 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Islam
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
History |
|
Beliefs |
|
Worship |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Holy Days |
|
Customs |
|
Overview of Islam...
Regents Park Mosque, London
Islam is the
second most popular faith in the world with over a thousand million
adherents.
Those who follow Islam
are called Muslims.
Islam is now very strong in Asia, and is
growing everywhere else in the world.
There are between 1.5 and 3
million Muslims in Britain, making it the second most popular faith here,
too.
Origins
Islam was revealed to humanity through the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the 7th CE, in Arabia, and spread
rapidly through the Middle East.
Although Islam was not fully
revealed to us until the 7th century, Muslims believe that it has always
existed.
Everything
is God’s
The word Islam means submission to Allah
(God), and Muslims believe that everything in life should be at the
service of Allah.
As a result, Muslims find it hard to accept the
distinction that Western cultures make between a person’s religious life
and everything else.
Muslims think such a distinction is entirely
wrong. They believe that not only individuals, but the institutions of
society, as well, should serve Allah.
Muslims submit to Allah by
obeying his commands, and by living their whole lives in a way that is
pleasing to Allah.
Muslims combine faith and action in
everything they do—they regard belief on its own, or good deeds on
their own, as pointless.
The 5
Pillars of Islam
These are the five obligations that every Muslim
must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to
Islam. more
Scripture
The Islamic scripture is the
Holy Qur'an.
 |
|
Muslims believe that the Qur'an was revealed to humanity by
God through the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). |
They believe
it is a perfect copy of a text that exists eternally in
heaven.
Worship
The place for communal
Muslim worship is called a Mosque.
Muslims are required to pray 5
times a day, and although this need not be at a mosque, it must be done
according to precisely laid down rules.
Muslims do not
regard this requirement for ritual prayer as in any way burdensome, but
rejoice in the opportunity to do God's bidding.
Groups
There are several different groups of Muslims, but all of them, in
every country and community, regard their faith as a bond between them,
and as a major part of their identity.
The largest Muslim group is
the Sunni Muslims - who make up 90% of the world's
Muslims.
The other main group is the Shi'ite Muslims, who
are particularly strong in Iran.
Multifaith
note
Together with Judaism and Christianity, Islam is one of the three
"Abrahamic Faiths" or "Religions of the Book"
NEXT PAGE
>>
USEFUL
LINKS
Guide to Islam for New
Muslims
All the
basic information in easily accessible form
Islamic
Studies
A non-polemic portal for Islamic
resources with an academic bias.
IslamiCity in Cyberspace
One of
the most comprehensive Islamic sites
The Peter Sanders Gallery
A collection of great pictures from Muslim countries
How I Came to
Islam
Yusuf Islam, the former pop star Cat Stevens, explains how he
became a Muslim.
The Islamic Women's Home
Page
Enormous collection of articles relating to Islam and women.
Map
of Muslim distribution in Middle East, Africa, Asia
Gives a
clear idea of Muslims geography (beware - it's a 570k jpeg and takes a
while to download)
The BBC is not
responsible for the content of external web sites
|
