You are on page 1of 2

The Kite Runner

Lesson 4
Handout 10 (page 1)

Name_______________________
Date________________________

Introduction to Islam
Directions: Read the following basic information about Islam, and underline key points.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with approximately 1.3 billion
adherents in 2006, and the fastest-growing religion in the world. Islam is found
on every continent, and there are concentrations of Muslim people in Southeast
Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, Southwest Asia, and North Africa. Eighty
percent of Muslims live outside the Arab world, with the largest Muslim population in Indonesia. Other large Muslim populations live in Bangladesh, India, and
Pakistan.
Founding of Islam
Islam is sometimes called the third Abrahamic religion, following Judaism and
Christianity. Muslims believe that all of the prophets, including Abraham and Jesus, received the word of God, but that over time, the message became distorted
by people, necessitating another prophet. The Prophet Mohammed received the
word of God from the archangel Gabriel during 610632 C.E. The Quran, which
is the holy book in Islam, is the word of God as told to Mohammed. It is considered perfect only in its original Arabic. Although Mohammed is the final prophet,
following the prophets of Judaism and Christianity, the Christian scriptures and
the Jewish Torah are accepted by Muslims as scripture; Christians and Jews are
referred to as people of the book. Jesus is considered to be a prophet but is not
considered to be the son of God. Muslims, Christians, and Jews are monotheistic
peoples and believe in the same God.
There are two major sects of Islam, the Sunnis and the Shias. The split between the Sunnis and Shias occurred after the death of Mohammed. Some people
in the Muslim community thought that a person who was most knowledgeable
and closest to the prophet should be the next ruler of the Muslim community.
Others thought that the prophets blood-related cousin should be the next ruler.
Because of this disagreement, some Muslims became Sunni, following the leaders who were most knowledgeable, and the Shias followed the leaders who were
blood-related to the prophet. The majority of Muslims in the world today are
Sunni. There are few observable differences between the religious practices of the
two groups; in many places, both groups attend the same mosque side by side.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that there is variety within Islam even
though Muslims are guided by the same religious beliefs. This handout will provide some basic information about the common beliefs of Muslim people around
the world.
Muslim Beliefs

Allah is the name for God in Arabic.

God is all-knowing and all-powerful.

God controls everything that happens, and people should try to do the will
of God at all times.

All life is created by God and therefore must be respected.

On the Day of Judgment, all human behavior will be judged; people who have
completed good deeds will gain entry into heaven.

COPYRIGHT, The Center for Learning. Used with permission. Not for resale.

The Kite Runner


Lesson 4
Handout 10 (page 2)

Name_______________________
Date________________________

The Five Pillars


Shahadahdeclaration of faith
Every Muslim must acknowledge that there is one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is his messenger.
Salahfive daily prayers
Every Muslim must pray five times a day, facing Mecca (in Saudi Arabia).
Prayer must be conducted in a clean place, and Muslims must wash before
praying to be clean. Prayers include verses from the Quran and can involve
standing, bowing, and kneeling.
Zakatthe giving of charity
A percentage of ones savings and valuables (generally 2.5%) should be given
to the poor, if one can afford to do so. Charity may be given directly to an
individual; it does not have to be given to the mosque.
Ramadhanfasting from dawn to dusk in the month of Ramadan
No food, drink or other worldly pleasures may be consumed during daylight
hours. Fasting is a practice in self-discipline and self-sacrifice, and its intention is to purify ones soul, lead to reflection on how to be a good person,
and increase ones faith in God.
Hajjthe pilgrimage to Mecca
Each Muslim person should make the trip to Mecca at least once; those who
are poor or sick do not have to go. Each year during the twelfth Muslim
month, millions of people travel to Mecca to visit a place of worship called
the Kabah.

COPYRIGHT, The Center for Learning. Used with permission. Not for resale.

You might also like