Islam

== ==  = If you didn't already know, Islam is an religion. It is a set of religious beleif's and a way of life. The goal is to achieve salvation and life after death. You must submit to the will of Allah. It was founded by Muhammad through a vision from Allah [supreme god]. = = It has thrived and become one of the most popular religions to this day. It can be compared to another religion, called Christianity. Hopefully, by looking at this page, you will know a bit more about the religion Islam. Enjoy! = To check out some pictures on Islam. Click the link below: []

=== media type="youtube" key="wIxIk2Wta58" height="334" width="362" ===

//__ Table of Contents[[image:http://www.mrdowling.com/images/605islam.gif width="217" height="200" align="left"]] __//
// 1. The Arabians 2. Muhammad 3. Denominations-Sh //// ia and Sunni 4. The 5 pillars 5. The Holy Qu'ran //

=__1. THE ARABIANS__=

The arabians lived in communities called tribes, the head of the tribe was chosen by elders and was called Sheik. What did they live as? They lived as farmers and sheep herders until camels were domesticated. The area that they populated was The Arabian Peninsula. They expanded trade routes from Indian Ocean to to Mediterranean Sea. The trade route met with the silk rode, therefore became popular. Their believed in a polythesistic religion but later on it was changed to monotheism.

​Glencoe World History Book =__ 2. Muhammad__=
 * R**

In 570 C.E., Muhammad was born in Mecca and was a member of the Quayrish tribe He was an Caravan manager.

There isnt much about his childhood. His parents died when he was young, and he never learned to read and write. When he was 25, he married Khadija.

At 40 years old, during one of his trading journeys, he had an encounter with the angel Gabriel and "the angel revealed special revalations." He became the messenger of god, and he started spreading the word. ([])

**__ 3.Denominations- Shia and Sunni. __**

Islam is splited into 2 groups. (Shia and Sunni)

**Shia-**

-accepted only direct descendants of Ali as true rulers of Islam -most live in Iraq and Iran -angered by favorable treatment given to Muslims of Arab background then a new group was fromed... -accepted the Ummayads -majority world wide -Abbasid dynasty (750 A.D.) began -capital is Baghdad -all muslims hold military and civil offices -empire prospered
 * Sunni-**



=__ 4. The 5 Pillars __=

What are the 5 pillars of the faith? They are the 5 main duties are the things you must do to avoid eternal damnation and enjoy paradise after death. The 5 pillars of Islam includes belief, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrammage.

Glencoe World History Book

= 1. Belief- =

=
"There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is his messenger". You must beleive that there is one god and Muhammad is his messenger. This is known as the Shahada. The Shahada appears in daily life in many different ways ."Muslims constantly call on God by name in all sorts of situations. For example, when beginning any activity, one might say //bismillah// ("in the name of God") or when admiring something, one might say //al-hamdu lillah// ("praise be to God")." ([]) ======

= 2.Prayer = "Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed 5 times a day, and a driect link between the worshipper and God. There are no preists, so the prayers are led by a person who has learned the Qu'ran. That person is chosen by the congregation. The five prayers includes verses from the Qu'ran and are said in Arabic There are many spellings for the word Salat, it can also be spelt as salah, sholat, or shalah.

Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and therefore determine the entire day. It's preferable to worship together in a Mosque. A muslim may pray anywhere, and when I say anywhere I mean anywhere- fields, factories, work. etc.

([]) Some Videos of Shalat: [] __ [] __ [] []

= 3.Charity-Zakat =

An important principle in Islam is that all things belong to God. The word "zakat" means purifactaion and growth." Possesions are purified by setting aside a porportion for those in need, and this cutting back balances and encourages new growth." "One of the most common forms of charity in medieval Islamic cities was to establish a public drinking fountain, where fresh, sweet water was distributed freely to all passers-by. Such a drinking fountain was commonly known as a //sabil//, from the common Arabic expression //fi sabil allah//, literally meaning "in the path of God" and referring to doing something for God charitably or disinterestedly."

([])

= 4.Fasting =

Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar. Its the month of fasting. It is an act of worship where the faithful follwers denies his own needs and seek Allah. The fasting consists of no eating, no drinking, and no sexual relations during the daylight hours for the entire month. The purpose of fasting is Self Disclipine, dependence on God, and compassion for those who are less fortunate and go hungry. The alternative for those who can't go hungry is feeding a poor person. ([])

= 5. Pilgramage =

=
This is the pilgrammage to Mecca. All muslims, if they are able to, have to make a trip to Mecca. It's known as Hajj. They have to perform a ritual recallling the beginnings of the Islamic religion. The hajj brings together a group of people from all different ethinicities demonstrating their loyalty to the religion. Before entering Mecca, the pilgrim has a special garment made of 2 seamless white cloths. The ceremonies of the pilgrammage has to do with Abraham and center on the Kabba, which muslims beleive to be the house Abraham erected for God. They also have an event known as The Great Feast, where meat is distubuted to the poor, and it lasts for 3-4 days. Most pilgrims take a visit to the prophet's mosque and gravesite in Medina, but its not part of the pilgrammage. ======

= = = = = __5. The Qu'ran__ =

The Qu'ran is the religious text of Islam, and also translitterated as Quran, Koran, and Alcoran. Muslims believe that the Qu'ran is the book to guide them throught their lives, and that its the direction for mankind. The original Arabic text is considered to be the final revelation of God. The Qu'ran was revealed to Muhammad over a periof of 23 years, beginning in 610 C.E., when he was 40. Muslims say that it was fixed in writing shortly after his death by order of the Caliph's Abu Bakr.

([])

You can find out more about Islam below: Just click the link: ​
[|All About Islam] [|Islam Art Gallery] [|Muhammad I] [|Book on Muhammad] [|What is the Five Pillars of Islam?] [|About.com- Islam] [|Slideshow about The 5 Pillars] [|Biography- Muhammad] [|Pillars] [|Very Good Site on Islam]

Cited Pages
Bard," Mitchell G. Muhammad." JewishVirtualLibrary. 2005. 8 Dec, 2009. <[]> Spielvogel Ph.D, Jackson. __Glencoe World History North Carolina Edition.__ McGraw-Hill Companies. Copyright 2008. "The Five Pillars Of Islam". Islami City. January 2001. Dec.8.2009. <[]> "Qu'ran" Wikipedia. 8 Dec.2009. 8 Dec.2009 <[]>

media type="custom" key="4967929"

By: Taleya Durham