abdulhakeem
12-09-05, 02:01 AM
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Islam, which is typically translated as "submission to God," is derived from the Arabic word salam, which means "peace." When Muslims, followers of Islam, greet one another, they will do so by saying "Assalamu Alaikum," which means "peace be upon you."
Islam is the second largest of the three major religions, along with Christianity and Judaism. Muslims believe that the Quran is God's word as revealed to the prophet Muhammad, (who lived 570-632) through the angel Gabriel.
There are five basic beliefs of Islam:
Belief in one god. (Allah is the Arabic word for god, not believed to be a separate god from the Judeo-Christian version.)
Belief in prophethood (Muhammad and the ones before him)
Belief in the justice of God
belief in the imams (or Apostles) of God (Shiite belief)
Belief in the Day of Judgment
The practice of Islam is based on "five pillars":
Shahada: to declare one's belief in God and the prophetic role of Muhammad;
Salat: to pray five times every day (dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening);
Zakat: to give charity to those in need;
Sawn: to fast from food, water, and bodily pleasures during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan;
Haj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if this is physically and economically possible.
How many Muslims?
Worldwide, there are 1.2 billion Muslims. There are 7 million Muslims in the United States. Islam is the dominant religion throughout large portions of Asia and Africa, with the largest Muslim populations living in Indonesia (170 million), Pakistan (136 million), Bangladesh (106 million), and India (103 million).
Most Arabs are Muslims, but most Muslims are not Arabs.
Quick facts
Jihad (struggle) is not the initiation of violence in the name of Islam. Rather, it is the religious precept that directs Muslims to study, preach, and defend Islam.
According to Islam, there are many prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
Muslims worship God directly. Religious leaders do not have any divine characteristics; people and objects are not considered holy. It is, in fact, sacrilegious to worship anything or anyone outside of God. Muslims, unlike Christians, do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, although they do believe he was a prophet.
The Quran contains much of the basic information told in the Hebrew Bible as well as additional information.
Women and men dress modestly out of reverence for God. Muslim women are not more submissive than other women. Some argue that Muslim women, in fact, have been treated better than women in other cultures. For example, women in Islam were given the right to vote about 1,400 years ago, centuries before other women. Of course, like many other cultures, patriarchal culture can corrupt Muslim culture.
There are two main sects of Islam: Sunni and Shiite. One of their main differences is in their beliefs about who were the leaders following the death of Muhammad. Sunni, from the Arabic word for "tradition," accepted the succession of Muhammad's elected successors. The majority of Muslims in the world today are Sunnis. Shiite, from the Arabic word for "faction," believe that leaders must be descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali. They rule Iran and also have a sizeable presence in Iraq and Syria.
Muslims follow the lunar calendar. There are two major holidays in Islam: Eid al Adha is at the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and Eid al Fitr is at the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, when it was thought that Muhammad received the Quran.
Facts about the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati opened its 14,000-square-foot mosque in 1995 on an 18-acre campus in West Chester Township, adjacent to Interstate 75.
It is the largest mosque in the region and also has the first Islam-based school, International Academy of Cincinnati, which opened in 2000 and has more than 100 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The preschool has a waiting list, and this year's kindergarten class is full.
More than 5,000 people a year go on the guided tours or use other program resources at the center. To arrange a tour, call the center (513) 755-3280 or visit www.icgc.info (http://www.icgc.info/).
Sources: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/NEWS01/509110411/-1/CINCI
Islam, which is typically translated as "submission to God," is derived from the Arabic word salam, which means "peace." When Muslims, followers of Islam, greet one another, they will do so by saying "Assalamu Alaikum," which means "peace be upon you."
Islam is the second largest of the three major religions, along with Christianity and Judaism. Muslims believe that the Quran is God's word as revealed to the prophet Muhammad, (who lived 570-632) through the angel Gabriel.
There are five basic beliefs of Islam:
Belief in one god. (Allah is the Arabic word for god, not believed to be a separate god from the Judeo-Christian version.)
Belief in prophethood (Muhammad and the ones before him)
Belief in the justice of God
belief in the imams (or Apostles) of God (Shiite belief)
Belief in the Day of Judgment
The practice of Islam is based on "five pillars":
Shahada: to declare one's belief in God and the prophetic role of Muhammad;
Salat: to pray five times every day (dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening);
Zakat: to give charity to those in need;
Sawn: to fast from food, water, and bodily pleasures during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan;
Haj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if this is physically and economically possible.
How many Muslims?
Worldwide, there are 1.2 billion Muslims. There are 7 million Muslims in the United States. Islam is the dominant religion throughout large portions of Asia and Africa, with the largest Muslim populations living in Indonesia (170 million), Pakistan (136 million), Bangladesh (106 million), and India (103 million).
Most Arabs are Muslims, but most Muslims are not Arabs.
Quick facts
Jihad (struggle) is not the initiation of violence in the name of Islam. Rather, it is the religious precept that directs Muslims to study, preach, and defend Islam.
According to Islam, there are many prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
Muslims worship God directly. Religious leaders do not have any divine characteristics; people and objects are not considered holy. It is, in fact, sacrilegious to worship anything or anyone outside of God. Muslims, unlike Christians, do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, although they do believe he was a prophet.
The Quran contains much of the basic information told in the Hebrew Bible as well as additional information.
Women and men dress modestly out of reverence for God. Muslim women are not more submissive than other women. Some argue that Muslim women, in fact, have been treated better than women in other cultures. For example, women in Islam were given the right to vote about 1,400 years ago, centuries before other women. Of course, like many other cultures, patriarchal culture can corrupt Muslim culture.
There are two main sects of Islam: Sunni and Shiite. One of their main differences is in their beliefs about who were the leaders following the death of Muhammad. Sunni, from the Arabic word for "tradition," accepted the succession of Muhammad's elected successors. The majority of Muslims in the world today are Sunnis. Shiite, from the Arabic word for "faction," believe that leaders must be descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali. They rule Iran and also have a sizeable presence in Iraq and Syria.
Muslims follow the lunar calendar. There are two major holidays in Islam: Eid al Adha is at the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and Eid al Fitr is at the end of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar, when it was thought that Muhammad received the Quran.
Facts about the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati opened its 14,000-square-foot mosque in 1995 on an 18-acre campus in West Chester Township, adjacent to Interstate 75.
It is the largest mosque in the region and also has the first Islam-based school, International Academy of Cincinnati, which opened in 2000 and has more than 100 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The preschool has a waiting list, and this year's kindergarten class is full.
More than 5,000 people a year go on the guided tours or use other program resources at the center. To arrange a tour, call the center (513) 755-3280 or visit www.icgc.info (http://www.icgc.info/).
Sources: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050911/NEWS01/509110411/-1/CINCI