25/04/2020
Basic Facts
· Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity (2015 est. at 1.8 billion followers worldwide).
· Scholarsbasically date the birth ofIslam to be at 7th century.
· Islam is the youngest basic religion in the world.
· Islam started in Mecca, the modern day Saudi Arabia.
· The word “Islam” means “submission” or “surrender.” Surrender to the will of Allah.
· Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
· Indonesia has the largest following of the Islamic religion-12.6% (according to CNN). Pakistan, India and Bangladesh also have large Muslims population.
· Muslim makes up 0.9 of US population.
Believes and Practices
· Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah.
· Islam teaches that Allah’s word was revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.
· Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah. Nothing can happen without Allah’s permission but we have our own self will.
· Muslims believe several prophets were sent to teach Allah’s law. They respect some of same prophets as Jews and Christians, including Abraham, Moses, Noah and Jesus. Muslims are strongly opined that Muhammad was the final prophet. They also believe that Adam of the Bible’s Old Testament was the first prophet.
· Some important Islamic holy places include the Kaaba shrine in Mecca (according to Islamic tradition, it was built by Abraham), Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina.
· The Glorious Koran (or Qur’an or Quran) is the major holy book of Islam. The Hadith (it is the collection of traditions and sayings of Muhammad) is another important book. Muslims also revere some material found in the Judeo-Christian Bible.
· Followers worship Allah by praying and reciting the Quran. They believe there will be a Day of Judgment and life after death.
· A central idea is “jihad” which means “struggle.” Jihad is struggle exerted while following God’s commands at both personal as well as at community level.
Muslims follow 5 basic pillars that are essential to their faith. They are;
The Shahadan – A statement of faith all Muslims recite at least one time in their lives.
The Salat or Salah – A daily ritual prayer of faith done five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening).
Zakat – A tax paid annually to benefit the poor or those in need.
Sawm - A fast done during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj – A pilgrimage every Muslim must do at least once in his/her life, if the person is able to afford it, to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Denominations in Islam
When Muhammad died, there was a debate over who should replace him as leader. This led to varying opinionated factions in Islam, and this was the beginning of the two very pronounced denominations today, and they are; Sunnis and Shiites.
· Sunnis make up 90% of Muslims worldwide. They accept that the first 4 caliphs (leaders) were true successors of Muhammad.
· Shiites are the second large group, they believe that only the caliph Ali and his descendants are the legitimate successors of Muhammad and they reject the first 3 caliphs.Today, Shiite Muslims have a reasonable presence in Iran, Iraq and Syria.
The other denominations of Islam would include:
· Wahabi – a Sunni sect comprised of members of the Tameem tribe in Saudi Arabia, following the strict orthodox teaching of Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulawahab. Was founded in the 18th century.
· Alawite – concentrated in Syria, a sect within the Shiite community that maintains similar but different core beliefs about the divinity of Ali and the 7 pillars of the faith. They also observe some Christian and Zoroastrian holidays in addition to Islamic holiday.
· Kharijites – Members of the earliest sect of Islam that left the followers of Ali; their break with the Shiite was over the selection method for a new leader. They were known for uncompromising positions on the observance of the Quran and for radical fundamentalism. They are known today as Ibadi or Ibadities.
· Nation of Islam – this mostly African-American Sunni sect was founded in the 1930s in Detroit, Michigan.
There are other sects of both Sunni and Shiite in African and Arab nations.
Muhammad
The prophet Mohammad (or Mohammed or Mohammad) was born in the year 570 A.D at Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslims believe he was the final prophet by God to reveal their faith to the world.
An Angel named Gabriel visited Muhammad in a cave in the 610 A.D while he was meditating in a cave according to Islamic texts and traditions. The angel ordered Prophet Muhammad to recite the words of Allah.
According to Islamic believes, Muhammad continued to receive revelations from Allah throughout the rest of his life.
Muhammad began preaching throughout Mecca the messages he received. He taught that there was no other God but Allah and that Muslims should devote their lives to this God.
Hijrah
Muhammad and his supporters traveled from Mecca to Medina in 632 AD. This journey became known as Hijra also spelled Hegira or Hijirah, and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
Some 7 years later, Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca and conquered the region. He continued preaching until death.
Abu Bakr
After Muhammad has died, Islam began spreading massively. Series of leaders known as caliphs became successors to Muhammad. This system of leadership run by a Muslim ruler became known as a caliphate.
The first caliph was Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law and close friend.
Abu Bakr died about two years after he was elected and was succeeded in 634 by Caliph Umar, another father-in-law of Muhammad.
Caliphates
Umar who was named the succeeding caliph was assassinated after 6 years. Uthman, Muhammad’s son-in-law took assumed the position.
Uthman, was also killed and Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law was selected as the next caliph.
During the reign of the first four caliphs, Arab Muslims conquered large regions in the Middle East, including Syria, Palestine, Iran and Iraq. Islam also spread throughout areas in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The caliphate existed for many centuries and became the Ottoman Empire, which controlled large regions in the Middle East from about 1517 until 1917, when World War I ended the Ottoman reign.
The Quran
Can also be written as Koran or Qur’an; it is considered as the most important holy book among Muslims.
The basic information it contains is found in the Hebrew Bible as well as revelations that were given to Muhammad. The text is considered the sacred word of God and supersedes any previous writing.
It is widely believed among Muslims that Muhammad’s scribes wrote down his words which became the Quran.
The book is written with Allah as the first person, speaking through Gabriel to Muhammad. It contains 114, chapters, which are called surahs.
Islamic scholars believe that the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammad’s death, under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr.
Islamic Calendar
The Islamic calendar is also known as the Hijira calendar, it is a lunar calendar used in Islamic worship. The calendar began in the year 622 A.D., celebrating the journey of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina.
It shows the proper days of Islamic holidays and celebrations, including the period of fasting and prayer known as Ramadan which occurs during the 9th month of the calendar.
Islam Symbols
Symbols are peculiar to the many world religions. There is no single image or symbol of Islam that accepted by Muslims worldwide.
The crescent moon and star has been adopted in some predominantly Muslim countries as a symbol of Islam, though the crescent moon and star image is believed to pre-date Islam and was originally a symbol of the Ottoman Empire.
Sharia Law
Sharia is an Arabic word originally meaning “the path leading to the source of water.” Islam legal system is known as Sharia Law. This faith-based code of conduct directs Muslims on how they should live in nearly every aspect of their lives.
Sharia law requires men and women to dress modestly. It also outlines marriage guidelines and other moral principles for Muslims.
Prayers
Medina
The prophet Muhammad is credited with building the first mosque in the courtyard of his house in Medina. Mosques today follow some of the same principles he established in 622 A.D.
Muslim prayer often conducted in a mosque’s large open space or outdoor courtyard. Before a prayer, ablutions are performed, including the washing of hands, face, and feet. The muezzin (one who calls for prayer) chants aloud from a raised place (such as a tower) in the mosque. When prayer starts, the imam or leader of the prayer stands in the front facing the direction of Mecca and the congregation stands behind him.
Men and women pray separately, and Muslims may visit a mosque 5 times a day for each of the prayer sessions. In addition to hosting prayers, mosques often function as public gathering places and social centers.
Holy Days
The Muslim calendar takes cognizance of two major holidays.
Eid al-Adha: celebrates Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah.
Eid al-Fitr: marks the end of Ramadan – the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Muslims also celebrate other holidays.
Important dates in Islamic history
610 AD – The Angel Gabriel visits Muhammad and tells him “you are the messenger of God.”
610-632 AD – Muhammad spreads the teaching revealed to him in Mecca and Medina, over a period of 22 years until death.
632 AD – Muhammad dies.
645 AD – Islam splits into 2 factions of the Shiites and the Sunni, over a disagreement about the future leadership.
650 – 652 AD – The teachings and revelations of Muhammad are collected in a book called Quran.
657 AD – The Shiite Muslims are divided further when a portion of its followers break away and starts a third division, the Kharijites.
