The Rise of Islam

Islam is a faith based on peace and submission to God. Central to the belief that there is One Almighty God, the creator of all that is. The aim of the Islamic lifestyle is to live life in keeping with this belief. The word "Islam" is an Arabic word that means peace, security and surrender. A person who believes in and follows Islam is called a Muslim. There are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today, that's nearly one-fifth of the world's populations. Islam is the second largest faith community. Muslims are to be found among virtually all ethnic groups, nationalities and countries.

In Islam, religion is a complete way of life, not just a spiritual yearning. When a person believes that god has created the worlds and has sent guidance to human beings, it naturally follows that a believer should follow his guidance. Muslims believe that god's guidance in all matters, spiritual and physical, is a blessing so that life on earth will be harmonious and peaceful.

Islam began in Arabia in the 7th century under the leadership of Muhammad, who united the tribes of Arabia under Islamic law. Muhammad died in 632 without appointing a successor or leaving in place a system for choosing one, according to the majority of Muslims. In the 15th century and 16th centuries three major Muslim empires were created: the Ottoman Empire in much of the Middle East, Balkans and Northern Africa; the Safavid Empire in Iran; and the Mughul Empire in India. These new imperial powers were made possible by the discovery and exploitation of gunpowder, and more efficient administration. (Wikipedia "Islam" Online)

When Muhammad died, his followers gathered huge armies, first conquering all the Arabs and then defeating many surrounding nations. The Muslims won nearly every battle, and in a remarkably short period they established a vast empire that stretched from Spain in the west to China in the East. The goal of Muslims were to spread their religion throughout the world, as Allah commanded. As the Arab armies won victories, they offered the vanquished peoples an opportunity to convert to Islam. The Islamic empire contained many great cities, some with impressive libraries, universities, monuments, and public buildings.

The city of Mecca has been an important commercial and social center for the people of the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years. It is situated in an inland valley, surrounded by rocky and rugged landscape. Mecca has long been a center of worship and pilgrimage.

The first and most basic source of all Islamic teaching is the Quran. Muslims believe it to be unchanging. It provides them with both guidance and inspiration. They also believe that it contains all the knowledge and wisdom that god gave us to live good lives on earth and to worship him in the proper way. The Quaran tells stories and parables about previous prophets and peoples, and the lessons that can be learned from them. It also tells about all the knowledge and wisdom God gave us to live good lives on earth and to worship him in the proper way.

Muslims believe that the life of this world is only a temporary refuge, and that one day everyone will face God to account for there choices in life. God is a fair but merciful judge. Those who are good will be rewarded with admission into the "gardens, beneath which rivers flow." Those who are evil will be doomed to punishment in Hellfire. (Dodge 151)

A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. The word "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship. The primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer. Nevertheless, mosques are also for their importance to the Muslim community as meeting place and a place of study. According to Islamic beliefs, the first mosque in the world was the Kaaba, which was built by Abraham upon an order from God.

Resurrection is followed by judgment of all souls. According to the Quran, sins that can consign someone to hell include lying, dishonesty, corruption, ignoring God or God's revelations, denying the resurrection, refusing to feed the poor, indulgence in opulence and ostentation, the economic exploitation of others, and social oppression.

The punishments includes adhab, "pain or torment inflicted by way of chastiment; punishment", a very painful punishment. (Wikipedia "Islam" Online)

Islamic law covers all aspects of life, from broad topics of governance and foreign relations all the way down to issues of daily living. Islamic laws that were covered expressly in the Quran were referred to as hudud laws and include specifically the five crimes of theft, highway robbery, intoxication, adultery and falsely accusing another of adultery, each of which has a prescribed "hadd" punishment that cannot be forgone or mitigated.

The most important requirement in Islam is a belief in one god. There are 5 pillars of fate. They are the profession of faith, prayer, paying of alms (giving to the poor), fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca. Cleanliness during prayer is important, and Muslims perform a ritual wash before reciting each of the five required prayers. Muslims who are not at home or in a mosque may place a rug on the ground wherever they are and pray on it. According to Islam, God was the initiator of all Creation, the God of all time and all places. God has no partners or intermediaries and nobody shares in his power. His proper name is Allah. Muslims believe that God is close to us. He knows our innermost thoughts, feelings and fears. He's described as being closer to us than our jugular vain. Muhammad once related that God said: When I love him, I am his hearing with which hear hears, seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. (Dodge 2)