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Important Texts: The Qu'ran and the Hadith
Number of Believers: 1. 3 billion
Gods? Goddesses?: Allah
Afterlife?: Yes
Important Holidays/ Rituals: Ramadan, Salat, and recitation of the shahadah
Founded: 622 C.E.
Beliefs:
Followers of Islam are called Muslims and believe that God (Allah) taught humanity through several prophets, including the most recent prophet, Muhammad. The two most sacred books of the Islamic religion are "the Qur'an" from 650 C.E. and "the Hadith". The Qur'an contains the words of God as told through Muhammad and the Hadith is a collection of the sayings of Muhammad.
Muslims feel strongly about monotheism and do not worship any symbols of God. They believe in Jesus as a prophet, but feel strongly against worshipping him as a second deity. The shahadah is an important statement for Muslims: "There is no god but the God, and Muhammad is his prophet."
Muslims believe in the following fundamentals:
A single, indivisible God.
The angels.
The messengers of God.
The day of judgment.
The supremacy of God's will.
The 5 pillars of Islam describe a Muslim's duties:
Shahadah: Prayer recited daily.
Salat: Prayers said five times daily while facing Mecca, the home of Muhammad (located in Saudi Arabia).
Zakat: Paying of alms, which means that about 2.5.% of someone's wealth must be given to charitable causes.
Sawm: Fasting from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once during one's life.
The two largest of the many subgroups of Islam are the Sunni and the Shi'ite. Though both share similar beliefs, they honor different traditions and Islamic Law.
Sunni:
The Sunni Muslims recognize four legal traditions of Islam: Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanafi, and Hanbali. A Sunni may choose which tradition to follow for him/herself and all Sunni believe that Muhammad was a perfect human whose life should be followed and mimicked.
Shi'ite
Shi'ite Muslims recognize different traditions and laws with greater room for interpretation. Shi'ite believe that Muhammad (and his daughter Fatima) were pure and sinless.
Today:
Modesty is an important value for Muslims, both for men and women. For example, some Muslim women cover their bodies with headscarves and long dresses.
Difficulties arise in the Islamic world today as Muslims attempt to follow their traditional teachings while adapting to modern society. Although the Qur'an discusses respect for other people and religions, it also carries disappointment towards non-believers.
Tolerance for other religions within the Muslim community varies, and while the religion officially rejects racism and sexism, there are exceptions. Radical Muslims are responsible for the violence associated with Islam today. They are a small minority of the religion and are frowned upon by the rest of the Muslim community.
For more information, check out these sites:
Islam.com
Islam101.com
The Qur'an
Wikipedia.org on Islam
