Preview

Understanding Islam

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
666 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Understanding Islam
Understanding Islam

University of Phoenix

Islam now consists of over an estimated 1 billion followers. About a quarter of the religion live in the Middle East, and currently This religion follows the teachings of a sacred text known as the Quran which is the holy scripture that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad is an important figure in this religion because Allah who is known as the one true God to Muslims revealed these revelations to Muhammad which was remembered and transcribed into text. The Quran is known to Muslims as a guide to living which encompasses all of daily life from marriage and food laws all the way to gambling and alcohol. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims and the teachings of Islam are strictly a monotheistic religion that was developed in the Middle East around the 7th Century. The term Islam translated in literal terms means “surrender” or “submission.”
The Quran is considered the most truthful speech because it is the word of Allah which is to be read to Muslims. It contains Allah’s message to all people which is like a guideline of how to live life. The Quran states that Allah has prepared paradise for good people and hell for the people who choose to live their life against the teachings of the Quran. It is said that the Prophet Muhammad remembered the words spoken to him from Allah who later had his companions transcribe it from memory. It is also said that no word has been altered and the words are in its original form.
The Five Pillars of Islam are what dictates Muslim life and consist of five functions. They are described as the testimony of faith, prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those that are able to. Faith is stating with honest and truthfulness, “There is no true god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” Prayer is an important because Muslims must perform five prayers a



References: Sunni and Shi 'a. (2009, August 19). Retrieved August 5, 2014 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/subdivisions/sunnishia_1.shtml

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Know the “Five Pillars of Islam.” The Testimony of Faith, Prayer, Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy), Fasting the Month of Ramadan, The Pilgrimage to Makkah:…

    • 1004 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Russia Review Sheet

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Islam: the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith regarded as revealed through Muhammad as the Prophet of Allah.…

    • 329 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There is five “pillars” of Islam with having five meaning and five requirements that is expected of all Muslims. Islam beliefs are reflected and shown in the Five Pillars in many different ways. The first one is the Testimony of Faith. The Testimony of Faith is saying with a conviction “There is no God, and Muhammad is his Prophet.” This faith is in one God, if rightly lived is believed to lead to unity with God. The second one is Prayer. Muslims perform five prayers a day and each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. In Islam, prayer is a direct link between the worshipper and God. The third one is giving between two percent and ten percent of income is to be shared with the poor of the community. The fourth one is Fasting the month of Ramadan. Every year in the month of Ramadan all of the Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, having no food, nothing to drink and no sexual relations. For the last one the fifth one the pillar is a big part of the central belief and it says that Muslims have to pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during their lifetime.…

    • 436 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Islam Final Research Project

    • 2380 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Islam is a religion with well over 1.5 billion followers and believers worldwide. It is intensely practiced in East and North Africa, and largely in the Middle East, in central Asia and in Indonesia. Islam means submission under the will of “Allah” or God. It is also deeply means living in peace, safety and security. It is more than a religion. It is also seen as cultural, political ideas, and artistic orientation. Islam’s core values are explicit: there is only one God and the religion is defined by the Holy Koran (Esposito, 2002). According to the Islamic teachings, religion blended with social life, promoted as a political system encompasses Islamism.…

    • 2380 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Islam Worksheet

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. Explain the meaning of the name, Islam. Islam is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Quran, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God, and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of Hadith) of Muhammad, [ considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 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

    Islam follows the '5 pillars'. These are belief in one God, daily prayers, fasting in the month of Ramadan, charity to the less fortunate, and a pilgrimage to the holy land.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    5 Pillars Of Islam Essay

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The five pillars of Islam is the guide of religious practice which all Muslims follow. The word pillars is an important word used. It is important to emphasize the use of the word to demonstrate the amount of support this guide gives its practitioners. The five pillars; statement of faith (Shahadah), daily prayers (salaat), charity (Zakat), fasting, pilgrimage to mecca (hajj). The purpose of each pillar and how it is put into practice illuminates the dedication Muslim faith requires.…

    • 591 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the Islamic religion, a Muslim believes in one god, Allah.Their beliefs are shaped from their sacred book, The Koran. The Five pillars serve as the unifying principles of Islam. As a Muslim, you strive to keep the Five pillars which consist of the testimony of faith, the prayer, the obligatory charity, the fasting of Ramadan and the pilgrimage.Muslims beliefs are based upon the Koran which they believe is the revelation of God. People practicing the Islamic religion follow the words of the Koran because in it quotes “ Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord” 33:2. The textual evidence illustrates that they feel it is only right to follow what their lord has written for them. The cultural significance is by practicing the five pillars…

    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Five Pillars Of Islam

    • 287 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. According to the class text the five pillars of Islam are part of the Muslim law called Shari'ah. The five pillars are the fundamentals of the law that consist of "pronouncing the confession of faith, performing salaat prayers, fasting during the month of Ramadan, Zakat (charity) and Hajj (spiritual pilgrimage to Mecca)". One of the five pillars, pronouncing the confession of faith, states that there is only one true God and that only God deserves to be worshipped. This ideology of one true God can be found similarly in the religion of Judaism. The Jewish people are monotheistic, meaning that they too believe there is only one true divine God. Another pillar of Islam out of the five is the performance of the salaat prayers. The salaat prayers…

    • 287 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The 5 Pillars of Islam:The word Islam in a religious sense means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law. Therefore, Islam is more of a way of life instead of merely being a part of life. The 5 pillars of Islam refer to 5 duties that Muslims have to perform wholeheartedly and diligently.…

    • 4220 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Islam Five Pillars

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Central to the Muslim belief is the importance of devotion and total submission to Allah. This is put into practice through the Five Pillars of Islam –the five obligatory duties that must be performed by all practising Muslims. These are the acts of faith, prayer, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Carrying out these duties creates structure in a Muslim’s life, teaching them to devote their time to Allah and not get caught up in their own secular lives. The effect the Five Pillars of Islam has on not only the individual but the community as a whole is substantial. Constantly sacrificing time, money and pleasures the Five Pillars of Islam provides the individual with life long skills whilst bringing together the Muslim community in a way that no ordinary lifestyle could.…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The word Islam has a two- fold meaning; peace and submission to God. The submission requires a fully conscious and willing effort to submit to one Almighty God, consciously gives oneself to the service of Allah. In the teachings of Islam there are five pillars 1) Declaration of faith(Shadada), 2) Prayer(Salah), 3) Obligatory Charity(Zakah), 4) Fasting(Sarom), and 5) Pilgrimage(Haji),of the five the most significant one is the pillar of faith.(Fanar,1997) The declaring of one’s belief outwardly is a true sign of belief. By stating “There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Mohammed is the final messenger of Allah” it lets others in the Islamic community know that you are truly dedicated. (Manzlawy, 2010)…

    • 1896 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Islam 5 Pillars

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Five Pillars of Islam could be seen as the structure or framework to the Muslim life. Islam consists of five key obligations, or “pillars of faith,” that each Muslim follower must accomplish by the end of his or her life. The five pillars are the following: reciting the act of faith, pray five times daily in Makkah’s direction, giving “zakat” (help to the poor or needy), fast (abstain from food) during Ramadan, and every Muslim must at least make one pilgrimage to Makkah during their lifetime. If a Muslim does not follow these requirements, he or she will not proceed and make it to paradise. Although these points are straight forward, they actually go a lot more into detail.…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 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

Related Topics