HOUSES OF PRAYER: THE ISLAMIC MOSQUE

OBJECTIVES:

1. Be able to trace the career of Muhammad, beginning with the revelation on Mt. Hira in 610 C.E.

2.Be able to explain and discuss the main tenets of the Islamic faith.

3. Be able to define the vocabulary terms in the outline and to discuss their historical significance.

4. Be able to explain the impact on Islamic art of the tenets of Islamic.

5. Be able to explain the primary features of a mosque.

6. Be able to explain the significance of the Dome of the Rock, the mosque at Medina, and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

QUOTATIONS FROM THE QUR'AN:

Turn, therefore, thy face towards the Holy Temple of Mecca; and wherever ye be, turn your faces towards that place.

Your God is one God; there is no God but He, the most merciful.

Fight for the religion of God.

O unbelievers, I will not worship that which ye worship; nor will ye worship that which I worship .... Ye have your religion, and I my religion.

GENERAL SUMMARY:

Over 50% of the world's population is Muslim. Islam was founded by the prophet Muhammad, who believed himself to be the last and greatest in a chain of prophets going back to Abraham. Historians have often been baffled as to the reason for the great success of Islam, for it contains nothing not spoken of in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Perhaps it was the combination of Muhammad's military genius with his religious charisma which inflamed the Arabs in the sixth and seventh century C.E., but at any rate, many historians would place him within the top ten most influential historical figures. Many consider him the single most influential figure to ever have lived. Given the extreme level of tension in the mid-east today, an understanding of Muslim traditions is essential if the world is to progress beyond violence to peaceful coexistence. The teachings of Muhammad greatly influenced the development of Islamic art. The Qur'an forbids the making of idols and, therefore, Islamic religious art does not portray humans or other figures. Islamic mosques contain little in the way of icons, yet the prayer rugs, minabars, porches, and other artistic and architectural elements are beautiful expressions of the teachings in the Qur'an. The language of the Qur'an, Arabic, gave rise to beautiful calligraphy, which in turn influenced designs in wrought iron as well as other art forms.

OUTLINE

I. The life and career of Muhammad (570-632 C.E.)

A. His birth in Mecca: stories and legends

B. his marriage and life until age 40 life in Mecca in the sixth century

C. His conversion:

i. Mt. Hira 610 C.E.
ii. The Archangel Gabriel
iii. The Qur'an (Koran): (recitation)

a) significance of Arabic
b) influence of Arabic calligraphy on Arabic Art
c) Wrought Iron

iv. The Five Pillars of the Islam:

a) common origins of Islam and Judaism and Christianity
b. There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.

i) complete monotheism
ii) prohibition against idol worship
iii) Islamic Art and Images

c. prayer five times per day facing Mecca
d. fasting -- one month (Ramadan) per year, commemorating Muhammad's sojourn on Mt. Hira
e. almsgiving
f. the hajj -- pilgrimage to Mecca

v. Word meanings:

a) Islam -- to submit
b) Muslim -- one who submits

D. The Night Journey: the Al-Aqsa mosque

i. Light and Space in an Islamic Mosque

E. His flight from Mecca in 622 C.E.

i. Medina -- city of the prophet
ii. The Hijra -- 622 C.E. to Medina: first year of the Islamic calendar.
iii. the gathering of the forces
iv. conflict with the Jews common ground of Muslims and Jews Arab origins

F. Return to Mecca in 630 C.E.

i) reconquest of the Ka'ba:
ii) Muslim beliefs: where Abraham prepared to sacrifice Ishmael

G. His death in 632 C.E. H. ascent into heaven:

i) The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

a) The significance of the Dome as an architectural element
b) Islamic Designs: Mathematics, Music and The World
c) Jewish/Christian beliefs: where Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac