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Islam
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The Crescent,
seen on top of many mosques, originally signifies the waxing
moon. It is associated with special acts of devotion to
God. (Langley 54) |
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 God and the Prophets
Islamic Life
Islamic Worship
Types of Islam
Relevant Links
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| God
and the Prophets |
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Islam is a religion
founded in the sixth century CE by the prophet Mohammed.
It is widely practiced in the Middle East, Pakistan, Indonesia, and
southern central Europe. It practiced all over the world, though, and
is the fastest-growing religion in the United States. Practioners are
called Moslems/Muslims.
In Islam, there is only one God,
the creator and sustainer of the universe. Among all his creations, man
is supreme, with everything else subservient to God.
The prophets are God''s
messengers, to whom He revealed the truths of the unseen realities and
the truth of the coming life. The series of prophets began with Adam
and concluded with Mohammed.
Islam is a complete guide,
defining God''s relation to man and man''s relations to each other.
Islamic law, known as shari''ah, covers family,
commercial and criminal law.
The Qur''an (Koran) is the sacred book revealed
through Mohammed. United in its original Arabic form, it is believed by
Muslims to be the word of God and is treated with the greatest
veneration. Hadith is the body of words and practices
traced to the Prophet which supplements the Koran as a source of
Islamic guidance.
The Qur''an is often
beautifully printed and decorated
and may be kept in
special coverings or boxes to show how much it is valued. (Langley 57)
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| Islamic Life |
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- Islam affirms the equality and
dignity of mankind with blindness to color and race.
- There is no religious rank or
hierarchy. Each person has direct access to God. Sins are to be
repented, but not confessed to a mortal. But the leader of prayers is
often a holy man called an imam.
- Moslems believe in a moderate
way of life, which satisfied both spiritual and physical needs.
- Special dietary restrictions,
called halal, are observed. This includes ritual
slaughtering as well as restrictions against pork, alcohol and the
mixing of fish and dairy products.
- The Islamic holy day is
Friday, when people congregate at noon for communal prayer.
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| Islamic Worship |
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The Ka''ba,
a structure in Mecca (a holy city in Saudi Arabia) is the focal point
of worship for all Moslems. They face it while praying and make
pilgrimages to it.
Left:
The
focus of the Muslim world: the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holy city of
Islam, and at its centre the Kaaba, the ancient site of a shrine which
is said to have been founded by Abraham.(Parrinder 501)
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Dome of the Rock, a holy site for
Islam in Jerusalem. |
- The Moslem house of
worship is called the mosque.
- There are Five
Articles of Moslem Faith:
- Oral declaration of
faith ("There is no God but Allah");
- Observance of duty
to pray (at five fixed times a day with a ritual form):
- Payment of alms
(2.5% of a person''s yearly savings);
- Fasting (during the
month of Ramadan [9th month of the lunar
year] from dawn to sunset all fit adult Moslems refrain from food,
drinks and sexual activity. The greatest Moslem holiday is the Festival
after the end of Ramadan).
- Pilgrimage to Mecca
(this must be done during a special time of the year and is called the hadj).
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| Types of Islam |
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This is a very
unified religion with only 2 major branches: the majority, sunni
, and shi''ite. Shi''ite is the state
religion of Iran (formerly Persia) since the 1500s. It adds a
strong nationalistic element to Islam. But there is no
fighting between the two as in other major religious denominations.
In America, there is a group
called The Nation of Islam, which is a
militant black group which bases itself on Islam, but it is not "pure"
Islam. In fact, it was originally very Christian with a shallow overlay
of some Moslem beliefs. It was founded in 1934 by a man named Elijah
Poole, who changed his name to Elijah Mohammed. When he died in 1975
the movement was taken over by his son and has since moved closer to
traditional Islam. Malcolm X was a member of this religion but later
left it.
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| Relevant Links |
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| Picture Source:
Parrinder, Geoffrey, ed. World Religions: From Ancient
History to the Present. New York: Facts on File, 1971. |
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