Christianity and Islam

Question for thought…

What are some things that most religions have in common?

What are some things that often differ from religion to religion?

Question for thought…

If you were starting your own religion, list 5 characteristics, beliefs, or requirements that would be absolute must haves.

Christianity

Roman empire had a religion grown out of various traditions Polytheistic, influenced by Greeks and others Emperor began to be viewed as divine All conquered peoples must worship Roman gods

Jews in the Middle East were allowed an exception – Why? Jewish leaders did not like being under Roman control

Believed Messiah (anointed king sent by God) would appear to lead them to independence – Does Jesus fit this description?

Rebellion rises out of their discontent Romans destroy Temple and eventually most of Jerusalem Diaspora – Jews are forced to leave Israel and spread out along Mediterranean

Jesus – all we know of him comes from Gospels Said to be descendant of King David Said to be a carpenter by trade Age 30 - begins preaching near sea of Galilee Recruited 12 apostles or close followers Used parables or short stories with moral lessons His followers viewed him as the promised “Messiah” Others viewed him as a false prophet and a threat to Judaism -

Christianity

Jesus spread a new way of looking at Judaism Same beliefs - 1 God, 10 commandments, Jewish prophets New beliefs

Jesus is son of God (many thought he was the Messiah) – Your reaction? Mission spiritual salvation, eternal life to those who believe Emphasized Gods love, need for justice, morality, service to others and

importance of forgivenessJewish priests and Roman officials saw him as dangerous

Why would Jewish leaders feel this way? Roman officials?Was convicted and crucified on the cross Disciples claim he rose from the dead, telling them to

spread his teachingsFor a time Christianity stayed a Jewish sect

Over time evolved into a new religion

Growth of Christianity

Growth of Christianity

In only a few hundred years, Christianity grew from a cult of a few hundred people following Jesus into the main religion of Europe

Why was Christianity able to grow so quickly? Christianity is inclusive, actively recruiting converts Christianity gives everyone access to heaven Christians spoke and wrote in Greek

Allowed them to blend in during times of persecution Allowed them to spread the word quickly (many people

knew Greek) Martyrs died for the religion, sparking interest of

others Constantine converted to Christianity, giving it political

clout

IslamIslam is a religion

Arabic translation – “submission to the will of Allah” Similar in many ways to monotheistic faiths of Christianity

and Judaism – What do you call a follower of Islam?A Muslim is a follower of Islam

Arabic translation – “one who has submitted”Allah

Monotheistic God of Islam – How is Allah different? Same God as Christians and Jews

Muhammad Main prophet of Islam 570-632 AD Religious, military, and political leader How is Muhammad different from Jesus?

Five Pillars of Islam

What would your 5 Pillars be?

The Five Pillars of Islam Benefits? ----- Challenges?

Faith (Shahada) Declaration of Faith “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and

Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.”Prayer (Salat)

Five daily prayers while facing MeccaAlms (Zakat)

2.5% of income is given for charityFasting (Sawm)

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until dusk

Pilgrimage (Hajj) All able Muslims are expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at

least once in their lifetime

Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the Kaaba in Mecca

The Kaaba is a sacred shrine in Mecca. The Quran states it was originally built by Abraham, though it has been rebuilt many times.

Quran

The Quran is the holy book of Islam The collected revelations from the angel Gabriel to Muhammad Written in Arabic – only when read in Arabic does it reveal the

true word of Allah How is the Quran different from the Bible?

The final book Muslims trace their ancestry back to Abraham, just like Jews and

Christians Muslims view the Quran as a perfected version of the Torah/Bible

Shari’a Law Moral code and religious law of Islam - covers MANY areas of

daily life Compiled from the Quran and the example of Muhammad

Expansion of Islam

632 AD – Muhammad dies Mecca and Medina (and a portion of the Arabian peninsula) are

united under Islam There is no system set up for his political succession

Muslims elect Abu-Bakr as the first Caliph, or “successor,” to Muhammad Expanded the empire through jihad Jihad – translated to “striving” against inner evils, but could also

be interpreted as a call to armed struggle against unbelieversAll four of the “rightly guided” Caliphs continue this

policy Abu-Bakr Umar Uthman Ali How was the spread of Islam different than the spread of

Christianity?

Expansion of Islam

Umayyad Caliphate (661 – 750)

Came to power after the assassination of Ali (the 4th Caliph) in 661 AD

Went against the tradition of Muhammad and accumulated wealth and prestige

Moved capital from Mecca to Damascus Why? More central location to control empire

Created a rift in the Muslim world Sunni – went along with Umayyad rule Shi’a (Shiite) – party of Ali – thought the Caliph

must be a descendent of Muhammad Sufi – rejected the luxurious life of the Umayyads

Rebels overthrew the Umayyads in 750 AD

Abbasid Caliphate (750 – 1258)

Drove out remaining Umayyads to SpainMoved capital to Baghdad

Newly built city Why? Economic reasons – access to trade routes

Created large bureaucracy (government) by raising taxes

Especially on non-MuslimsBecame economically strong through trade

Created advanced systems of banking

Muslim Culture

Muslim cities such as Damascus, Baghdad, Cordoba, Cairo, Jerusalem, and Mecca became centers of commerce, culture, and thought.

Social Classes within Baghdad 1. Muslims at birth 2. Muslim converts 3. “Protected people” – Any guesses?

Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians 4. Slaves

Role of Women Were granted larger roles and responsibilities than women in

many other cultures of the time period, but still expected to submit to men

Modern Day – Muslim women’s rights and responsibilities lag behind much of the modern world

Emphasis on Art and Science

Art ScienceArt

Calligraphy – ornamental writing

Use of geometric patterns in art

Literature Rich poetry tradition Often influenced by the Quran

Architecture Built upon Roman and Greek

concepts

Math Algebra

al-jebr – “reunion of broken parts”

Science Observation and

experimentationMedicine

Highly advanced for the timeAstronomy

Advanced observatories

House of Wisdom – Center of Scholarship set up in Baghdad

WITHOUT THE ARAB MUSLIMS, ALL OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GREECE AND ROME WOULD BE

GONE!!!!!

Islam into the Modern Era

Muslims continued to control much of Persia, The Middle East, and Northern Africa into the modern day

Flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

Ayatollah Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Islam into the Modern Era

Islam continues to be a major world religion, second only to Christianity

It also is one of the fastest growing religions today