What you need to know about Islam
The 5 pillars of Islam:
1. Profession of Faith (shahada): The central belief of Islam is that “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God”. This phrase is seen in the Qur’an, which is Islam’s holy book. This phrase is also featured in architecture and many objects.
2. Prayer (salat): In Islam, a follower prays five times a day and facing Mecca. They do this at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and after dark. Followers can pray individually where they please or together in a mosque. The prayer is followed by a sermon that focuses on a passage from the Qur’an. This is then followed by prayers by the imam and afterward a discussion of a particular topic which is religion-related.
3. Alms (zakat): Muslims donate a portion of their income to those in need (community members). This is according to Islamic law. Many build mosques, hospitals, schools, and other institutions as a religious duty.
4. Fasting (sawm): Healthy adult Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink. This happens in the daylight hours of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, also known as Ramadan.
5. Pilgrimage (hajj): If a Muslim has the resources needed, they must take at least one visit to Mecca, the holy city. In the center of the Haram Mosque in Mecca, there are black embroidered hangings covering a cubical structure, also known as the Ka’ba. Muslims believe that this is the house of Abraham.
Muhammad the Prophet similar to others
According to the Qur’an, Muhammad was a man with the highest moral of excellence and positive human qualities. It is believed that God made him a “goodly model” for Muslims to follow. Similar to Jesus, Prophet Muhammad did not come from a wealthy background. Both the Buddha and Muhammad were ordinary people, they did not claim to have any divinity nor did they perform miracles.
Important Mosques:
- Masjid al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque): located in the city of Mecca, the Masjid al-Haram is the largest mosque in Islam. This mosque was the first one established, with the goal to be a house of worship to God. It encloses the Ka’bah which is the holiest shrine in Islam.
2.Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Mosque of the Prophet): is the second holiest site in Islam. It is located in Medina and it is the resting place of the Prophet Muhammad. It was built next to the house where he settled after his migration to the city of medina. The Prophet himself built it and it is now the second largest mosque in the world.
3.Al-Aqsa Mosque (Noble Sanctuary): This includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, it is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in the world for Judaism. Muslims believe that Muhammad led prayers there before his ascension. They also believe that he went from the Masjid al-Haram (Mecca) to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the story of the “Night Journey”.
Islam had a golden age and it is often referred to as the period of the Abbasid Dynasty:
The Islamic Golden Age was the time period in which the Abbasid Dynasty ruled from the 8th to the 13th century. The same time period as Europe’s Dark Ages. Before this time Islam was only in the Arabian Peninsula, Mediterranean, and North Africa. When the Abbasids came to power there were major changes such as the creation of a caliphate, the moving of the capital to Baghdad, and the spread of Islam to other regions of the world.
The Abbasids were greatly motivated by the Quran’s emphasis on knowledge rather than just devotion. Making them greatly push advances in science, art, and commerce. They created the House of Wisdom. In here scholars from all religions and places were invited to join and share their ideas and works. They have state-funded creating the first astronomical observatory and one of the most detailed maps of the time. This place fostered large amounts of scientific, philosophical works of the time. The scholars of this time put their studies to practical use. Having physicians and philosophers writing medical encyclopedias and textbooks And most notably one Persian physical differentiated between smallpox and measles and this time.
In the 10 century, pharmacies were normal in most Muslim cities and hospitals were open for 24 hours. They had a similar system as today with the universal health care system but due to the prohibition to turn away the poor in the hospitals. During this time some first universities were born. At this time was the creation of Sufism, which is a philosophy that promotes peace and education. Being still today practiced as an alternative to other forms of Islam believes.
The end of the Golden age is generally marked in the 13th century. When Genghis Khan and his Mongol army conquered East Asia including the Islamic Caliphate. This was a tragedy for the Muslims as the Mongols destroyed the capital of Baghdad and the House of Wisdom by throwing their books and works into the river and the Caliphate was destroyed.
