Islam

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Islam
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Islam today

• 1.6 billion Muslims
• Around 85 Sunni
• 2.1 billion Christians
• 900 million Hindus
• 375 million Buddhists
• 14 million Jews
• Fastest growing religion
• Multicultural
• Largest Islamic population Indonesia
• Followed by Pakistan, Bangladesh, India
• Less than 15 of Muslims are Arab

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Origins

• Context Arabia polytheistic, tribal
• Muhammad (570-632 CE)
• Quran records revelations to Muhammad
• 610 vision of angel Gabriel
• Other stories of his sayings and actions (Sunnah)
  recorded as Hadith
• Night of Ascension
• Unified Arabs and started missions out of Medina
  and Mecca (622-632)
• Sees itself building on, correcting Judaism and
  Christianity

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Five Pillars

• Belief and witness
• Daily prayer (5x)
• Tithe (Zakat)
• Must give 2.5 of wealth to needy
• Shia give 20 of disposable income (half to
  clergy, half to needy)
• Fasting
• Pilgrimage (Hajj)

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Jihad

• Striving
• Sixth pillar
• Types
• Greater spiritual struggle
• In self, for justice
• Many regard as the dominant type
• Lesser physical struggle

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Islam in America

• About 2 of population (6 million)
• Fastest growing
• 4 waves of immigration (Eck 248)
• Post-1965 largest
• 80 of mosques founded since 1976
• Challenges/opportunities
• Separation of church and state v. sharia
• Multicultural makeup of mosques
• Youth and culture (Eck 280ff)

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