Islam
Islam (Muslim) primarily means peace, with a secondary sense of surrender. An extended description is the peace that comes when one's life is surrender to God. In Islam, life is total surrender to God. Muslims believe that Mohammed didn't create this religion; God did - Mohammed was merely God's mouthpiece. Within a century after Muhammed introduced the Koran, Islam became the dominant creed of an Empire extending from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Islam is religiously closest to the west geographically and ideologically.
The name of the first man was Adam. The descendants of Adam lead to Shem. This is where the word derives - a Semite is a descendent of Shem. Jews and Arabs consider themselves Semitic people. The descendants of Shem led to Abraham, Abraham married Sarah. Sarah had no sons, so Abraham married Haggar for his second wife. Hagar bore him a son Ishmael, whereupon Sarah conceived and had a son named Isaac. Sarah then demanded that Abraham banished Ishmael and Hagar. This represented the first divergence between the koranic and biblical families. According to the Koran, Ishmael went to Mecca. His descendants, flourishing in Arabia, became Muslims. Isaac, who remained in Palestine, created the Hebrew family line who became Jews.
Mohammed evolved in a culture best described as difficult. Life and conditions in the desert was described by scarcity of material goods resulting in a culture of robbery, drunken orgies, gaming, often described as an animistic polytheism. Muhammed was born into the leading tribe of Mecca in CE 570. His father died a few days after he was born, his mother died when he was six years of age. His grandfather, who cared for him after his mothers death, died when he was eight. He was adopted into his uncle’s home, but because of declining fortunes he was forced to work minding is uncle's flocks. Upon reaching maturity he took up the caravan business and at the age of 25 entered the service of a wealthy widow named Khadija who he later married. Khadija would remain steadfastly at his side, supporting and consoling him during the years of the evolution of the Koran.
15 years later, Mohammed started to experience God during a time of solitude in a cave on Mount Hira. In CE 610, Muhammed received his commission from an angel to “proclaim” the word of God by pen. This resulted in Muhammed’s only miracle, the creation of the Koran. Following early recording of the first verses of the Koran, and after three years of effort to proclaim the core message that all people are equal, the people of Mecca began to accept the teachings of the Koran. By CE 622, a migration known in Arabic as the Hijra became the turning point in world history of Islam. This year defines the full acceptance of the Koran, and the beginning to the Islamic calendar. From this point forward, Islam matured in a creed of justice and mercy, described in detail (later in this text) by the Five Pillars. Muhammed died in CE 632.
The word Koran in Arabic means recitation. The Koran in letters and sounds is the essence of God. Muslims read the Koran literally, considering it the earthly facsimile of God in the same way that Christians consider Jesus to be the human incarnation of God. The Koran continues the Old Testament and the New Testament, presenting itself as their culmination. This entitles Jews and Christians to be included with Muslims as "People of the Book". The Koran is considered to be the final and infallible revelation of God's will.
The basic theological concepts of Islam are virtually identical to those of Judaism and Christianity. The most important beliefs: God, Creation, Human Self, and the Day of Judgement.
The koranic depiction of God’s nature is that of awesomeness, fear-inspiring power, but not cringing fear, compelling human beings to understand the magnitude of the consequences the follow from being on the right or wrong side of any uncompromising moral position. Beliefs and convictions are decisive because they generate action. Good and evil matter, choices have consequences, and to disregard them would be as disastrous as climbing a mountain blindfolded. The koranic image of heaven and hell describe life’s precarious nature. The concept of God is not dreadful; compassion and mercy are cited 192 times times in the Koran, as opposed to 17 references to God’s wrath and vengeance. The Koran embodies a world of joy, of air, of sun, and of confidence.
The doctrine of Creation implies the man exists as a deliberate act of God's will. This implies that the world of matter is both real and important. The material world must be good because it is the handiwork of God.
The doctrine of Human Self describes the concept that God created humanity, and because of that, humanity must be good. Therefore, self-respect and a healthy self-image are important. Islam embodies gratitude and thankfulness for the life and humanity that has been received. Expression of this thankfulness is a daily obligation of surrender, the giving of oneself. Failure to be thankful for for this gift is described by the term infidel.
Surrender is a key attribute of Islam. Surrender means the wholehearted giving of oneself to something that the individual does not control. The basis for this is the understanding that humans are completely dependent upon the events of the universe; we have no control over the outcome of events initiated at the beginning of the universe (the Big Bang) 14+ billion years ago. To fulfill this total commitment to Allah, one must become a slave to Allah.
Individuality is another key attribute of Islam. Goodness, virtue, and spiritual fulfillment derive from within the individual, from the realization that decisions made by the individual alone determine the fate of their soul, understanding that individuals are free to make moral and spiritual decisions. Therefore, each individual determines the fate of their soul. No blame can be placed on others for that individual’s decisions.
Judgement is the third key attribute of Islam. The human soul represents the essence of each individual. Muslims believe the human soul is forever, created by God, residing within the human, reconciled at the end of life on Judgement Day. The soul is the essence of humanity, and the actions occurring during an individuals life determines the outcome; heaven or hell. In heaven, the soul is treated to luxuries such as cool shade, gardens, flowing rivers, carpets, cushions, goblets of gold, etc. In hell, the soul is treated to perpetual burning torment. The purpose of this distinction is to ensure that the individual understands that choices exist, goodness is rewarded, and evil is punished. On Judgement Day, each individual, through their soul, is held accountable for their life actions; goodness is defined as accountability to God’s commands.
The Five Pillars describe how an individual can accommodate God’s commands, how to walk the straight path of goodness. The straight path, a path that is direct and explicit, leads to heaven. Deviation from the straight path, participation in forbidden actions, leads to hell.
The first of the Five Pillars is confession of faith known as the Shahadah. This is a brief and simple statement: “There is no god but God, and Muhammed is His Prophet”. Profession of the Shahadah is a regular occurrence for Muslims, and total commitment to this concept is the basis of Islam.
The Second Pillar is to be constant in prayer, to keep life in perspective, to be thankful for existence. Muslims pray five times each day, upon arising, as the sun reaches its zenith (noon), at suns mid-decline (mid-afternoon), at sunset, and before retiring. Muslims are expected to pray in mosques, but may pray as individuals if a mosque is not available to them. Muslims may deviate from the five daily prayers when they are traveling around the earth (i.e. in foreign lands) if they fear non-Muslims may attack them. Prayer content should include praise, gratitude, and supplication.
The Third Pillar is charity. The instruction is clear: Those who have much should help those who are less fortunate. Islam imposes a tithe of 2 1/2 % over and above any general taxes paid by an individual, to be paid to to a central religious authority, to be distributed among the poor. The tithe may be paid in money or in goods.
The Fourth Pillar is observance of Ramadan, one month in the Islamic calendar when Muslims fast (one meal each day, after sunset) to impose thoughtfulness and self-discipline, and a time to focus on the performance of charitable acts.
The Fifth Pillar is pilgrimage. Able-bodied Muslims who have adequate means are required to make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hijrah) during Ramadan once during their lifetime. The purpose of the Hijrah is to heighten devotion to God. As a reminder of human equality, pilgrims wear simple clothing with no status symbols, are required to walk en-mass, and participate in learning experiences so that pilgrims better understand the people and lands outside their area of residence.
The core beliefs of Islam are commitment to God, appreciation of existence, the wellbeing of all, and commission of personal time to reinforce those core beliefs.
