Islam is one of the world’s religions that adhere to monotheism, that is, belief in one God. As with Christians, Islam is much more than a religion to its adherents. Islam is:
A way of life;
A basis for family and legal relations;
A body of traditions and customs.
In Arabic, Islam means “submission.”
Basic Principles, Essence of Islam
Islam is considered the youngest of the world’s religions. It emerged in the south-west of the Arabian Peninsula in the beginning of VII century in Hijaz among the tribes of Western Arabia. The founder of Islam was the Prophet Muhammad (570-632). He created a community, which formed the basis of the state system – the Arab Caliphate.
Among the principles of Islam is monotheism: “There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.
According to Islam, Allah gave Muhammad the Quran through the angel, which became sacred scripture for Muslims.
The Holy Book of Muslims – the Quran consists of 114 chapters (surahs). Surahs are named according to the principle of the most striking phrase from the chapter, which became an aphorism or the main theme of the surah.
Another source of religious doctrine is the Sunna – stories about the life of Muhammad and his statements in the form of hadith (stories).
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The main subjects of faith in Islam:
Faith in the Almighty.
Faith in the angels of the Most High.
Faith in the scriptures of the Most High.
Belief in the prophets and messengers of the Most High.
Belief in the predestination of the Almighty.
Belief in life after death.
The Pillars of Islam:
Recitation of the shahada (“there is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is a prophet of Allah”);
The five obligatory prayers a day (“namaz”), performed in Arabic with a strictly defined ritual;
fasting during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims must abstain from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset;
Going on a pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca at least once in a Muslim’s life;
donations to the needy and to the community (“zakat”).
Currents of Islam
Islam is divided into two main currents:
Sunnis
Shiites
The vast majority of Muslims are Sunnis. The Sunnis adhere to their accepted set of hadiths, religious practices, and rules of conduct for a Muslim in all situations of life, calling this set the Sunnah. This is not just a custom, but a principle of life on the basis of which the entire life of a person who professes Islam is built.
The Shi’a in turn believe that authority in the community should belong only to the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad (that is, the children of Fatima, his daughter, and Ali, his cousin) and not to those who are chosen, as is the case with the Sunnis. They do not accept the Sunnah unconditionally and supplement it with the instructions of the Imams, whom they regard as mediators between man and Allah.
