Islam

1877 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Souces of islamic law

Islam is one of the oldest and largest religions in the world. It is second after Christianity in terms of followers. Prophet Muhammad, who was a trade merchant in Arabia, founded the Islamic religion back around 622 CE. Islam was founded in the Middle East and has spread to take up a large representation in all corners of the world. It uses Arabic as its main language. The Sacred text used by Muslims is called the Qur’an. The Qur’an was originally written in Arabic and later translated to English. Islam consists of two main denominations: Sunni and Shiite (Religion Facts, 1). Both of these denominations have a similar general concept of Islam and its fundamental laws, but defer on historical concepts that surround Islam. The religion has major holidays it observes just like other religions. These are just a few of the facts that characterize Islam as a religion. These facts shall be expanded to give a full in-depth view of the religion.
The word Islam means submitting to the will of Allah. Followers who practice this faith are called Muslims and as an extension of the definition, are people who submit to the will of Allah. Islam as a religion started in Arabia and spread across the world to more than 60 different countries. Allah is the name Muslims calls their God. They believe their religion is timeless and their God is the one true God. In reality, Islam has the same origin as Christianity and Judaism, although they all have different timelines.
Islam is similar to Christianity in many ways. Both religions believe that God is a supernatural being and the creator of heaven and earth. They also believe that He has existed since the beginning of time. Islam has different names they give to their prophets. A deeper study of thi...

... middle of paper ...

...am are among the most respected prophets of God and Muhammad was the last in the line of prophet-hood. This is similar to Christianity where prophets such as Elijah were sent to teach Christians the way of life. Islam is guided by the Sharia law that institutes a way of life for Muslims. The way of life is characterized by five pillars of Islam that are rituals every Muslim is expected to perform to live an acceptable life. Lastly, Muslims base their religion on the teachings found in the Qur’an.

Works Cited

BBC. Islam. September 2009, Web. 13 March 2014.
Religion Facts. What are the facts of the Muslim religion? 17 March 2004. Web. 13 June 2014
Abdul, A. Islamic Faith. July 2007. Web. 13 June 2014.
Teece, G. Islam: Religion in Focus. New York: Black Rabbit Books, 2009. Print.
Muhammad, S.I. The Emergence of Shi’ism and the Shi’ites” 1989. Web. 13 June 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast The Nation Of Islam And The Nation Of Islam

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    While there are some significant similarities between these two faiths, there are also some major differences. Firstly, in Islam, God works through prophets and does not have a physical form. They do not believe in idols and cannot have images of God. However, in the Nation of Islam, Fard Muhammad was the re-incarnation of Allah. He was essentially God in the physical form, which is what Islam goes

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Christianity Islam And Judaism

    527 Words  | 2 Pages

    Christianity, Islam, and Judaism differ greatly in matter of belief and practice. They all understand from God to the prophets and Jesus and scriptures differently. Christians believe there is one God in three distinct persons, which is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Islam believe in Allah. Judaism believes in Yahweh. It is evident that the three religions are different in many

    Read More

  • Buddhism and Islam

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.

    Read More

  • Connecting to Islam Through My Native American Roots

    1653 Words  | 4 Pages

    Esposito, John L. (2011). What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, 2d. New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN-13: 978-1-60927-041-4

    Read More

  • Comparing Confucianism and Islam

    2973 Words  | 6 Pages

    Islam is a religion that is based on the submission oneself to the will of God, who is called Allah. Muslims are the people believe in that, regardless of their culture, background or ethnicity. It is believed that God’s prophets brought a message for the people to worship one God without intermediaries and that prophet Muhammad was the end of G...

    Read More

  • understanding muslim culture

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is said that the religion of Islam was revealed to Muhammad ibn Abdullah, who is known as the Prophet Muhammad. The religion of Islam are as varied as any other however there are certain values and beliefs that identify as Muslim. To understand a person’s faith (of any kind) the first step is to learn some background and understand a little of the beliefs held. A good start understands the cornerstones of a faith; in the case of Islam these are called the five pillars. The five pillars are more based on actions than beliefs; the first is shahadah is an expression of faith and in the oneness of god and that Muhammad received and delivered gods final revelation to the world, and every Muslim is expected to say the shahadah at least once in his or her life, although most say it every day. The second pillar is salat the prayers which each Muslim must recite five time each day facing in the direction of Mecca. They are five different ones and cannot be said all at the same time and so they create a sort of rhythm which structures th...

    Read More

  • Comparative Essay On Judaism And Islam

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    Islam is a monotheistic religion which is originated from the Middle East or more specifically in the Arabian Peninsula early in the 7th century. This religion was founded on the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed who named this religion after the Arabic word acceptance. Islam has 2 major sects the Sunni and Shi’a. This split occurred when Mohammed died. The Sunni believed that the new leader of Islam should be determined through election but the Shi’a thought that the new leader should be Imam Ali a cousin and son in law of Mohammed. Another branch of Islam is Druze but only a small minority of Muslims who live in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine are followers of this sect (3 Faiths with One God - Islam, Arab American National Museum).

    Read More

  • The Spread of Islam

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    Islam is a major world religion. Its origin can be traced back to 610 CE in Arabia. The basis of this religion is the revelations to the prophet Mohammad. Dissatisfied with his life, he traveled to deserts, hills, and the wilderness surrounding Mecca, where he lived, to meditate and reflect. He became a new man through his revelations, which many of his followers believe Allah transmitted to him through his angel Gabriel. Islam was originally an Arab religion, but many different beliefs and practices were added to it, making it extremely popular and aiding in its rapid spread. This new religion spread to many different areas surrounding Arabia, both under Mohammad and after his death. The Muslim Empire grew to encompass Spain and the Eastern Roman Empire as well Persia and Africa. Many different practices and methods were used to spread Islam. The religion itself was appealing to, in addition to the inhabitants of Arabia, other people in the surrounding areas because of its distinct religious beliefs and practices, such as the five pillars, as well as the humility and prayerfulness of the Islamic people. They fought cruel, vicious wars with their enemies. Many different things motivated the warriors to expand, but above all, the riches they would gain from the people of the Fertile Crescent encouraged them to expand.

    Read More

  • Similarities and Differencces between Christianity and Islam

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    Both Christians and Islam believe in one Supreme Being but according to Christian they call Him God while Muslims call him Allah. The two religions conceptualize God in different ways. Muslims view Allah as one God, this is emphasized through the word ‘tawhid’ which in Islam means “absolute unity”. Christians on the other hand view God as three holy beings, God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit. According to theology this is known as the holy trinity. Early Christians did not understand the meaning of the word trinity which led to the thought that they worship three gods. However, through Christian teachings the meaning of trinity is brought out through the concept of love. Love cannot exist in seclusion ’God is Love’; hence God cannot exist in one form. This is considered blas...

    Read More

  • Judaism vs. Islam

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    Judaism and Islam are known to be two of the main religions that are found throughout the world. They each have similar traits and many more differences. They both are monotheistic, which means they only believe in one god. Muslims worship the God called Allah, which means in Arabic “the God”. And Jews worship the god called Yahweh, which means the God of Israel. Their differences include their core beliefs, rituals, symbols, and history.

    Read More

  • The Similarities Between Islam and Christianity

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although Islam and Christianity differ in major ways, they also share some similarities in their belief in God. First of all, Christianity and Islam are both monotheistic religions; worshipping only one God. While both believe in the same God, he is called by two completely different names. He is referred to as "Allah" by Muslims and "God" by Christians. The basic creed of Islam is brief: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah”.

    Read More

  • The Misconceptions About Women in Islam

    1311 Words  | 3 Pages

    G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Religion

    1274 Words  | 3 Pages

    Islam is often viewed as a religious tradition which originates from the seventh century. An important part of Islam is based on the prophet Muhammad, and the great revelations in which he received from God, according to the Quran. However, it is most important to realize that Muslims do not view Islam as a new religion. Muslims believe that Allah is the same God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Therefore, Jews, Christians, and Muslims are all followers of the same living God. Muslims believe that the Quran is the final and complete revelation of God to all people. It is not easy for some people to accept the fact that God exists when there have been so many throughout history. You cannot also say if someone’s religion is right or wrong or the God they believe in is a “Supreme” god. Why Islam and not Christianity? Why Hinduism and not Judaism? Every one of them different and they vary from one another; they have different rules and are all passionate about their belief. But the fact still remains that there is one who is above all and he is God. God is Omnipresent, omnipotent, and Benevolent.

    Read More

  • The Muslim Culture

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    This word originated in Arabia where this whole culture developed (BBC “Islam”). Islam followers, or Muslims, were introduced to their culture by the Prophet Muhammad (BBC “Islam”). The word Islam comes up very often, but who knows what it means? It is said to be the “submission to the will of God (BBC “Islam”).” The majority of the U.S. population today see Muslims as bad people only because a certain group attacked the United States.

    Read More

  • Inside Islam

    1558 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ethics, and so forth. The crucial piece of information to remember about this religion is that they greatly emphasis unity and have a great amount of diversity. Even though it is a diverse religion, all of the Muslims are monotheistic and solely believe that Allah is the creator of everything, including humans. As a human being they believe that they are in debt to God or simply stated as according to Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “Therefore, all that we are and all that we have belongs to God for which we are indebted to Him and for whose gifts we must give thanks (shukr)” . God is the Absolute and the main point of the Islamic religion is that it is crucial to worship him and follow his commands, and that will lead to peace among everyone. This particular religion has continued to rapidly grow throughout the world and as with most religions, it will continue to grow.

    Read More

More about Islam

Open Document