Post by Leon on Sept 20, 2009 18:39:12 GMT
Islam (Arabic: الإسلام al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] is the religion articulated by the Qur’an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of the single incomparable God (Arabic: الله, Allāh), and by the Islamic prophet Muhammad's demonstrations and real-life examples (called the Sunnah, collected through narration of his companions in the volumes of Hadith). The word Islam is a homograph, having multiple meanings, and a triliteral of the word salam, which directly translates as peace. Other meanings include submission, or the total surrender of oneself to God (see Islam (term)). An adherent of Islam is a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)". The word Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islām is the infinitive. Muslims regard their religion as the completed and universal version of a monotheistic faith revealed to many times and places before, including, notably, to the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Islamic tradition holds that previous messages and revelations have been changed and distorted over time.
Religious practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community. Islamic law (Arabic: شريعة Šarīʿah) touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from dietary laws and banking to warfare and welfare. The vast majority of Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni (roughly 85%) and Shi'a (roughly 15%). Islam is the predominant religion in much of Africa, the Middle East and major parts of Asia. Large communities are also found in China, Russia and the Carribean. About 15.6% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, 30% in the Indian Subcontinent and 20% in Arab countries. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world. With 1.3 billion to 1.8 billion Muslims (see Islam by country), Islam is the second-largest religion in the world and the fastest growing religion in the world.
Religious practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community. Islamic law (Arabic: شريعة Šarīʿah) touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from dietary laws and banking to warfare and welfare. The vast majority of Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni (roughly 85%) and Shi'a (roughly 15%). Islam is the predominant religion in much of Africa, the Middle East and major parts of Asia. Large communities are also found in China, Russia and the Carribean. About 15.6% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, 30% in the Indian Subcontinent and 20% in Arab countries. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world. With 1.3 billion to 1.8 billion Muslims (see Islam by country), Islam is the second-largest religion in the world and the fastest growing religion in the world.
