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Islam

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PowerPoint Presentation:
An Overview of Islam

Some links in these lectures will take you to various posters in the "Discover Islam" poster collection. This is a very nice collection of informative posters which can be used to supplement these lecture notes, printed or even ordered.

Islam may be considered as a "cousin" religion to Judaism and Christianity. All three religions trace their spiritual heritage back to Abraham. Judaism and, in turn, Christianity are traced back to Abraham's second son Isaac (mothered by Abraham's wife, Sarah). The Arabic people and the Islamic religion that sprang from their culture some 1400 years ago, can be traced back to Abraham's first son Ishmael (mothered by Sarah's handmaiden, Hagar [see Gen. 16:1-15])

Poster: Do Islam, Christianity And Judaism Have Different Origins?

With over 1.5 billion followers, Islam is the second largest of the world's religions. It is also perhaps the most misunderstood: 

• World events in recent decades have put Islam in the forefront of media headlines; however, the image we have of Islam from media coverage of these events is hardly what this religion really stands for.

• The name "Islam" actually means "Peace" and "submission" - submission to the will of God.

• Before passing judgment or accepting the judgment of others, it behooves us to learn a bit about Islam for ourselves...

Poster: Why Is Islam Often Misunderstood?