"Islam is to testify that there is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God, to perform the prayers, to pay the charity, to fast in Ramadan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to
"Islam is to testify that there is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God, to perform the prayers, to pay the charity, to fast in Ramadan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so."--Muhammad (pbuh)
Islam is one of the "Big Three" major world religions, and currently the fastest growing. While adherents say that it began with the first man, the Biblical Adam
), it began as we know it in Saudi Arabia
, and now comprises close to 1.3 Billion believers; 22% of the World's population (roughly 1 in every 5 people), with over 7 Million adherents in North America
alone. Despite the stereotype associating Islam with Arab
culture, only 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world, a fifth of the Muslims are found in Sub-Saharan Africa
, and the world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia
'Islam' comes from the root word Salaam, which means 'peace', the soul and spirit of Islam. It's ironic that this religion of peace is percieved today in the West as the religion of war, terrorism, chaos and disorder -- while in reality Islam is not only peace in name, but peace pervades all its teachings, and works as the key to its understanding. If translated literally, the second meaning of the word Islam is'submission' or'surrender'. So the words 'peace' and'submission' create a complete picture of Islam. In one single word, the entire philosophy of this religion is summed up. Adherents of Islam, Muslims, are therefore those who surrender or submit [to God].
s (believers of Islam) believe in the One, Unique, Incomparable, Merciful God
- The Sole Creator and Sustainer of the Universe; in the Angels
created by Him; in the Prophets
through whom His revelations were brought to humankind. He is also known in Arabic
." Al-Lah (The God).
Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is a monotheistic (One and only One God) religion, all with the same roots. Both Judaism and Islam both claim to have descended from the prophet Abraham (pbuh), meaning they pray to the same One God. An Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Omnipotent God.
Muslims believe that God sent His messengers and prophets to all people and that God's final message to humanity, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing up of all that had gone before, was revealed to the last prophet Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel.
Muslims also believe in life after death (Heaven and Hell), Judgment Day, and the fact that every individual is responsible for their own actions. They believe that God has complete authority over destiny, be it good or bad.
Roughly paraphrased, part of the Qur'an says that God made you, so God will eventually reclaim you. Inna lillahi wa inna ilahi raji'oun: Certainly to God we belong and to Him is our return. Muslims believe in life after death, and empasize that both your good and bad deeds will have consequences in the Hereafter. Since Islam translates to both "peace" and "submission," you are submitting to God by praying regularly and keeping yourself physically and spiritually clean. Muslims believe God loves you, as well as everyone.
Qur'an ("The Recitation")
Muslims read the holy book of the Qur'an
(also spelt Koran
). It's similar to the Old Testament
of the Bible
, or the Jewish Torah
, in that they all recount some of the same history; God
creates the world, God creates Adam
, God creates Prophets such as Noah
, and Moses
so that they may guide people. The Qur'an also includes stories of Jesus
, his mother Mary
and her parents, and even John the Baptist
The Qur'an is a complete record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It's considered a "Revelation" that corrects the errors of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.
The Qur'an is the principal source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all subjects that concern us as human beings - wisdom, doctrine, worship and law - but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. It is unchangeable, and there is only one v