The Religion of Islam
The customs and traditions of Islam are very important to learn while learning about Islam. The religion of Islam and other aspects like the Qur'an (Koran) are explained here.
The Qur'an and the Sunnah
The Final Word of God and the Example of the Prophet
The Qur'an and Sunnah guide Muslims in their everyday life and also influence their actions and daily routines. The Qur'an, although noticeably shorter than the Bible and the Torah, is considered the final word of God by Muslims. The central document contains God's laws and moral teachings, as well as passages the Prophet Muhammad received from the Angel Gabriel. It is divided into 144 chapterlike units called sūrahs, and are further divided into āyāh (singular āyat). Sūrahs were given names, such as "The Cow" (second sūrah) and "The Poets" (26th sūrah), and often sūrahs are recited in decreasing length. Āyāh range from a few sentences to whole paragraphs, and in total, there are 6,236 āyah. The Qur'an originally was memorized in the hearts of Muhammad and his followers, but after many people who knew the Qur'an died on the battlefield, it was decided to record the Qur'an. The Qur'an was said to have been recorded on stones and palm branches and was eventually recorded on paper. Then, in 651, Caliph Uthman (Osman) established an official version of the Qur'an and asked for all other editions to be destroyed to avoid confusion. The Qur'an today is mostly unchanged, but is handled in special ways. Muslims do not let the Qur'an touch the ground, and when they are using it, they use a stand to hold the book.
The Sunnah is the example Muhammad set for other people, such as helping widows, orphans, and needy people, and treating everyone with respect. Every action Muhammad took became a guideline for Muslims, and the Sunnah is only second in authority to the Qur'an. The Sunnah originated from multiple reports of the Prophet Muhammad after his death, and were called hadith. Hadith provided written evidence for the Sunnah, and scholars organized these stories into collections, making up the Sunnah. Today, the Sunnah is a guide for Muslims.
The Five Pillars of Islam
The First Pillar: Shahadah
The first pillar is declaration to faith. The first part of Shahadah or the first pillar affirms monotheism. While the second part identifies Muhammad as God's messenger. Shahadah is to pledge submission to God. To be a Muslim,a person must say the shahadah aloud in front of 2 other Muslims, who serve as witnesses. The shahadah is recited regularly in mosques. Muslims believe that some angels reveal themselves to prophet like Gabriel di to Muhammad and some angels observe and record the deeds of humans. Muslims believe that there is a day of judgement on on which God will weigh a person's actions. Muslims believe people who believed in God and lived by God's teachings will be rewarded with paradise in their afterlife.
The Second Pillar: Salat
The second pillar is Salat, the pillar of daily ritual prayer. Salat shows religious discipline and closeness to God. Muslims are supposed to pray five times every day, at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. This schedule can be flexible because if someone missed a scheduled time to pray, they can make it up by praying some other time in the day. In Muslim communitities, there was a "Call to Prayer" otherwise known as the adhan, this was like a church bell that called people into the Mosques to pray. Many people wouldn't go to the Mosques, but they would just pray wherever they were right as they heard the Call to Prayer. If someone was to go into the Mosque to pray, they would have to perform a ritual washing in the flowing water that every Mosque had, they would wash their arms, feet, face and hands before beginning prayers in order to be purified before starting. Unlike many other religions, Muslims did not get a Sabbath/a day of rest, the only thing close to that was on Fridays when they would go to the Mosque and listen to religious readings of the Qur'an and other religious talks. Other people would use Fridays to visit family and friends.
The Third Pillar: Zakat
The third pillar of Islam is Zakat, or charity. Just like Islam, other religions like Christianity and Judaism have a form of charity. Christians do tithe and Jews do tzedakah. Zakat means purification, and a way to make wealth pure. Muslims practice Zakat because they believe when you donate, you are controlling greed which they believe is not a good trait. Muslims prioritize Zakat because Muhammad taught that all people should donate to those less wealthy or charity. According to Muhammad's and Islam's teachings, Muslims are obliged to donate at least 2.5 percent of their income and all things. In earlier times, Zakat helped fund public drinking fountains and places where pilgrims to sleep. Today, Zakat supports food kitchens, orphanages, hospitals, clothing, aid for stranded travelers, and more! To those who are more on the poor side, Zakat helps pay for their children's education, and even to pay off their debts. This has been a Muslim tradition for years and this practice is still done to the day.
The Fourth Pillar: Siyam
Siyam, the Fourth Pillar of Islam, is fasting. Fasting is an important aspect in Muslim culture, and both the Bible and Muslims praise the act. During the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Muslims fast longer than usual, for a whole month. From sunrise to sunset Muslims deny themselves food and water, and only eat after sunset. Fasting helps Muslims understand hunger and poverty, and also teaches them self-control. The month of Ramadan encourages generosity, equality, and charity. At sunset, Muslims eat dates and drink beverages, and then attend special prayer services where a portion of the Qur'an is read. By the end of Ramadan, devout Muslims would have heard the whole Qur'an. Toward the end of the month of Ramadan, Muslims strive to find a holy night that is said to be worth 1,000 nights of devotion.
The Fifth Pillar: Hajj
The fifth pillar is a pilgrimage to Mecca. All adults who can financially and physicaly are expected to do it at least once. For 5 days, they dress in simple white clothing and perform rituals as they move from sacred site to sacred site. When arrive Muslims arrive, they say "Here I am, O God, at Thy command". They also go to the great mosque where there is the Ka'bah. Muslims believe that Abraham built the Ka'bah to honor God. Pilgrims circle the Ka'bah 7 times, which is a ritual in the Qur'an. Then they run through the 2 small hills where Hagar lived and drink from ZamZam. The pilgrims leave mecca to sleep in Mina. The next day they go to plain of Arafrat to pray until sundown. Where they then spend the night throwing stones at pillars that are meant to represent Satan. They then participate in a 4 day feast where they sacrifice animals. Then they change and circle the Ka'bah 7 times. Muslims around the world celebrate that day as Eid-al-Adha.
References
- Ringgren, Helmer, and Nicolai Sinai. "Qur'an - Origin and Compilation." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 24 June 1999, www.britannica.com/topic/Quran/Origin-and-compilation.