Muhammad's Visions (Qur'an)

*Revelations after seizures(epilepsy?)
*He employed a group of 42 scribes to write down the visions
*The Revelations were put together bit by bit, it has no real flow
*Very repetitive, re hashed, jumps around
*Poor or no organization
*Mostly in first person, plural...("WE" from God's perspective..."Remember when...." was often used
*Edited by Caliph Uthman(like catholic councils)
*Few contemporary miracles
*extra biblical folklore--Arabic, Jewish, and Christian e.g. Jinn make a group of people fall asleep for 400 years...Jews that don't follow the sabbath get turned into damned dirty apes(Planet of the Apes reference)
*Concrete descriptions of the afterlife

Historical Inaccuracies

*Jesus born in Jerusalem
*Mary, a kinswoman of Aaron?
*Haman(vizier of Persian King Ahasuerus, 5th century BC) shows up in Exodus(1450,1250 BC)
*Pharoah asks Moses to construct a tower for him to speak to God personally(Tower of Babel?)
*Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt the Ka'bah
*Ka'bah built by Adam, ruined in Noah's flood
*Pharoah threatens to crucify his magicians and cut their hands and feet off from opposite sides
*Hagar one of Abraham's wives


5 Pillars of Islam

1. Shahadah-(confession) There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet

2. Salat-Prayer towards Mecca 5 times a day

3. Zakat-Charitable tax of 2.5%(of your net worth) given to poor Muslims

4. Swam-(Ramadan)Fasting for one month, no eating or drinking allowed in daylight hours

5. Hajj-Pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in your lifetime(funds permitting), head of household has to go at least