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Islam means submission to Allah
(God).
The word Islam means "entering
into a condition of peace and
security with God, through
allegiance or surrender to him".
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Quran
Quran (Koran) is the source of
all certainty. It is a a later
revelation, superseding and
correcting errors in the Bible.
Muhammad received the Quran
as a copy of the eternal Quran
which is inscribed in heaven.
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Six Articles of Belief
①
There is only one God without
limit, called Allah.
②
Muhammad received the Quran as a
copy of the eternal Quran which
is inscribed in heaven.
③
God created heavenly beings
called angels to serve God and
they are opposed by evil
spirits.
④
God sent his prophets to the
earth at their appointed times,
and the Prophet Muhammad was the
last and greatest messenger of
God.
⑤
There will be a last day of
world history called the Day of
Judgment. Good and evil will be
weighed in the balance. The
wicked will be punished and the
just will enjoy eternal life in
Paradise.
⑥
Everything in the universe has a
predetermined course. Nothing
happens without the will or
knowledge of God.
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Doctrine of Sin and Salvation
Sin is caused by
forgetfulness, human weakness
and a spirit of rebellion.
Salvation is work
oriented and achieved by
submitting to the will of Allah
and living a good life.
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Origins of Islam
Islam was revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad who lived from
570 CE to 632 CE in Mecca in
modern-day Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad was called to
prophethood when God dictated
the Quran to him through the
archangel Gabriel. Although he
gained a small following in his
tribe, Muhammad was initially
persecuted for his beliefs. In
622 CE he fled to Yathrib, now
called Medina, where the first
Muslim political community was
formed. Enlisting the help of
nomadic Arab clans, Muhammad
returned to Mecca, stripping the
city of all signs of pagan
belief. He was generous to those
he defeated, however, and many
converted to Islam. Two years
later, in front of the Ka'ba in
Mecca, he declared Islam the
religion of the people, saying
he had fulfilled his mission and
that he left behind him the Book
of Allah and a set of clear
commandments.
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The chains of
habit are too weak to be felt until they are too
strong to be broken. |
Islamic Wisdom |
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History and Spread of Islam
By
the time of Muhammad's death,
many people of the Arabian
Peninsula had begun to follow
Islam. A series of caliphs and
dynasties led the Muslim
community after Muhammad's
death, creating an Islamic
empire that expanded as far as
modern-day Pakistan in the east,
Spain in the north, and North
Africa to the south. This was a
period of great intellectual,
cultural and spiritual vitality.
In Spain, Islamic civilization
lasted until 1492 when the
Christian monarchs regained
power. After the collapse of the
Empire, Islam remained the
dominant religion in most Middle
Eastern countries and
significant pockets throughout
North Africa and Asia.
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The way of
God's Messenger is the way of
Love. We are all
children of
Love.
Love
is our Mother. |
Rumi |
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The Five Pillars of Islam
Shahadah (declaration of faith)
"I
bear witness that there is no
god, but God; I bear witness
that Muhammad is the prophet of
God." By reciting this, one
enters Islamic faith.
Salaah (prayer)
Muslims are required to pray
five times a day, washing
themselves before prayer and
facing in the direction of Mecca
while praying.
Zakat (charity)
Muslims are required to give
away a percentage of their
earnings to those less
fortunate, regardless of their
religion.
Saum (fasting)
Muslims fast for one lunar month
each year, a period called
Ramadan. During this time,
Muslims reflect on their
behaviour and strive to purify
their thoughts.
Hajj (pilgrimage)
If
it is financially possible,
Muslims are required to travel
to Mecca once in their lifetime.
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Organizational Structure
Muslims do not require an
intermediary between themselves
and God.
Imams – religious teachers and
leaders of prayer in the mosques
– do, however, play a
significant role. They are often
formally educated in matters of
religion and jurisprudence, and
systems exist for settling
questions of law and religious
observance.
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Sharia
Sharia is the sacred law of
Islam, based on the divine
revelations contained in the
Qur'an and sunna. Muslims should
live their lives by Sharia. It
embraces every aspect of life,
including family relations,
inheritance, taxation,
purification and prayer and
observes no distinction between
secular and religious law.
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Ramadan
Celebrates the gift of the
Qur'an. During the month of
Ramadan, Muslims must fast
between sunrise and sunset.
Eid-al-Fitr
The festival for the first day
after Ramadan.
Dhu Al-Hijja
The month of pilgrimage during
which all Muslims, at least once
in their life, should try to
make the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Eid-al-adha
The Festival of Sacrifice which
occurs 70 days after Eid-al-Fitr.
It commemorates Abraham's
willingness to sacrifice his son
for God. Every family who can
afford it must slaughter an
animal and distribute the meat
among relatives, neighbours and
the poor.
The first day of Muharram
The Islamic New Year begins on
the day Muhammad left Mecca to
travel to Medina.
The twelfth day of Rabi I
Celebrates the birth of the
prophet.
Mirajun Nabi
Commemorates the prophet's
journey from Mecca to the
heavens.
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Sunni and the Shi'a
Islam is divided into two main
sects, the Sunni and the Shi'a.
This division arose over the
order of caliph succession in
the first century of the Islamic
calendar.
Sunni
Sunni Muslims constitute 90% of
the world's Muslims and are
considered the orthodox face of
Islam.
Sunnis uphold the supremacy of
the caliphs, the line of rulers
elected by the people and
mandated to guard the prophetic
legacy in the administration of
community affairs. This gave
rise to the development of
Shari'a law.
The al-Azahr, a Islamic
university in Cairo, is
conventionally regarded as the
highest authority in Sunni
Islam.
Shi'a
Shi'ites believe that the true
authority and leadership of
Muslims after Muhammad's
son-in-law, Ali, continued
through a line of imams
(religious teachers). Shi'ites
constitute less than 10% of
world's Muslims, and possess
many internal divisions. The
largest contemporary Shi'a group
are the Ithna'asharis, or
Twelvers. Shi'ites are a
majority in Iran. The Shi'a
developed a hierarchy in line
with their beliefs in the
succession of rule; in Iran,
this finds expression in the
system of ayatollahs (senior
interpreters and arbiters of
religious law).
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