The Islamic faith is front and center on the world stage today. Many views of Islam held by Americans (as well as Christians worldwide) are based in misconception. We discussed merely an overview of the world's second largest religion and then concluded with the Muslim view of Jesus in relation to their faith.
Muslims reject the deity of Muhammad as blasphemy.
The Koran when read aloud in Arabic takes on an almost musical feel in flow and rhythm. Chanting of the Koran is often done during prayer and worship, but Muslims feel strongly it should always be done in the original language of Muhammad.
Muslims in the World
Indonesia, the fourth largest country by population, has the most Muslims as a nation. By far, the largest concentration of Muslims are located in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Sunni and Shia
The two major factions of Islam, Sunni's and Shi'as, split shortly after the death of Muhammad due to the influence of Ali. Sunni's hold a traditional view of Islam and Islamic law while Shi'as believe Islamic law should be administered through a single entity called an Imam whom they believe is divinely placed by God.
Muhammad al-Mahdi is believed by Shi'as to be the current and last of the Twelve Imams and the promised Mahdi, a messianic figure who will return with Jesus. He was born in 869 and has not died but been hidden by God. His existence is denied by Sunnis entirely.
Until the return of the Mahdi, the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists is conducted by the Supreme Leader (currently only in Iran) addressed as Ayatollah. The Current Supreme leader in Shia majority Iran is the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Other Shia majority countries are Iraq, Azerbaijan and Bahrain.
Five Pillars of Islam
Ritual prayers, called Salah or Salat, must be performed five times a day. Salah is intended to focus the mind on God. Prayers are recited in the Arabic language and consist of verses from the Koran.
Fasting from food, drink and 'relations' must be performed during the month of Ramadhan from dawn until dusk each day. The fast is to encourage closeness to God and Muslims are to express gratitude for Him as well as atone for past sins.
A pilgrimage is required of all able Muslims to Mecca at least once. While Muslims deny Muhammad is deity, a lot of tradition and ritual is centered around and focused on the man.
Muhammad supposedly received the contents of the Koran through angelic revelations from 610 AD until his death in 632 AD. Since he was illiterate, the verses were transcribed over time by friends and family.
The non-Muslim view of Muhammad has been mixed at best. Medieval Christians believed he was the anti-Christ of Revelations and commonly marked the date of his death in 666 instead of 632. Muhammad is mentioned in the hugely influential 14th century poem of Dante called Divine Comedy where Muhammad is represented by a character in purgatory split in half (representative of the schism believed by many of Islam branching from Christianity).
Women in Islam
The Hijab is required by law for women in Iran and Saudi Arabia but banned in the countries of France and Turkey.
Women are considered equal and accountable to God in religious matters but treated as property in all other aspects. Marriage is strictly a civil union or contract and does not contain a pious element outside of Islamic Law (see next slide).
Another major difference between Christianity and Islam. The concept of separating God from state is completely foreign to Islamic culture. God is the ultimate and supreme law over all aspects of life including civic governments, in contrast to Christianity (see Romans 13:1-7 and Matthew 15:15-22).
Promotes laws being passed that ban or forbid other religions besides Islam under punishment by civil authorities.
Islamic view of Jesus
While Jesus is an important figure in Islam, He is not considered deity. Only one in a line of prophets. Muslims believe God took Jesus away right as the Romans were crucifying Him.
Verses from the Koran on Jesus:
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