Islam (Submission to God)

1
Islam (Submission to God)

• Founder Muhammed
• Born 570 AD in Mecca, member of the Quraysh (a
  leading tribe)
• His father died before Mohammed was born
• His mother died when Mohammed was 6
• His grandfather died when Mohammed was 9
• He was raised in poverty by an uncle (Abu Talib),
  and tended flocks
• His early life was very tragic
• He became sensitive to suffering had a pure
  heart was a hard worker honest
• He became known as the true, the upright, the
  trustworthy one
• He was employed by a rich widow named Khadija
• Mohammed (age 25) married Khadija (age 40)
• 6 children born 2 sons and 4 daughters (only
  one daughter, Fatima, survived)
• Tremendous spiritual tension internally
  frequent prayer in desert in solitude
• 610 AD (age 40) Night of Power Excellence at
  Mt. Hira
• Revelation from angel Gabriel (Surah 96)
  revelations continued over 20 years
• Lukewarm appeal at first, but increasing
  opposition
• July 16, 622 AD Hegira M went to Yathrib
  (later named Media city of the prophet)
• Consummate statesman, politician, administrator,
  counselor
• 630 AD victorious return to Mecca

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• Christ is to Christians what the Koran is to
  Muslims (Mohammed is not a savior)
• About the Koran (to recite)
• 4/5 the length of the NT
• 114 surahs (chapters) in decreasing length (surah
  2 286 verses 114 6)
• No special chronological or logical sequence
• Major themes (rather toilsome reading)
• Have faith and do good works
• There are signs
• Men of understanding know
• Against idols and idolatry
• The righteous shall be rewarded
• Your mission is only to give warning
• Allah hears all and knows all
• To Allah shall all things return
• People of the Book
• Allah does not guide the wrongdoers
• It is believed that every letter was dictated by
  God (Allah), and that it is of divine origin it
  is infallible the speaker is usually God
• The Muslim miracle since Mohammed was
  illiterate

3

• The Koran is an exact copy of the original
  (tablet) which is in Heaven
• No translation can adequately substitute for the
  original Arabic
• The Koran is perfect (whereas the OT and NT have
  become partly corrupted)
• Advocates the unity of God (Allah)
• The Koran is to the Muslim, what Christ is to the
  Christian (sacred)
• The Koran came to the illiterate Muhammed over
  many years through Gabriel
• No translation can substitute for the original
  Arabic
• The NT has two defects from which the Koran is
  free
• NT is incomplete
• NT is partially corrupted
• The Koran is regarded as complete and perfect
• The precepts in the Koran are regarded as the
  revealed will of Allah, revealed to all humanity
• The Koran offers comprehensive guidance for
  everyday life
• The Gospel of Jesus taught us to love our
  neighbor the Koran teaches us how to do that
• The Koran does not cover every conceivable
  situation, as life and history move on
• The Hadith fulfill this function, along with
  consensus and analogy

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• The Koran (continued)
• 1.1 Fatihah (15)
• 112.1. God is One (265)
• 50.12 Allah is closer to us than our jugular vein
  (122)
• 19.88 God has no Son (37)
• 72.1 God has no wife or children (265)
• 7.8f Adam and Eve
• 15.32 Satan will seduce mankind (243)
• 10.46 An apostle to every nation (68)
• 19 22-34 Jesus was born of a virgin
• 19 Servant of God
• 19.31 prophet 4.169 messenger of God 3.45
  Messiah 3.49 miracles
• 2.87 Strengthened by the Holy Spirit
• 4.156-7 Jesus not crucified (382)
• 4.171 Jesus an apostle do not say 3 (383-4)
• 33.40 Mohammed is the seal of the prophets
  (293-4)
• 30.29 and 3.19 Islam is the true religion (194,
  409)
• 3.110 Ummah is a superior people (417)
• 57.25 Concerning monasticism (109)

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• Pedigree
• Deed
• Hadith Hadith Hadith
• Sunnah Koran Analogy consensus
• Shariah
• Hadith are recollections of Mohammeds sayings
  and doings
• There are 2,700 and more of these
• Sunnah is the body of orthodox tradition

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• Sunnah is the path of tradition, the way of faith
  and conduct, customary practice
• Shariah is the most comprehensive term for the
  Islamic way of life
• The sacred law, grounded in the will of God
• The path of duty for all Muslims
• The ideal, God-given Path, which humanity should
  follow

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• The Five Basic Doctrines of Islam
• There is only one true God, Allah
• There are angels
• The chief angel is Gabriel
• A fallen angel is Iblis (Greek diabolis) also
  called Shaitan
• Four inspired books (Torah of Moses, Psalms of
  David, Gospel of Jesus, Koran) Koran is Allahs
  final message, addressed to all humanity
• 28 known prophets (Mohammed is the seal of the
  prophets)
• There will be no more prophets after Muhammed
• He was the last prophet, and he sealed prophecy
  
• Jesus was the seal of sanctity
• There will be a last day and a final judgment

8

• The Five Pillars of Faith in Islam
• Creed - (acknowledge God) - Shahada, or
  confession of faith
• La ilahal illa Allah Muhammed rasul Allah
• There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his
  prophet
• Oral confession and spend the rest of life
  actualizing the belief
• Prayer (salat) (an outward expression of the
  creed)
• Five times per day, facing Mecca (dawn, noon,
  afternoon, evening, night
• Almsgiving if you have more, give to others
• 2.5 of what you held (all assets) for one year
• Fasting (during month of Ramadan) we can
  experience the heart of others
• During Ramadan no food, no drink, no marital
  relationship
• Pilgrimage (Hajj) the official pilgrimage to
  Mecca (unity and equality)
• A journey to Mecca at least once in your life
• A sixth pillar often added is jihad, or holy
  war
• Original meaning the holy war against the evil
  that is inside me

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• God strict monotheism (Allah)
• Reality created by Allah is real and is good
• Human being supreme creation consists of body
  and soul individual has value purpose is to
  serve Allah
• Human problem failure to serve Allah a
  turning away from Allahs will
• Salvation complete surrender to Allah
  follow Allahs will as it is revealed in the
  Koran
• Conduct obey and follow the guidance in the
  Koran conduct yourself according to the sharia
  (religious law)
• Destiny there will be a judgment day
  Mohammed and Jesus will appear
• Bridge of Sirat (similar to Chinvat bridge of
  Zoroastrianism) (WS 245)
• Heaven and hell
• Green meadows scorching fire
• Gardens boiling water
• Runner waters burning wind
• Fruit, wine thorns, scorpions, etc.
• Luxury smoke
• Scripture the Koran
• History linear

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• Islam holds to a strict monotheism
• There is One God (Surah112.1 p 265)
• Allah has no partners
• Allah has no equals
• Shirk is the worst sin in Islam (putting anyone
  or anything as equal to God)
• Money, prestige, reputation (whatever your heart
  desires)
• Allah has NO SON (4.171 p 384)
• dont say three (4.171 p 384)
• Tawhid doctrine of divine unity
• The entire universe, including Satan (Shaitan)
  and his djinns, is completely under Allahs
  authority
• Islam criticizes Hinduism, Jainism, and
  Christianity
• The 99 most beautiful names of God (WS 598)

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Islamic View of the Cosmos/Reality

• The universe is the creation of Allah
• Three level form of Biblical thought (upper world
  or paradise this world the underworld)
• Allah is in heaven above the earth
• Humanity lives on the earth
• Shaitan is in a hell beneath the earth
• The universe was a deliberate act of Allahs will
• The world of matter is completely real and good
• This is the basis of Muslim science, which
  flourished during the Middle Ages

12
Islamic View of the Human Being

• The human being is the supreme creation of Allah
• Individuality has an ultimacy
• We are created with a body and a soul
• Our life on earth is the seedbed of an eternal
  future
• Our purpose in life is to serve and obey Allah
  through complete submission to his will
• Each soul will face a judgment day
• Women are created (a degree below equal to
  opinions differ) men
• Marriage is a sacred union
• Husband can divorce wife easily
• Wife cannot divorce husband so easily
• Woman are to be obedient to their husbands, who
  are to treat them with kindness
• Women are to be chaste and hidden (even
  remaining in the home)

13

• The human problem
• Humanity has lost its way and has turned from the
  service and worship of the only God, Allah
• Suffering, evil, injustice, etc. all stem from
  this fundamental flaw
• The greatest cause of misery is the stubborn
  refusal to submit to the will of Allah
• Satan will seduce mankind (15.31 p 243f 7.15247)
• There is a certain instrumentality in evil and
  suffering
• Allah even permits Shaitan and his angels to have
  some sway in the world

14

• Salvation in Islam
• True salvation is found only in ones complete
  and total surrender to Allah
• Follow the will of Allah, as it is revealed in
  the Koran

15

• Conduct in Islam
• Follow the will of Allah as revealed in the Koran
• The Koran contains all that is necessary to live
  a holy life
• The sharia (religious law) should be observed

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• Destiny as understood in Islam
• At death, the body returns to the earth and the
  spirit goes to a place in the intermediary
  regions until the judgment day when the world
  will be judged
• All the dead will rise from their graves, their
  souls will be reunited with their bodies, and
  they will be brought before Allah by the angels
• Destiny of heaven or hell
• There are 7 levels of heaven and 7 levels of hell

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• The Caliphate
• Muhammed died unexpectedly, and had no appointed
  successor
• 3 possibilities
• Family (kinship)
• Companions (closest associates)
• His tribe
• Abu Bakr (companion) died after one year
• Umar (companion) assassinated
• Othman (companion) assassinated
• Ali (son-in-law married Fatima) assassinated
• Alis son renounced his right to succession
• Ummayyad dynasty, centering in Damascus
  (Cain-type nation)
• Abbasidian dynasty, centering in Baghdad
  (Abel-type nation)
• Baghdad was the center of the civilized world at
  the time
• 1922/24 Caliphate was abolished

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• Significant sects of Islam
• Sunnis majority of Muslims (they follow the
  Sunnah)
• Shiites minority of Muslims (recognize Ali as
  the first true Caliph)
• Sufis mystics
• Wahhabi - puritanical