·      Muhammad’s first revelation

when he received the message of the oneness of Al’lah through Gabriel, this commanded Muhammad to teach of his oneness

·      When Muhammad left Mecca for the Jewish city of Medina, also the date of which Islam started the calendar

one of the most important dates to Muslims

·      Muhammad’s death;

“Muhammad is dead. He is only a human.”

·      Recognized in Islam as a prophet and apostle;

o   Was instrumental in cleansing the world of idolatry at the time

·      in Arabic means, “The God”

he is the ONE all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, and judge of the universe

·      means a sign or Al’lah

Also means a verse in the Quran

·      the title of the ruler of the Sunni ummah, or community, ruled by the Shari’ah

The leader needed to be of military personnel 

to remember by repetition 

·      actively participating in faith

o   A response to “Faith v. Works”

o   To Catholics – “do I have to DO something, or do I have FAITH that Jesus has taken care of it all”

To Muslims – actively (falah) pursue your faith (iman)

·      the messenger of Al’lah

o   He was the voice speaking to Muhammad

The mediator of God to Muhammad

·       sayings of Muhammad

o   Muslim sayings or opinions of Muhammad

o   NOT in the Quran – but which one holds more authority?, the Quran or Hadith?

o   There are competing scholars and competing collections of which Hadith to believe – ijtihad

 ·      the moment Hagar and Ishmael are kicked out of the Promised land, Muhammad marched to Mecca

o   You’re supposed to do this at least once in your lifetime

o   Muslims follow Ishmael whereas Christians follow Isaac

o   In memory of their journey south of the Promised land

o   In memory of 622 CE when Muhammad and his followers marched to Mecca

·      means migration, like in 622 CE when they made their migration – formation of the first Muslim community

Arguably the most important day to Muslims, marks the the first day on their calendar 

·      (notice the root word “Jihad”) – the struggle to interpret correctly; the making of a decision in Islamic law by a personal effort

o   If Al’lah doesn’t say it in the Quran, how do we interpret it?

o   Examples:

§  Alcohol: at one point, the Quran says “Alcohol is a gift of the Devil, it will destroy you,” but in another part of the Quran it says, “Wine is a gift of Al’lah”

§  Competing scholars and competing collections of the Hadith arguing over which would should read & believe

§  Should women be veiled? & the meaning of the term “Speak to her from behind a curtain”

·      Veiling was actually taken from Christianity, FYI

§  How many wives can a man have?

·      “A man may have as many wives as he can love equally”

we can love more than one person at a time, we just cannot love them in the same way 

the religious leader of the Shi’ite/Islam community

Arabic word for “faith,” denotes a believer’s faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam

Abraham’s first born son, made to march south of the Promised land with Hagar

A monotheistic religion articulated by the Quran, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God    

means ignorance or forgetfulness

·      greater & lesser) –

o   Greater:

§  The struggle to always think of Al’lah

o   Lesser:

§  Holy war or struggle

If you have a safe place to practice the greater Jihad, there is no excuse/right to practice the lesser 

says there will be another (like where Jesus says, “Don’t worry”) – in Greek means “advocate” – Muhammad was the advocate for Muslims

·      the house Muhammad goes to

o   Abraham made a pilgrimage or Hajj and made this house w/ Ishmael for Al’lah

Thousands of years later, it ironically was filled with tons of idols

the person that practices Shirk

rational theology, the attempt to make sense of who/what God is

·      Muhammad’s first wife

o   She was very powerful & persuasive

Gave Muhammad the ability to talk about things in public that he couldn’t previously talk about 

·      Where Muhammad makes his pilgrimage/Hajj to after leaving Mecca

Jewish city

·      group of Muslims that formed after Muhammad’s death

o   They withdrew from the argument

Not interested in Islamic politics, but instead in Greek philosophy 

·      in Arabic means, “One who submits to God”

Adherents of Islam and the practices & teachings of Muhammad

·      literally means, “the recitation”

o   Central religious text of Islam

Muslims believe it to be the verbatim word of God

·      (similar to the #4 Pillar)

o   Every day for a month you deny yourself food, water, sex, etc.

·      ritual prayer 5 x’s a day

o   5 x’s a day you submit yourself to the will of Al’lah

o   Story behind this: Muhammad’s flying/magic carpet took him up 7 levels, and on the 7^th level he met with Al’lah and asked how many times a day they should pray and after much bargaining they eventually decided up on a reasonable amount – 5 times.

Sujud: mark of prostration 

·      once a year; to fast, or deny yourself food, water, sex, etc. for 30 days

o   Similar to Ramadan

Practice “surrender” for 30 days 

·      always; there is no God but God

o   Muhammad is not the son of God, he is only a messenger

o   Profession of faith

A repetitive memory tool (Dhikr/Zhikr = to remember)

·      the law, the straight path Muslims take to get back to Al’lah (the 5 Pillars)

Takes you out of a state of Jahilliyah (forgetfulness) & back into a state of tawhid (oneness) of Al’lah

based on the teachings of the Quran and the message of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, they are adherents of the Shia Islam, the 2^nd largest denomination of Islam

·      to have a relationship w/ something that is not Al’lah

o   Literally speaking: What one is doing when not constantly thinking of Al’lah

liberal, mystical, everything is one 

·      Literally means, “a smooth, clear, and direct path”

o   Actions of Muhammad

o   Complicated or ethical question about what is right or wrong

§  What would/did Muhammad do?

How many wives can a man have? – as many as he can love equally, Muhammad says (the Hadith & Summah)

a chapter in the Quran

·      the opposite of Shari’ah

o   The path to the heart

§  For mystical muslims

o   Sufi term, interior path to God

“God is in my heart”

·      unity/oneness of Al’lah

God is unified

·      Arabic word meaning “nation” or “community”

o   De-emphasizes “self”

Means to surrender yourself 

·      continuously, the obligation that an individual has to donate a certain portion of wealth each year to a charitable cause

Surrendering of myself; submission/islam

o   Shahadah – always

§  There is no God but God, Muhammad is not the son of God he is only a messenger

o   Salat – 5 x’s a day

§  Ritual prayer five times a day

o   Zakat – continuously

§  Always giving, make as much money as you can so you can give away as much as you can

o   Sawm – once a year

§  To fast, or to deny oneself of food, water, sex, etc. for 30 days

o   Hajj – once a lifetime

§  The march to Mecca in memory of Hagar and Ishmael’s journey south of the Promised land