Essays

Islam is a monotheistic religion that arose in the 7th century based on the religious teachings of Muhammad. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims. Muhammad's teachings are contained in the Koran. Muslims believe that he received these teachings from Allah (the Arabic word for God), via the angel Jibreel. In addition, the religious beliefs and practices of Islam are based on the hadith literature, which Muslims believe clarify and explain the teachings of Muhammad.

Since Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, is descended from the religious tradition of the biblical patriarch Abraham, it is classified as an Abrahamic religion. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam has not undergone any period of major reform or reformation. The Western distinction between Church and State is in theory foreign to Islam. Islam includes instructions relating to all aspects of human activity, political, social, financial, legal, military and interpersonal.

The meaning of the word Islam

Islam is an Arabic word meaning 'submission (to God)' and is described as a 'Deen' in Arabic, meaning 'way of life' and/or 'religion'. It has an etymological relationship to other Arabic words, such as Salaam, meaning 'peace'. The Arabic word 'Muslim' is related to the word Islam and means a 'vassal' of God and 'one who surrendered' or submits (to God). Muslims see homage to God as a sign of distinction, this term has no negative connotations.

Homage means serving the will of God above and beyond one's own goals. Islam has a number of beliefs that it teaches one to adhere to. The cornerstone of Islamic faith is a strict belief in monotheism. God is considered one and without an equal. Every chapter of the Koran (except for two) begins with 'In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful'. God describes Himself in Sura al-lkhlas,: 'Say: He is God The One, God The Eternal. He never begot, nor was begotten. There is none comparable to Him'.

Islam teaches that God may reveal His will to mankind though an angel, such recipients of revelation are known as prophets. Islam makes a distinction between prophets' and 'messengers'. Although all messengers are prophets, not all prophets are messengers.

Notable prophets include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, all belonging to a succession of men guided by God. Muhammad is viewed as the 'Last Messenger', bringing the final message of God to all mankind through the Koran. Messengers and prophets were sent to every nation and civilization and every messenger was given a book for those people. These individuals were mortal humans. Islam demands that a believer accept all of the prophets, making no distinction between them. In the Koran, twenty-five specific prophets are mentioned.

The study of scripture is strongly emphasised. The Koran is the foremost source of Islamic jurisprudence and the second is the Sunnah (Life and way of the Prophet). One cannot practise Islam without consulting both texts. From the Sunnah, related but not the same, come the Ahadith (narrations of the Prophet). Ahadith is a narration about the life of the Prophet or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which is the Sunnah.

There is no official authority who decides whether a person is accepted to or dismissed from, the community of believers. Islam is open to all, regardless of race, age, gender or previous beliefs. It is enough to believe in the central beliefs of Islam. This is formally done by reciting the shahada, the statement of belief of Islam, without which a person cannot be classed a Muslim. As no one can split open another's heart to see what's inside, it is enough to believe and say that you are a Muslim and behave in a manner befitting a Muslim to be accepted into the community of Islam.

The five pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are five basic duties of Muslims:

•The recitation and acceptance of the Creed (Shahada)

• Daily prayer (Salat or Salah,)

• Paying ritual alms (Zakat or Zakah)

• observing the fast of Ramadan (Saum or Siyam).

• Making the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj or Haj)

At least one group believes that Jihad, meaning inner struggle against Satan (greater jihad) or external struggle (lesser jihad), is the 'sixth pillar of Islam'. Other groups consider Allegiance to the Imam' to be the so-called sixth pillar of Islam.

The Koran, also spelled Quran or Quran, is the holy book of Islam. Its title means 'Recitation' or 'Reading'. It consists of 114 chapters or Surahs laid out roughly in order of size, the largest being near the front, the smallest near the back. It describes the origins of the Universe, Man and their relationship to each other and their Creator. It sets out laws for society, morality, economics and many other topics. It is intended for recitation and memorisation. The Koran is primarily taught from one generation to the next this way. Muslims regard the Koran as sacred and inviolable.

For Muslims, the Koran answers questions about daily needs, both spiritual and material. It discusses God and God's Names and attributes, believers and their virtues and the fate of non-believers (kuffar), Mary, Jesus and all the other prophets and even scientific subjects. Muslims do not follow the laws of the Koran exclusively, they also follow the examples of the prophet, which is known as the Sunnah and the understanding of the Koran contained in the teachings of the prophet known as the Ahadith. Muslims are taught that God sent down other books. Besides the Koran, the others are the book of Ibrahim (now lost) the Law of Moses (the Taurah), the Psalms of David (the Zabur) and the Gospel of Jesus (the Injil). The Koran describes Christians and Jews as 'the people of the Book' (ahl al Kitab).

The teachings of Islam concern many of the same personages as those of Judaism and Christianity. However,

Muslims frequently refer to them using Arabic names which can make it appear they are talking about different people: e.g. Allah for God, Iblis for Satan, Ibrahim for Abraham, etc. A belief in a day of judgment and an afterlife (Akhirah) are also part of Islamic theology.

The Koran is the word of God, sacred and immutable. Muslims do not touch the book unless in a state of ablution, known as 'wudu'. Muslims will typically keep it on a high shelf in their room, as a show of respect for the Koran and some carry small versions with them for comfort or security. Only the original Arabic version of it is regarded as the Koran, translations are seen as poor shadows of the original's meaning.

Critics and some Muslim scholars have stated that at one time there were verses in the Koran inspired by Satan, which Muhammad removed after the angel Jibreel revealed then- source. These are referred to as The Satanic Verses. Also questionable are the two verses which scholars, notably Rashad Khalifa, have claimed to be inconsistent with the   Koranic revelation.

The Koran describes two forms of Jihad ('struggle'). One form, the 'Greater Jihad', is described as a struggle with oneself for mastery of the soul, another form, the 'Lesser Jihad', is described as a holy war that: Muslims are obligated to wage against those who are enemies of Islam. There are differing opinions as to what forms of conflict are considered Jihad. Jihad may only be waged to defend Islam.

However, some groups hold that this applies not only to the physical defiance of Muslims, but to the reclamation of land once belonging to Muslims or even the protection of Islam itself against corrupting influences. The idea of Jihad as a violent war has become more popular in the latter half of the 20th century, especially within the Wahabbi movement and in the Islamist movement. According to most forms of Islam, if a person dies in the middle of Jihad, he is sent directly to heaven without punishment for any sins.