A Brief Course
on Islam
Why
study Islam?
The
Life and Times of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Islam
after Muhammad
The
course of the history of Islam
Major
misunderstandings of Islam in the West
Was Islam established by
sword?
The status of women in
Islam
Scripture
in Islam
Islamic
Beliefs and Teachings
The
Ecclesiastical Order
Islamic
Law and international norms for Human Rights
Islamic
roots of Baha’i teachings
Anatomy
of Islamic attitudes towards Baha’is
Baha’i
Dialogue with a Muslim
Source
Materials
·
Islam
is “a fuller Revelation of God's purpose and law to mankind than
Christianity” -- Shoghi Effendi
·
“The
mission of the American Bahá'ís is, no doubt to eventually establish the truth
of Islam in the West.” -- Shoghi
Effendi
·
“There
is so [much] misunderstanding about Islam in the West in general that you have
to dispel. Your task is rather difficult and requires a good deal of erudition.
Your chief task is to acquaint the friends with the pure teaching of the
Prophet [Muhammad] as recorded in the Qur'án, and then to point out how these
teachings have, throughout succeeding ages, influenced, nay, guided the course
of human development. In other words you have to show the position and
significance of Islam in the history of civilization.” -- Shoghi Effendi
·
“The
Bahá'í view on that subject is that the Dispensation of Muhammad, like all
other Divine Dispensations, has been fore-ordained, and that as such forms an
integral part of the Divine Plan for the spiritual, moral and social,
development of mankind. It is not an isolated religious phenomenon, but is
closely and historically related to the Dispensation of Christ, and those of
the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. It was intended by God to succeed Christianity, and it
was therefore the duty of the Christians to accept it as firmly as they had
adhered to the religion of Christ.” --
Shoghi Effendi
·
The
study of Islam is “absolutely indispensable” for “a proper and sound
understanding of the Cause” -- Shoghi
Effendi
·
“From
the standpoint of institutionalism Islam far surpasses true Christianity as we
know it in the Gospels. There are infinitely more laws and institutions in the
Qur'án than in the Gospel. While the latter's emphasis is mainly, not to say
wholly, on individual and personal conduct, the Qur'án stresses the importance
of society. This social emphasis acquires added importance and significance in
the Bahá'í Revelation. When carefully and impartially compared, the Qur'án
marks definite advancement on the Gospel, from the standpoint of spiritual and
humanitarian progress.” -- Shoghi
Effendi
·
The
history of enmity, denunciation and misrepresentation of Islam in the West:
Early Western sketches of Muhammad as a false prophet and an imposter; fables
of “Maumet” as an idol, a doll and a puppet; Father Lewis Marraci’s Latin book,
“Refutation of the Coran” containing an influential translation of Qur’an
became the source of George Sale’s 1734 English translation, used in turn by
Edward Gibbon’s “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”; Dante’s “Divine
Comedy” depicting Muhammad and Ali in the 9th hell; Sir William
Muir’s four volume “The Life of Mahomet” decrying that “The sword of Mahomet
and the Coran are the most fatal enemies of civilization, liberty and truth
which the world has yet known”.
·
“Western
historians have for many centuries distorted the facts [of Islam] to suit their
religious and ancestral prejudices. The Bahá'ís should try to study history
anew and to base all their investigations first and foremost on the written
Scriptures of Islam and Christianity.”
-- Shoghi Effendi
·
“The
relationship between Christianity and Islam during the Middle Ages is usually
seen, in the West, in terms of military conflict, and, in the East, in terms of
the Arab contribution to Western culture. It is symptomatic of the past (and of
the continuing) relationship between the two faiths, that each focuses upon an
issue which the other regards as peripheral.”
-- Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity
·
“It
should be clear that we being told not to teach Middle-Eastern Muslims. We can
teach other Muslims. Indeed, the Guardian himself advised that if one seeks to
teach Muslims s/he should have acquired a 'knowledge of the Qur'án, so that'
they can be given “proofs from their own texts.” He suggested that “the help of
some of the Bahá'ís from the Islamic background” would be helpful.” -- the Universal House of Justice, 1983
The Life and
Times of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
·
Born
in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 570 CE
·
A
descendent of Abraham through his Egyptian wife Hagar and their son Ishmael, he
was of Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe
·
His
father, Abdu’llah, died 2 months before his birth, his mother, Aminah, died when he was 6.
·
Lived
with his grandfather Abdu’l-Muttalib, who died 2 year later, then with his
uncle Abu Talib, the leader of the Banu-Hashim clan
·
Known
for honesty, piety, sensitivity, kind-heartedness, love for the children,
simplicity of life and nobility of character
·
Married
Khadija, a wealthy widow merchant, when he was 25, their 4 sons all died in
infancy, four daughters, including the famous Fatima, reached adulthood
·
Received
the call to prophethood from the “voice of Gabriel” on 26th Ramadan
in 610 CE while in meditation in a cave on Mount Hira outside Mecca
·
Khadija
became the first believer, but Muhammad remained silent for 3 years
·
Early
oppositions lead to a 2 year boycott by the Meccans
·
In
619 both Khadija and Abu Talib, Muhammad’s main protector, died
·
Muhammad
went to the southern town of Taif, but He was stoned and driven away
·
His
untold sufferings
·
A
year later 6 visitors from Media converted to Islam
·
Muhammad
“experienced” the Night Journey (mi’raj) from Mecca to Solomon’s Temple
in Jerusalem, and on to heaven; Dome of the Rock mosque, Islam’s third holiest
place, marks the spot
·
Departed
from Mecca for Medina (Hijrah) with 70 followers, on July 15th
in 622 CE, beginning of the Islamic calendar AH
·
A
series of battles with attacking Meccans and other antagonists who were bent on
exterminating Muhammad and his followers; Abdu’l-Baha testifies that all of
Muhammad’s wars were defensive in nature
·
Changed
the Point of Adoration (Qiblih), in 624 CE, from Jerusalem to Ka’bih in
Mecca
·
Fatima,
Muhammad’s faithful daughter married to Ali, Muhammad’s foster brother, cousin,
first male believer, and strongest supporter; Ali became the fourth Caliph,
first Imam; and his two sons Hasan and Husayn, became the second and third
Imams
·
Truce
with Meccans in 630CE, then a year later victorious entrance to Mecca,
cleansing of Ka’bih, and formation of a united community of believers
·
Died
in 632 CE at age 61
·
Prevented
from leaving a will, but Baha’u’llah has testified to the truth of his words
“Verily, I leave amongst you My twin weighty testimonies: The Book of God and
My Family.”
·
Muhammad
was first a successful businessman and family man, then a reluctant prophet,
then an audacious, long suffering and fearless messenger of God, and finally he
was a statesman ruling over Medina, a general fighting off the invading
Meccans, a conqueror of the corrupt idolaters, a cleanser of the House of God,
and a just king establishing the pattern of the ideal society
·
Little
is known about the life of Jesus, but a lot is known about its context – life
in first century Palestine. On the contrary, quite a lot is known about
Muhammad and little is known about Arabia of 7th century.
·
Some
(Sunnis?) represent Muhammad as an ordinary person who brought the message of
God, while others (Shi’ahs?) represent him more of a prophet who performed many
miracles
·
Dispute
at Muhammad’s death, Umar’s role in early days, his disregard for Ali’s
position, his contention for leadership with ‘Ubaydah, and the election of Abu
Bakr, the first Caliph
·
The
rule of the “Orthodox Caliphs”, expansion and consolidation of Islam’s empire
·
Emergence
of the political Shi’ih and the religious Shi’ih
·
The
holy Imams: Hasan’s abdication and poisoning by Mu’awiyah, Husayn’s uprising
and martyrdom by Yazid, and religious authority divorced from temporal
rulership
·
The
sufferings of the Imams at the hands of the Ummayads: some banished, others poisoned,
or forced to retire, while witnessing the tyrannies of Ummayads – great lessons
in Covenant and Covenant breaking
·
The
seven-headed, ten-horned, red dragon spoken of in the Book of Revelation is
interpreted by Abdu’l-Baha as “an allusion to the dynasty of the Umayyads”
·
The
episode of Karbila and its resonance throughout Shi’ah Islam; The significance
of Imam Husayn’s martyrdom and the appearance of Baha’u’llah as the return of
Imam Husayn
·
The
death of the 11th Imam, Hasan Askari, in 874 CE, and “Occultation”
of his son Abu’l-Qasim Muhhamad ibn Hasan, in a well in Sammara, in today’s
Iraq
Divisions
in Sunni, and Shi’ah
·
Three
Shi’ah sects: Zaydis, Isma’ilis, and the Twelvers
·
Four
major Sunni groups: Hanafí, Hanbalí, Malikí, Shafí'í
·
Substantial
agreement on issue relating to Qur’an and the life of Muhammad
·
Numerous
sects that differ on minor issues
Ummayads,
Abbasids, Fatemids, etc.
·
Ummayads
who usurped the Caliphate were corrupt, worldly and tyrannical
·
“‘The
beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall war against them, and
shall overcome them, and kill them’:
this beast means the Umayyads who attacked them from the pit of error,
and who rose against the religion of Muhammad and against the reality of `Alí--in
other words, the love of God.”-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p.51
·
Abbasids
were from Shi’ah roots, but for political expediency turned against them. Their
rule included a period of stability and progress
·
Fatemids
were a Shi’ah branch who ruled in Egypt and through stability gave rise to some
of the best times in Islamic civilization
·
Praise
and pursuit of knowledge
·
Sciences:
Math (zero, …), Geometry, Algebra (binomial expansion), Chemistry (Alchemy,
Alcohol, …), Medicine (textbooks), other sciences (algorithm)
·
History,
Geography, map making, analytical tools
·
Translation
of Greek texts
·
Philosophy,
logic,
·
Six
great men: (1) Al-Kindi, Arab, brought Greek philosophy into Islam, (2)
Ar-Razi, Persian, greatest physician of Islam, portrait at University of Paris
and bust at Princeton University; described scientific study of alchemy; first
to clinically describe both measles and smallpox, his ten volume text
translated into Latin and published in Milan in 15th century, (3)
Al-Farabi, Turk, the “second teacher” (Mu’allim-I-thani), wrote on
politics of civilization, postulated governance or presidium by a group of wise
men instead of an individual; his commentary on Aristotle’s Organon influenced
Roger Bacon, (4) Ibn-Sina, Avicenna, Persian, medical genius, authored standard
medical text books, introduced a new school of philosophy unlike any of the
Greek thought, argued for free will, and spiritual form of resurrection,
advanced arguments for the existence of God and necessity of Prophet-Revealer,
rejected the idea of a Philosopher-King, dominated Eastern thought (such as the
Philosophy of Illumination, Hikmata’l-Ishraq, developed by Suhrawardi)
and influenced Western scholastics Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas, (5)
Ibn-Rushd, Averroes, of Cordova, wrote 38 books on medicine and philosophy,
argued for harmony between religion and philosophy, uncovered Aristotle from
later Neo-Platonic thought, influenced Thomism of St. Thomas Aquinas, (6)
Ibn-Khaldun, of Tunisia, historian and the first sociologist, looked for forces
that shape history, examined climate, geography, ethics, moral and spiritual
values to interpret history.
Islamic
contributions to “Western” civilization
·
Acknowledged
by some Western scholars and historians (Arnold Toynbee)
·
Ignored
by the majority of westerners
·
Opposed
and denied by religious leaders
·
“Moorish
Spain provides a dazzling example of the civilizing power of Islam. Out of the
desolate Visigothic wilderness, rampant with hate and oppression, Muslims
fashioned a land of peace and plenty, brought equity and justice and tolerance
to reign, and lit a torch of culture in the fair land of al-Andalus that
illumined the continent…And when Christian reconquest was completed and only
the architectural glories of al-Andalus remained, then bigotry, intolerance and
Inquisition held dominance over Spain” – H.M. Balyuzi
632 Muhammad dies; Abu Bakr
becomes first Caliph
634-644 Umar reigns as 2nd Caliph
636 Muslim armies defeat Byzantine
and Persian armies
644-656 Uthman is Caliph. Qur'an is compiled
and standardized
656 Uthman murdered; Ali becomes Caliph
661 Ali is assassinated; Mu'awiya rules from Syria and
founds Umayyad Dynasty (661-750).
711 Muslims invade Spain
732 Charles Martel defeats Muslims
in France
747 Abbasid revolt begins
750 Umayyads fall to Abbasid
forces, remnant of family flees to Spain
755-1031 Umayyads rule Spain
762 Baghdad founded as Abbasid
capital
786-809 Reign of Harun al-Rashid
909-1171 Shi’ah dynasty rules Egypt & North
Africa, Cairo founded
945-1055 Buyids (a Shi’ah family) control
Baghdad & Iran
1063-1157 Seljuk Turks control Iraq
1097-1291 Crusades
1171-1250 Ayyubid Dynasty in Egypt
1250-1517 Mamluk dynasty in Egypt
1271 Marco Polo reaches Persia en
route to China
1258 Hulagu, Mongols sack Baghdad
1324-1360 Ottoman family establishes and expands
rule in Anatolia (Asia Minor).
1453 Timur (Tamerlane) controls
Persia and Mesopotamia
1425-1430 Ottoman-Venetian War
1453 Ottomans take Constantinople
1499 Isma'il establishes Safavid
Dynasty in Iran; declares Shi’ah belief and
practice of Islam as
official religious form for the Empire.
1502 Tabriz in Azerbaijan is made
capital of Safavid Empire
1505 Babur active in India
establishing Moghul Dynasty
1517 Ottomans defeat Mamluks, take
Egypt and North Africa
1520-1556 Reign of Suleyman the Magnificent as
Ottoman Sultan
1600 Shah Abbas makes Isfahan capital
of Saffavid Empire
1722 Afghans destroy Safavid power in
Iran
1783 Russia annexes Crimea, weakens
Ottoman control of Black Sea
1798 Napoleon takes Cairo
1875 British gain control of Egypt
1881 French occupy Tunisia
1901 Ibn Saud and the Wahhabis take
Riyadh
1905-1908 Constitutional Revolution in Iran
1913 Young Turk revolution takes over
Ottoman government
1926 Ibn Saud proclaimed King of
Hijaz
1938 Muslim Brotherhood formed in
Egypt
·
Abdu’l-Baha
clearly explains and Abu’l-Fada’il expounds on this belief that Islam was
established through the power of the Word of God alone.
·
Muhammad’s
own engagements in battle were entirely defensive in nature, and Abdu’l-Baha
clarifies that had it not been for the innocent lives that were lost as a
result of the aggression of the Meccans, Muhammad would have forgiven them -- Some
Answered Questions, Chapter 7
·
Battles
in the lifetime of Muhammad:
Ø
623
CE Battle of Badr, (3:123), Muhammad and His followers rout a numerically
superior attacking Meccan army (defense).
Ø
625
CE Battle of Uhud takes place on the western outskirts of Medina, Muhammad and
His followers lose to the Meccans when a group among Muslims break rank in
search of booty (defense).
Ø
627
CE "Battle of the Trench". Siege of Yathrib (Medina) by Meccans
foiled by the military tactic of digging a trench around most of the city
(technique).
Ø
628-9
CE Muhammad sets out on pilgrimage to Mecca (rather than seeking a
confrontation), prevented from entering the city, he succeeds in making a ten
year truce with the Meccans (diplomacy) called the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
Ø
630
CE Muhammad marches on Mecca with 10,000 men. Battle of Hunayn fought 31
January.
·
“Let
there be no compulsion in Religion” (Qur’an, 2:257)
·
Historical
evidence that Muhammad never used force to convert anyone to Islam:
Ø
In
early years when He was not in charge of the security of other people, He never
defended Himself even in the face of abuse, vilification, physical assault and
injury; as a ruler He acted with tact, forbearance, wisdom and justice
Ø
Negotiated
whenever possible, and in negotiation gave way to others to keep peace (removed
His title as “the Apostle of God” in the treaty of Hudaybiyyah)
Ø
Conversion
of many famous Arabs (‘Adi Ibn Hatim, Safwan Ibn Umayyah) was of their own
accord without any force
·
Sir
Thomas Arnold’s book “The Preaching of Islam” recounts a true picture
·
Arabs
were polygamous, yet Muhammad did not marry a second wife while His first wife
Khadija, who was 15 years older than Him, was alive. There was no social or
personal obstacle for him to marry again, yet in the prime of His youth he
remained monogamous.
·
In
the battle of Badr Umar’s daughter Hafsah was widowed, and at Umar’s request
Muhammad married her
·
After
the battle of Uhud Muhammad married another such widow
·
Most
of his later marriages were “social marriages” either to bring about and
maintain the unity of the various clans, or to provide protection for widows.
·
Of
His 12 wives after Khadija 10 were widows, one was a divorcee, and only Aisha
was not married before
·
Western
scholars Sir John Glubb and Prof. Montgomery Watt examine these marriages and
conclude that they were not for pleasure at all.
·
The
plight of the girl child in pre-Islamic society
·
Women
in the Qur’an
· Women in practice in Islamic countries
·
Lit.:
the recital, or reading
·
Style:
considered the pinnacle of Arabic literature, is a miracle of lucidity,
particularly as Muhammad was totally illiterate
·
Revealed
during 23 years, between 610 and 632 CE
·
Authenticity:
memorized by the believers, but also written down on leather, bones, leaves,
stone, etc. First compiled under Abu-Bakr the first Caliph, and under
supervision of Zaid-bin-Sabit, Muhammad’s amanuensis; final version completed
in 652; all earlier versions destroyed by Uthman the fourth Caliph.
·
“The
Bible is not wholly authentic, and in this respect is not to be compared with
the Qur'án,...” -- Shoghi Effendi
·
Considered
as the literal words of God and impossible to translate adequately.
·
Size:
about 2/3 of the New Testament, comprising 114 surihs (chapters) in Arabic
verse; 92 were revealed in Mecca, 22 in Medina
·
In
the eyes of the Muslims, Qur’an is the literal words of God and Islam is the
religion founded by God, Muhammad is merely “the messenger”
·
The
central “logos” in Christianity is Jesus, while the central logos in Islam is
the Qur’an
·
Lit.:
sayings, statements
·
Record
of sayings, and practices of Muhammad, Imams and close disciples
·
Basis
for much of Islamic law (shari’a) and jurisprudence (fiqh)
·
Authenticity:
considered authentic only if an unbroken line of narrators are identified;
originally memorized; numbered 500,000 and include many repetitions and false
ones; collected by scholars between 772 and 922, i.e. a span of 150 years
·
The
oneness of God, His uniqueness and transcendence, Creator of the Universe,
unknowable reality, His grace, Mercy and Bounty
·
“God is the Light of the heavens and the
earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a
Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit
from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil
is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! God
doth guide whom He will to His Light: God doth set forth Parables for men: and
God doth know all things”. – Qur’an,
Light 24:35
·
Forbid
worship of idols; Muhammad cleansed Ka’bih from 360 idols that had become the
object of worship and had given Mecca and the Quraysh its social and commercial
status
·
A
succession of prophets down the ages from Adam to Himself
·
The
promise and the warning of the advent of the Day of Judgment
·
Three
principles: unity of God, Messengership of Muhammad, Day of Judgment; plus 2
more for the Shi’ah: Imamat and Justness of God
·
Prayer:
obligatory, five times a day, rituals of spoken words and genuflections; a
large body of prayers from the Imams
·
Fasting:
one full lunar month from dawn to dusk
·
Pilgrimage
(Hajj): once in a lifetime is obligatory
·
Specified
Payments (Zakat which is specified in the Qur’an and additionally Khums
which is 1/5th for the Imam or his representative, for the Shi’ah):
Somewhat similar to the Baha’i Huququ’llah
·
Holy
War (jihad): initially ordained for the protection of the realm of Islam
against idolaters, pagans and polytheists, but subsequently obscured, distorted
or downright ignored
·
Enjoining
to do good, and exhortation to desist from evil
·
The
Four sources of law:
(1) Qur'án, 6000 total verses, 600 on law in general and 80 on specific laws (slavery, alcohol, gambling, polygamy, women, etc.),
(2)
The
Sunna of the Prophet (and Imams),
hadith,
(3)
Reasoning
(ijtihád, interpretation; or qiyas, analogical reasoning), The
role of this faculty was suspect in Islam and has been progressively
restricted, except in Twelver Shi'ism (which still accepts reasoning), in much
of Sunni Islam, the "gates of ijtihád" are considered closed;
(4)
Consensus
of the community, based on the hadíth "my community will never
agree on an error." The community is usually understood to be the
community of legal scholars.
·
Four
major Sunní legal schools: Hanafí, Hanbalí, Malikí, Shafí'í
·
Acts
are classified into five possible categories in Islamic law:
(1)
required;
(2)
recommended;
(3)
indifferent
or permissible;
(4)
reprehensible,
but not forbidden;
(5)
forbidden.
·
Independent
investigation of truth in fundamentals of religion and imitation in the
secondary matters; division of believers into ordained clergy and followers
·
Visiting
Shi’ah shrines is considered meritorious
·
Temporary
marriages allowed in Shi’ah
·
Religious
Dissimulation (Taqiyya) is allowed among Shi’ah laws
·
Divorce:
allowed, but is more restricted in Shi’ah, the rule on 3 times divorced woman
·
Inheritance:
for male only among Sunnis, for both male and female (but half as much) among
Shi’ah. Better treatment of women in Shi’ah may be due to the influence of
Fatima
·
The
student (talabeh) attends a school (madrasa) with the intention
to study some 10+ years and obtain a permission (ijaza) to practice
Islamic law independently.
·
Very
few actually finish and obtain the ijaza, most dropout at some stage and
become a local clergy (mullah) or preacher (akhund); some become a
teacher in a religious school (maktab) or a leader of the group prayer (pishnamaz),
or the custodian of a shrine (mutawalli), a traveling preacher (waiz)
or a narrator of the Karbala tragedy (rawda-khan)
·
Those
who obtain their “diploma” which is equivalent to a doctor of law degree in the
specific branch of Islamic jurisprudence, must then begin to practice and
achieve public acclaim; these are then the Mujtahids who are the
independent clergy able to interpret the religious laws and apply them to all
aspects of life. They gather a following, and achieve higher positions by
popular acclaim based on their learning
·
There
are no formal structures at the top and some would specialize in philosophy,
theology, or law
·
During
18th century particular eminent mujtahids who became the head of all
others through acclaim were referred to as the “source of imitation” (marja’
at-taqlid)
·
During
the 19th century the most prominent mujtahid would use the title of
“the proof of Islam” (Hujjatu’l-Islam), and during the 20th
century the title of “the sign of God” (Ayatu’llah) has been used. Since
the Iranian revolution a great many people have been using this title
effectively demeaning it.
·
Shaykh
Baha’i, the 99 names of God recorded in the Qur’an, and the name Baha
·
Names
of Baha’i months and the dawn prayer for fasting in Islam
·
The
declaration (Shahada) that “there is no god but God” and Baha’i
interpretation of removal of the letter of negation
Attitude
towards search
·
In
the Qur’an, search after truth is enjoined in all circumstances, even if it
comes from an evil source (The Apartments, 49:6)
·
Mere
imitation of our parent’s religion, without investigation, is condemned (The
Ornaments, 43:22-23)
·
Obedience
to parents is enjoined, but not in matters of conscience (The Spider, 29:8)
·
The
“majority” is not necessarily correct (Cattle, 6:116)
·
Personal
effort, to find the path of God, is enjoined (The Spider, 29:69)
·
Baha’is
believe that the Qur’an (more than any other religious book of past
dispensations) is the authentic Word of God
·
The
verses in the Holy Book are of two kinds: the “unequivocal verses”, and “those
with subtle and hidden meanings”, it’s interpretation is known only by God and
the “steadfast in knowledge” (The Family of Imran, 3:7)