Islam (/ˈɪslɑːm/;[note 1] Arabic: الإسلام, al-ʾIslām IPA: [ælʔɪsˈlæːm] ( listen)[note 2]) is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Quran, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله Allāh) and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of Hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of existence is to love and serve God.[1] Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed at many times and places before, including through Abraham, Moses and Jesus, whom they consider prophets.[2] They maintain that the previous messages and revelations have been partially misinterpreted or altered over time,[3] but consider the Arabic Quran to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of God.[4] Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multifarious topics from banking and welfare, to warfare and the environment.[5][6] Most Muslims are of two denominations, Sunni (75–90%),[7] or Shia (10–20%).[8] About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia,[9] the largest Muslim-majority country, 25% in South Asia,[9] 20% in the Middle East,[10] and 15% in Sub-saharan Africa.[11] Sizable minorities are also found in Europe, China, Russia, and the Americas. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world (see Islam by country). With about 1.57 billion followers or 23% of earths population,[11][12][13] Islam is the second-largest religion and one of the fastest-growing religions in the world.[14][15][16][17][18][19] Contents [hide] 1 Etymology and meaning 2 Articles of faith 2.1 God 2.2 Angels 2.3 Revelations 2.4 Prophets 2.5 Resurrection and judgment 2.6 Predestination 3 Five pillars 3.1 Testimony 3.2 Prayer 3.3 Alms-giving 3.4 Fasting 3.5 Pilgrimage 4 Law and jurisprudence 4.1 Jurists 4.2 Etiquette and diet 4.3 Family life 4.4 Economy 4.5 Government 4.6 Military 5 History 5.1 Muhammad (610–632) 5.2 Caliphate and civil war (632–750) 5.3 Abbasid era (750–1258) 5.4 Fall of Abbasids to end of caliphate (1258–1924) 5.5 Modern times (1924–present) 6 Denominations 6.1 Sunni 6.2 Shia 6.3 Sufism 6.4 Other denominations 7 Demographics 8 Culture 8.1 Architecture 8.2 Art 8.3 Calendar 9 Criticism of Islam 10 See also 11 References 11.1 Notes 11.2 Citations 11.3 Books and journals 11.3.1 Encyclopedias 12 Further reading 13 External links Etymology and meaning Islam is a verbal noun originating from the triliteral root s-l-m which forms a large class of words mostly relating to concepts of wholeness, safeness and peace.[20] In a religious context it means voluntary submission to God.[21][22] Muslim, the word for an adherent of Islam, is the active participle of the same verb of which Islām is the infinitive. Believers demonstrate submission to God by serving God, following his commands, and rejecting polytheism. The word sometimes has distinct connotations in its various occurrences in the Quran. In some verses, there is stress on the quality of Islam as an internal conviction: Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to Islam.[23] Other verses connect islām and dīn (usually translated as religion): Today, I have perfected your religion (dīn) for you; I have completed My blessing upon you; I have approved Islam for your religion.[24] Still others describe Islam as an action of returning to God—more than just a verbal affirmation of faith.[25] In the Hadith of Gabriel, islām is presented as one part of a triad that includes imān (faith), and ihsān (excellence), where islām is defined theologically as Tawhid, historically by asserting that Muhammad is messenger of God, and doctrinally by mandating five basic and fundamental pillars of practice.[26][27] Articles of faith Main articles: Aqidah and Iman God Main articles: Allah and God in Islam Islams most fundamental concept is a rigorous monotheism, called tawhīd (Arabic: توحيد). God is described in chapter 112 of the Quran as:[28] Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.(112:1-4) Muslims and Jews repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension and Muslims are not expected to visualize God.[29][30][31][32] God is described and referred to by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahmān, meaning The Compassionate and Al-Rahīm, meaning The Merciful (See Names of God in Islam).[33] Muslims believe that the creation of everything in the universe was brought into being by God’s sheer command, “‘Be’ and so it is,”[34] and that the purpose of existence is to worship God.[35] He is viewed as a personal god who responds whenever a person in need or distress calls him.[36] There are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God who states, I am nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.[37] The reciprocal nature is mentioned in the hadith qudsi, I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am.[38] Allāh is the term with no plural or gender used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews to reference God, while ʾilāh (Arabic: إله) is the term used for a deity or a god in general.[39] Other non-Arab Muslims might use different names as much as Allah, for instance Tanrı in Turkish, Khodā in Persian or Xudā in Urdu. Angels Main article: Islamic view of angels Part of a series on Quran Text[show] Content[show] Quran reading[show] Translation[show] History[show] Quranic exegesis[show] Related[show] v t e Belief in angels is fundamental to the faith of Islam. The Arabic word for angel (Arabic: ملك malak) means messenger, like its counterparts in Hebrew (malakh) and Greek (angelos). According to the Quran, angels do not possess free will, and therefore worship and obey God in total obedience. Angels duties include communicating revelations from God, glorifying God, recording every persons actions, and taking a persons soul at the time of death. Muslims believe that angels are made of light. They are described as messengers with wings—two, or three, or four (pairs): He [God] adds to Creation as He pleases...[40] Revelations Main articles: Islamic holy books and Quran See also: History of the Quran The first sura in a Quranic manuscript by Hattat Aziz Efendi The Islamic holy books are the records which most Muslims believe were dictated by God to various prophets. Muslims believe that parts of the previously revealed scriptures, the Tawrat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospels), had become distorted—either in interpretation, in text, or both.[3] The Quran (literally, “Reading” or “Recitation”) is viewed by Muslims as the final revelation and literal word of God and is widely regarded as the finest piece of literature work in the Arabic language.[41][42] Muslims believe that the verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad by God through the archangel Gabriel (Jibrīl) on many occasions between 610 CE until his death on June 8, 632 CE.[43] While Muhammad was alive, all of these revelations were written down by his companions (sahabah), although the prime method of transmission was orally through memorization.[44] The Quran is divided into 114 suras, or chapters, which combined, contain 6,236 āyāt, or verses. The chronologically earlier suras, revealed at Mecca, are primarily concerned with ethical and spiritual topics. The later Medinan suras mostly discuss social and moral issues relevant to the Muslim community.[45] The Quran is more concerned with moral guidance than legal instruction, and is considered the sourcebook of Islamic principles and values.[46] Muslim jurists consult the hadith, or the written record of Prophet Muhammads life, to both supplement the Quran and assist with its interpretation. The science of Quranic commentary and exegesis is known as tafsir.[47] Rules governing proper pronunciation is called tajwid. Muslims usually view the Quran as the original scripture as revealed in Arabic and that any translations are necessarily deficient, which are regarded only as commentaries on the Quran.[48] Prophets Part of a series on Hadith Sunni collections[show] Shia collections[show] Ibadi collections[show] Mutazila collections[show] Related Articles[show] Category Portal v t e Main article: Prophets in Islam Muslims identify the prophets of Islam (Arabic: أنۢبياء anbiyāʾ ) as those humans chosen by God to be his messengers. According to the Qurʼan, the prophet were instructed by God to bring the will of God to the peoples of the nations. Muslims believe that prophets are human and not divine, though some are able to perform miracles to prove their claim. Islamic theology says that all of Gods messengers preached the message of Islam—submission to the will of God. The Qurʼan mentions the names of numerous figures considered prophets in Islam, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, among others.[49] Muslims believe that God finally sent Muhammad (Seal of the Prophets) to convey the divine message to the whole world (to sum up and to finalize the word of God). In Islam, the normative example of Muhammads life is called the Sunnah (literally trodden path). This example is preserved in traditions known as hadith (reports), which recount his words, his actions, and his personal characteristics. Hadith Qudsi is a sub-category of hadith, regarded as the words of God repeated by Muhammad differing from the Quran in that they are expressed in Prophet Muhammads words, whereas the Quran is understood as the direct words of God. The classical Muslim jurist ash-Shafii (d. 820) emphasized the importance of the Sunnah in Islamic law, and Muslims are encouraged to emulate Muhammads actions in their daily lives. The Sunnah is seen as crucial to guiding interpretation of the Quran.[50] Resurrection and judgment Main article: Qiyama Belief in the Day of Resurrection, Yawm al-Qiyāmah (Arabic: يوم القيامة) is also crucial for Muslims. They believe the time of Qiyāmah is preordained by God but unknown to man. The trials and tribulations preceding and during the Qiyāmah are described in the Quran and the hadith, and also in the commentaries of scholars. The Quran emphasizes bodily resurrection, a break from the pre-Islamic Arabian understanding of death.[51] On Yawm al-Qiyāmah, Muslims believe all mankind will be judged on their good and bad deeds. The Qurʼan in Surat al-Zalzalah describes this as, So whoever does an atoms weight of good will see it (99:7) and whoever does an atoms weight of evil will see it (99:8). The Qurʼan lists several sins that can condemn a person to hell, such as disbelief in God (Arabic: كفر kufr), and dishonesty; however, the Qurʼan makes it clear God will forgive the sins of those who repent if he so wills. Good deeds, such as charity, prayer and compassion towards animals,[52][53] will be rewarded with entry to heaven. Muslims view heaven as a place of joy and bliss, with Qurʼanic references describing its features and the physical pleasures to come. Mystical traditions in Islam place these heavenly delights in the context of an ecstatic awareness of God.[54] Yawm al-Qiyāmah is also identified in the Quran as Yawm ad-Dīn (Arabic: يوم الدين), Day of Religion;[55] as-sāʿah (Arabic: الساعة), the Last Hour;[56] and al-Qāriʿah (Arabic: القارعة), The Clatterer.[57] Predestination Main article: Predestination in Islam In accordance with the Islamic belief in predestination, or divine preordainment (al-qadā wal-qadar), God has full knowledge and control over all that occurs. This is explained in Quranic verses such as Say: Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our protector...[58] For Muslims, everything in the world that occurs, good or bad, has been preordained and nothing can happen unless permitted by God. According to Muslim theologians, although events are pre-ordained, man possesses free will in that he or she has the faculty to choose between right and wrong, and is thus responsible for his actions. According to Islamic tradition, all that has been decreed by God is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfūz, the Preserved Tablet.[59] Five pillars Main article: Five Pillars of Islam The Pillars of Islam (arkan al-Islam; also arkan ad-din, pillars of religion) are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all believers. The Quran presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the shahadah (creed), (2) daily prayers (salat), (3) almsgiving (zakah), (4) fasting during Ramadan and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. The Shia and Sunni sects both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts.[60] Testimony Main article: Shahadah The Shahadah,[61] which is the basic creed of Islam that must be recited under oath with the specific statement: ašhadu al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa ašhadu anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh, or I testify there are no deities other than God alone and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. This testament is a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Muslims must repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required to recite the creed.[62] Prayer Main article: Salat See also: Mosque Muslim men prostrating during prayer in a mosque. Ritual prayers, called Ṣalāh or Ṣalāt (Arabic: صلاة), must be performed five times a day. Salat is intended to focus the mind on God, and is seen as a personal communication with him that expresses gratitude and worship. Salat is compulsory but flexibility in the specifics is allowed depending on circumstances. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of verses from the Quran.[63] A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, who often refer to it by its Arabic name, masjid. The word mosque in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated to Islamic worship, although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, privately owned mosque and the larger, collective mosque (masjid jāmi`).[64] Although the primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer, it is also important to the Muslim community as a place to meet and study. Modern mosques have evolved greatly from the early designs of the 7th century, and contain a variety of architectural elements such as minarets.[65] Alms-giving
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