ISLAM
TRUTHFUL”.
Introduction:
IT IS THE MOST WIDESPREAD MONOTHEISTIC RELIGION
NEXT TO CHRISTIANITY WHICH GIVES EMPHASIS ON THE
MESSAGE OF GOD REVEALED WITHIN FROM THE
ABRAHAMIC TRADITION From which Judaism &
Christianity came from.
Thus, Islam seems to be the third and final revelation of
the Abrahamic Tradition and it constitutes the third and
major branch of monotheism.
ETYMOLOGY
The name ISLAM was given by Allah when He addressed
the Muslims during Mohammad’s “farewell pilgrimage”
to Mecca.
(QURAN 5.3b) “Today I have perfected your system of
belief and bestowed my favours upon you in full, and
have chosen Islam as the creed for you.”
ISLAM is an Arabic term which means “OBEDIENCE or
SUBMISSION” Thus, it designates that religious surrender
by which human beings submit to God and devote
themselves totally to the fulfillment of the will of God
(Allah) .
MUSLIM is the “ONE WHO SUBMITS” to Allah’s will by
accepting Islamic Religion and by observing its laws &
practices. ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY IS THE STRAIGHT PATH
OF SUBMISSION TO ALLAH
BRIEF HISTORY:
LIFE & MISSION OF MUHAMMAD
• 570 CE: The prophet of Allah was born into the
QURAYSH TRIBE in MECCA (Arabia)
COMPLETE NAME:
“Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd
adMuttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusai ibn
Kilab” …
• He grew up under the guidance of his uncle ABU
TALIB who was a trader. He was known to be
generous, honest, truthful, & sincere man. Later
on, he was regarded by the affluent traders in
Arabian Peninsula as “EL AMIN” or “THE
• 595 CE: Muhammad met KHADIJAH, an older and
wealthy widow. He was hired as a “CARAVAN
MANAGER” and eventually, marries Khadijah
and they had SIX CHILDREN.
LIFE & MISSION OF MUHAMMAD
• 610 CE: ANGEL GABRIEL appeared to
Muhammad inside the cave of Mt. Hira and
revealed to him the first revelations of QUR’AN
and told him that he is the prophet of God.
(discuss the context in Mecca & the command)
• 622 CE: Muhammad and his followers migrated
from Mecca to YATHRIB or MEDINA. This
journey was called THE HEGIRA and was
considered by Muslims to be the special
beginning of the Islamic Calendar.
• 630 CE: Muhammad, together with thousands
of his followers gained control in Mecca and
rededicated the Kaaba to Allah
by removing the idols from the Shrine. The
journey to Mecca is called HAJJ
SPREAD OF ISLAM
• The RASHIDUN, who were the first four
successors of Muhammad.
• ABU BAKR: it was during his rule that the bonds
among tribes (within Arabian Peninsula) were
strengthened.
• UMAR: It was during his rule that the campaign
for expansion began and brought Islam outside
the Arabian Peninsula. (Egypt, Syria, Palestine,
etc.)
• UTHMAN: He expanded the Islamic influence
into Libya, Armenia, Afghanistan & Cyprus.
• ALI IBN ABI TALIB VS MUAWIYYAH (Shia Islam)
(Sunni Islam)
CENTRAL BELIEFS/DOCTRINES
SACREDNESS OF THE QUR’AN
• THE QURAN is the KITAB AL-ALLAH (book of God)
 • It is believed to be the LITERAL WORD OF ALLAH
or Earthly Replica of the Heavenly Quran
• It consist of 114 surahs (chapters) and each
composed of ayahs (verses). Hence, Muslims
revere the Quran as the supreme authority for
regulating Islamic Belief & Behavior for they
know that the Quran is God’s perfect, definitive,
& ultimate Revelation.
HADDITH
• It refers to the reports regarding the sayings and
actions of the prophet Muhammad.
• It is considered to be an important guide in
understanding the revelation in the Quran and
has a significant influence in Islamic Law, second
only to the Quran.
SIX ARTICLES OF FAITH
1. BELIEF IN ONE GOD (ALLAH)
(AL IIMAANU BILLAAH)
• It means that Allah is One, that there is none like
Him, He has no partner, He neither begets nor is
He begotten, He is indivisible in person. He is the
creator of the heavens and the earth and all that
is between them and the creator of all things; the
sole and sovereign ruler of the universe. He is
everywhere.
2. BELIEF IN ANGELS
(AL IIMAANU BI MALAA-IKATIHHII)
• The Angels are the spiritual creatures of Allah
created of light and endower with life, speech
and reason. They are neither male nor female,
they have no sex. They have no material body
and can assume any form they like. They do not
eat and drink like human beings nor do they
sleep. They are free from carnal desires and the
disturbances of anger. They are ever obedient to
the will and commands of Allah. They are
created in different forms and provided with
different powers.
3. BELIEF IN DIVINE BOOKS
(AL IIMAANU BI KUTUBIHII)
• It means that Allah revealed Commandments
(SUHUF) and Code of religions (KUTUB) to
different Prophets at different stages of history
for the guidance of mankind.
• TAURAH, ZABOOR, INJEEL, QURAN
4. BELIEF IN PROPHETS
(AL IIMAANU BI RUSULIHII)
• A Prophet is a servant and messenger of Allah.
He is a model for mankind and teaches mankind
the Commands of Allah, himself acting in
accordance with his own teachings. Prophets
were sent by Allah to all nations at all stages of
history to warn them against their sins and to
lead them along the right path. Principally, the
prophet taught mankind to worship and fear
Allah and to be obedient to all His Commands.
5. BELIEF IN FATE
• It is a belief that Allah already knows what will
happen. But it does not stop human beings in
making free choices.
• THUS, ALLAH WILLS THAT EVERY HUMAN
BEINGS WILL BE ONE WITH HIM IN ETERNITY
6. BELIEF IN JUDGMENT DAY
(AL IMAANU BIL YAUMIL AAKHIR)
• That day is called “Qiyaamah” (The Last Day).
• On this day, all the human beings who had lived
in the world since its inception will be restored
to life and will be presented before God who will
sit in court on that day. This is called “Hashar”
(resurrection). Then entire record of every man
and woman, their doings and misdoings will be
presented before God for final judgment. Those
who committed sins but died with Iman (faith)
will be temporarily punished in Hell and will
ultimately be sent to Paradise through the
pleading (shafaa-ah) of the Prophet Muhammad.
ISLAM MODE OF WORSHIP
• JUM’AH IT IS A SACRED TIME FOR MUSLIMS IN
PRAYING AS ONE UMMA (COMMUNITY) INSIDE
THE MOSQUE EVERY FRIDAY….
• RITUAL ABLUTION (wudu) IT IS A RITUAL THAT IS
DONE BY MUSLIMS BEFORE PRAYING IN ORDER
TO PURIFY THEIR BODY & SPIRIT BEFORE THEY
MEET ALLAH (swt)….
MAJOR FEASTS IN ISLAM
EID AL ADHA
• It is the “DAY OF SACRIFICES”, a four-day festival
observed by the Muslims to commemorate the
event of Allah appearing to Ibrahim (Abraham) in
a dream, commanding him to sacrifice his son
Ishmael to show his devotion to Allah.
EID AL FITR (Festival of the breaking of the fast)
• This festival is a three day celebration that marks
the end of Ramadan, which is month of prayer &
fasting. Muslims attend communal worship,
listen to khutma (sermon) and give zakat al-fitr
(charity in the form of food).
MAWLID AL-NABI
• MAWLID means birthday of a holy figure & AL-
NABI means prophet.
• Celebration of Muhammad’s birthday
HALAL PRACTICES
• It means “ritually correct” and particularly refers
to food preparations and consumption. Prayer
before Slaughtering: BISMILLAH, ALLAHU AKBAR
(In the name of Allah, Allah is the Greatest)
HAVING MORE WIVES
• IT IS ALLOWED FOR MUSLIM MEN TO HAVE
MORE WIVES! (Surah Al Nisa 4.3) And if you fear
that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls,
then marry those that please you of [other]
women, TWO OR THREE OR FOUR.
• But if YOU FEAR THAT YOU WILL NOT BE JUST,
THEN [MARRY ONLY ONE. That is more suitable
that you may not incline [to injustice].
SPIRITUALITY OF ISLAM
The spirituality of Islam is oriented towards the
achievement of the promise of peace by ALLAH (swt)
(Quran 39.73) GOD promises them: “PEACE BE UPON;
YOU ARE JOYOUS. SO ENTER HERE TO LIVE FOREVER!”
Islamic Salutation:
“al- Salamu ‘alaykum “-“peace be upon you!” “and upon
you, peace!”
“alayhi ‘salam”-“peace be upon him”
ACHIEVING ALLAH’S PROMISE OF PEACE
MUSLIMS PARADIGM:
“Straight path of submission to Allah (swt)”
In submitting themselves to Allah (swt), they have to
develop and cultivate in themselves the crowning Islamic
Virtue called: “TAQWA”
• MUSLIMS recognized that the sole measure of
their of their stature before God is not earthly
prestige, material wealth or social stature but
THE DEPTH OF THEIR PIETY
• (QURAN 2.148) “so strive towards piety and
excel the others: God will bring you all together
wheresoever you be”
Muslims way of cultivating TAQWA:
1. Faithfully obey everything that were stipulated in the
Quran, will of Allah
2. Faithfully observe the five pillars
Worshipping- evoke Allah
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
1. Shahadah: Profession of Faith
2. Salat: Prayer
3. Zakat: Almsgiving
4. Sawm: Fasting
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage
SHAHADA
• It is a declaration of faith that is considered to be
the foundation of all other beliefs and practices
of Islam
• first step towards implementation of faith
• reciting Kalima marked the conversion
“la’ ilaha, illa-llah, mu’ammadur-rasulu-llah”
• There is no god but Allah (s.w.t.); Muhammad is
His Messenger. Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala (Glory to
Him, the Exalted)
SALAH (prayer)
• It is a direct link between the believer and God.
Muslims pray five times a day
• Fajr (dawn)
• Dhuhr (midday/noon)
• ʿAṣr (late afternoon)
• Maghrib (sunset/evening)
• ʿIshāʾ (nightfall)
• MUSLIMS pray for 5 times daily because they are
hoping for the FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS.
• Muslims must wash before prayer; this washing
is called wudu "purification"
• May be performed anywhere, however, the
mosque is the preferable place
SAWM (FASTING)
• One of the methods of self-purification which
involves fasting and self-control during the Holy
Month of Ramadan.
• Fasting from food, drink, abstains from vulgar
speech or act & sensual pleasures from dawn to
dusk.
• This practice is meant to embolden Muslims to
pursue intimacy with Allah, to be patient, and to
learn & appreciate the hardships by the poor and
the needy.
• begins before daybreak and continues till sunset
(BY FASTING, MUSLIMS OBTAIN THE FORGIVENESS
OF THEIR PAST FAULTS
ZAKAT (CHARITY)
• Islam teaches that all things belong to God and
wealth is held in trust by human beings.
• deduct certain amount of their income to,
usually about 2.5% of an individual’s income
• Muslims realize that those who do not fulfill the
duty of almsgiving are liable to Gods severe
punishment
• HOW TO AVOID HELL THROUGH ALMSGIVING?
Muhammad said, “Avoid hell by giving Charity,
even if it means sharing your last date, & if you
have nothing at all, by SPEAKING A KIND WORD.”
HAJJ (PILGRIMAGE)
• It is a pilgrimage to Mecca which must be
performed by Muslims at least one in their
lifetime.
• ONLY THOSE WHO ARE PHYSICALLY AND
FINANCIALLY ABLE ARE OBLIGATED TO
PERFORM IT During the month of DHU AL-
HIJJAH, 12th month of Lunar calendar.
• This pilgrimage is a reminder that all human
beings are equal before God, and it creates unity
and fraternity bet. members of Islamic
community (umma)
• Hajj should be an expression of devotion to God,
not a means to gain social standing
OVERACHING PRINCIPLE
JIHAD
• It is does not mean a HOLY WAR But it actually
means “TO STRUGGLE, TO STRIVE, TO EXCERT
EFFORT”
• Muslims are enjoined to engage JIHAD in various
aspects of their lives like that of struggling
against evil inclinations or vices and to undertake
the struggle to improve the quality of life in
society.
HINDUISM
ORIGINS
 Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion
 Originated around the Indus valley near the river
Indus (India)
 Hindu was derived from the Sanskrit word
Sindhu used by the “Aryans”. The word Hindu or
Indu was used by the Greeks and Persians to
denote the country and the people living around
Indu river
 Unlike other religions, Hinduism has no single
founder, no single scripture and no single
governing body.
 Hindu refer to the population in India who were
neither Christian nor Muslim.
 In essence, Hinduism is a religion of the Dharma,
which is the timeless order of all life.
 Dharma, according to Hindu belief and practice,
is what holds the universe together, which
means “duty”, “correct practice” and “truth”.
Following the Dharma is the epitome of religious
practice as a Hindu.
 Vedas, are sacred writings which contain
foundational elements of doctrine, morality and
worship.
 “Veda” in Sanskrit means “knowledge”
 There are 2 types of scriptures in the Hindu
tradition :
1. Shruti scripture – mean “that which is heard”
which contains fundamental elements of Hindu
philosophy and morality.
2. Smriti – mean “that which is remembered”
are considered secondary scriptures
The Shruti scriptures, which are primarily the 4 Vedas,
are of divine origin.
 Each Veda is divided into 4 types of religious
literature:
1. Samhitas –hymns dedicated to gods & goddesses
2. Brahmanas – explications of the samhitas and
other rotual acts performed by priests.
3. Aranyakas – philosophical interpretations of
ritual acts
4. Upanishads – explanations of general
philosophical knowledge.
5. The Smriti (meaning “that which is remembered)
are considered “secondary scriptures” and
mostly contain stories and advice from sages.
6. Smriti are considered to be of human origin. It
gives ordinary people access to the teachings of
the Vedas. Smriti scriptures include the ff:
1. Mahabharata- an epic poem that is 15 times longer
than the Bible, narrates the story of an ongoing war
among family members. It highlights the importance of
virtues and devotion to the gods, particularly to Krishna.
2. Ramayana – a shorter epic poem about kingship and
royal virtues. It tells the story of the battles that Rama
had to fight in order to save his wife Sita from the demon
Ravana. It is one of the epics that depict the battle
between good and evil.
3. Dharma Shastras- are legal treatises that emphasize
the impotance of practicing virtue.
4. Bhagavad Gita- meaning “song of the Lord”, one of the
books in Mahabharata.
5. Puranas – are stories that depict the sectarian
devisions within Hiduism.
BELIEFS
 Hinduism was known as a “way of life” or “a
family of Religions” rather than a single religion.
It is referred as the Sanatana Dharma “the
eternal law” or the “eternal way” beyond human
origins.
 Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth,
death and rebirth (samsara), governed by
Karma.
 For them, all living creatures have a soul – the
spirit or true “self” of every person, called the
“atman”. The soul is believed to be eternal.
  The goal of life in Hinduism is to attain salvation
or MOKSHA.
 Hinduism believes in the Doctrine of the Atman,
which claims that there is a “soul” (called
“atman”). It is the atman that assumes a physical
body (through reincarnation) depending on the
merits of one’s deeds.
 Brahman – the one Divine Principle that brings
unity to the universe – is connected to atman
 Brahman-atman or the absolute self, which
there points to the fundamental link that all
beings have with the absolute. This is the reason
why all human beings, including humans,
animals and plants are connected to each other
in very intimate ways.
 Reincarnation happens when the atma (soul)
leaves its material body and finds another body
to reside on in another life cycle.
*The end of samsara is possible.
 Moksha – end of the wheel of samsara is
experienced as momentous release or liberation
from the seemingly never-ending cycle-death
and rebirth.
The Caste System
 Caste system is the traditional social structure
that closely follows Hindu principles of Karma
and samsara
 Jati – a social classification that determine one’s
rank on the basis of family’s occupation.

 They believe that hurting another being is
hurting oneself. That is the reason why Hinduism
is against killing of any kind of living being.
 In a Hindu temple, there enshrined different
gods & goddesses: goddess Ganesha, portrayed
as an elephant, god Shiva,portrayed with more
than two arms; goddess Kali, who holds a head
from its body while standing in corpses.
 When worshipping, a Hindu would pay his
respects to each enshrined image by bowing to
them one by one.
 In Hinduism, there are beliefs in three(3) highest
deities:
1, Trimurthi (or Trinity) – of which Brhama is the creator
2. Vishnu – is the preserver of the universe
 There are 4 main jatis in different varnas(social
groups)
1. Brahmins - the highest hierarchy and the purest
among castes.
Brahmins serve as ritual experts or priests who officiate
temple worship
2. Kshatriyas – consists of political rulers and warriors,
those who administer justice and defend the territory
against invaders.
3. Vaishyas – makes up the economic specialist and
merchants. They are responsible for producing food and
other goods and exchange them in market for everyone’s
benefit.
4. Shudras consists of the manual laborers. Considered
impure because of the nature of their work.

3. Shiva – is the destroyer Mahatma Gandhi –a social activist and critic of the caste
system.
 Karma, Samsara and Moksha
 Puja most common way to express worship and
 Karma –means “action”, the consequence of
deities. It consists of offering goods and ritual to
one’s action.
the altar to a god or goddesses.
 The law of Karma means that the person’s action
Popular Hindu Festivals:
in the present will have consequences, thus will
shape person’s future. 1. Divali or Diwali – the festival of lights. Considers
the beginning of New Year. It lasts for 5 days
 Samsara is a cycle of birth-death-birth as in
reincarnation
 2. Holi – the festival of spring colors. Devotees
drench themselves and other with water and
would spray colorful powder to celebrate the
end of winter and the return of spring.
3. Dussehra – celebrates the actual victory of Rama
over demon Ravana.
4. Makara Sankranti- festival of the harvest.
Celebrated every Jan. 14, this is the only festival in
Hinduism that follows the solar calendar.
5. Lohari – a midwinter festival, this celebrates the
symbolic shunning of evil. During this festival,
devotees would light bonfires and throw nuts,
sesame seeds and popcorns on them to symbolize
rejection of evil.
6. Krishna Janmaashtami – a celebration on the birth
of Krishna, a popular god among Hindus.
7. Maja Shivaratri- the great night of Shiva. Devotees
fast overnight, in order to earn the god’s favor and
then celebrate by merriment and partaking of food.
8. Ganesh Chaturthi- a celebration of the birth of
Ganesh, a god who is represented by an
elephant.
9. Guru Purnima – the festival of one’s teacher. A
devotee honors his/her guru (teacher) by offering
puja.
10. Kumbha Mela – the largest Hindu festival in the
world. Devotees do ritual bathing and religious
ascetics to purify themselves before discussing
religious matters with other ascetics
Main Schools of Thought
 Six (6) Schools of Philosophy
1. Samkhya - (traditional school) is an aesthetic
philosophy that is based on the writings of
Samkhayarikas. It is “aesthetic” because it does
not mention any diety and does not rely on their
power in explaining the workings of the universe.
2. Yoga – is Hindu in origin, and its main purpose is
to achieve a sattvic state, which is characterized
by spiritual calm, virtue and joy. There are four
(4) main Yogas that suits the temperaments and
conditions of diff. people.
a. Raja Yoga – the path pf physical and psychic practice.
A Yogi (yoga practitioner) in this type resorts to asanas,
postures that purify the bodyand achieve physical
balance.
b. Jnana Yoga- the path of the rational mind and
concentration. Jnana yoga consistsof doing
meditative practices that aim to clear the mind of
impurities and attain a rational and calm disposition.
c. Karma Yoga – appeals to people who have strong
desire to work for the
betterment of society.
d. Bhakti Yoga – the path to devotion, the most popular
form of yoga among Hindus. It is the practice of deep
devotion and love toward the divine. A yogi engage in
this type is called bhakta, whose ultimate wish is a divine
manifestation.
3. Mimamsa School concerns with the proper
interpretation of righteous action (dharma)as it is
believed to part of the Vedas themselves.
4. Vaisheshika school resonates most strongly with an
atomistic view of reality, which is similar to Western
science’s explanation on how atoms form part of
anything in the universe.
5. Nyaya school is the one that is most concerned with
logic and establishment of proof.
6. Vedanta school is the last to be established in Hindu
thought. Vedanta means “end of the Vedas”, and this
school gives emphasis to the Upanishads, which is the
last book to be considered part of the Shruti scriptures.
OBJECTIVES OF LIFE (Purusartha)
 DHARMA (righteousness, ethics) – the foremost
goal in Hinduism. Dharma makes life and
universe possible and this includes duties, rights,
laws, conduct, virtues and “right way of living.
 ARTHA (livelihood, wealth) – objective and
pursuit of wealth for livelihood, obligations and
economic prosperity.
  Karma (desire, sensual pleasure) –desire, wish
passion, longing, pleasure of the senses, the
aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection or love,
with or without sexual connotations.
 SPIRITUALITY OF HINDUISM
HINDUS ULTIMATE GOAL
• + Worshipping god (Brahman)
• (faithfulness in doing their rituals)
• + Service to Others (Doing good deeds to fellow
men). The motivation in doing good must not
be oriented for the reward. Rather it is the
good thing to be done.

• THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF HINDUS IS TO ACHIEVE 3. BHAKTI MARGA (WAY OF DEVOTION)

MOKSHA (SALVATION) THAT IS TO MAKE THEIR
• IT MEANS HAVING A HEART FELT DEVOTION TO
ATMAN (SOUL) BE IN COMMUNION WITH THEIR
GOD; that is, in every act of worship, it must be
GOD (BRAHMAN).
propelled by LOVE (for God)
“Being one with the Brahman, means one’s soul (atman)
is freed from the CYCLE OF REBIRTH (Samsara)”

HOW TO MAKE THE ATMAN (SOUL) BE ONE WITH THE

BRAHMAN?

MEANS OF HINDUISM: (SPIRITUALITY)

THEY HAVE TO LIVE THEIR LIFE ACCORDING TO

DHARMA

(It is a way of life or practical guide on how to live life as

a faithful Hindu)

= Living life according to Dharma involves faithful

obedience to all that are stipulated in their manual
called, VEDAS, which includes the 5 Yamas,

= And, one must pursue MOKSHA (liberation o the

atman from the cycle of rebirth)

3 DIFFERENT WAYS TO ACHIEVE MOKSHA

1.JNANA MARGA (WAY OF KNOWLEDGE)

IT MEANS FREEING ONESELF FROM “IGNORANCE” (that

life is only about satisfying our physical self) - it is done
by renouncing oneself from self-centeredness
(impatience, unkindness, insensitivity, greed), sensual
pleasures and material goods.

• IT IS THROUGH YOGA (contemplation of the

Divine) THAT MOKSHA IS ACHIEVED.

2. KARMA MARGA (WAY OF ACTION)

• IT MEANS DOING GOOD ACTION.

• - doing good actions means two things for

Hindus: