Islam: Means to submit (to God)

Islamic vs. Islamism Imperative to distinguish between the two different concepts:

Islamic: having to do with the peaceful religion of Islam

Islamism: connotates extremist Islam, militant Islam, radical Islam

Jihad: Means internal, personal struggle towards the attain-ment of a noble goal. •Often incorrectly equated to “holy war”•Radical Islamists have adopted “jihad” as a word that denotes armed conflict and struggle

5 Pillars of Islam:

1. Shahadah: profession of faith 2. Salah: prayers five times a day facing Mecca 3. Zakat: charitable giving 4. Sawm: fasting, especially during Ramadan 5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca

What Islam, Christianityand Judaism have in common:

1. The three are called “religions of the book” 2. All three share the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviti-cus, Numbers and Deuteronomy3. Jesus is a prophet in Islam; the Messiah in Christian-ity; a prophet in Judaism4. All three share the figures Abraham, Moses, Jesus,Isaac and Mary

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem:

1. The spot where Mohammed ascended to heaven (Islam)2. The site where Abraham was to sacrifice his son, Isaac (Judaism and Christianity)3. The rock upon which the Ark of the Covenant was firstplaced in the Temple (Judaism and Christianity)