Josh Willey

Extra Credit
1/16/01

The Islamic Religion

The Islamic Religion claims that there is only one god and that Muhammad is his
messenger. It was started in AD 622 by the prophet Muhammad. Approximately one
fifth of the world’s population now follows this religion, which is more than any religion
except Christianity. Followers of the Islamic religion are called Muslims. They follow
the words of their god Allah, which are told in the Koran, the holy book of Islam. They
also follow the five pillars of Islam, which are the framework for Muslim life. Muslims
believe that they must give in to Allah’s will.

Origins
Islam’s founder, the prophet Muhammad, was born in the Arabian city of Mecca.
Mecca was a center of trade, and a home to many religious practices. Muhammad was
encountered by many beliefs, which led him to ponder their meanings and discover what
he believed was true faith. He often retreated to the caves above Mecca where he would
meditate. This is where the Muslims believe he was visited by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel
informed him that he would be the definitive prophet of Allah and would be responsible
for transmitting the Creator’s will. This will was told to Muhammad over a period of
twenty-three years and was later put together to form the Koran. Muhammad was first
ordered to teach his immediate family about Islam, but was eventually instructed to
deliver Allah’s message to all of mankind. Muhammad communicated the message and
set an example for how each person should lead their life. Muhammad died in 632 after
giving his last sermon.
During his meetings with Gabriel, Muhammad was also told that earlier prophets
had spread the will of Allah. This included Jesus, Abraham, and Moses. Muslims
believe that these earlier prophets had helped to prepare the world for the Koran. They
also believe that Allah inspired the beliefs of other people such as Christians and Jews.
However, certain differences caused disputes between Muslims and Christians.
Christians did not believe that Muhammad was the last prophet sent by Allah, and
Muslims denounced the Christian theory of a blessed trinity. Even today, America and
Europe disagree with the Islam world, often resulting in war.

Spread
Islam is the religion followed by over one fifth of the world’s population. It is
currently the fastest growing religion in the United States. This is partially because of the
simplicity of its beliefs. Islam calls for faith in one god and asks of all Muslims to obey
the Koran. It also calls for its followers to use their intelligence and observations. The
Koran does not go against scientific knowledge but provides an explanation for things
unknown to us.
Islam was spread early on through trade activities along the East African coast.
Portugese invasions later helped to spread Islamic beliefs. This is because the Arabs had
much political influence over the Portugese region. Trade continued to spread the
religion into East Africa. As Germany began to conquer parts of Africa, they hired
Africans as civil servants. This introduced the Islamic religion to a small number of
Europeans that rapidly began to grow. Schools were set up in Africa and a few parts of
Europe and encouraged children to follow Islam. However, after World War 2, Britain
gained more control of Africa. Missionaries from this country promoted Christianity
with schools and employment opportunities. Muslims were gradually alienated from the
political scene. However, many Africans were alarmed by the influence of British
imperialism and Christianity in their country. Because of this, Muslims held much power
in independence movements. Many Africans began following the Muslims, and so did
some Westerners. Many different political and religious movements helped to gradually
spread Islam throughout the world.

Beliefs
Muslims have about six basic beliefs that they live by. The first is belief in God,
whom they call Allah. They believe that Allah is all seeing, all hearing, and all knowing.
He alone has the right to be worshipped, because he is incomparable. They also believe
that Allah is completely perfect. He is the creator of all things.
Muslims have a strong belief in the existence of angels, which are very honored
creatures. These angels worship and obey Allah, and act only on his command. Gabriel is
among the angels believed by Muslims. He delivered the message of the Koran to
Muhammad.
The Islamic religion calls for total belief in the revealed books of Allah. These
books were revealed to Allah’s messengers as proof for mankind and as guidance. The
Koran is similar to the Bible. It was revealed to the prophet Muhammad and was
protected from corruption or distortion. The Koran is the most important book in the
Islamic religion.
Muslims believe in many prophets and messengers of Allah. Among these
messengers are Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus. However, they
believe that Allah’s final messenger was Muhammad. Muhammad received many
messages from Allah that reconfirmed the eternal message. Muslims, unlike Christians,
do not believe that the prophets or messengers have any of the same divine qualities as
Allah.
Another belief of Muslims is that a Day of Judgment will come. In this Day of
Judgment, all people will be resurrected by Allah’s judgment according to their beliefs
and deeds.
Al-Qadar is the Divine Predestination believed by all followers of Islam.
However, this does not mean Muslims do not have free will. They have the power to
choose between right and wrong. The belief in Al-Qadar involves the belief in four
things: 1) Allah knows what has happened and what will happen, 2) Allah has recorded
what has happened and what will happen, 3) What happens is based entirely on Allah’s
will, and 4) Allah is the creator of everything.
The Koran
The Koran is the book that tells of the exact words told to Muhammad by the
angel Gabriel. Muhammad was given these revelations in the period 610-632 AD. These
revelations were written down by those around Muhammad before and after his death.
The writings were compiled from the mid 630s to the mid 650s. Muslims believe that the
Koran can not be translated perfectly because the original words were from Allah
himself. The Koran is separated into 114 suras, which are ordered by there origin. There
is no chronology, which is also true in the Bible. Another similarity is that both books
consist mainly of commandments and warnings, and a small amount of stories.
For Muslims, the Koran is the full and unchanged word of Allah. The Koran is a
physical proof of Islam. The Koran is also the sound of Islam. The reading of the Koran
is considered an art form that is known by most Muslims.
Although the Koran is a guide for Muslim life, many consider it much to complex
to be a guide to simple, everyday life. Muslims turn to the Koran when a solution can be
found nowhere else.

Pillars of Islam
The framework of Muslim life is based entirely on the Five Pillars of Islam.
These pillars are the testimony of faith, prayer, giving zakat, fasting the month of
Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Faith
The testimony of faith is saying the Shahada. The saying means “There is no true god
but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” This means that only Allah
has the right to be worshipped, and that the message of guidance was sent through a
human like us. The Shahada must be said with conviction to convert to Islam. It is
considered the most important pillar of Islam.
Prayer
Muslims perform five prayers a day, in which they form a direct link with Allah. These
prayers contain verses from the Koran. While praying, they feel inner happiness, peace,
comfort, and that Allah is pleased with him or her. Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-
afternoon, sunset, and night, and can be performed anywhere.
Giving Zagat
Muslims believe that all things belong to Allah, therefore wealth should be held equally
by humans. The word zagat originally means purification or growth. Giving zagat
means giving a specified percentage of property to certain classes of needy people.
Additional charity may be given voluntarily if an individual pleases to do so. Muslims
believe that setting aside a small portion for the needy purifies their possessions. The
cutting back also balances and encourages new growth.
Fasting
Each year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast until sundown, abstaining from
food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are unable to fast can make up the days
later in the year or can feed a needy person for each day missed. Muslims cut themselves
off from these comforts to gain true sympathy for those who often go hungry. They also
feel that fasting creates growth in the spiritual life.
 Pilgrimage to Mecca
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, which is called the Hajj, is an obligation once in a
lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. Mecca is special
because it is where the revelations of the Koran began with Muhammad. About two
million people from around the world visit Mecca each year. Pilgrims wear simple
clothing to strip away differences in class and culture so that all stand equal before Allah.
Several rites are performed each day before the pilgrims stand together to ask Allah for
forgiveness. A festival that is celebrated with prayers marks the end of the Hajj.

Conclusion
In several ways, Islam is similar to Christianity. Both believe in a prophet or
messenger that delivered the word of God. Christianity uses the Bible as a framework for
life, while Islam follows the message of The Koran. However, despite these similarities,
the two religions have always had conflicts.
Islam is a rapidly spreading religion and is gaining followers from around the
globe. It has a simple belief in a single god that should be worshipped and respected. It
is also open to many new scientific discoveries. Such things add to its growth. Islam has
many unique traditions. It strictly follows the five pillars and the prophets of Allah. The
Koran provides a framework for Muslim life, and is traditionally used in its original
Arabic form. Muslims lead a life strictly based on their religion. Although many
problems have been created revolving Muslims, they work hard to follow their religion.