INTRODUCTION
Islam is a religion which is second only to
Christianity in size and is prevalent in all corners of the world. It was
founded by Muhammad (CE 570 – 632) who was
born in Makkah in Arabia and was to become ‘the seal of the prophets’.
After revelations from God (Allah), Muhammad went on to preach the
religion of the one absolute God (see History
and development of the Religion). In his final sermon Muhammad summarised
the core of Islam thus:
"Belief
in One God without images or symbols, equality of all the Believers
without distinction of race or class, the superiority of individuals being
based solely on piety; sanctity of life, property and honour; abolition of
interest, and of vendettas and private justice; better treatment of women;
obligatory inheritance and distribution of the property of deceased
persons among near relatives of both sexes, and removal of the possibility
of the accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few."
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Originating in Arabia, Islam has spread throughout
the world and there is an estimated 1.1 billion Muslims in the world (see the
Rise of Islam). It is the fastest growing religion in America (US News
and world report 1990). There are approximately 1,000,000 – 1,500,000
active Muslims in the UK. Historically Islam has been more dominant in
Asia and Africa and countries with a high population of Muslims are
Indonesia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
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The religion started in
Makkah, Arabia in 7th
Century CE, although God’s
revelation and religion is much older, in that Muslims believe that the
first prophet was Adam. His final revelation though was given to Muhammad who
was the seal of the prophets and the holy words (the Qur'an) revealed to
him via the angel Gabriel where the final revelation of God (Allah) to
mankind. They recognise the other prophets such as Moses (Musa), Abraham (Ibrahim)
and Jesus (Isa) but Muhammad is Allah’s final and most important
prophet. There are in total 28 prophets named in the Qur'an.
"Islam" is an Arabic word that includes the concept of
submitting to the will of God, thereby achieving peace and security. To
become a Muslim you need only utter the words, ‘There is no God but
Allah and Muhammad is his prophet’, in front of witnesses and you have
become a Muslim.
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Muslims believe that of the books sent down by Allah
only four remain, the Tauret (Pentateuch – the laws of Moses) given to
Moses, Zabur (Psalms) given to David, Injil (Evangel – the Gospel) given
to Jesus and the Qu’ran given to Muhammad.
The Qu’ran is the holy text which was revealed by
the angel Gabriel to Muhammad and within it covers all areas of
how a Muslim should live. Ihe
Qur’an contains for a Muslim the actual words of God and the language it
was revealed in, Arabic is seen as very important in order to understand
the real meaning of the words. The first three texts have been corrupted
and have been replaced by the Qur'an.
The Qur'an was brought to Muhammad on the Night of Power and
dictated to Muhammad via the angel Gabriel over the rest of his life. The
opening ‘Surah’ – chapter called the Fatiha is seen as providing a
summary of Islam. It states:
‘In the name of
allah, the
Merciful, the compassionate.
Praise to god, Lord of the Worlds, the Merciful, the Compassionate,King of the Day of
Judgement. You alone we worship, you alone
we beseech. Lead us in the straight path, the path of those upon whom is your grace, not of those upon whom is your
wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.’
Within the Qur’an is found the 99 names given to
Allah. Of the 28 prophets
named in the Qur’an 22 come from the Old Testament and 3 from the New
Testament.
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Muslims believe there is only one God who is the
only God that can exist, he
has created all things, he is all powerful, omnipotent, eternal, beyond
time and is present with Muslims all the time. They believe in the books
revealed by God, angels, the day of judgement, life after death, the
prophets and the Prophet Muhammad was God’s messenger and his seal.
A Muslim’s beliefs and values are found in the
Five Pillars of Islam which are obligatory. They are:
1.
Shahadah: This affirms that God is the only God, and
Muhammad is his messenger – ‘There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad
is his prophet.’
2. Salat:
Performing set prayers in the direction of Makkah 5 times a day,prior to
the prayers Muslims must ceremonially wash themselves (wadu).The
prayers are at specific times of the day and have specific postures which
Muslims have to undertake. The prayers are in Arabic.
3. Sawm:
Fasting each day during the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of
the lunar calendar. A Muslim during Ramadan is not allowed to
eat or
drink between sunrise and sunset. They are allowed to eat and
drink
during the night.
4.
Zakat: Giving alms to the poor, a compulsory percentage of income
(2.5%) is given to the poor, this is either given to the Imam at the
Mosque or can be handed over to a specific charity by the individual.
5.
Hajj: making a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once during a
Muslim’s lifetime, if physically able. Makkah is the most holy place for
Muslims and contains the Kabbah first built in tradition by Abraham.
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‘Sunna’, - custom or usage of the prophet, which
helps to interpret the Qur’an. This
is the oral law of Islam, the collection of the traditions is called the
Hadith and contains the records of conduct and sayings of Muhammad and his
companions.
All male Muslims are
circumcised, following in the
footsteps of Muhammad. This can be done between 0 –12 years of age,
though normally it will happen at the celebration feast called Aqiqah
after the birth of the baby (normally 7 days after the birth of the
child).
Jihad
– has two meanings, one of inner struggle
and the other of outer struggle. The inner struggle is for Muslims to
ensure that they are able to keep to all the requirements of being a
Muslim. The outer struggle is better known in the West as a Holy War
against those who openly oppose Islam.
Shariah – Islamic law consisting of the teachings
of the Qur’an, the sunna of the prophet which is incorporated in the
recognised traditions and the general agreement of the scholars of the
orthodox community
The
Din is also an important aspect
of Muslim life.
There are main different festivals celebrated
throughout the Muslim calendar.
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There is only one God (Allah) who is the true God
and Islam is the submission to Allah’s will. Allah created
the world. Angels are the messengers
of Allah, they are sinless beings created out of light. Of the four
archangels Gabriel was the medium used to reveal Allah’s words to
Muhammad. The devil is called Shaitan or Iblis and is a fallen angel.
Other beings are called jinn and they can be either good or bad and they
inhabit the human world.
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The main place of worship for Muslims is the Mosque
(from an Arabic word meaning ‘place of prostration’). Prayers are
undertaken five times a day and the person praying must always be facing
towards Makkah. The times the prayers should be undertaken are:
Fajr – at dawn Zuhr – at midday
Asr – late afternoon
Maghrib – after sunset
Isha – later in the evening
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THE AFTER LIFE
There will be a day of judgement at the end of the
world, when the dead will be resurrected and judged. All will be rewarded
according to the deeds done in their life. If the good deeds outweigh the
bad deeds then they will go to heaven if not then they will go to Hell. If
a Muslim dies in Jihad (Holy War) or on Hajj (Pilgrimage) then they go
straight to heaven.
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Islam is divided up into three sects:
SUNNIS:
The majority of Muslims (around 90%) belong to this moderate sect.
The word sunni refers to the practice of Muhammad. They look to
Muhammad’s example if situations arise which are not able to be
clarified within the Qur’an.
SHIITES:
They are a more fundamental
group than
the Sunnis. They
rejected the first three caliphs
(successors to Muhammad) and
followed Ali
who married the prophet’s daughter and was the first leader of this party. After Ali
there were 12 Imams
whom they
followed. The last Imam
disappeared in 940 and will return at the end of the world. They claim
that they are
the true followers of Islam. The Shi’a faith is the state
religion in Iran.
SUFIS:
They are the mystic sect of Islam. They seek a personal
relationship with Allah and do not believe in a rigid interpretation of
the Qur’an.
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