The Religion of Islam

Religion is as natural to man as social intercourse. The aim common to the religions of the world is that they undertake to bestow upon mankind the highest blessings, and the special way in which they seek to accomplish this is by establishing friendly relations with a Power which is stronger than the ordinary course of nature. Every religion which has counted for anything has had ready answers to three questions: What does it promise to do for the good of man? What is the nature of the higher Power on whose succor it relies? And, what is required of man as the condition of receiving the expected benefits? A further working test of its value is what it makes of morality.

For Christianity, the appropriate question is "What do Christians believe?" In contrast, for Islam, the correct question is "What do Muslims do?" Whereas in Christianity, theology was the "queen of sciences," in Islam, law enjoyed pride of place, for "to accept or conform to the laws of god is Islam, which means to surrender to God's law."

Because Islam means surrender or submission to the will of God, Muslims have tended to place primary emphasis on obeying or following God's will as set forth in Islamic law. For this reason, many commentators have distinguished between Christianity's emphasis on orthodoxy, or correct doctrine or belief, and Islam's insistence on orthopraxy, or correct action. However, the emphasis on practice has not precluded the importance of faith or belief. Faith and right action or practice are intertwined.

As the confession of faith or basic creed ("There is no god but God and Mohammed is the messenger of God") illustrates, faith in God and the Prophet is the basis of Muslim belief and practice. As the primary source of God's ...

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...xpected to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime. The pilgrimage proper takes place during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. The pilgrimage requires ritual purification, which is symbolized by the wearing of white garments. Men shave their heads and wear white sheets. Women may wear simple, national dresses and a head covering. Neither jewelry nor perfume is permitted; sexual activity and hunting are also prohibited. The pilgrims make their way to Mecca and perform many ritual activities. The five pillars are the core of a Muslim's duty to worship God.

While the Five Pillars and the Sharia remain the common basis of faith and practice for all Muslims, at the same time, Islam has incorporated a variety of beliefs and activities that grew out of religious and historical experience and the needs of specific Muslim communities.