Islam

Islam in Arabic meaning is “submission to God – Allah.” Allah has no plural or opposite gender
as in the English word of God which can become Gods or Goddess. He is Omnipotent,
Omniscient and is present everywhere through His knowledge. He is the Absolute Being and is
not dependent on anything. Everything is destructible without His essence. 

Islam is the religious faith of Muslims founded by Muhammad in the 7th century. Muslim
considers Muhammad (c. 570–8 June 632 CE) to be the last prophet of God. It is a monotheistic
religion based upon the Quran. Muslims believe that parts of the previously revealed scriptures,
the Torah and the Gospels, had become distorted - either in interpretation, in text or both. The
Qur'an (literally, "Reading" or "Recitation") is viewed by Muslims as the final revelation and
literal word of God and is widely regarded as the finest literary work in the Arabic language.
Muslims believe that Quran were revealed to Prophet Muhammad from God (Allāh) on many
occasions between 610 CE until his death. It is the main source of theology. While Muhammad
was alive, all of these revelations were written down by his companions, although the prime
method of transmission was orally through memorization. The Quran is more concerned with
moral guidance than legal instruction and is considered the "sourcebook of Islamic principles and
values".

Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are five basic acts in Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam represent the
duties of a Muslim. Like the Ten Commandments, they provide a spiritual foundation and
function. The Five Pillars are:

1. Faith (Shāhadah)
2. Pray (Salāt)
3. Alms giving (Zakāt)
4. Fasting (Sawm)
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)

1. Faith (Shāhadah)

Shāhadah is a declaration of faith and trust. The most basic requirement of being a Muslim is
to publicly state the words "There is only one God (Allah) and Muhammad is His messenger". It
is essential to utter it to become a Muslim and to convert to Islam. It is the basic creed of Islam
that must be recited under oath.

2. Pray (Salāt)

Salāt is the Islamic prayer. It must be performed five times a day i.e. at dawn, at noon, in the
afternoon, in the evening and at night. It is intended to focus the mind on God and is seen as a
personal communication with God that expresses gratitude and worship. It is compulsory but
flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. The prayers are done facing in
the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca.
3. Alms giving (Zakāt)

Zakāt is the practice of giving a portion of one's wealth for the benefit of the poor and needy.
Zakāt means purification and growth. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a portion for
those in need. This also increases social welfare and encourages economic growth. Zakāt is
considered to be a religious obligation. It is the personal responsibility of each Muslim to ease
the economic hardship of others and to strive towards eliminating inequality. In general,
Muslims should give 2.5% (1/40) of their wealth per year. A Muslim may also donate more as an
act of voluntary charity (Sadāqah) in order to achieve additional reward from Allah.

4. Fasting (Sawm)

Ritual fasting is an obligatory act during the month of Rāmdān which is the ninth month of
the Islamic calendar. Muslims must not eat or drink, have sexual relations, smoke or indulge in
deviant behaviour from morning to night during this month. Swam encourages a feeling of
nearness and to look for forgiveness from God and during Swam Muslims should express their
gratitude to God in every act of day. Sawm is not obligatory for elders, children and sick person.

5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Hajj is a pilgrimage in the city of Meccā. Every Muslim is obliged to make the pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once in his or her life. After a Muslim makes the trip to Mecca, he/she is known
as Hajja. When the pilgrim is about ten kilometers from Mecca, he must dress in Ihram clothing,
which consists of two white seamless sheets. The main rituals of the Hajj include walking seven
times around the Kābā touching the Black Stone, traveling seven times between Mt. Safā and Mt.
Marwah and symbolically stoning the Devil.

Divisions in Islām
1. Sunni
2. Shia

1. Sunni
The largest denomination in Islam is Sunni Islam. Sunnis believe that the caliph should be
elected by the community, since God did not specify any particular leaders to succeed him and
those leaders were elected. Sunnis believe that anyone who is righteous and just could be a
caliph but they have to act according to the Quran and the Hadith. 
2. Shia
 The Shia constitutes 10–20% of Islam. Shias believe that Muhammad appointed his son-in-law, Ali
abi-Talib, as his successor and only certain descendants of Ali could be Imams. As a result, they
believe that Ali abi-Talib was the first Imam (leader), rejecting the legitimacy of the previous Muslim
caliphs Abu Bakr, Uthman al-Affan and Umar al-Khattab. The Imam leads the prayer and gives
sermons. However, unlike a priest or rabbi, the imam does not hold special authority. Instead, he is
chosen by virtue of his dedication and sincerity.

The Festival of Eid-AI-Fitr

When the month of Ramadan ends, the festival Eid-al-fitr is celebrated. The rejoicing begins on the first
day of the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Although the month of Ramadan is spent fasting, families
begin preparing for the celebration far in advance, sending cards to relatives and preparing gifts.
When the day finally arrives, Muslims attend special morning prayers in the local courtyard or park. In
Muslim countries, Eid-al-fitr is considered a three-day national holiday.