1. Understanding Islam
Encore Course - Spring 2013
Gulf Coast State College
Medhat Elmesky, Instructor
Islamic Understanding Institute

2. Understanding Islam Course Structure
• Class Timeline
– January 18th - February 22nd
– Fridays from 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM
• The course structure will include:
– Instructor-led sessions
– Invited guest speakers
– Panel discussions with local Muslim professionals
– Classroom small group discussions & final presentation
– Question and answer time

3. Course Content
Week 1: January 18, 2013
• Introduction to the course
– Course objectives
– Course structure
– The meaning of Islam
Week 2: January 25, 2013
• Articles of Faith in Islam
– Belief in the oneness of God, the prophets, the revelations, the
angels, the Day of Judgment, and predestination
• The Sources of Islam
– The Glorious Quran
– The prophetic Sunnah

4. Course Content
Week 3: February 1, 2013
• The five pillars of Islam and a Muslim’s spiritual life
– Shahada (declaration of faith)
– Prayer
– Fasting
– Zakah (Alms)
– Hajj (Pilgrimage)
Week 4: February 8, 2013
• Islam as a complete way of life
– Personal Life
– Family life (Marriage, wife rights, husband obligations, etc.)
• Distortions about Islam

5. Course Content
Week 5: February 15, 2013
• Islamic contributions to society
– Islamic Arts and Architecture
– Medicine and science
Week 6: February 22, 2013
• Course conclusions and small group presentations
– “My New Understanding of Islam”

6. Understanding Islam Course Objectives
• Through this course, you will:
– Become acquainted with the basic teachings of Islam.
– Reflect upon some of the eternal questions of humanity from
the Islamic perspective: From where? To where? And why?
– Understand Islam as a complete way of life that is relevant to
every phase of human existence.
– Learn how Islam contributed to the society in the past, through
to the present, and into the future.
– Be able to clarify and answer some distortions around issues in
Islam.

7. The Meaning of “Islam”
• Arabic root of the word “Islam”:
– Meaning: Peace, Submission
• I A
• MU I = One who submits to God
• YU I = To submit
• A A A = Submitted

8. Purpose
• To Attain Peace with:
– God
– Self
– Other Creations of God
• (Humans, Animals, Vegetation, Ecology)
• Through submission to God
– By choice, in trust & love
– Affirmed by acceptance & obedience

9. Peace in Central Islamic Terms
• One of God’s divine names (attributes)
– “The peace”: A divine name
• Paradise = abode of peace
• Peace be with you
– Meaning - Greeting of angels to believers
– Mutual greeting of dwellers of paradise
– Standard greeting of all Muslims
• “As salamu alaikum”

10. Broad Objectives of Islamic Law
• Safeguarding faith (2:256)
• Safeguarding Life (5:32)
• Safeguarding the Mind
• Safeguarding Honor (17:70)
• Safeguarding Property and Wealth