WHAT IS ISLAM?

A Fundamental introduction prepared by the Middle East and Europe Office of Common Global Ministries.

With widespread attention about the Middle East along with the suspicion which Osama bin Laden is responsible for terrorist attacks against the United States, it's helpful to have in mind some basic truth about Islam.

A fundamental introduction ready by the Middle East and Europe Office of Common Global Ministries.

With widespread attention on the Middle East and the feeling that Osama bin Laden is in charge of terrorist attacks against the United States, it is helpful to have in mind some basic facts about Islam.

Beliefs

Islam is considered as one of the three central Abrahamic faiths together with Judaism and Christianity. Islam's followers are Muslims, or people that"submit" to God's will. Islam is a universal religion that teaches that God is merciful and compassionate, and that promises the faithful worldly peace and equality and entrance to a sublime eternity.

The Quran is the sacred book of Islam, also is thought to be a selection of the lead"recitations" of Allah, or God, as received by the prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632 AD). Muslims don't regard Muhammad as celestial with God, but as the last in a line of prophets. In fact, the most fundamental Muslim belief is that there is not any other god besides God without a branch within the divine Godhead. The Christian Trinity hence remains problematic for many Muslims. Understanding them as sacred, the Quran conveys some overlap into the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, yet differs on certain facts: one specifically is the boon and role given to Ishmael rather than Isaac in IslamFly tradition. And while Muslims view the Old Testament prophets and Jesus as true prophets, they are confident that the disclosure Muhammad received perfects that the Abrahamic prophetic heritage. Accordingly, Muslims maintain the teachings and life of their prophet Muhammad in greatest esteem and believe religion demands discipleship to his case. Even so, it's a mistake to regard Muslims because ´Muhammadans' in exactly the identical way that Christians believe faith is mediated and accessible simply through Jesus Christ.

The life and teachings of Muhammad and the story of early Islam have been revealed in the Hadith, which are sets of sayings about the Prophet which were passed down through generations by reputable and skilled oral historians. These chains of religious transmission change however, and so have been disputed often among various schools of Islamic law and theology. While generally in agreement about the Quran, various sects of Islam diverge mostly on the authenticity or interpretation of one another's Hadith.

Two chief groups of Muslims are the Sunnis, or even people who believe they follow the more Orthodox"route" laid from Muhammad's teachings, and the Shi'is (often Shi'ites), or that"party" which believes ´Ali (Muhammad's cousin) was the rightful successor to Muhammad's group of leadership. As Islam spread across time, culture, and diverse lands, lots of diverse schools of practice and interpretation developed both within and outside of those bigger groups, very similar to Christian denominationalism. 1 key expression of Muslim religion that intersects many colleges of belief and practice will be Sufism, or Islamic mysticism. Like Christian or Jewish mystics, Sufis place higher emphasis on the experience of God and also on different acts of religious discipline.

Also Check out- YOUR EASY GUIDE TO LEARN ABOUT ISLAM FOR BEGINNER

Practices

Apart from adhering to sacred writings, teachings, and also special schools of thought, the dedication or clinic of Muslim faith is vital. There are just five Pillars of Islam that all Muslims are obliged to clinic if they're able. The first and best obligation is to"watch" to the complete divine unity, which can be done through the general manifestation of a credo known as the Shahada. The shahada is constituted of two announcements:"There is no god but God, and Muhammad is God's prophet." The second pillar is Salat, or the structured ritual of prayer and worship performed five times every day. Prayer is done facing Mecca, can be done either alone or within a group (Friday Truth are generally performed as a set in a Mosque and also feature a sermon), also requires ritual purification and prostration. Often Muslims are called to prayer from the declaration from a towering minaret that"God is more!" .

The third pillar is Zakat, or almsgiving. Whether through charitable giving or structured as a religious tax, zakat is an act of elimination. Sawm, or fasting, is the fourth pillar. Fasting is a general responsibility, but ought to be especially seen from sunup to sundown for the month of Ramadan, also includes abstention not only in drinking and eating, but from smoking, sexual activity, and some other sexual appetite. Sawm is equally a process of renunciation and an chance for religious reflection. Ramadan, which is the month Muhammad received the first revelation from God, ends with a massive festival, the Eid al-Fitr or"Feast of Fast-Breaking". The last pillar of Islam is the Hajj, or pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. People who are able are invited at least once in their lifetime to make the hajj through a sacred month of festivals, fasting, prayer and commemoration. During the pilgrimage those who create the hajj behave and are considered as spiritual equals.

One often misunderstood aspect of Islam is the concept of Jihad. Jihad is the trying of Muslim religion toward right and truth. It includes most importantly a Muslim's religious devotion and devotional life, however, also involves attempts to attain particular fantastic endings, such as struggling against evil and apostasy. While jihad is sometimes recognized by aliens to enjoin Muslims against political foes, much like an American leader might announce a cause of"crusade" or characterize a empire as"evil," jihad doesn't essentially mean"Holy War."

The Muslim World

Since Islam originated in Mecca and Medina, both of these cities are thought to be sacred and the rulers of all modern-day Saudi Arabia are entrusted to be the protectors of those sacred sites. Jerusalem, known as al-Quds or"the Holy", is considered to be the next holy city of Islam for its religious and historical significance: it is the city from which Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven in a dream (the mi'raj), and the website where Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son.

Although Islam began in Arabia, there are Muslim communities across the world, from Mexico to the Philippines, with historically large populations in Africa, Southeastern Europe, and Central and Southern Asia. More Muslims really live east of Saudi Arabia compared to Middle East, the largest predominantly Muslim nation being Indonesia. Thus not all Muslims are Arabè but quite many are Persian, African, European, and Asian. * All Muslims are encouraged to study Arabic, however, because the Quran is only rightly understood because language of revelation. In North America, several Muslims are out of second-generation immigrant groups, but at least half of U.S. Muslims are African American Muslims, who have either converted or'reverted' over the generations to the orthodox Muslim identity of the African forebears. ** Indeed, Islam has become the largest and same-sex spiritual group after Christianity in the United States. There are an estimated seven million Muslims from the U.S.

Islamic civilizations through the centuries have flourished with the highest amounts of mathematics and medicine, art and architecture, literature and music. Islamic philosophy and background have contributed invaluably into Western culture and learning. And even though Islamic forces have entered into war and battle with non-Muslim communities and states throughout history, most especially during the Crusades, it is significant that Islam has cultivated among the greatest traditions of religious tolerance.

It is necessary to keep in mind that any religion is at risk of being exploited by extremists among its followers. Muslims have no longer propensity toward fanaticism or violence at the name of their religion they try to follow along with do Christians, Jews, or some others. While this nation becomes increasingly diverse, as Christians and Americans who value freedom, we shouldn't succumb to the tendency to stereotype and scapegoat that the other-especially another faith and its followers-for the actions of some. We should find out as much as we could about people of different faiths to know when what one has to do in the name of God, no God would rightfully condone.

* It is also important to realize that not all Arabs are Muslims. Arab Christian communities also have remained a crucial presence in the Middle East because Christianity's roots.

** The huge majority of African American Muslims recognize as Sunni Muslims and should be distinguished from the Nation of Islam, which though it shares a few historic origins differs vastly in theology and neighborhood existence and is usually regarded non-orthodox by many Muslims.

Recommended books on Islam

Ali, Ahmed, trans. Al-Quran. Princeton: Princeton Univ.. Press, 1984.

Denny, Frederick Mathewson. An Intro to Islam.

Esposito, John L., ed. Political Islam : Revolution, Radicalism, or Reform? Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1997.

Islam: The Straight Path. New York: Oxford Univ..

The Muslims of America.

Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck and Wadi Zaidan Haddad, eds. Christian-Muslim Encounters.

3 vols. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1974.

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Ideals and Realities of Islam. Boston: Beacon Press, 1972.

Peters, F. E., Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam. Princeton: Princeton Univ.. Press, 1982.

Rahman, Fazlur. Islam. 2nd ed. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1979.

Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill: The Univ. of North Carolina Press, 1975.

Turner, Richard Brent Turner. Islam from the African-American Experience. Bloomington: Indiana Univ.. Press, 1997.

Williams, John Alden, ed. The Word of Islam. Austin: The Univ. of Texas Press, 1994.