Islam is the fastest growing world religion, founded in the 6th century by Muhammad. Muslims follow five pillars of faith, with the Quran as their primary sacred text. Islam shares similarities with Judaism and Christianity, but differs in its rejection of the trinity and original sin. Despite being a peaceful religion, radical elements have been more prominent in the news.
Islam is the fastest growing world religion, with over a billion followers worldwide. In the early 21st century, it was estimated that Muslims would outnumber Christians within a hundred years if Islam continued its astonishing rate of growth. Despite being one of the most popular religions globally, it is imperfectly understood by non-Muslims.
The religion was founded in the 6th century by Muhammad, who is regarded as the primary prophet and messenger of Islam. Muhammad was just one of a series of prophets, with this religion also acknowledging some of the Christian Bible’s prophets. Although the Quran is the primary sacred text, the Bible is accepted as a secondary religious text in the Muslim tradition. Many revered Christian figures such as the Virgin Mary are also respected by Muslims.
Muhammad was born in Mecca, which is today the center of Muslim worship. As a young man, Muhammad traveled on many caravans and was exposed to a wide variety of religions including Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad was visited in Mecca by the angel Gabriel at the age of 40 and given a vision of a monotheistic and peaceful religion. Muhammad’s teachings were not initially embraced and he embarked on a journey known as the Hegira to Medina, where he consolidated his political power and popularized Islam. Muhammad also established a set of rules for faithful Muslims to follow, thus demonstrating their love and submission to God.
Followers of Islam are known as Muslims, while God is called Allah. Religion is governed by five pillars of faith, which all Muslims should follow. The pillars include faith in and submission to Allah, a daily prayer practice, almsgiving and caring for the needy, fasting, and a pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims who are able to undertake it. Most Muslim communities have at least one prayer mosque, with a muezzin offering the daily calls to prayer.
The teachings are found in the Quran, Islam’s holy book, and many Muslims learn Arabic sutras, or verses, from the Quran for use in prayer. The Qur’an was compiled by followers of Muhammad who wished to record his revelations. The book itself is considered sacred to Muslims, who handle the Quran with extreme care.
Islam also has an oral tradition known as the Hadith, which deals with the life of Muhammad. The Hadith provides guidance for Muslims on matters that may not be included in the Quran and is considered a source of history as well as a religious text. Muslims are governed by a code of laws called Sharia which is comparable to the Talmud in Judaism. Sharia is mainly guided by the Quran, but also by the Hadith, depending on the region and the interpreter.
Like many religions, Islam has some prohibited activities, such as the consumption of pork and alcohol. Restrictions on alimony and family life are found in both Islam and Judaism. The two religions are actually remarkably similar in many ways. Islam has several sects with different views on some points of the religion, including Sunnis and Shi’as, who have different views on some aspects of the faith.
The name is related to the Arabic word “salaam”, which means peace or submission. Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is at heart a peaceful religion, with teachings of religious tolerance and respect for other people and monotheistic religions included in the Quran. Radical elements have been more prominent in the news than peaceful Muslims.
Islam differs from Christianity in several key ways. To begin with, this religion does not recognize the trinity of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Muslims believe that the Trinity borders on polytheism and Muslims acknowledge only one God. Muslims also do not believe in original sin, rather that all individuals are responsible for their own actions. Most Muslim countries also have Muslim governments, a stark difference from Christian countries which are usually secular.
Judaism and Islam share an interesting history. Many of the traditions of Judaism have been integrated into the other religion, including sacred texts, although Islam has different holy days. Muhammad hoped to convert the Jewish people due to the similarities between the two religions, and was rejected. The two religions have had a contentious relationship ever since Muhammad attempted to force converts in the city of Medina. Christianity, Islam and Judaism all share traditions of prophets and peace and have emerged in the Middle East. Although the religions have differences, they also share the idea of one God, although he is given different names. In all three, God is a revered, loved and respected figure.
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