The advance of Islam in the 7th century is one of the most significant developments in Christian History to date. The statistics below demonstrate why this is the case. This outline can be found in Dr. Stan May’s (Professor of Missions at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary) notes on The World Religions.FAST FACTS ABOUT ISLAM
*Today, Islam boasts of having 1.2 billion followers.
*20 percent of the world’s population is composed of Muslims.
*There are Muslims on every inhabited continent; most living outside of the Middle East.
*Islam is the world’s second largest religion, behind Christianity.
*In the last 50 years, Islam has grown by about 500%.
*Muslims have built over 1,000 mosques in the United States. 80% of these have been constructed in the last 15 years.
*Muslims desire Islam to be a mainstream American religion, influencing American life and culture.
BRIEF HISTORY
Ubu’l-Kassim, who later became know as Muhammad, “The Praised One.” Was born in Mecca in A.D. 570.
In A.D. 595—Muhammad marries Khadija (who was 40) and they had four daughters together. Marriage makes him financially independent and he spends a lot of his day in the caves meditating.
A.D. 610—He receives the first of many revelations; the angel Gabriel appears to him and gives him revelations to recite. At first Muhammad thought he might be possessed by an evil spirit, but his wife reassured him that the source of the revelations was divine. His early messages include--the uselessness of idols, submission (Islam), the greatness of God (Allah), and the Judgment Day.
Key among the revelations he received was that Allah is the one true God, and that Muhammad had been appointed by Allah to be his messenger.
A.D. 622—On 16 of July, an attempt is made to assassinate him. He then flees and this flight is celebrated as the beginning of modern Islam.
A.D. 624—Small Muslim force defeats a large Meccan army at Badr. Muhammad then reacts against Jewish rejections and changes the day of worship and has his followers face toward Mecca to pray instead of Jerusalem.
A.D. 630—Muhammad marched on Mecca with a force of 10,000 men and was victorious. The Muslims were now back in Mecca to stay.
The ancient shrine in Mecca—the Ka’bah—was then made a center for religious pilgrimage after Muhammad destroyed all the idols within its walls.
A.D. 631—Muhammad’s followers institute holy war by raiding caravans for funds. He promises instant entry into Paradise for fighters killed in battle. His men conquer all of Arabia by A.D. 631, including Mecca.
A.D. 632—Muhammad dies and the community is led by four caliphs. These caliphs exercise military, political, judicial, and religious authority in the community.
THE DOCTRINES OF ISLAM
1) GOD. There is only one true God, whose name is Allah. The term Allah is probably derived from al illah, which means “the god.” Allah is said to have seven primary characteristics: He has absolute unity (God can have no son or partner), and is all-seeing, all-hearing, all-speaking, all-knowing, all-willing, and all-powerful.
2) ANGELS. There is a hierarchy of angels between Allah and humankind. Each human being is said to have two recording angels who list all of his or her deeds, good or bad. These recorded deeds will be brought forth at the coming judgment.
3) HOLY BOOKS. There are four inspired books: The Torah of Moses, the Psalms (Zabin) of David, the Gospel (Injil) of Jesus Christ and the Quran which is the most important and is considered miraculous and perfect. The Quran contains Allah’s final message to humankind, and supersedes all previous revelation. The Quran abrogates any conflicting truth claims. Only the Quran has been preserved in an uncorrupted state.
4) PROPHETS. There are allegedly over 100,000 prophets who have been sent to human beings throughout history. The most important ones number less than 30—the greatest of whom is Muhammad. Other prominent prophets include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus. Each prophet brought truth for his particular age, but Muhammad is a prophet for all time.
5) A FUTURE JUDGEMENT. There will be a Day of Judgment and a resurrection. Allah will be the judge. Depending on how one fares as his or her deeds are weighed, one will end up either in heaven (a place of pleasure) or in hell (a place of torment). Muslims have no assurance of salvation since it is based on a works system.
PILLARS OF ISLAM
1) CREEDAL RECITATION. Muslims are expected to publicly recite the Shahadah (literally, “to bear witness”): “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah.” This confession, with conviction, makes one a believer.
2) PRAYERS. Muslims are expected to perform salat, or offer prayers, five times a day: at dawn, noon, afternoon, evening, and night. These prayers involve a series of postures (standing, kneeling, hands and face on the ground, and so forth) while facing Mecca, the holy city.
3) GIVE ALMS. Muslims are expected to give alms (zakat) to the Muslim community that amount to one-fortieth (or 2 ½ percent) of one’s income. This offering benefits widows, orphans, and the sick, or it can be used toward furthering Islam (for example, building mosques and religious schools.)
4) FAST. Muslims are expected to fast during the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Muslim lunar year). During this month Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sexual relations during the daylight hours. At sundown they are allowed to partake of these things again until sunrise the next morning.
5) PILGRIMAGE. Muslims are expected to make an official pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) at least once in their life. If one is unable to make the trip because of financial or health reasons, that person is permitted to have another make the Hajj in their place.
SECTS OF ISLAM
Two largest are the Sunnis and the Shi’ites.
The Sunnis
*Make up 80% of all Muslims
*Predominate in such countries as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan
*Closely follow the traditions of Islam
*Follow example set by Muhammad
The Shi’ites
*Predominate in countries like Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and parts of Africa
*Broke with the main body of Muslim’s because they believed the successor should come through Muhammad’s bloodline
