An Introduction to Islamic Architecture

Beginnings of Islam : The Revelation

Prophet Muhammad SAW/Pbuh

• Born in Mecca around 570 AD

• Prophet Muhammad comes from the tribe of Qureish which was from the 40 clans lived in Mecca with varying status and wealth.

• Known as Al Amin & Respected for his skill in trade and married a wealthy widow, Khadijah.

• Meditate in the hillside outside the city, during this solitary vigils that he first heard God’s message.

- Prophet Muhammad SAW/Pbuh

- The map showing Mecca

• The first revelation in the cave at Mt. Hira. The Holy Prophet (SAW) is commissioned as the Messenger of ALLAH (AWJ/SWT).

• Prophet Muhammad- migrate fr Mecca to Madina - known as “Hijrah” - indicates the beginning of the Islamic Calendar.

• New religion known as Islam – fundamental beliefs – embodied: 5 Pillars of Islam & 6 Pillars of Faith

The Quran - The miracle of the Prophet 

• The Qur’an is a continuation of the previous divine Messages that Allah sent to people via His Messengers throughout history. 

• It is the grand finale of those divine Messages. 

• To the polytheistic Arabs of Mecca, nevertheless, Islam was a new religion. 

• The Qur’an consists of 114 chapters, and each chapter consists of a number of verses. 

• The Qur’an contains 6236 verses in total.

- The Holy Book Qur’an

Pillars of Islam

The most important Muslim practices are the Five Pillars of Islam.

The Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam.

The Five Pillars consist of:

• Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith

• Salat: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day

• Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy

• Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan

• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca

Why are they important?

Carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim's life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devotion.

No matter how sincerely a person may believe, Islam regards it as pointless to live life without putting that faith into action and practice.

Carrying out the Five Pillars demonstrates that the Muslim is putting their faith first, and not just trying to fit it in around their secular lives.

- The Five Pillars of Islam

References

• http://www.quranicstudies.com/quran/a-short-introduction-to-the-quran/

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/practices/fivepillars.shtml