|
Islam Islam was revealed to the humanity by the final messenger of GOD Mohammed [peace be upon him] at the beginning of the seventh century in what is now Saudi Arabia. Islam means submission. Those who follow the Islamic way of life are called Muslims. Muslim believe that there is only one GOD, known by the Arabic name “Allah”. The eternal omnipotent creator of the universe and of all mankind, the compassionate and most merciful. Muslims believe that Mohammed [pbuh] was the last and most important in the long line of prophets including Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham and Jesus, sent by God to teach the right and wrong. Muslims therefore believe in four heavenly books sent from GOD, Torah, Zaboor (The Book of Psalms), Bible and Quran. Globally it is the second largest religion, with 1,300 million followers, 23% of the population. There are about 2,800,000 Muslims in the UK and 15,000 in Greater Nottingham. At the age of 40 the trader Muhammad started to receive revelations from God brought by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel). He learned the words by heart and preached them to the people, urging them to live in the way that God had commanded. He faced intense opposition in his home city of Makka and moved to Medina, where he was welcomed and established the first Islamic community. After his death the community was led by a succession of Caliphs. When Muslims write or speak the name of the Prophet Muhammad they follow it by “peace be upon him”, sometimes shortened in written English as “(pbuh)”. Religious Scriptures and Symbols  The holy book is the Qur’an, the teachings of Muhammad collected by followers after his death, mainly about how to live one’s life and the earlier prophets. It is considered to be the actual word of God, and treated with great respect. Also important is the Sunna, the record of Muhammad’s life which acts as a model for Muslims. The holy book is called the Quran, revealed to Mohammed [pbuh] by GOD through the angel Gabriel. A Muslim place of worship is called a mosque or masjid ('place of prostration'). Purpose-built ones often have a dome, but most in the UK are converted buildings. The symbol is the crescent moon and star - guiding lights representing God’s everlasting purpose and authority. What do Muslims believe? Muslims believe in one God, called Allah. He is merciful and powerful, the creator and sustainer of the universe, and has prescribed Islam as the correct way of life for people. He has given his message through a succession of prophets, but each time people disobeyed and corrupted the guidance so that other prophets were needed to restate the message. So Muslims respect the Torah of Moses and the Gospel of Jesus, but believe they have lost their original purity. The prophets were mortal men who received a special revelation from God; they are revered but not worshipped. The purpose of human life is to manage the world in a responsible way and to live in accordance with God’s will. One day the world will end. The dead will be raised to life and judged by Allah. Those who have lived good lives will go to Paradise; others to everlasting fire. The Qur’an is seen as the ultimate source of guidance which can be applied in all places and times. Learning and reciting it is central to the faith. Reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed, is essential to understand it fully. The framework for all aspects of Muslim life is the Shari’ah (“pathway”), a body of laws based on the Qur’an and Sunna and their interpretation by scholars over time. Jihad is the striving to protect, promote and live by the message of the Qur’an. Using force to defend Islam if absolutely necessary is only one part of it; so is improving self-discipline. Muslims should invite others to learn about Islam, but cannot force them to convert. There are two main traditions, which began in disagreements about who should have authority following the death of the Prophet. 90% of the world’s Muslims are Sunni, recognising the original Caliphs. 10% are Shi’a, believing in a succession of Imams, spiritual leaders with special authority to interpret the Qur’an. Each contains various groupings with particular concerns. Sufism is a mystical strand found in both traditions, emphasising inner spiritual development. What do Muslims do? The basics of practice are the Five Pillars of Islam.
Adult Muslims pray five times each day - at dawn, midday, late afternoon, after sunset and in the late evening. They go to the mosque if possible, but otherwise may pray in any clean place or use a prayer mat.
|
