Islam is an Arabic word that means “surrender to God.” Believers in Islam are called Muslims, or “those who surrender.” Muslims adhere to the teachings of Mohammad, who Muslims believe was the last of a series of holy prophets that included Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. About 1.9 billion people practice Islam.
Mohammad lived around 600 CE in what is now Saudi Arabia. Mohammad was a merchant by trade, but he often visited a cave to think. According to Islamic tradition, an angel began to appear in the cave. The angel presented Mohammad with a series of messages. When Mohammad told people about the messages, he became well known in his area. Eventually, Mohammad’s followers collected the messages and gathered them into a book known as the Quran. The Quran is the holy book of Islam. The Quran has been translated into many languages, but many Muslims believe that the only authentic version of the Quran is written in Arabic. The Arabic language spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa as Islam grew beyond the Arabian Peninsula. Many non-Arab Muslims learn Arabic as a second language.
The Islamic house of worship is a mosque. Muslims gather in mosques on Friday afternoons for prayers. An Imam often leads the prayers. An Imam is an Islamic cleric.
The two primary branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia. The branches formed after Mohammad’s death over a disagreement regarding who should become caliph, the leader of the faith. About 85 percent of Muslims belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The Shia comprise the majority of the population of Iran, southern Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan and include a substantial minority of the population in several Muslim nations.
Mecca is a holy city to Muslims because it is the site of the Kaaba, a small shrine that Muslims believe to be the most sacred spot on earth. The Kaaba has a black stone about seven inches (18 cm) in diameter embedded in a corner called the al-Ḥajar al-Aswad. Islamic tradition states that the stone was originally white but turned black by absorbing the sins of the millions of pilgrims who have touched it during the Hajj. Muslims orient themselves toward the Kaaba during their daily prayers. Faithful Muslims are expected to make the Hajj, a sacred journey, to visit the Kaaba once in their lifetime. Muslims who make the Hajj walk around the Kaaba seven times.
Two of the most important Islamic holidays are Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha, which commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. During these holidays, Muslims gather for prayers, feasts, and acts of charity.
Shariah is an Arabic term that means path. It is the path that faithful Muslims believe they must follow. The Shariah is based on the Quran’s teachings and Mohammad’s collected sayings. In addition to religious practice, Shariah law advises Muslims on morality, economics, hygiene, and diet. There has been a movement in many Muslim nations to replace civil laws with Shariah, but Saudi Arabia and Iran are the only nations that closely adhere to Shariah law.
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Mr. Donn has an excellent website that includes a section on World Religions.