The Islamic Religion

The Islamic religion grew out of the teachings of the prophet Muhammed, his teaching quickly spread all over the Arabian subcontinent, to Africa, Asia and even some parts of Europe. But What is Islam?

Islam means most simply a submission to God (Allah). The basic beliefs of the religion include that God is one and does not have a son, they believe in the Angels created by God, Muslims believe in all of God's books (Old and New Testament) but of which the Qu'ran is the central book. Muslims believe in all of the same Prophets as the Christian and Jewish religion but believes that Jesus was a lesser prophet and Muhammed is the last of the prophets. God has authority over destiny, he is all-powerful and all-knowing, Muslims are judged after dead by their deeds done on Earth.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahada, declaration of Faith (There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his profit).

2. Prayer 5 times a day (before dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and mid evening

3. Giving of Alms. Zakat are fixed and are giving from time to time. Sadaqa are voluntary

4. Fasting during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan. Muslims are not allowed to eat/drink during the daylight hours

5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). Muslims are expected to do this once in a lifetime.

Other Elements of Islam

The Three Divisions of Islam:

The Different divisions of Islam are based on the different Caliphates' beliefs after the death of Muhammed.

• Sunni (80% of Islam) and is mostly the non-Arab Muslims, the Sunni also have no "clergy" and instead embrace scholars known as "ulema"

• Shiites

• Sufis

Islamic Legal Code:

Many Islamic states follow a certain social and legal core from verses known as the Sura and the Hadith or the sayings of the prophet Muhammed. They also have the legal core of the Sharia in which many Militant Islamic states base their government off of. Some of the tenets of the legal code are

• life and property

• Honor (no insults and/or making fun of a person)

• Racism is not allowed

• All humans are created equal

The Jihad:

The Jihad is the Holy struggle to make others believe in the principles of Islam. This dates back to the Arabian peninsula when Islam was just starting to come about and there were many pagans. Through the Djimmi system, the Jewish and Christians are exempt from the Jihad as they believe in the same God. Other religions though are subject to the Jihad.

Islam and Terrorism

• The Qur'an technically does not allow for terrorism, as The Basic Illustrated Guide to Islam points out:

In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror in the hearts of defenseless civilians, the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties, the bombing and maiming of innocent men, women, and children are all forbidden and detestable acts according to Islam and the Muslims.  Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the vast majority have nothing to do with the violent events some have associated with Muslims.  If an individual Muslim were to commit an act of terrorism, this person would be guilty of violating the laws of Islam.

Why then is so much terrorism supported by Islamic governments? Why is a lot of the worst terrorism Muslim?

The Status of Women

• The woman in Islam in highly regarded and in many ways has more freedom than the Christian woman. She keeps her own family name at marriage and is allowed to own land, hold bank accounts, hold a job and spend her own money. The woman is considered a precious jewel that is to be treasured. In the Qur'an and according to Islamic code both the man and the woman are created equal

So why does it seem like women are oppressed in many Muslim countries?

• The wearing of the Hijab (covering of the head and body) is one of the major reasons. They wear the Hijab so as to be recognized as Muslims per order of Muhammed. They also wear the Hijab for reasons of being treated equally and not liked because of their bodies. Many women wear the Hijab with dignity and with pride.
• Women are more equal with men than in many other religions.
• A side note is that there is no "fixed" standard as to what type Hijab the Muslim woman must wear and how they must wear it. The only real requirement is that it covers their body.

Americans tend to have bad views of Islamic militancy after a decade of embassy bombings and American hostages by militant Islamic groups

Islamic militancy goes against the normally peaceful Islamic religion. Many claim that it is the future of Islam and combines many elements of democracy into it.