WORLD RELIGIONS

World Religion: Islam

World Religion: Islam

Introduction of the religion - Islam

Islam is a monotheistic religion and Muslims believe in monotheism which means there is no God but the one God, and Muhammad is his prophet. There are two holy books that Muslims go by, the Qur'an and the Sunna. The Qur'an is said to be a record of God's words. The other book, the Sunna, is a record of Muhhamad's (Peace Be Upon Him) words and deeds compiled together after his death. The Qur'an and the Sunna cover many things that Muslims must go by.

In Islam there is the belief in only one God, Allah. He does not share his divinity with anyone or thing. Muhammad is his prophet, who received the law. The law is known as the Qur'an, the sacred scripture of Islam. The Qur'an was given to Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel from Allah. The beliefs of Islam include monotheism, prophets, Holy Scripture, a strong ethical life, and a judgment day with eternal consequences for one's soul. There are five major "pillars of faith"that exist in Islam, sometimes six depending on the sect or faction of the Islamic community.

Islam was proclaimed by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia, in the 7th century A.D. According to Islamic beliefs, Muhammad is the last of a series of prophets (including Adam, Noah, Jesus, and others). Muhammad's message concurrently perfect and do away with the "revelations" attributed to earlier prophets. As a substance of fact, the word Islam means submission obedience to Allah. Those who follow Islam are known as Muslims, or those who submit to Allah's will. Within Islam the believer (called a Muslim) use the Arabic word for God, Allah, to refer to the creator of the world and of all life within it. Allah is viewed as the solitary God, creator, sustained, and re-establisher of the world. The will of Allah, to which man must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures, the Qur'an ((Ali, 1978).

Islam claims up to more than 1.5 billion followers worldwide. For the last twenty years this religion has made the front page of today's newspapers which is more than any other. "As the fastest growing religion in the world, the U.S. holds up to eight million Muslims, and over eleven hundred mosques or Islamic centers." Islam is a way of life, as well as a religion. Those who follow Islam are very dedicated, for they live their whole life submitting themselves to Allah (Rejwan, 2000).

Every day, at dawn, Muslims are called to pray, using techniques they learned when they were very young, and that they will never forget. Later, in mid-morning, they are called to face Mecca again, to pay homage to Allah, the one and only god. Again at mid-day, and twice more, in the late afternoon, and at the break of the eve, they pray again. At these times, workers and students break their toil, and stop to become one with their god, in the name of ...