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Islam: Key Elements
Muḥammad
Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim, born approximately in 570 AD in the Arabian city of Mecca. He was orphaned at an early age; raised under the care of a paternal uncle, Abu Talib; following childhood, he primarily worked as a merchant.
Muhammad would retreat to a cave in the mountains for several days at a time, for seclusion and prayer; at age 40, he said it was at this cave, he was visited by the Angel, Gabriel, and received his first revelation from Allāh. Three years later, Muhammad started preaching these revelations publicly, proclaiming that “Allāh is One,” that complete “surrender” to Him is the only way acceptable to Allāh, and that he (Muhammad) was a prophet and messenger of Allāh.
The next few years were years of upheaval and doubt; years of subjection, fighting, killing . . . and of conversions. After eight years of being at odds with the Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts.
In 632, Muhammad fell ill and died. Before his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam, and Arabia had united into a single Muslim religious state.
The revelations, which Muhammad reported receiving until his death, form the verses of the Qur’an, regarded by Muslims as the “Word of Allāh” and around which the religion is based. Besides the Qur’an, Muhammad’s teachings and practices, found in the Hadith literature, are also upheld by Muslims and used as sources of Islamic law (Shari’a).
Islam
Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion, articulated by the Qur’an, which is considered by its followers to be the verbatim word of Allāh.
Muslims believe that Allāh is one, without equal, and that the purpose of life is to worship Allāh. They also believe that Islam was revealed many times !before through prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. They maintain that the previous messages and revelations have been partially misinterpreted or altered over time, but consider the Arabic Qur’an to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of Allāh.
Religious concepts and practices include the Five Pillars Of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law (Shari’a) which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multiple topics from banking and welfare, to family life and the environment. Most Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni (85 percent, over 1.5 billion) or Shi’a (10 percent, 180,000,000). The remaining five percent . . . 90,000,000 Muslims . . . are distributed to over 40 other denominations. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world. With about 1.8 billion followers or 24 percent of the global population, Islam is the second-largest religion by number of followers, and according to many sources, it is the fastest-growing religion in the world.
The Qur’an
The Qur’an, literally meaning “the recitation,” is the central religious text of Islam.
Muslims regard the Qur’an as the most important miracle of Muhammad, and proof of his prophethood, and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad. They consider the Qur’an to be the only revealed book that has been protected by Allāh from distortion or corruption.
The Qur’an is used along with the Hadith and the Sunnah to interpret Shari’a law. During prayers, the Qur’an is recited only in Arabic.
The Hadith
The Hadith are the collections of the reports of the teachings, deeds and sayings of Muhammad. The term comes from the Arabic meaning “report,” “account” or “narrative.”
The Hadith literature is based on oral reports that were in circulation in society after the death of Muhammad. Islamic scholars then compiled these Hadith together in collections.
The Sunnah
The Sunnah is the way of life prescribed for Muslims on the basis of the teachings, practices, and interpretations of the Qur’an. Its theological study or doctrine is called Sunnism, while followers are known as Sunni Muslims. Sunni Islam is the world’s second largest religious body (after Christianity) and the largest religious denomination for any religion in the world. Sunni Islam is sometimes referred to as the orthodox version of the religion.
The sunnah of Muhammad includes his specific words, habits, practices, and silent approvals: it is significant because it addresses ways of life dealing with friends, family and government. Recording the sunnah was an Arabian tradition and, once people converted to Islam, they brought this custom to their religion. The sunnah is a source of Islamic law, second only to the Qur’an.
Shi’a Islam
Shi’a Islam, or the Shiites, represent the second largest denomination of Islam. Followers of Shi’a Islam are called Shi’as or Shi’a. Shi’a, meaning “followers,” “faction” or “party” of Muhammad’s son-in-law and cousin, Ali, whom the Shi’a believe to be Muhammad’s successor.
Successors Of Muhammad
Sunnis believe that Abu Bakr, the father of Muhammad’s wife, was Muhammad’s rightful successor and that the method of choosing or electing leaders endorsed by the Qur’an, is the consensus of the Muslim community.
Shi’as believe that Muhammad divinely ordained his cousin and son-in-law, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, in accordance with the command of Allāh, to be the next Caliph, making Ali and his direct descendants Muhammad’s successors.
Shi’a – Sunni Relations
The historic background of the Sunni–Shi’a split lies in the division that occurred when the Islamic prophet Muhammad died in the year 632, leading to a dispute over the succession to Muhammad as a Caliph of the Islamic community.
Over the years, Sunni–Shi’a relations have been marked by both cooperation and conflict. Sectarian violence still persists to this day from Pakistan to Yemen and is a major element of friction throughout the Middle East. Tensions between communities have intensified during power struggles, such as the Iraq/Iran war of the 1980’s, the Bahraini uprising (Arab Spring), the Iraq War, and most recently the Syrian Civil War and in the formation of the self-styled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) and its advancement on Syria and Northern Iraq.
The Five Pillars
The Five Pillars of Islam are five basic acts, considered mandatory by believers and are the foundation of Muslim life. They are summarized in the Hadith of Gabriel, and practiced by both Sunni and Shi’a:
- Shahadah: declaring there is no god except Allāh, and Muhammad is Allāh’s Messenger;
2. Salat: ritual prayer five times a day;
3. Zakat: giving 2.5 percent of one’s savings to the poor and needy;
4. Sawm: fasting and self-control during the holy month of Ramadan;
5. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if one is able.
Prophets And Messengers In Islam
Prophets and Messengers in Islam are people that Muslims believe were assigned a special mission by Allāh to guide humans. Islamic tradition holds that Allāh sent messengers to every nation. Each prophet preached the Oneness Of Allāh, worshiping of that one Allāh, avoidance of idolatry and sin, and the belief in the Day Of Resurrection or the Day Of Judgment and life after death.
Muslims believe that Allāh finally sent Muhammad to transmit the message of the Qur’an, and that the Qur’an will remain uncorrupted, whereas previous Islamic holy books (the Torah given to Moses, the Psalms given to David, and the Gospel given to Jesus) were corrupted over time. Muhammad, being the last Prophet, was given a book which will remain in its true form till the Last Day, the Qur’an. However, the Qur’an wasn’t actually put to print until several hundred years after Muhammad’s death. It was passed on by rote from generation to generation, just as the Hadith and Sunnah were. So, what we have are men writing about Muhammad’s movements, shrugs, thoughts, etc., hundreds of years later.
Shari’a
Shari’a (Islamic law) deals with several topics including: crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as hygiene, diet, prayer, everyday etiquette and fasting.
Shari’a is a significant source of legislation in various Muslim countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Untied Arab Emirates, and Qatar. In those countries, harsh physical punishments such as flogging, stoning, the severing of limbs (hands, feet, fingers), and decapitation, are legally acceptable according to shari’a.
The two primary sources of shari’a are the Qur’an and the Hadith. The introduction of shari’a in all communities, worldwide, is a longstanding goal for Islamist movements.
Most countries do not recognize shari’a; however, some countries in Asia, Africa and Europe do-so, and use it as the basis for divorce, inheritance and other personal affairs of their Islamic population.
Fatwa
A fatwā in the Islamic faith is the term for the legal opinion or interpretation given on issues pertaining to Islamic law. Most Muslims agree that anyone trained in Islamic law may give an opinion (fatwā) on its teachings. If a fatwā does not break new ground, then it is simply called a ruling. A fatwā carries less weight than a secular common-law opinion does, and is not universally binding.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position (of a mosque, in the community, at worship services, provides guidance, counseling, etc.). Imam may also be used in the form of a title for renowned Muslim scholars.
Jihād
Jihād is an Islamic term referring to the religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād has two meanings: an inner spiritual struggle (the “greater jihād”) and an outer physical struggle against the enemies of Islam (the “lesser jihād”) which may take a violent (Holy War) or non-violent form.
It is generally supposed that the order for a general war can only be given by the Caliph. There has been in fact no universal warfare by Muslims on non-believers since the early Caliphate. Some proclaimed Jihād by claiming themselves as the Mahdi (the Islamic Savior).
Caliphate And Caliph
A Caliphate is a form of Islamic government led by a Caliph, a person considered a political and religious successor to the prophet Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim community. During the history of Islam, many Muslim states, almost all of them hereditary monarchies, have claimed to be Caliphates.The Sunni branch of Islam stipulates that, as a head of state, a Caliph should be elected by Muslims or their representatives. Followers of Shi’a Islam, however, believe a Caliph should be an Imam chosen by Allāh from Muhammad’s direct descendants.
Wahhabism
Wahhabism is a religious movement or branch of Sunni Islam. It has been described as “orthodox,” “ultraconservative,” “fundamentalist,” “puritanical,” and “an Islamic reform movement” designed to restore “pure monotheistic worship.”
Wahhabism is named after an eighteenth century preacher and scholar, Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab (1703–1792). He started as a revivalist in a remote, sparsely populated region of what is now, Saudi Arabia. Eventually he formed a pact with a local leader, Muhammad bin Saud, promising that protection of the Wahhabi movement would mean “power and glory.”
The alliance between followers of ibn Abd al-Wahhab and Muhammad bin Saud’s successors proved to be a durable alliance. The house of bin Saud continued to maintain its politico-religious alliance with the Wahhabi sect over the next 150 years, to the eventual proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
Today, Mohammed bin Abd Al-Wahhab’s teachings are state-sponsored and are the official form of Sunni Islam in 21st century Saudi Arabia despite the fact that the majority of its Sunnis are non-Wahhabis. This makes adherents of Wahhabism a “dominant minority” in the country.
The majority of Wahhabis are from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Estimates of the number of adherents to Wahhabism are fewer than 5 million Wahhabis, mostly in the Persian Gulf region (compared to 28 million Sunnis and 89 million Shi’a).
With the help of funding from petroleum exports, the movement underwent “explosive growth” beginning in the 1970s and now has worldwide influence.
Wahhabism has been accused of being “a source of global terrorism,” and for causing disunity in the Muslim community by labeling non-Wahhabi Muslims (such as Shi’as or mainstream Sunnis) as apostates, thus paving the way for their bloodshed.
Islam And Global Domination
Islam is a revolutionary faith that comes to destroy any government made by man. Islam doesn’t look for a nation to be in a better condition than another nation. Islam doesn’t care about the land or who owns the land. The goal of Islam is to rule the entire world and submit all of mankind to the faith of Islam. Any nation or power that gets in the way of that goal, Islam will fight and destroy. In order to fulfill that goal, Islam can use every power available every way it can be used to bring worldwide revolution. Think nuclear . . . This is Jihad.
Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Qur’an should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.
Islam: Key Elements
101 – 006
https://discerning-islam.org
Last Update: 01/2022
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