Islam
Islam is the youngest of the three world religions founded in the Middle East. Judaism and Christianity are the other two religions that were founded in the Middle East. Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that there is only one God. That is why they are called monotheistic religions. Islam is a religion of law. This means that laws and rules determine what is right and wrong and what Muslims should do.
The crescent moon and star is the symbol of Islam.
Islam is the second largest of the world’s religions, after Christianity. There are approximately 1.7 billion people in the world who believe in Islam. People who follow Islam are called Muslims. The Islamic community is called umma in Arabic. Umma can be split into two main groups. There are Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad founded Islam around 610 AD. This happened in Mecca, the city where he was born. Mecca is located in Saudi Arabia. Muhammad died in 632 AD.
The Quran and Hadith
The Quran is the most important holy book in Islam. According to Islam, the Quran contains the revelations that the Prophet Mohammed received from God. The Quran was originally written in Arabic.
A photo of the Quran
The Quran consists of 114 surahs. The surahs are partly arranged according to their length. The longest comes first and the shortest last. The first surah is an exception, consisting of the short opening prayer al-Fatiha.
In the centuries after Muhammad died, stories of what he said and did were written down in books called hadith. The Quran and hadith together are supposed to show what is a correct and good way of life for Muslims.
The Five Pillars
The five pillars are principles upon which the religion is built and are referred to as the fundamental duties of the religion. Although Islam is referred to as a religion of law, it is important to emphasize that right intention is also valued just as much by many Muslims.
The profession of faith
The profession of faith, or shahada, is the first of the pillars of Islam. This is what it reads as in Arabic: “Ashhadw ana la ila Allah wa ashhadw ana Mohammad rasol Allah“. In English this means: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”.
The profession of faith written in Arabic calligraphy.
Prayer
The second pillar is salah, or prayer. Muslims must pray to God five times a day. Muslims pray on a prayer rug, which they place so that their body faces Mecca.
Two girls who are praying.
It is important to be clean before praying. The prayers are in Arabic and contain texts from the Quran. In prayer, the body moves in fixed positions: one stands, bows, kneels with one’s forehead and hands on the ground, and sits. Friday prayer is a communal prayer in mosques on Fridays at noon. In addition to prayer on Friday, people also listen to a sermon. The person who leads the prayer and sermon is called an imam.
Fasting
Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam. Fasting is during the month of Ramadan, which means not eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. Children do not have to fast. After sunset, the family gathers for the evening meal called iftar. During Ramadan, it is important to show gratitude for what you have and be more compassionate towards those who don’t have as much.
Charitable contribution
The third pillar is the charitable contribution, or Zakat. Zakat is a tax paid according to the amount of money, jewelry, and property a person has. The money is given to people in need.
The Pilgrimage
The fifth pillar is the pilgrimage to Mecca. The goal is to perform Hajj. There are several rituals associated with Hajj. All rituals must be completed for the journey to be considered a validly performed Hajj. One ritual, for example, is to walk seven circles around the Kaaba. The Kaaba is sacred because it contains the Black Stone. According to Islam, the stone is of heavenly origin and brought to Earth by the angel Gabriel.
Muslims should make the pilgrimage once in their lifetime, if they have the opportunity. Every year, between three and four million Muslims travel to Mecca.
Bilde: Pixabay, Konevi
The Kaaba is in the main mosque in Mecca.
