Islam Rituals

Birth click here

Outline how children are welcomed into the Muslim faith?
When a child is born, the words "God is great, there is no God but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Come to prayer." is whispered into the baby's right ear by their father.

What is Aqeeqah?
A celebration carried out on the 7th day after the baby has been born known as 'Aqeeqah'. In this celebration, a sheep is slaughtered.

Marriage click here

Outline the basic elements of an Islamic wedding ceremony.
Marriage (nikah) in Islam is not a sacrament and is revocable. A gift of Mahr is given to the bride from the groom and is a token of the husbands responsibility. It is usually paid at the time of the marriage or a later date. The marriage assembly is carried out by a state appointed Muslim judge (Qadi) who records the marriage contract and it is then filed with the Mosque and local government for record. After the ceremony, the groom holds a banquet (walima) where al relatives, neighbours and friends are invited in order to make them aware of the marriage.

Symbols of Islam

The Star and Crescent


They are the accepted symbols of Islam since the eighteenth century; they appear on several flags of Islamic nations. Even before the time of Muhammed they were found on the




No symbols of Allah


Islam has always insisted that there should be no idols and no images of Allah. An Islamic mosque is devoid of all statues and all paintings this is in contrast to Christian Churches. Islamic artists have compensated for this restricted by developing beautiful work and calligraphy

Bismillah

One of the most prominent symbolic designs it the motif with the words Bismillah (in the name of Allah). All the Suras of the Qur'an except one begins with the words 'In the name of Allah , the merciful, the Compassionate...' so the first word of these Suras has been taken and variously depicted in extremely ornate styles.




Suras


Chapters of the Qur'an, there are 114 chapters, each one is shorter than the one before it. The Qur'an is thought to be the completed message that began with Judasim and Christianity.

Gallipoli Mosque excursion

Where was it?

Auburn Gallipoli Mosque


What did you see and do at the Mosque?
We took our shoes off , went inside the Mosque and sat down. There was a Muslim lady who talked to us about the Mosque and how it was made, aspects of her culture and rituals and prayers of the Islam religion
What did you learn? Identify major items/facts
She told us about the 5 pillars of Islam and the daily times muslims have to pray. She told us about how they pray, what they say and what it means. I also learnt that women pray upstairs in the mosque so both genders are not distracted and are fully focused on prayer. I learnt that there are 99 characteristics of Allah and that men have to attend compulsory prayer sessions on fridays.
What did you gain from the experience?
I gained an insight into the religion of Islam which I had never had a chance to experience and sat in a Mosque for the first time.

Christianity

1. How many followers are there of Christianity worldwide?

Approximately 2.1 billion followers.

2. What is the place of Origin?
The bases of the Christian religon originaed in Jerusalem, however the religion emerged in the time of the Roman Empire.


3. Who is the founder?
Jesus


4. What is the Sacred text?

The Bible

5. Name the two major Christian festivals

Easter and Christmas

6. What are the four names that Jesus is known by?

Messiah, Christ, Emmanuel and Anointed One

7. What is the name of the people who believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings?
Christians


8. Christians believe that there is only one God, but that this one God consists of  3 "persons". Name these
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.


9. Where is the place of Christian worship?
A church


10. Name the writers of the Gospel
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John


11. Name the 10 commandments

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
    
2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
    
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
    
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
    
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
    
6. You shall not murder.
    
7. You shall not commit adultery.
    
8. You shall not steal.
    
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
    
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

11. How do the first 3 commandments differ from the last 7?

The first 3 commandments are about God while the last seven are about us.

12. Which religion did Christianity develop from?

Judaism

13. Name the 3 variants of Christianity

Roman Catholicism, Orthodoz and Protestantism

Facts about Islam

What does Islam mean?

Islam is an Arabic word and means 'submission'. In the religious context it means 'submission to God' which is what the Islam faith is about.


What were the origins of Islam?

• According to history-Islam dates back to the 7th century,Muhammed introduced Islam in 610 AD after experiencing what he claimed to be a visit from an angel, he then dictated the Qur'an which Muslims belive to be the pre-existent words of Allah
• According to Islam- Islam began long before Muhammed walked the earth, the Qur'an was given by God through the angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad.

How does someone become a  Muslim?

To become a Muslim, one has to simply testify “La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah.” which translated to “I testify that there is no true god (deity) but God (Allah), and that Muhammad is a Messenger (Prophet) of God.” This can be performd in a public ceremony.

How do Muslims practice their religion?

Muslims are required to pray five times a day (prayer times are fixed by the sun and change daily), wash themselves before prayer and face in the direction of Mecca (Mekkah) while praying.

 

What were the highlights of Mohammads life?

In his late 30s Muhammad regularly visited a cave in Mount Hira, on the outskirts of Mecca, to seek solitude and contemplation. When he was 40, Muhammad returned from one such visit telling his wife that he had been visited by an angel.

Muhammad claimed that while in a trance-like state, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and said "Proclaim!" But he replied, "I am not a proclaimer." The angel persisted, and the Prophet repeatedly resisted, until the angel finally overwhelmed Muhammad and commanded him:

Proclaim in the name of your Lord who created!
Created man from a clot of blood.
Proclaim: Your Lord is the Most Generous,
Who teaches by the pen;
Teaches man what he knew not. (Qur'an 96:1-3)

After receiving his wifes' support, and additional angelic visits, Muhammad became co

nfident he had been chosen as the messenger of God and began to proclaim.

What is the Quran?
A book from which the Islam beliefs and practices originate from. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is from Allah and every word is sacred.

What is the ka'ba? (image)

The New Testament

Matthew: Written around the time of 70AD. With 28 chapters, it is the longest Gospel of the four (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Mark: Written between 50 and 60 A.D. This book has 16 chapters and is the shortest book of the four gospels.

Luke: Written between 59 and 70 A.D. The Gospel of Luke is organized into eight primary sections that describe the life, ministry and miracles of Jesus Christ.

John: Was written between 50 and 85 A.D. It has 21 chapters.

Acts: Is the fifth book of the New Testament and it's full name is Acts of the Apostles.

Romans: The book of Romans in the New Testament is a letter from the apostle Paul to believers living in Rome about 58 a.d.

1 Corinthians: also known as the First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, it is the seventh book of the New Testament

2 Corinthians: also known as the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, it is the eighth book  of the New Testament

Galatians: also known as as the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, it is the ninth book  of the New Testament

Ephesians: also known as the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, it is the tenth book of the New Testament

Philippians:  Also known as the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, it is the eleventh book of the New Testament

Colossians: Also known as the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians, it is the twelfth book of the New Testament

1 Thessalonians: Also known as First Epistle to the Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians: Also known as Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

1 Timothy: Also known as First Epistle of Paul to Timothy

2 Timothy: Also known as the Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy

Titus: also known as Epistle of Paul to Titus

Philemon: also known as The Epistle of Paul to Philemon, usually referred to simply as Philemon, is a prison letter to Philemon from Paul of Tarsus.

Hebrews: also known as The Epistle to the Hebrews, author unknown

1 Peter: also known as The First Epistle to Peter

2 Peter: also known as The Second Epistle to Peter

1 John: also known as The First Epistle of John

2 John: also known as The Second Epistle of John

3 John: also known as The Third Epistle of John

Jude: also known as The Epistle of Jude

Revelations: also known as the book of revalations and is the last book of the New testament.

Christianity

Christianity

• Christianity (Christ literally means "anointed one") is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament
• Christians believe Jesus s the son of God having become man and the saviour of humanity. Christan's, therefore, commonly refer to Jesus as Christ or Messiah.

Christian beliefs

• There is one god
• The belief in the trinity
• God created the world and it is good
• Man is created in the image of God
• Jesus, the son of God was sent to save mankind
• Belief in god brings salvation
• The holy spirit directs the church
• Man has free will

Denominations/Variants

Christianity contains 3 main branches which are;

• Roman Catholicism
• Orthodox church
• Protestantism

Catholic Church
The catholic church comprises those particular churches, headed by bishops, in communion with the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, as its highest authority in matters of faith.

Orthodox Church
Compromises those churches in communion with the Patriarchal Sees of the East, such as the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
In the 11th century the Catholic church of Rome split with the Eastern Church (Constantinople-known as Turkey today). This split was called the Great Schism and as a result of this the Orthodox church was formed.

Protenstantism
In the 16th century, Martin Luther, Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin inaugurated what has come to be called Protestantism. There are many different forms of Protestant religions.
Protestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differering practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the 16th century Protestant reformation.

Task
Choose a Christian variant and answer the following questions (Roman Catholicism)

1. How many worldwide followers does the variant have?
Around 1.1 billion followers.

2. What are the key central beliefs?
One of the central beliefs is that God entered the world through the Incarnation of his Son, the Christ or Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. They also attain certain significance to the irtes of Baptism and eucharist.

3. What is the logo of the church?

4. When was the church formed?
It has existed since the 1st Century AD.

5. Who is the head of the church?

The Roman Catholic Church is part of the Christian Church which is ruled by the Pope.

6. What are two features of this church?

The stations of the cross- There are usually 14 pictures (15 in modern churches) showing the last hours of christ from his trial to his burial. They can be wood carved, stained glass windows or paintings.

A pulpit- a place where the priest gives his sermon. Traditionally, it is made of wood or stone with statues and carvings around it. Most modern churches have a lectern. 

Variants

What is a variant?

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

Orthodox

• Men and women sit separately in Orthodox synagogues and women do not participate in some of the rituals. 
• Synagogues are established by groups of Jews who raise their own funds and construct their own buildings.
• The Biblical law may be developed and interpreted only by processes of reasoning which maintain respect for its Divine origin.

• Orthodox is the most traditional out of the three; they speak Hebrew, have strict Kosher laws, make no changes to the Torah and no marriages are allowed outside their religion.

 Conservative

• Men and women sit together and women participate fully in the synagogue services, prayers and rituals.
• Follows the traditional liturgy, and it is mainly in Hebrew and similar to Orthodox services.
• Allows the use of electrical appliances on the Sabbath and to drive to the synagogue by car. It also permits the ordination of women rabbis.
• Laws can be changed

Progressive

• Progressive Jews regard the “sacred heritage” of the Torah as evolving and adapting over the centuries and continuing to do so.
• the full equality of women and the acceptance of all regardless of sexual orientation
• Relatively new 19^th century religion
• Allowed to marry with other religions

Secular Jews

 

Secular Jews don't describe themselves as religious believers, but still identify as part of the Jewis people and participate in Judaism.

 

http://www.ijs.org.au/variants-within-Judaism/default.aspx

• Relaxed practise and fits in society-Progressive
• Individual praying and occasional conversation in service-Progressive
• Traditional beliefs but addressing contemporary needs-Conservative
• Men and women sit separately in the synagogue-Orthodox
• Men and women sit together and participate fully in service, prayers and rituals-Conservative and Progressive
• Women do not practise in all rituals-Orthodox
• English used for part of service-Progressive
• Strict dress and dietary law-Orthodox
• They always worship in Hebrew-Orthodox
• Women can lead services and become Rabbis-Progressive

Being Jewish in the 21st century

 

Where are Jewish religious services held?

A Synagogue

What time do prayers begin at Antons school?

7:15am

For how many years had Judaism existed as a religion?

Around three and a half thousand years

How many Gods did Abraham believe in?

One.

What are Mitzvoth?

The Ten Commandments

What did Moses do?

He led the Israelites to freedom from slavery and led them across the Red Sea which he parted with Gods help. He also recieved the Ten Commandments and he wrote the Torah.

What is the Torah?
The law of God as revealed to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures.

What is a Jewish religious leader called?
A rabbi.

When did Abraham leave the area now known as Iraq to settle in the area known as Palestine or Israel?
1800 B.C

What does Shabbat mean?
It is a ritual meaning rest.

How long does Shabbat last for?
Sundown on Friday through to nightfall on Sunday.

What is the purpose of blowing the ram's horn?
To remind people that change is coming.

What is Yom Kippur?
It is the most holy day of atonement for people to acknowledge their sins.

What does the festival of Hannukah celebrate?
It is the festival of lights and celebrates the Jewish people gaining freedom.

Which city did King David pronounce the capital for the Jews?
Jerusalem

What is the Western Wall?

The remains of a temple built by King David's son Solomon which many Jews make a pilgrimage to and store prayers in the cracks of the wall.

What does Bat Mitzvah mean?

It is a coming of age ceremony for Jewish people when they reach the age of twelve or thirteen to celebrate the passing from childhood to adolescence. Bat if for girls and Bar is for boys.

Kosher Menu

Breakfast

Kosher Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Dairy) click here

OR

Cheese Blintzes (Dairy) click here

Lunch

Kosher Chicken Turkey Soup (Meat) click here

OR
Moroccan Lemon Vegetable Salad (Parve) click here

Dinner

3 kinds of Falafel in pita with tahina and vegetables

Moroccan stewed vegetables

OR

Pizza Borekas (Dairy) click here

 Dessert

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (parve) click here
OR
Homemade Crepes (Pareve) click here

This is a recipe for traditional Challah bread which is usually served on the Sabbath or special holidays.

Dough


5 pounds sifted all-purpose flour
2 ounces fresh yeast
2 tablespoons coarse salt
4 1/4 cups warm water (add an additional 1/4 cup for softer dough) 3/4 cup oil
1 1/3 cups sugar


5 egg yolks
Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water and add 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir. When bubbles rise, the yeast has activated. In your mixer, combine the salt, 2/3 of the flour, oil, sugar, yolks, water and the activated yeast last. Set the machine on medium for 12 minutes. When you see the dough begin to form, add the remaining flour into the mixer and continue mixing.

Transfer the dough to a very large well-greased bowl, cover with plastic and allow to rise in a warm spot for 2 to 3 hours or until double in bulk. (Optional: punch dough down after 1 hour and let rise again)
Separate the challah and make a blessing. Form the dough into a braid or whatever shape your family has traditionally used.

Six-Braided Challah Divide the dough into 4 parts to make 3 large challahs and 6 small challah rolls. To make a six-braided challah, divide one large part into 6 small sections. Ro

ll each section out to a 12 inch strand. Connect the strands on top and place two strands to the right, two to the center and two to the left. Pull the center left strand up and the center right remains down. Grab the inner center right strand and the inner left strand and pull the outer left strand under. Pull the center left strand up and the center right strand down and then grab the center right strand and the inner right and pull the outer right strand under. Pull the center left strand down and the center right strand up and grab the inner center left and the inner left and pull the outer left strand under. Repeat "down and up and under" til you reach the end. Then take your six strands and tuck them neatly under the challah.

Three-Braided Challah Divide a large piece of dough into 4 parts. From 3 parts roll out three 12 inch strands. Divide the fourth part into 3 and roll out three small strands.

Braid the large strands as if braiding hair until you form your challah. Then braid the smaller strands into a mini challah. Place the mini on top of the larger challah.

After you have formed your challahs allow them to rise for 20 minutes in greased baking dishes. Paint the challahs with beaten egg yolks and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for the first 15 minutes then, reduce to 350 degrees for another 30 to 45 minutes.