Muslim+Background

Muslim Background

History

=Prophet Muhammad=
 * Born in 570 in present day Bakka, Baca, Mecca
 * Endured many deaths: His Father( before birth), His Mother at age six, and His Paternal Grandfather at age eight.
 * At age 12 he became known as "al-Ameen"-means Honest, reliable and trustworthy by the natives in Mecca and the visitors as well
 * Married twice widowed Khadijah, and produced six children
 * His only two sons died in their first couple years of life
 * His mission was to restore the worship of the One True God.
 * In his first three years he got forty men and women to accept Islam
 * Muhammad was met with much resistance, he was forced out of the city of Makkah because of the various threats on his life
 * He later returned without causing violence and got the city to accept Islam

=Divisions of Islam in Afghanistan= Believe that after the death of Muhammad, the knowledge of teachings, revelations and Islamic orders lie in the interpreters of the Holy Qur'an, the family of Muhammad. They accept Muhammad and his family because of their wisdom || Translation: One of the Path Overwhelming Majority of the Muslim Population Acknowledge the first four Khalifs to have been rightful successors of Muhammad after his death. They accept the literature during the early part of Islamic society's evolution. ||
 * Shia || Sunni ||
 * Translation: Followers

=Causes of Shia, Sunni Division= =Citations= Khalek, N., Mulhern, K., Kinnard, J., & Akasoy, A. (2008). //Sunni islam orgins//. Retrieved from []
 * Cause not religious, but political
 * The two groups disagreed on who should be the next prophet after Muhammad
 * War broke out between the two groups, the first two Caliphs were murdered from this war

//Grand mosque//. (2010). [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=islam+muhammad&view=detail&id=4351DA1BDFC9E0AB5A6B56AB1CDB523453D1FFCB&first=61&FORM=IDFRIR

//Shia and its history//. (n.d.). Retrieved from []

//The history of islam//. (n.d.). Retrieved from []

//The origins of the shia-sunni split//. (2007, February 12). Retrieved from []

Muslims in Afghanistan


 * 80% of the population is Sunni Muslim
 * 19% of the population is Shia Muslim
 * Only 1% of the population is non-Muslim


 * 42% of the population is ethnically Pashtun
 * 9% of the population is ethnically Hazara


 * There is a lot of conflict over religion
 * In Kabul there are few Hindus and Sikhs and no Jews
 * Conflict is common between the different sects of Islam


 * "People called Hazaras mice-eating, flat-nosed, load carrying donkeys" pg. 9
 * "Who did you eat, you flat-nosed Babalu?" pg. 9
 * "The servants' home, a modest little mud hut where Hassan lived with his father." pg. 6

__ Citations __ //Afghanistan flag map//. (2011). [Web]. Retrieved from mapsof.net Blood, P. (2001). //Afghanistan: a country study.// Retrieved from countrystudies.us Hosseini, K. (2003). //The kite runner//. New York, NY: Berkley Publishing Group. ﻿//The world factbook//. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov

Discussion Questions
 * To what extent do you believe Islam differs from other major world religions?
 * Why do you think there was so much violence in the history of Islam?
 * Why do you think there is so much ethnic and religious conflict in Afghanistan?
 * How is the Sunni/Shia split evident in The Kite Runner?