“The peace that comes when one’s life is surrendered to God,” this is the meaning of the word Islam. God is known as Allah. Literally, the words “al” (the) and “Ilah” (God) combine to make up the word Allah. Thus, Allah means “the God,” the only one God (Smith, 222). Islam is the youngest among the major religions in the world. Those who follow Islam are called Muslims.
The Prophet Muhammad
Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad. He was born in 570 AD. The name “Muhammad” means “highly-praised.” Muhammad experienced death of his immediate family members at a young age. Just a few days after his birth, his father died. His mother departed when he was six years old and his grandfather followed two years later when he was eight years old. His uncle’s family adopted him and he was well-loved. The young Muhammad is described to be a person of “sweet and gentle dispositionsensitive to human suffering[and] always ready to help others” (Smith 224).
Muhammad was 25 years old when he got married. He was 40 years old when he had his first revelation. This happened when he was praying inside a cave in Mt. Hira, a mountain that lies in the outskirts of Mecca. The revelation came from the Angel Jibrail (Masih, 115). The prophet Muhammad faced difficulties, even threats to his life, as he proceeded to preach Islam. His unwavering belief in Allah helped him triumph over the challenges he faced. The prophet died in 632 AD.
The Qur’an
The Qur’an is “one of the two basic sources of Islamic tradition” (Novak, np). The other is the hadiths or “traditions of Muhammad.” According to Smith (232), the Koran was revealed by the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad in several parts over a period of 23 years. The revelations come at different times. When this happens, his appearance, even the sound of his voice would change. The words were also perceived as literally heavy. There was even an instance when the revelations took place when Muhammad was riding a camel and the weight of the words were literally manifested in the camel being down on its belly when the revelation was completed. The contents of the Qur’an can be categorized into two parts. The first part talks is about the power and glory of God, the human beings moral responsibility and end of the world. These parts were said to have been revealed to the Prophet when he was at Mecca. The second part of the Qur’an is about how to live one’s life according to Islam laws and these were said to have been revealed when the Prophet was already at Medina as the established leader of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam are (a) testimony of faith; (b) prayers; (c) fasting; (d) charity; and (e) pilgrimage to Mecca.
Testimony of faith. The most important pillar of Islam is the Shahada or the testimony of faith. The words La ilaha illa ‘lla (There is no God but God) is every Muslim’s source of strength when faced with whatever challenge in life. Be it rage, fear, pain, or misery. The complete Shahadai is La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allaah. This translates to “There is no true god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” (Islam-guide).
Prayers. Prayers strengthen a person’s resolve to do good things and avoid acts that are prohibited. Thus, the Muslims pray at specific times during the day. The first is before sunrise, the second is in the afternoon, the third is in the late afternoon before sunset, the fourth is at early evening,and the last prayer is just before bedtime. The prayers have corresponding words and number of kneeling. Muslims in prayer also face the direction of Mecca. According to Masih (118), the prayers performed five times every day is the Muslim’s key to Heaven. Aside from the private prayers Muslims also come together to pray as a group. On Fridays at noon Muslims all over the world gather in mosques and pray as a community. They would “repeatedly kneel and prostrate themselves toward Mecca” (Smith, 245). A Muslim cleanses him/herself and wears clean clothes before praying. During prayers, he/she begins in an upright position but at the end of the prayer,he/she has his/her forehead on the floor. Such position is symbolism of the “fetal position of being ready to be reborn” and also this signifies “human nothingness in the face of the divine” (Smith 246).
Fasting. The Ramadan is a period wherein Muslims do not take any food or drinks before sunrise until sundown. By fasting the Muslim is making the sacrifice to strengthen both the physical body and the spirit. Those excluded from the fasting are children, pregnant, the sick, and the very old.
Hajj. Mecca is the holy city for the Muslims. It is considered the “psycho-spiritual center of all the Muslims in the world” (Masih, 120). Hajj translates to “pilgrimage to Mecca.” Mecca holds special meaning to the Islam religion. The Prophet Muhammad was born in Mecca. The place is also dedicated to the prophet Abraham.
Although not compulsory, Muslims are expected, once they have the means, to go on the pilgrimage to Mecca. By going on the pilgrimage, the Muslims leaves their worldly concerns temporarily to join the congregation in prayer. It is also important they show this by wearing the very simple required garment.
Giving of Zakat. This means charity. Through the Zakat, the Muslim performs his duty to society. He/she is expected to share 2.5% to 5% of his income to the poor and the needy (Masih 119). This sharing of one’s riches is a religious obligation by persons who have the material wealth. It is also the claim of the poor members on the rich ones.
Works Cited
Masih, Y. A Comparative Study of Religions. India: Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 2000
Novak, Philip. The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Text of the World’s Religion. USA: Harper Collins, 2011.Print
Smith, Houston. The World’s Religions. New York: Harper Collins, 1991.
