Muhammad, Kaaba was
a major site of pilgrimage for the polytheistic religious traditions of the Arabian Peninsula
and contained numerous idols of pagan gods
• Since Muhammad founded a monotheistic religion, he does away all the images, idols
and pagan gods and transformed Ka‘ba of what it is today, the most important center of
pilgrimage in Islam. The Ka‘ba is believed to have been built by Abraham (or Ibrahim as
he is known in Arabic) and his son, Ishmael. Ismael was the half-brother of Isaac, whose
mother was Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Isaac was the ancestor of the Christians while
Ismael, the son of Abraham from his maid Hagar, was believed to be the ancestor of the
Muslims.
 LEGACY OF MOHAMMED

• In Medina, his preaching was soon accepted, and the community of Islam grew in
numbers. In its early period of development, Islam instilled an important ethics;
• “ A religion that unites both the spiritual and temporal aspects of life and seeking to
regulate not only the individual‘s relationship to God but human relationships in a
social setting as well”. Thus, there is not only an Islamic religious institution but also
an Islamic law, state, and other institutions governing society
THE FIVE PILLARS
OF ISLAM
 THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

• Many aspects of religious practice in Islam emerged and were codified

after its expansion. The Five Pillars are comparable to the Ten
Commandments of Judaism and the Christians. Islam which literally
means "submission", is based on the tenet that are known as the Five
Pillars, to which all members of the Islamic community, should adhere.
 THE PROFESSION OF FAITH— THE
SHAHADA
• The Profession of Faith, the shahada, is the most basic expression of
Islamic beliefs. It means, There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is
his prophet. The faith-statement is a departure from the faith-belief of
the polytheistic tribe (the Quraysh) whom Muhammad belonged before
he founded his own religion.
 DAILY PRAYERS—SALAT/SALAH

• It is the duty of the Muslims to pray five times a day. They don‘t need
to pray inside the mosque rather, the salat/salah, can be done
anywhere; however, they are meant to pray towards Mecca. On
Friday, many Muslims attend a mosque near midday to pray and to
listen to a sermon, khutba.
 ALMS-GIVING—ZAKAT

• The giving of alms is the third pillar. This is the heart of every religion.
Its existence is always for the benefits of the less fortunate brethren
not only in their fold but even outside of their faith. Muslims believe
that wealth is public in nature and therefore is to be shared specially to
those who are in the marginalized sector of the society.
 FASTING DURING RAMADAN—SAUM

• Ramadan is celebrated anywhere in the world by Muslims. In the

Philippines it is marked as one of the major holidays of the year.
During the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, Muslims are expected
to fast from 6:00am to 6:00pm although it varies from country to
country. They are expected to refrain from eating and drinking during
daylight hours except for the elderly, the sick and pregnant women.
 PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA—HAJJ

• All Muslims who are able are required to make the

pilgrimage to Mecca and the surrounding holy sites at least
once in their lives. Pilgrimage focuses on visiting the Kaaba
and walking around it seven times. Pilgrimage occurs in the
12th month of the Islamic Calendar.
SACRED PLACES
AND DAYS
• The most sacred place for Muslims
is the Kaʿbah (Kaaba) sanctuary
at Mecca, the object of the annual
pilgrimage. It is much more than a
mosque; it is believed to be the
place where the heavenly bliss and
power touches the earth directly.
As mentioned earlier, the Ka‘bah
was built by Abraham and his son
Ismael.
 THE MOSQUE

• The general religious life of Muslims is centered on

the mosque. Back in the days the mosque was the
center of all community life, and it remains so in
many parts of the Islamic world to this day. Imams
(one who administers the prayer service) are in-
charge of supervising small mosques, like their
Christian counterparts, the Priests.
• Most mosques are private and are run by the local
community, although increasingly some of the
larger ones have been managed by the
government specially in Western Asia
 HOLY DAYS

• The Muslim calendar (based on the lunar year) dates from the
emigration (hijrah) of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina in
622. The two festive days in the year are the Eids (ʿīds), Eid
al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of the month of Ramadan,
and Eid al-Adha (the feast of sacrifice), which marks the end
of the hajj. Because of the crowds, Eid prayers are offered
either in very large mosques or on specially consecrated
grounds.
 THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Islam – is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion. Islam

literally means “surrender” and often associated with peace
• Muslims- is the term used to address the people believing
and practicing Islam as their religion
• Allah – The name of the God of Islam
 THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Mohammad – the last and the only prophet of Islam whom Allah
entrusted his teachings to, for the people.
• Qur’an – is the sacred scriptures of Islam where all the teachings
of Allah is written
• Mosque – the place of worship for the Muslims
• Crescent moon and Star– the most common symbol used for
Islam though it is mostly believe that it has no religious or sacred
basis to it.
 THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Ramadan- The 9th month of the Islamic calendar that

observed by the Muslim community as the month of Fasting,
Prayer and Reflection
• Eid al-Fit’r – Islamic feast day that celebrates the end of
Ramadan
• Eid al-Adha- (Feast of Sacrifice) Celebrates the end of
Hajj
 THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Imam – a person/priest that carried out religious ceremonies and

teachings of Islam
• Mecca – a holy place/city of pilgrimage for Muslims.
• Kaaba- a place of sanctuary/structure in Mecca that is the center of
the Muslims pilgrimage in their holy land. Believed to be built by
Abraham known as Ibrahim in the Islamic tradition.
• The Five Pillars – The religious practices of Islam as to which all of
its members must submit.
 ISLAM SECTARIANISM (BRIEF HISTORY)

• Despite the efforts of Prophet Muhammad to unify all

differences within the Muslim community, but it arose
immediately after his death. There are two major warring
factions that ignited divisions for centuries. First are the Sunni
—the traditionalist faction whose followers now constitute the
majority of Islam followers. There was no successor
designated by prophet Muhammad hence the Muslims at
Medina decided to elect a chief.
 ISLAM SECTARIANISM (BRIEF HISTORY)

• Two of Muhammad‘s fathers-in-law, who were highly

respected early converts as well as trusted lieutenants,
prevailed upon the Medinans to elect a leader who would be
accepted by the Quraysh, Muhammad‘s tribe, and the
choice fell upon Abū Bakr, father of the Prophet‘s favored
wife, ʿĀʾishah. All of this occurred before the Prophet‘s
burial.
 ISLAM SECTARIANISM (BRIEF HISTORY)

• The other faction is the Shiʿah (Shiite or Shia). This group

claimed that the Prophet had designated as his successor
his son-in-law ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, husband of his daughter
Fāṭimah and father of his only surviving grandsons, Ḥasan
and Ḥusayn.
 ISLAM SECTARIANISM (BRIEF HISTORY)

• The other faction is the Shiʿah (Shiite or Shia). This group

claimed that the Prophet had designated as his successor
his son-in-law ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, husband of his daughter
Fāṭimah and father of his only surviving grandsons, Ḥasan
and Ḥusayn.
• His preference was a general knowledge to the Muslim
community.
 ISLAM SECTARIANISM (BRIEF HISTORY)

• Today, about 85 percent of the approximately 1.6 billion

Muslims around the world are Sunni, while 15 percent are
Shia, according to an estimate by the Council on Foreign
Relations. While Shia represent the majority of the
population in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan, and a
plurality in Lebanon, Sunnis are the majority in more than 40
other countries, from Morocco to Indonesia
 THE SUNNI –SHIA DIVIDE INTO THE 21ST
CENTURY
• For centuries, the rift between the two major warring
factions had deepened. There were three major
events that contributed to worsening relationships:
 THE SUNNI –SHIA DIVIDE INTO THE 21ST
CENTURY
• 1) The rise of the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century.
• 2) In the early 20th century, the victorious allies divided the
territory held by the former Ottoman Empire after World War I,
cutting through centuries-old religious and ethnic communities in
the process.
• 3) Finally, in 1979, the Islamic Revolution in Iran produced a
radical Shia Islam warry of traditional Sunni Muslim in Saudi
Arabia and elsewhere even until today
 THE SUNNI –SHIA DIVIDE INTO THE 21ST
CENTURY
• The regional divide produced fundamentalists on both sides with
intensified conflicts in the early 21st century, especially during the
period of two Persian Gulf Wars. Chaos was all over the region when
U.S.-backed ouster of Saddam Hussein‘s Sunni regime in Iraq was
successfully carried out.
• It was followed in the succeeding years by the mass uprisings in the
Arab world that began with the Arab Spring in 2011. Civil war in Syria,
fighting in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere, and terrorist
violence initiated by either side.
 THE SUNNI –SHIA DIVIDE INTO THE 21ST
CENTURY
• A common thread in most of these conflicts is the ongoing
battle between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran for influence
in the oil-rich Middle East and surrounding regions.
• Despite the long-running nature of the Sunni-Shia divide, the
fact that the two sects coexisted in relative peace for many
centuries suggest their struggles may have less to do with
religion than with wealth and power.
 THE MUSLIM WORLD TODAY

• At present, Islam is believed to be the world‘s fastest growing religion.

Muslims are loyal to the divine word of the Quran, and do their best to
live according to the sharī‘ah and ritual practices.
• During the twentieth century, Islam had played an important role in the
development of nation states in the Islamic world. In the last few
decades certain groups have begun interpreting Islam as a
transnational ideology in ways that undermine the nation state
 THE MUSLIM WORLD TODAY

• Muslims of every sect, nationality, and school of jurisprudence are

represented in regions throughout the world, together creating the faith.
Here in the Philippines, Muslims blend easily with other faith
dominations and very visible in almost every towns and provinces
mostly engage in businesses
• This pluralization is a welcome development specially that efforts for
interreligious dialogues and unity. These are initiated mostly by religious
representatives across different religions and denominations with
continuing initiative within and outside their faith.
 THE MUSLIM WORLD TODAY

• Despite the political, social, cultural, economic and other challenges

faced by Muslims today the “Muslim world” continues to expand; Islam
is the world‘s fastest growing religion as mentioned earlier. The adage,
“Islam is one, Muslims are many” is clear.
 “YOUR THOUGHTS TO EVERYONE’S
THOUGHTS”
“What have you learned in today’s lesson?”

• Click the Padlet link in the chat box and use it to place your
answer to the question above. You have 3-5 minutes to do
the task. Then type “done” in the chatbox when you are
done doing the task in Padlet.