Mr Dickson

Shari'a Law - draws from a number of different sources eg: Qur'an, Sunna, Hadith, consensus of Muslim scholars, legal precedents.

Shari'a Law has two components
- those obligations towards Allah (God).
- those obligations towards others.

Punishments udner Shari'a are harsh however, the conditions under which these punishments can be adminstered are highly difficult to achieve.
Theft - hand cut off.
Adultery - whipping, stoning.
Muder - death, blood money.

These are 5 main duties required of every muslim. These are:

Shahada (profession of faith) “there is no god but allah and Muhammad is the messenger of God”

Salah (prayer) Are 5 prayers recited daily

Sawm ( fasting during the month of Ramadan)

Zakat (giving of alms, Charity) this is usually done in the month of Ramadan. It iss designed to help alleviate hardship.

Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca) to be done at least once, and both men and women are encourage to vist.

4.  How does someone become a Muslim?

Simply by saying 'there is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all God's messengers, and the scriptures they brought.

5.     How do Muslims practice their religion?

Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of existence is to worship God. Muslims Pray 5 times a day and they worship one god and they practice their religion by following the rules of worship.

6.    What is the Ka'ba?

Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam.

Questions on Muslims.

1.          List the five pillars of Islam

The 5 pillars of Islam are:
1: Testimony (Shahadah or Declaration of Faith)
2: Prayer
3: Payment of Zakah (specific charity) for the poor
4: Fasting the month of Ramadan
5: pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj); if affordable
2. From where did the pillars originate?

Muhammad was instructed by Allah, in 620 A.D., to follow the Five Pillars of Islam in the Seventh Paradise.

3. Describe one of the pillars in detail.

Fasting the Month of Ramadan.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Ramadan takes place in Makkah each year, where more than 3 million Muslims from all over the world go and spend time in worship and devotion to God.

4. Compare the five pillars with similar activities in other religions.

The catholic faith worships the one god as do they have a place of worship. It is similar because Catholics worship the same type of gods e.g Jesus, god etc.

5. How does Australian culture cause difficulties in fulfilling the pillars?

The Australian community does not stop in the middle of days to pray. We wear very reviling clothing and life is just different because we do a lot of things there Islamic religion says you should stay clear of.

6. Are there peculiar ways different cultures or nationalities practice their faith?

Some religions do animal sacrifices or other ways to worship there gods but most religions are fairly the same in how they Worship there gods.

Being Muslim in the 21st Century Australia!

1.  Where did Islam begin?

Historically, Islam began in Arabia in the Middle East. Now known as Saudi Arabia, this is where the prophet Muhammad was born, raised, lived, and died.

2. What language is associated with Islam?

  Arabic.

3. List the names of some prophets?

Rasheed, Qasim, Mahmood, Hamid, Noor, Faateh.

4. How many years ago did the prophet Muhammad live?  

Muslims believe that he was the last prophet of Allah (God).

5. What is the name of the most sacred and important text for Muslims?

    The Qur’an.

6. In which language is the Koran usually recited?

  Arabic.

7. What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

Shahadah, Salat, Ramadan, Zakat and Hajj.

8. What does Shahadah mean?

"To know and believe without suspicion, as if witnessed.”

9. How many times a day are Muslims required to pray?

                          5.

10.     Where do many Muslims go to pray?

In a Mosque. 

11.      Where do Muslims face when they pray?

Mecca.

12.     On which day are the prayers considered most important?

         Friday.

13.     What is fasting also referred to as?

  Ramadan.

14.     During which special month do Muslims fast during the day?

September.

15.     What is Hajj?

Hajj is one of the five pillars and represents the trip Pilgrimage to Mecca.

16.     What is Zakat?

Zakat is one of the five pillars and it represent the five daily prayers that the Muslims must do.

17.     What percentage of the world’s Muslims are Sunni?

  23%.

18.     During Ramadan, when do Muslims fast?

 From Sunset to Sundown.

19.     In which country is Mecca?

   Islam.

20.   What is the symbol of Islam?

21.     What is Halal food?

·       pork or pork by products

·       animals that were dead prior to slaughtering

·       animals not slaughtered properly or not slaughtered in the name of Allah

·       blood and blood by products

·       alcohol

·       carnivorous animals

·       birds of prey

·       land animals without external ears



What is a Variant?

Two or more people or things that have slight differences in opinions. The three major Variants or Streams in Judasim are Conservative, Orthodox and Reform (Liberal or Progressive.)

Orthodox	Conservative	Progressive (Liberal or Reform)
·         Strict ·         No driving on Saturdays ·         Women and Men separated in Synagogue for prayer and rituals. ·         Don’t accept the changes of Reformed Jews. ·	·         Believe Jewish Laws can be changed. ·         Women and Men separated in Synagogue. ·          Traditional Beliefs.	·         Allows people to live a contemporary life in Modern Society. ·          Allow to marry other Religions.

Synagogue

www.jewfaq.org

Origin of the name:

- There are actually several different terms for a Jewish "church” and synagogue or one of them.

Functions of the synagogue:

- A synagogue is a beit tefilah, a house of prayer. It is the place where Jews come together for community prayer services. Jews can satisfy the obligations of daily prayer by praying anywhere; however, there are certain prayers that can only be said in the presence of a minyan.

Structure:

- Synagogues are generally run by a board of directors composed of lay people. They manage and maintain the synagogue and its activities, and hire a rabbi for the community.

Items Found:

-The portion of the synagogue where prayer services are performed is commonly called the sanctuary. Synagogues in the United States are generally designed so that the front of the sanctuary is on the side towards Jerusalem, which is the direction that we are supposed to face when reciting certain prayers.

www.surreyplacesofworship.org.uk/vitualvisits/synagogue/

Star of David

-The Star of David is one of the special symbols for Jewish people.

Mezuzah

-This special box called a mezuzah contains some special words from the Shema. The Shema is a passage from the Jewish Bible, called the Tenakh, which talks about what Jews should believe. It can be found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. The Shema is the first prayer that any Jew will learn.

Rabbi Jackie Tabick’s Induction

-Rabbi is the Jewish name for a teacher – they teach people who come to the synagogue about the Jewish faith. The Rabbi is the leader of the synagogue. The name of the rabbi in this photograph is Rabbi Jackie Tabick, and it shows the service held at the synagogue to welcome her.

The pictures from jewish stories

-These pictures show different stories that are special to Jewish people. Some have beautiful Jewish writing on them.Jewish writing is called Hebrew and is read from right to left.

Noticeboard

-Lots of different things happen at the synagogue. People put notices about them on this board.

Jewish School (Schul)

These stairs lead to the education rooms where Jewish children come to school, or schul, on Sundays. There they will learn what it means to be Jewish, the Hebrew language and find out about people who are important in their faith. Jewish children might hear stories about Abraham, Moses and David, or make things for festivals and learn Hebrew songs.

When a Jewish boy becomes 13, they will have their Bar Mitzvah, when they celebrate becoming an adult. It will be the first time that they read the Torah in the synagogue and they may be asked to take part in the service. Afterwards, there might be a party to celebrate. Jewish girls have a Bat Mitzvah when they turn 12.

Ten Commandments

- “God gave Moses special rules for Jewish people to learn and live by. These are called the Ten Commandments. Click on the picture to read them.

1) There is only one God.
2) Worship God alone.
3) Do not swear.
4) Keep Shabbat as a holy day.
5) Respect your father and mother.
6) Do not hurt or kill anyone.
7) Take marriage seriously.
8) Do not steal.
9) Do not tell lies.
10) Do not want things that belong to somebody else.

Kippah

-Before they enter the main room Jewish men will cover their heads with a kippah as a mark of respect for God.

Prayer Books

-These prayer books are used during services at the synagogue and contain prayers and blessings. Prayer is very important to a Jew because God likes them to talk to Him.

Jews attend synagogue on Saturdays, which they call Shabbat.

Kitchen

-The synagogue is also a place where Jews can meet and eat together at various times and celebrations.

Jews have rules about the foods they can eat. Food that is acceptable is called kosher. There are notices on the kitchen cupboards to remind them how to cook and store food properly.

Bimah

-This is a special platform called a bimah where the Torah, the Jewish holy book, is read during services. It is up high so that everyone can see it and hear what is read and because the reading of the Torah is the most important part of the service in a synagogue. Services take place on Saturdays, which Jews call Shabbat.

SYMBOLIC CARVINGS

-These twelve carvings around the ark show some symbols and objects special to Judaism. Each one is carved onto a Torah scroll. As each picture shows, click on it to reveal the next one.

This first carving shows a mezuzah. This little box is placed on the doorposts of Jewish homes and contains the words of the Shema. You can read this prayer at the start of the tour when you click on the doorframe of the entrance to the synagogue.

ETERNAL LIGHT (NER TAMID)

-This light symbolises God's presence in the synagogue, and is never extinguished. It is called the Ner Tamid. In the temple of Old Testament times, the lamp would have been a real flame, but synagogues today have an electric light, often shaped like a flame, as this one is.

ARK

-This is a special cupboard, called the Ark, where the Torah and other scrolls are kept. There are two doors to the Ark to keep the Torah safe. Many synagogues have very old scrolls rescued from synagogues in Eastern Europe that were destroyed by the Nazis at the time of the Holocaust.

SHABBAT CANDLES

-These candles are lit at the start of Shabbat on Friday night. A special prayer called a blessing is said. Jews look forward to Shabbat each week. There are two candles to show that it is more special than other days of the week.

CHALLAH LOAF

-Jews eat this plaited bread called challah as part of their family meal on Shabbat. It is plaited to make it look different from ordinary bread.

KIDDUSH CUP

-On Shabbat, Jews drink wine from a special cup called a kiddush cup. Another blessing is said over the wine.