Islam Overview
Islam by the numbers 2 nd largest world religion (23% of the population of the world) 49 countries have a Muslim majority 62% of Muslims live in South Asia 20% of Muslims live in Arab countries
Prophet Muhammad Born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia Spoke to an angel while meditating in a cave He became able to recite the words of God (Allah)
Hijrah Mecca to Medina in 622 (Hijrah) 622 is when the Islamic calendar begins Within 10 years he had a large enough group of followers that he was able to return Considered by Muslims to be the final prophet
The 5 Pillars of Islam
Shahadah There is no God but God, and Muhammad is God’s messenger
Salat Ritual prayer 5 times/day Facing Mecca
Zakat Giving alms to the poor (2.5% of one’s income)
Sawm Fasting during Ramadan (1 month)
Hajj Making the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once
The Ka’aba at Mecca
"Al-Haram mosque - Flickr - Al Jazeera English" by Al Jazeera English - Al-Haram mosque. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons - _Al_Jazeera_English.jpg
Scriptures The Qu’ran –Allah’s words as written by Muhammad Hadith—not the direct word of Allah, but more reflective of what traditions/beliefs were present early on in the religion
Architecture
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