Preview

Introduction to Islam

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
574 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Introduction to Islam
The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one's will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one's own pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) 1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the earlier scriptures. The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim's other beliefs are: God's angels, previously revealed Books of God, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of Judgement and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca. Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek God's pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His nearness. Islam's main message is to worship God and to treat all God's creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women's rights were safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal and have stood the test of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The central teachings of Islam are pretty basic. They teach that their members must freely and willingly accept God and his teachings and that they must strive to live in compliance with those teachings. They believe in the oneness and unity with God and all of his knowledge and that they must strive to live as close to him as possible. They believe in Prophets and that these selected Prophets are messengers from God. They also believe in a last judgment in which after they die they will be resurrected and held accountable for their actions and deeds throughout their life on Earth. These teachings play into the Five Pillars of Faith because to “belief and witness” is to tell others of their faith in Islam and that will bring them closer to God and become one with him. Also their daily prayers keep them close to their faith and it shows their devotion to God. Zakat is the third pillar of faith and it says that at the end of the year they must donate at least two and a half percent of their accumulated wealth to other needy Muslims. This helps the people of the Islam religion to not be greedy and focused on material things, as that sort of living does not keep them close to God and their spiritual beliefs. The fourth Pillar of Faith is fasting. They are required to fast during Ramadan, but are encouraged to fast during hardships in order to clear their mind and soul of impurities and troubles they are having in their life. The last pillar is Hajj which is the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Islam people are to make at least once in their lifetime if possible. The purpose of this holy pilgrimage is to bring people of the Islam faith close to eachother. They perform holy rituals while in Mecca. All of the pillars are there and are to be followed in order to keep their closeness with God and their faith, so therefore they all…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Islam offers a religious world view that provides a perspective for the human view of reality that is, totally submission to Allah, which adherents can apply to their daily lives. Islam provides adherents with a way to express their submission to Allah through teachings of bioethics as well as the practice of Hajj.…

    • 749 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Understanding Islam

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Islam is a world religion and the people who practice it are called Muslims. All Muslims share the same essential beliefs, values and God centered approach to the world. Islam is practiced by people from many different cultures. The Qur’an is the prime source of Muslims’ faith and practice, and the wording has not been changed from when it was originally transcribed fourteen centuries ago. The five pillars of Islam are the basis of a Muslim’s life. They are: • Belief that there is only one God and that Muhammad (pbuh*) is His Last Prophet and Messenger; • Prayers, which are, performed five times each day; • Fasting in the month of Ramadhan; • Charity in which a percentage of earnings is given to the poor; • Pilgrimage (Hajj) to the holy city of Mecca is required once in a lifetime if the means are available. Islamic dress may vary depending on a person’s country of birth or origin. However, it should be modest and dignified for both women and men and should not emphasize the body.…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Islam Research Paper

    • 4145 Words
    • 17 Pages

    It is one of the fastest growing religions in the West, with a 2.6 million Muslim population in American and growing, expected to double by 2030 according to USAToday and with an estimated 1.5 billion following worldwide, Islam is one of the three fastest and powerful growing religions in the west. No doubt about it that Islam is one of the most influential and authentic religions with a very illustrious and straight forward system of beliefs. The word “Islam” means submission or surrender – however, it was derived from the root word “salam” which means “peace” or “safety”. Most Muslims will be familiar with the monotheistic creed “There is no God but God, and Muhammad was his Messenger”, which every practicing Muslim must acknowledge this belief known as Shahadah. With such allegiant credo towards The Almighty/The One, better known as Allah to the Muslim community, it is a very loyal and faith based religion, with utmost respect and indebtedness to Allah.…

    • 4145 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    Understanding Islam

    • 2104 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The literal meaning of Islam is peace. Because of many current world events, Islam is a highly controversial and sensitive issue that has many misconceptions that need to be more fully addressed and understood. It is true that the events of 9/11 have separated the history of American relations with the Muslim world into before and after phases, negatively affecting the patterns of assimilation of immigrant Muslims into American culture and society (Simmons, 2008). This essay will begin to give factual details regarding the Islam faith, compare Islam with other Abrahamic religions and discuss common misconceptions and current events that have changed the way the world looks at Muslims and the Islam faith.…

    • 2104 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Islam Preliminary

    • 2922 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Muhammad's father died just before he was born and mother died when he was 6.…

    • 2922 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The word Islam means "surrender" or "submission," submission to the will of Allah, the one God. Muslims are those who have submitted themselves. The basic creed of Islam is brief: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah. Islam teaches that there is one God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. This God, Allah, is compassionate and just. Because He is compassionate, He calls all people to believe in Him and worship Him. Because He is also just, on the Last Day He will judge every person according to his deeds. On the Last Day, all the dead will be resurrected and either rewarded with heaven or punished with hell.…

    • 1126 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    To give a little history behind Islam let’s look at the meaning of the word Islam. Islam means surrender or submission which was meant to surrender to God. This is what a Muslim is and does, submit to God or Allah as Muslims call him. This is a religion that…

    • 959 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Religious Worksheet.

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages

    To understand the religion Islam the most important thing is to understand the meaning of the name. As one can see that Islam is not named after a person like in Christianity after Jesus Christ. Islam is the true religion of Allah and as such, its name represents the main principle of Allah “God” religion the total submission to the will of Allah. Islam means the submission or surrender of one’s will to the only true god worthy of worship in Arabic. Any who does this is termed a Muslim which, the word implies peace which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah (Meaning of Islam).…

    • 1049 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The word Islam is Arabic and means "submission to the will of God." Islam teaches that one must submit to God in Arabic in order to achieve true peace of mind. Allah is God, the same God Christians and Jews worship.The word Muslim means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of race, nationality or ethnic background. Muhammad is believed to be the final prophet. Human beings are not believed to be sinful, but are seen as capable of both good and evil. Muslims believe God has given people free will. It is known “One's deeds and actions measure one's faith”. Islamic teachings encompass all aspects of life and ethics; consciousness of God is encouraged in all aspects of human affairs. Worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals. Muslims believe the Qur'an has been perfectly preserved in both its words and meaning in a living language. God's final revelation to humankind was publicly recited in front of both Muslim and non-Muslim communities during the lifetime of the Prophet.The Qur’an's main message is submit to Almighty God and worship Him alone. Muhammad, a documented, historic figure, lived in the full light of history. God sent the revelation to Muhammad over the course of 23 years, and he in turn preached and lived it. He was a man who lived a humble life in the service of God, and established an all-encompassing religion and way of life by showing what it means to be an ideal friend, husband, teacher, ruler, warrior and judge. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a belief in His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The basic meaning of the word Islam means submission or surrender. Like in the Latin writing methods, in Arabic the meanings of words are derived from a root word; in this particular definition, the word Islam is derived from the word salam, which means peace and or safety. In other words, the meaning of the word Islam means peaceful and submissive in the path of…

    • 1542 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Islam is a monotheistic religion and spiritual belief based upon revelations established forth by the once then Prophet of 7th century Arabia, Muhammad. These revelations which were later chronicled in the Qur 'an (Koran), Islam 's sacred writings. The Arabic word 'Islam ' conveys "entry," mirroring the spiritual beliefs and their central precept of ones acceptance toward the will of God. Islam antedates to the edge of Adam where its message was then tied to man by God 's Prophets and Messengers composed of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad himself. (Abu Al- 'Ala Maududi, 1984).…

    • 2481 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Islam embraces a huge range of nationalities and cultures; the Muslim/Islamic community is made up of people from all over the world; with each culture or nationality having different interpretation of Islam with the majority of the Islamic community observing the daily ritual of prayer and other teachings. Despite the fact that Islam has been fully incorporated into the American culture and way of life, most Americans still perceive Islam as being inclined towards encouraging violence amongst its members. (Kabbini,2000) For centuries the Islamic societies have been patriarchal based, where the male member runs the household. Biology is used to justify this as women are the only ones who can bear children and they argue that the man must provide and maintain the family so that the woman can do her job of bearing and raising the…

    • 1896 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Islam Worksheet

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The name Islam is closely related to the Arabic word salam and the Hebrew word shalom meaning “peace” “purity” and “submission”, literally meaning “surrender” or “submission” to one God, Muslims translation is “Allah”. The name Islam “suggests the inner peace that is gained by surrendering to the divine. The word Islam also connotes the…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Islam is a world religion and Muslims are the people who practice it. All Muslims have the same essential beliefs and are shared with values and God approach centered to the world. Many different cultures and people practice Islam. The prime source of Muslims’ faith and practice is the Qur’an, and the wordings that were transcribed fourteen years ago have not been changed. The basis of Muslim’s life is the five pillars. These five pillars are: belief that there is only one God and that Muhammad is his last messenger and prophet which is called “the confession”, perform prayers five times each day facing Mecca called “Salat”, fasting is…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays