Muslim+Faith

= ﻿MUSLIM FAITH = __Start of the Religion __
 * Islam means peace which comes from the Arabic word “salam”
 * Muslim is a person who practices the Islam religion.
 * Muslim is also an Arabic word, and can be translated to mean one that submits themselves to god
 * The Muslim faith is originated upon the belief that God, or as Muslims call him Allah, transmitted knowledge to Muhammad, one of his prophets, through the angle Gabriel
 * Muhammad lost both his parents and grandfather but was raised by his Uncle.
 * Muhammad was taught the family business and married to Khadijah. Muhammad would leave the hustle and bustle of daily society and take off into the mountains
 * Here he would practice long hours of meditation reflecting upon the civilization around him
 * Muhammad’s mission was to find truth
 * The story of the Muslim faith begins when Muhammad was mediating in a cave during Ramadan, and was visited by Gabriel for the first time
 * Muhammad would record what Gabriel shared with him, when he wrote this down it became known as the Qur'an or Koran
 * At first Muhammad would only share his revelations with family and close friends
 * Word about Muhammad spread, it was then apparently Allah told Muhammad to become public with the faith
 * Islam did not catch on easily and was not strong within politics, still many died over their faith
 * Between 621AD and 622AD Islamic Muslim faith gained more followers even a group of delegates made a covenant to fight and protect Muhamma
 * Covenant is a solemn agreement to engage in or refrain from a specified action
 * This is a huge turning point for Islam
 * Muhammad changed his ways of preaching by declaring himself a religious, political, and military force. Islam was now spread by the force of intimidation
 * Muhammad died in 632AD but his father in law Abu Bakr ruled for 2 years and consolidated Islam all over the Arabian Peninsula
 * Today Islam stands as one of the most dominant religions and accounts for about 1/5 of the world’s population.

__Five Pillars of Practice __ The believer's duties are summed up in five simple rules, the Five Pillars of Islam: Belief, Worship, Fasting, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage. (PBS 2011) 1. __ Belief (Iman) __ 2. __ Worship (Salat) __ God is Great (four times﻿) I testify that there is no god but God (twice) I testify that Muhammad is God's messenger (twice) Come to prayer (twice) Come to salvation (twice) God is Great (twice) There is no god but God 3. __Fast﻿ing (Sawm)__
 * The first pillar is for the believer to testify in A﻿rabic that "There is no god, but God and that Muhammad is His messenger".
 * This phrase is known as the shahada or Profession of Faith, is central to Islam- confirms God's oneness and the central role of Muhammad.
 * Second Pillar is to worship five times a day: dawn, noon, mid- afternoon, sunset and nightfall.
 * Called together when the muezzin says

4. __Almsgiving (Zakat﻿)__
 * The third pillar is to abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between Ramadan, (the ninth month of the Muslim calender)
 * The word ramadan comes a root meaning "to be hot", suggesting that the ninth month fell in the summer. but following the Islamic lunar calender, Ramadan can happen anytime during the year.
 * Abstinence brings worshippers to awareness of God's presence and helps them to be gracious of God's provisions in their lives.
 * Ramadan starts at dawn, defined as when the human eye can distinguish a white thread from a black one, and ends at dusk, when the difference is no longer distinguishable by the human eye.
 * End of Ramadan month marked by a feast called the Id al-Fitr, or the break-fast feast.

5. __Pilgramage(Hajj)__
 * Fourth pillar is to give alms to the poor. Each year Muslims are supposed to donate a certain amount of their property to the poor.
 * Money is given out through soup kitchens, hospitals, schools, libraries, mosques etc.

Customs
 * Fifth pillar is for one to take the pilgramage to Mecca, inthe 12th month of the [[image:hajj.jpg align="right"]]Muslim calendar, during the first days of Dhu'l-Hijja.
 * People that perform the Hajj, earn the epithet hajji, a great title of respect. Before entering the Mecca, the pilgrim dons a special garment made of two white seamless cloths.
 * Pilgramage then moves to Arafat, 12 miles east of the city. Ceremonies occur on the 10th day of the [[image:mecca.jpg width="313" height="219" align="left"]]month in the Feast of Sacrifices. Livestock is sacrificed and meat is distributed to the poor, occuring three to four days. This is more of a solemn holiday in contrast to Ramadan.
 * Don't eat pork because they believe that eating the meat of pig contributes to lack of morality, and shame, plus greed for wealth, gluttony, dirtiness and gluttony.

"And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms, and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to God together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful."
 * "He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful" (Al-Baqara, 2:173).
 * Women cover themselves due to strict interpretation from the Quar'an, as it teaches modesty:[[image:women.jpg align="right"]]

Religous Leaders
 * Caliph: Islamic leader of the community of Islam. No longer a caliph since the Ottomin Empire
 * Ayatollah: high title given to Shi'a clergymen
 * Grand Ayatollah: A higher title, the grand expert in Muslim ethics, mysticism, philosophy
 * Grand Mufti: highest official of religous law in Sunni Muslim country
 * Imam: Means leader
 * Mullah: Teachers and experts of the Qur' an
 * Sahib: leader held in high respect by one or two Muslims

__ Important Holidays __

__ Muharram- The Islamic New Year  __
 * Celebrated on the first day of Muharram (the first Islamic month).
 * New Year celebration is usually quiet, unlike other New Year's celebrations.
 * Have prayers and readings, and reflection upon the hegira (Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina).

__ Ashura -Day of mourning  __


 * Ashura is a time of fasting.
 * Celebrated on the 10th day of Muharram (the first month in the Islamic Calendar).
 * Time of fasting, inner thoughts, and remembrance of Muhammad.

__ Eid-Al-Adha **-** The celebration of the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)   __
 * Eid-Al-Adha is one of the major holidays of Islam.
 * Celebrates the sacrifice Abraham was willing to make of his own son Ishmael when he was commanded to show his commitment to Allah. In doing so, Allah replaced Abraham’s son with a ram and saved Ishmael.
 * Celebrated on the 10th day of the last month of the Islamic calendar and lasts three days long. [[image:http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/72304852.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF878921F7C3FC3F69D929FD77A32081AE7EB46E6CD0E6ECAA8228261DEDA497E7D9018AF06BF04B24B4128C width="415" height="287" align="right"]]
 * Festival is celebrated by sacrificing a lamb or other animal, and distributing the meat to relatives, friends, and the poor.

__ Mawlid-an-Nabi-** Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad ** __


 * Celebrated to mark the birthday of the Muhammad in the 5th month of the Islamic calander.
 * Muslims learn about Muhammad and his life.
 * People often forgive their enemies and help out the poor

__ Ramadan -Fasting Month  __


 * 9th month of the Islamic Calendar
 * Ramadan is a holy month dedicated by daily fasting and devotion to faith and reflection of Muhammed. [[image:http://www.ezsoftech.com/hajj/img/hajj22.jpg width="308" height="229" align="right"]]
 * Muslims do not eat or drink when the sun is up.
 * Pray to Muhammad at least 5 times a day
 * Supposed to teach self-discipline, self-restraint, generosity and understanding of those less fortunate.

__ Eid-Al-Fitr - Festival of Breaking the Fast   __


 * [[image:http://img3.photographersdirect.com/img/26650/wm/pd2144954.jpg width="191" height="352" align="right"]] Eid-Al-Fitr is one of the major holidays of Islam.
 * Celebrated on the 10th month of the Islamic calander.
 * It comes at the end of Ramadan and celebrates the end of the fasting.
 * Muslims are obligated to feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques.
 * People dress in their finest clothes, decorate their homes with lights, give treats to children, and visit friends and fam

__ Shia and Sunni Split __
 * The war between the two began after the Prophet Muhammed died and did not announce his successor.
 * Differences are mainly because of the two groups believing each other should not take over.
 * War still goes on today between the two groups after centuries of religious violence.

//Five pillars//. (n.d.). Retrieved from [] Ansari, U. (2007). //Why can't muslims eat pig/ham//. Unpublished manuscript, Sunni Path, Online Islmaic Academy, Retrieved from []

[] [] []