Introduction to Islam

From Wikiversity

This is a place where Muslims perform their prayers and see their fellow Muslims, called a mosque in Arabic. It is similar to the church or synagogue.

Muslims pay the mandatory charity tax using money as such. If they do not have currency, they may pay the charity tax using livestock, gold/silver, or harvest from the farm.

This is a picture of a pilgrim at The Sacred Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Islam is one of the major monotheistic religions of the world. More than 1 billion people practice the religion all over the world making it the second-largest religion in the world. The followers of Islam are called Muslims.

Muslims believe in ONE God, commonly referred to as Allah (Literally, "The God" in Arabic; the word is pronounced Aal-lah).

[edit] Basics

The main points of the Islamic creed comprise: belief in God, his Messengers, his Angels, his Revelation, Day of Judgement, Fate and Eternal life after death.

Although all of a believer's life comprises worship, this is achieved in a believer's life in practice through pure worships and following a moral code in all transactions, whether they be trade, work, politics and social relations.

The worships comprise of mandatory and recommended worships. The well known mandatory worships comprise:

Muslims are required to adhere to the 5 basic Pillars of Islam which are obligatory for them. These are Shahadah (belief in Allah and His Prophet), Salat (prayer), Zakat (alms-giving), Sawm (fasting), and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah).

[edit] Pillars of Islam

[edit] Shahadah

see Wikipedia article Shahadah

[edit] Prayer

These prayers are called 'Salat' in Arabic. Five times a Day.

1. Fajr
2. Dhuhr
3. Asar
4. Maghrib
5. Ishaa

[edit] Payment of a Tax

Not all muslims have to pay the charity tax (Zakat). Only the rich have to pay this tax. There is a proper definition of Rich in Islam. A person has to pay 2.5% of their wealth as Tax.

[edit] Fasting the month of Ramadan

There are about 30 Fasting in the Month of Ramadhan (A lunar month of Arabic Calender) in which a person can't eat and drink from just before sunrise to sunset.

[edit] Performing Pilgrimage to Makkah

A Muslim will visit Makkah in the Month of thul Hijja (A lunar month of Arabic Calender).

Recommended worships include superogratory prayers, invocations, recitation of the Quran, superogratory fasts to mention but a few.

A merger has been proposed. It has been suggested that this resource or section be merged with Introduction to Islam (Discuss).

[edit] Course Objectives

• An understanding of the diversity and history of Islam
• An understanding of the Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammad and the Sunna
• To give an overview of some of the historical and contemporary disputes within Islam

[edit] Unit 1: Images of Islam: Normative and Descriptive

[edit] Learning Materials

[edit] Reading List

[edit] Assignments

[edit] Unit 2: The Prophet Muhammad

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[edit] Unit 3: The Qur'an

[edit] Learning Materials

[edit] Reading List

[edit] Assignments