Who is islamic

He continued to receive messages from God throughout his life and he began preaching to others what he had learned. His main message is that there was no other God but Allah and that people should lead their lives in a way that was pleasing to Allah. Islam spread quickly first throughout Arabia and surrounding countries and then throughout the world. There are 1. The countries with the largest Muslim populations are Indonesia and India.

Although they share the same basic beliefs, they disagree on who was the rightful leader of Islam after Muhammad's death. Islam is an Arabic word which means "surrender, submission, commitment and peace. He is the same universal God worshipped by people of all faiths. The word "Allah" is sometimes preferred over God because it is neither masculine nor feminine. Also, there is no plural for "Allah. These are guides for daily life for putting the beliefs of Muslims into practice:.

Muslims believe that the last revealed scripture sent by God is the Qur'an or Koran. It is the speech of God revealed in the Arabic language to Muhammad during his mission of twenty-three years.

The Qur'an was written down by scribes and memorized during the lifetime of Muhammad. The Qur'an emphasizes moral, ethical and spiritual values with the aim of establishing justice for everyone. Many Muslims try to learn to read the Koran in its original language, Arabic. It is not uncommon for Muslims to memorize whole chapters of it. Alawite - Concentrated in Syria, a sect within the Shiite community that maintains similar but different core beliefs about the divinity of Ali and the seven pillars of the faith.

They also observe some Christian and Zoroastrian holidays in addition to Islamic holidays. Kharijites - Members of the earliest sect in Islam that left the followers of Ali; their break with the Shiite was over the selection method for a new leader. They were known for uncompromising positions on the observance of the Quran and for radical fundamentalism. Today they are known as the Ibadi or Ibadities. It is a Sunni sect. There are other sects of both Sunni and Shiite in African and Arab nations.

Sharia Law. Sharia is an Arabic word originally meaning "the path leading to the source of water. Is derived from the Quran and the life of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers. Is a system of morals, religious observance, ethics, and politics that covers both religious and non-religious aspects of life.

Many Muslim countries use Sharia law as a basis for their laws. Differs from Western legal systems in that the scope of Sharia law is much larger and the Islamic concept of law results from the expression of the divine will. While this can be rightly equated to a combination of taxation and charity, zakat is different from sadaqa, charity, which is equally mandated by the Qur'an but left to the discretion of the individual Muslim, depending upon circumstances. Sadaqa is both tangible and intangible a kind word, for example, may be a form of Sadaqa.

But Zakat is tangible. It is paid at the end of the Ramadan fast. Non-Muslims, the people of the book Christians and Jews , are not required to pay Zakat but another tax, called Jizyah.

Fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar, is required of those whose health permits. The Islamic lunar calendar is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, thus the annual shift of Ramadan's occurrence in relationship to the Gregorian calendar.

It is a complete fast, requiring that nothing be taken into the body but needed medication. During Ramadan there is an emphasis on piety and religious observances. Those who are ill or traveling do not have to fast during Ramadan but must compensate by fasting and by contributing to the Zakat. Ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, That ye may learn self-restraint, The pilgrimage to Mecca once in one's lifetime is required of all those who have the physical and financial ability to make the journey.

The practice derives from the divine mandate given Muhammad to rebuild the first temple of worship to God in Mecca. The pilgrimage requirement makes this desert city a gathering place for people from all parts of the world once a year.

The rituals of the hajj were established by the Prophet. They emphasize repentance, resulting in forgiveness by God. The practice also strengthens the bond among the faithful from all walks of life and regions of the world. It is performed during the Islamic lunar month of Dhu al-hijja.

Within today's city, at the center of the Sacred Mosque is the focal point of Islamic prayer worldwide—the Ka'ba. The meter-high 48' , roughly cubical structure was first built as a place for worship of the one God by Ibrahim Abraham and Isma'il Ishmael , and it is thus a physical reminder of the links between Islam and the dawn of monotheism, between the Qur'an and previous revelations, and between the Prophet Muhammad and earlier Messengers of God.

The Qur'an does not state the number and manner of prayers; these were established by the Prophet. The required individual prayers are said five times a day: at dawn, noon when the sun is at the center of the sky , afternoon when the sun is halfway to sunset sunset, and night after sunset but before sunrise.

The only required communal prayer is the Friday noon prayer. Prayers can also be communal; that is, in fact, the preferred way. When so conducted, the prayers are led by an im am, who is usually either a person schooled in Islam or simply one among the group who is more knowledgeable, older, or recognized by the others as being especially pious. Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder and kneel a number of times, depending on whether it is the morning prayer twice or the late-night prayer four times.

Standing shoulder to shoulder, irrespective of status in life, symbolizes equality before God. In Islam, as the Prophet said, no man is better than another save for his piety, which only Allah can judge.

At each kneeling, the Muslim places his forehead on the ground, a symbol of the equality of all men, humility, worship of the Creator, and the fact that from earth we come and to earth we return.

All praying Muslims face Mecca, where the Ka'ba is located. It is the qibla the direction which provides unity and uniformity for all Muslims. At an earlier time, it was the practice to face Jerusalem, the second holiest city in Islam.

The Ka'ba holds the remnants of Abraham's temple. In the only European nation with a Muslim majority, Albania's population again throngs to the mosques since the downfall of Communism in The imam does not necessarily have any special religious status in Sunni tradition just because he is the prayer leader However, he could be a person whose schooling or training conferred on him special status, as is the case with the ulema or scholars, plural of alem.

One attains this status after having pursued an extensive education in theology throughout secondary, college, and graduate study at a theological university. Before prayers, Muslims are required to perform ablutions, which include washing the face, arms, and feet in a ritual prescribed by the Prophet. This is not only for the purposes of cleanliness, but to provide a break from prior activity. Before ablutions and prayers, a Muslim must confirm within himself his intention to pray.