The Muslim Religion

1
The Muslim Religion

• History and Daily Life

2
Praying

• The optimal place for Muslims to pray is a prayer
  room inside a mosque.
• Before Muslims pray they must wash their whole
  body.
• They must pray facing in the direction of Mecca.
• They use ten positions to pray.

3
Mosques

• Inside every mosque, there is a washing station
  which is big enough for twenty to thirty people
  all washing at the same time.
• Inside every prayer room, there is a mihrab in
  the direction of Mecca.
• The carpet (in prayer rooms) has lines to make
  sure that Muslims stay facing Mecca.

4
The Quran

• The Quran was revealed to Muhammad, in many
  stages, by the angel Jibril.
• Muhammad then recited the verses and had a scribe
  copy them down.
• In its original form, the Quran is in Arabic.
• It is arranged in the order that Jibril
  instructed Muhammad to put it in rather than in
  the order he received it.

• The Quran has fourteen chapters of varying
  length.
• Before Muslims read the Quran, they must wash
  their hands.
• It must be placed on a special stand while it is
  being read.
• Afterwards it must be covered with a cloth and
  placed on a high shelf where nothing may be
  placed on top of it.

5
Muhammad

• Muhammad was born in 569 CE in the city of Mecca.
• His father died shortly before he was born.
• Soon after, when Muhammad was six, his mother
  Aminah died
• He was left in the care of his grandfather, but
  two years later he passed away
• Muhammad, then, went to live with his poor, but
  caring uncle, Abu-Talib.
• When he was twenty-seven he married a wealthy
  business woman named Kadijah.
• They were happily married for twenty-five years
  until Kadijahs death.
• Muhammad received his first revelation about
  fifteen years after he married.
• He started converting some of his family and
  friends soon afterwards, but it was several years
  before the whole city heard his message.
• The leaders of Mecca felt threatened by
  Muhammads message and organized attacks on the
  Muslims.
• Soon after that, Kadijah and Abu-Talib died.
• With all of his protection gone, Muhammad did not
  feel safe in Mecca anymore and had the Muslims
  move to Medina.
• There he continued to spread his message and
  managed to convert 100,00 people to the Muslim
  religion in his life time.
• Muhammad died at the age of sixty-three.

6
The Five Pillars of Islam

• Muslims must believe that there is no god but
  Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet.
• Five times a day Muslims must pray facing Mecca.
• Muslims must give alms (food or money donated to
  the poor) frequently.
• All healthy Muslim adults must fast during
  Ramadan.
• All Muslims must, money permitting, make a
  pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia at least once
  during their lifetime.

7
Festivals

• Some of the important festivals are
• Ramadan
• The Hajj
• Id-ul-Adha

8
Ramadan

• All healthy Muslims who have gone through puberty
  must fast during the month of Ramadan.
• This means going without food from sun-up to
  sun-down for thirty days.
• If a Muslims is sick, old, pregnant, traveling, a
  child, or a mother of a baby who is still
  nursing, they are excused from fasting.
• They do this to learn to be thankful for all that
  they have.

9
The Hajj

• The Hajj is also referred to as the pilgrimage to
  Mecca.
• This is one of the five pillars of Islam, and
  every person, money permitting, must perform it.
• It is preformed during the twelfth month of the
  Muslim calendar.
• First Muslims go to the Kaaba in the center of
  Mecca, Saudi, Arabia and walk around it seven
  times.
• Then they walk or run between two nearby hills
• Next they go to the Plain of Arafat and stay
  there all day, praying for forgiveness.
• That night they camp at Muzdalifan.
• The next day they walk to Mina and throw stones
  at three pillars that stand for devils that tried
  to tempt Ishmael to disobey his father.
• Finally, they walk back to Mecca and walk around
  the Kaaba seven more times

10
Id-ul-Adha

• Id-ul-Adha is the festival of sacrifice.
• This holiday remembers the time that Ibrahim was
  about to sacrifice his son to Allah, but
  sacrificed one-hundred camels instead.
• To celebrate Id-ul-Adha, Muslims dress in fancy
  clothes and go to mosque.
• An animal, usually a sheep, goat, or sometimes
  even a camel, is sacrificed.
• Many Muslims also exchange cards and sweets.