Islam

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WHAT IS ISLAM?

Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion that teaches that Muhammad is a messenger of God. It is the world's second-largest and fastest-growing religion with 1.9 billion followers worldwide or 24.9% of the world's population. Practitioners of Islam are known as Muslims and the word Islam means the "submission to the will of God”.

Islam teaches that God (Allah in Arabic) is One, Merciful, All-Powerful and Unique. Allah has guided humanity through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs. Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah. They believe that nothing can happen without Allah’s permission, but that they have free will. Allah is viewed as the sole God - creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world.

The will of Allah, to which human beings must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures, the Quran (often spelled Koran in English), which Allah revealed to his messenger, Muhammad. Tthe Quran is believed to be the verbatim word and final revelation of God which was revealed to the prophet Muhammad (c. 570 – 632 CE) through the angel Gabriel. Like other Abrahamic religions, Islam also teaches a final and day of judgment is forthcoming with the righteous rewarded in paradise and the unrighteous punished in hell.

Muslims believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed many times before through various prophets of Jews and Christians, including Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims contend that Muhammad was the final prophet.

The story of Islam begins with the story of Muhammad ibn Abdullah, born in 570 CE in Mecca, which is located in the modern nation of Saudi Arabia. Muhammad was born into the Hashemite clan of the influential Quraysh tribe, but few details are known about his early life. When he got older, he earned his living as a trader, and by all accounts was widely considered to be wise and truthful: it is said that he was known by his people as al-Amin (the trustworthy one). In fact, it was this quality that led to Muhammad’s first marriage, with a wealthy trader, Khadijah. She employed Muhammad to manage her caravans, and after seeing both his professional and personal excellence, she proposed to him and they were married in 595 ce. At the time, Khadijah was forty, and Muhammad was twenty-five. By all accounts it was a happy marriage, and Muhammad did not marry anyone else while she was alive. Together they had four daughters, and two sons who died in infancy.

According to Islamic texts and tradition, an angel named Gabriel visited Muhammad in 610 A.D. while he was meditating in a cave. The angel ordered Muhammad to recite the words of Allah. Muslims believe that Muhammad continued to receive revelations from Allah throughout the rest of his life.

It is said that Muhammad was also a spiritual man, and he was in the practice of withdrawing periodically to a cave in the mountains to meditate and think in solitude. The date of this first revelation is still celebrated by Muslims today on the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan. It is called the “Night of Power,” and every year many Muslims stay awake the entire night, in prayer.

Muhammad did not receive any further revelations right away, but they then began coming again; and all of these prophecies contained basically the same message (these are the Meccan suras found in the Quran): The people had turned away from the right worship of the one true God, and they needed to stop worshiping idols and begin worshiping Allah alone. In addition, they needed to begin living more ethical and socially responsible lives. When Muhammad began to share this message publicly he was criticized and ridiculed.

Around 619, another miraculous event occurred in the life of Muhammad. The angel Gabriel again visited Muhammad, but this time, he took him on what is called the “Night Journey.” First, Muhammad flew to Jerusalem on a winged steed known as a burqa. From there, from the place now marked by the Dome of the Rock, Muhammad was taken on a mystical ascent on through the heavens into the presence of God. There, God gave Muhammad the final form of the daily prayers. It is primarily this event that makes Jerusalem holy to Muslims; it, along with Mecca and Medina, are the three holiest cities of Islam.

As the persecution of Muhammad and his followers intensified, he began to search for a safer place where they might live in peace. At this time, some of the leaders of the city Yathrib came to Mecca and invited Muhammad to come to their city and serve as their leader. They promised him that if he came, they would convert and establish an Islamic rule of life for the city. Muhammad agreed to leave Mecca, sneaking out and just narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt. He came to Yathrib in 622, which subsequently became known as Medina which means “City of the Prophet”), and established a thriving theocracy. This migration is known in Islam as the hijra, and it is said to have inaugurated the birth of the Muslim faith; thus 622 CE is year 1 in the Islamic calendar.

While in Medina, Muhammad continued to receive revelations from God, but these revelations, recorded as the Medinan suras in the Quran, were of a more pragmatic nature, focused on solidifying Islamic society and establishing communal norms and rules of behavior. Muhammad is not worshiped in any way by Muslims, and in fact they would be horrified by the idea: worship is reserved for God alone. However, it should be obvious that Muhammad continues to have deep and powerful significance long after his death.

WHERE IS ISLAM PRACTICED?

Islam started in Mecca, modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammad’s life. Starting in about 613 CE, 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. In 622, Muhammad traveled from Mecca to Medina with his supporters. This journey became known as the Hijra (also spelled Hegira or Hijrah), and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

Some seven years later, Muhammad and his many followers returned to Mecca and conquered the region. He continued to preach until his death in 632. After Muhammad’s passing, Islam began to spread rapidly. A series of leaders, known as caliphs, became successors to Muhammad. This system of leadership, which was 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.

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. By the 8th century, the Umayyad Caliphate extended from Iberia in the West to the Indus River in the east. The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to the 13th century, during the Abbasid Caliphate, when much of the historically Muslim world was experiencing a scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing.

The caliphate system lasted for centuries and eventually evolved into the Ottoman Empire, which controlled large regions in the Middle East from about 1517 until 1917, when World War I ended the Ottoman reign. Retaining its emphasis on an uncompromising monotheism and a strict adherence to certain essential religious practices, the religion taught by Muhammad to a small group of followers spread rapidly through the Middle East to Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Malay Peninsula, and China. By the early 21st century there were more than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country; 31% live in South Asia, the largest population of Muslims in the world; 20% in the Middle East–North Africa, where it is the dominant religion; and 15% in sub-Saharan Africa. Sizable Muslim communities can also be found in the Americas, China, and Europe and the faith is spreading rapidly throughout the world.

When Muhammad died, there was debate over who should replace him as leader. This led to a schism in Islam, and two major sects emerged - the Sunnis and the Shiites.

Sunnis - comprise nearly 90 percent of Muslims worldwide. They accept that the first four caliphs were the true successors to Muhammad.

Shiite Muslims - believe that only the caliph Ali and his descendants are the real successors to Muhammad. They deny the legitimacy of the first three caliphs. Shiite Muslims have a considerable presence in Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Other, smaller Muslim denominations within the Sunni and Shiite groups exist. Some of these include:

Wahhabi - This Sunni sect, made up of members of the Tameem tribe in Saudi Arabia, was founded in the 18th century. Followers observe an extremely strict interpretation of Islam that was taught by Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab.

Alawite - This Shiite form of Islam is found primarily in Syria. Followers hold similar beliefs about the caliph Ali but also observe some Christian and Zoroastrian holidays.

Nation of Islam - This mostly African-American, Sunni sect was founded in the 1930s in Detroit, Michigan and was popularized by Malcolm X.

Kharijites - This sect broke from the Shiites after disagreeing over how to select a new leader. They are known for radical fundamentalism, and today are called Ibadis.

Although many sectarian movements have arisen within Islam, all Muslims are bound by a common faith and a sense of belonging to a single community.

HOW TO PRACTICE ISLAM

There are a variety of religious practices in Islam including the Five Pillars of Islam (obligatory acts of worship), studying the Quaran and following Islamic law. The Quran (sometimes spelled Qur’an or Koran) is considered the most important holy book among Muslims. It contains some basic information that 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 writings. Most Muslims believe that Muhammad’s scribes wrote down his words, which became the Quran as Muhammad himself was never taught to read or write. The book is written with Allah as the first person, speaking through Gabriel to Muhammad. It contains 114 chapters, which are called surahs. Scholars believe the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammad’s death, under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr.

The Kaaba Shrine in Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in Medina and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem the three holiest sites in Islam.

The following details the key practices and beliefs of adherents to Islam:

Islamic Holidays & Calendar - The Islamic calendar, also called the Hijra calendar, is a lunar calendar used in Islamic religious worship. The calendar began in the year 622 A.D., celebrating the journey of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. The calendar indicates the days of Islamic holidays and celebrations, including the period of fasting and prayer known as Ramadan, which occurs during the ninth month of the calendar. The two major Muslim holidays are (1) Eid al-Adha: celebrating the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son for Allah; and (2) Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan - the Islamic holy month of fasting. Muslims also celebrate other holidays, such as the Islamic New Year and the birth of Muhammad.

Islamic Symbols - There is no single image or symbol of Islam that is universally accepted by all 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 modern Islam and was originally a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. The color green is also sometimes associated with Islam, as it was reportedly a favorite color of Muhammad's and is often featured prominently in the flags of Muslim countries.

The Five Pillars of Islam - The five foundational practices of Islam are called “pillars,” which conveys their importance and role in supporting one’s life as a Muslim. The five pillars of Islam are five practices that Muslims perform to express their religious identity and signal their participation in the community. They are the center around which one’s whole life turns, and from which all other activities and beliefs flow.

Shahada: the Shahadah, which means “witness,” is the fundamental declaration of what constitutes the heart of the Islamic faith: the belief in the oneness of God, and the status of Muhammad as the definitive messenger of God.
Salat: the second pillar is Salat, the specific prayers Muslims are required to perform five times a day at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening.
Zakat: the third pillar is Zakat, translated as “almsgiving.” Muslims believe that humans are only the “trustees” of wealth - God remains the true owner of all. Thus it is believed that one should give back to God a percentage of one’s wealth each year as a sign of God’s ultimate dominion over creation. Zakat is not charity, which should be given throughout the year as the need arises. Zzakat is more formalized with most Muslims agreeing that 21⁄2 percent of one’s entire worth should be given for this purpose.
Sawm: the fourth pillar is Sawm, fasting from eating, drinking, and sexual activity during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This month is the holiest month of the year in Islam, because it commemorates the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad, which occurred sometime toward the end of the month. Bbecause Islam follows a purely lunar calendar, Ramadan moves through all twelve months of the calendar over a period of years. Ramadan ends with a celebration, called Eid al-Fitr, the “feast of fast-breaking.”
Hajj: the 5th and last pillar is the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca which all Muslims should perform at least once in their lifetime. Every year approximately two million Muslims from all corners of the globe come to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to share in this powerful experience. Everyone dresses alike in simple clothing, called ihram, symbolizing their equal status before God and the state of purity in which the hajj is to be performed. Men traditionally wear two unsewn pieces of white cloth, which many save and use as their burial shroud.
The hajj consists of a series of rituals that date back to the story of Abraham, Ishmael, and Hagar. The centerpiece of the Hajj—literally and figuratively—is the Kaaba, a square structure believed to have been built by Abraham and Ishmael as a place to worship the one true God. This particular structure is the physical center of Islam, and it is specifically toward the Kaaba that daily prayers are directed.

Muslim Prayer - The prophet Muhammad is credited with building the first mosque in the courtyard of his house in Medina and mosques today follow many of the same principles he established in 622 A.D. A mihrab is a decorative feature or niche in the mosque that indicates the direction to Mecca, and therefore the direction to face during prayer. Men and women pray separately, and Muslims may visit a mosque five times a day for each of the prayer sessions.

Studying the Quaran - the Quaran is considered the definitive word of God for Muslims, the complete collection of all of the revelations Muhammad received from the Angel Gabriel. Since traditional Islamic teaching is that the words of the Quaran are literally the words of God, Arabic has a privileged place among languages, and while non-Arabic speakers may read a translation of the Quran in order to better understand its meaning, translations do not have the same weight and authority as the Arabic text. This is why it is important to pray in Arabic and recite verses from the Quran in Arabic, even if one doesn’t understand the language. Since the Arabic words are literally the word of God, those words is considered spiritually beneficial. The practice of memorizing the Quran is considered a holy act (such a person is called a hafiz—literally, a “guardian/caretaker” of the Quran). The recitation of the Quran is extremely important and is considered to be a sacred act in and of itself - an act that invites listeners into the presence of God.

The primary overarching theme in the Quran is the exhortation to repent and submit to the word and the will of God. To do this, the Quran emphasizes several key points that relate to God, humanity, and the relationship between them. First, God is the creator of the universe, and, as such, is its sovereign ruler. Only God is worthy of obedience, respect, and worship. Second, when creating humanity, God gave them reason, which includes the ability to know the difference between right and wrong, and to choose to follow God’s will—or not. Third, the life that one experiences now is transitory, and is, in some ways, a proving ground for life after death. Upon death, each individual will stand before God and be judged upon their actions and sentenced in the resurrection: right living and obedience to God will lead to eternal happiness with God in paradise; disobedience and unfaithfulness will lead to eternal punishment. Fourth and last, the Quran emphasizes that God repeatedly sent prophets to different groups of people in different places throughout time, each time attempting to correct them. Finally, God sent Muhammad, the last and final prophet, and revealed to him the Quran—the complete revelation of God’s divine word and law that stands in perpetuity as the perfect, timeless guide for religious life.

Sharia Law - Islam’s 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, outlines marriage guidelines and other moral principles for Muslims. If crimes are committed, Sharia law is known for its harsh punishments. For example, the punishment for theft is amputating a person’s hand, while adultery can carry the penalty of death by stoning. Many Muslims do not support such extreme measures.

Jihad - No idea in Islam is more misunderstood or misinterpreted than the concept of jihad. To be clear, Muhammad talked about the importance of jihad, but his explanation in no way resembled what the word conveys today, particularly in an American context. The word itself comes from an Arabic root that means “to strive” or “to exert.” In both the Quran and Islamic tradition, it is used two describe two different “struggles”: the struggle within oneself to be faithful and obedient to God, and the military struggle against enemies of God. Muhammad referred to this latter type of jihad, and the Quran provides encouragement to those who “fight in the way of God” and “struggle in the cause of God”. However, the vast majority of Muslims see these verses as relating to a specific time in the development and spread of Islam; and while there is still a legitimate tradition of “holy war” in Islam, the conditions under which one might be fought are strictly regulated and only warranted in rare situations. The type of terrorist activities carried out under the false banner of jihad have been unequivocally rejected by the majority of the world’s Muslims.

WHY SHOULD YOU PRACTICE ISLAM?

There are multiple spiritual benefits from practicing Islam. Adherents should realize however that they have to earn the benefits by practicing the teachings of Islam which is as important as believing.

According to various adherents to Islam, the following are some of the benefits claimed to be earned and enjoyed by practitioners of the faith:

1. Closer Relationship with the Creator - At the core of Islam, and by reading the Quaran, you will connect with and be able to identify God (Allah in Arabic) and get to know Him, His role and relationship with you. You will be able to communicate with Him any time, 24 hours a day, throughout the whole year - providing for true lasting happiness versus a desire to accumulate material possessions.

2. Loyalty to the Creator - As a result knowing God, your loyalty, allegiance, and obedience will be to the Creator himself. You will transcend from other types of allegiance in this world. If there is a conflict of interest between your boss, your job, your government, an alternative belief system or any worldly relationship with that of the Creator, you will undoubtedly put your trust in Allah, the Creator of the universe.

3. Internal Balance & Peace - As a result of developing an allegiance to Allah, you will be able to acquire peace, harmony, tranquility and happiness within yourself, with your family, with people of the world, with the environment and with the universe. The source of peace is Allah.

4. Remove Neurological Problems - Through daily prayer (Salat) , you are able to get rid of electrostatic charges from your brain and the central nervous system. During Salah, you prostrate yourself by putting your forehead to the floor; and as such are grounding yourself, discharging extra energy into the ground and getting rid of neurological disease from your body.

5. Brighter Personality - As a result of prayer, you will acquire a pleasant personality and will be friendly and more amicable. There is no need to drink alcohol, use drugs or to get involved in vulgarity or immorality.

6. More Self-control - Through the experience of fasting, you will have more self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline, self-education, self-evaluation, and self-obedience to the Creator. This restraint leads to improved health, personality, character, and behavior.

7. Less Negative Impulses - Also as a result of increased self-control through prayer and fasting, you will be able to better control lusts, selfishness, desires, greed, ego, and conceitedness.

8. Increased Generosity - By consistent prayer and almsgiving (Zakat) you become more generous and hospitable; you will purify yourself and your mistakes by sharing your happiness and your wealth with those who are less fortunate than you.

9. Part of a Universal Community - By performing pilgrimage to Mecca, you are able to transcend from being a nationalistic, sectarian, or denominational person, into being universal and part of an essential member of the universal community of Islam.

10. Eliminate Exploitation - In becoming a Muslim, you will do your best to stop all types of exploitation, whether economic, biological, mental, spiritual, psychological or political.

11. Eliminate Social Problems - In accepting Islam, you will help to reduce all types of social illnesses in society including juvenile delinquency, child abuse, domestic abuse, incest, sexual promiscuity, premarital relationships, extramarital relationships, and other vices.

12. Eliminate Societal Disease - As a result of perfoming the 5 pillars of Islam and daily readings of the Quaran, your actions will have the indirect effect of reducing and eliminating venereal diseases, AIDS, and other diseases of similar nature..

13. Eternal Peace - When you die, you will die at peace. You will have a happy life in the grave and later, eternal happiness. Angels at the time of death will comfort you. They will show you your place in paradise. On the Day of Judgment, you will be able to see and meet all the prophets and messengers of God to mankind including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them). You will be able to see and meet any and all of your friends and relatives. You will live an eternal life of bliss in paradise.