What is Islam | Muslim Religion | Prophet Mohammed

His denounced the then current rituals of idol worship and so was under constant attack from others who saw him as a threat to their religion (polytheism – worship multiple Gods). He was always on the run, giving discourses and to spreading the truth about Allah. The established clergy at the time felt threatened, so took action against him. At the time, he told his followers whoever died for him would enter Heaven (Jihad) – which was true while the prophet was alive. After other arabs acknowledged him, the Jews laughed at his status and in fear of losing the caravan trade in Mecca – raged several battles against Prophet Mohammed. The rest is history.

Muslims believe Allah sent the angel Gabriel to Mohammed to reveal his “Word”, written in the holy Quran. The basic essence is the pillars of Islam which tend to unify all believers – these pillars are very simple concepts and short; made for the common man.

1. Faith – There is no God worthy of worship except God and Mohammed is His messenger. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la ilaha illa Llah – ‘there is no God except God’; ilaha (God) can refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God – wealth, power, and the like. In Christianity the Bible says ‘no graven images’ – same concept.
2. Prayers – five times a day, typically facing Mecca where the Prophet had his vision. These prayers are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests – well, not suppose to be. These days some states are ruled under Islamic law.
3. Alms – all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust (we are only guests in this world)
4. Fasting – Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations
5. The Hajj – every Muslim should go to Mecca at least once in a lifetime to pray and receive blessing

What is Islam (Religion of Muslims)

Islam at its root is a beautiful religion which believes in the literal verses of the Holy Qu’ran. Is is simple and morally beneficial to its followers, that’s what is Islam. It has changed however from the time the Prophet was alive (see why here). When Islam was first formed the leaders had great respect for Jesus Christ and Christians, acknowledging both as true and great. But as the centuries rolled by, Christians found Muslims to be a threat and so commenced a Holy war (also known as the Crusades. The Church ordered an army to retake Jerusalem after Muslims had held it for centuries). After that, the respect and love was never the same.

Till this day, the two great religions of the world are like enemies, even though on the surface there is a pretence of tolerance. This is of course the work of the negative force, encouraging hatred and division so people are enslaved within the illusion. Funnily enough though, the respect and worship of Jesus is enshrined in the Qu’ran and Islamic faith. So much so that Muslims believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ – actually, they believe He never died on the cross. And when Jesus does come down from Heaven He will announce Islam as the one and only great true religion. Even more funny, quite ridiculous if you think about it, is the origin of Islam and Judaism. Abraham had two sons (from different women), Ishmael is considered the ancestor of Arabs, and Isaac the ancestor of Jews. So in theory all three great religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism have the same grandfather; yet they all fight like silly children.

In many Muslims countries the weekend starts on Friday (Iran is Thursday). On Friday they normally go to mosques to pray just like Christians do on Sundays. In some places women are not allowed in, if allowed they stay at the back. Women during menstruation are considered highly ‘spiritually’ impure and unclean and so they cannot enter the mosque or participate in many rituals.

Where Islam has fundamental differences to other religions is in merit or repentance. Buddhists take refuge at the Buddha’s feet, Christians have faith that Jesus shed blood for them, but Muslims must earn their way to Heaven through the 5 pillars mentioned above and giving a few percent of their income/wealth to charity or the religion. And even if they do penance, their entry to Heaven is not assured except by Jihad.

Islam has two major sects, the difference is  they disagree about the legitimate successors of Mohammed. About 85 percent of all Muslims are Sunni and around 10 percent Shi’ite (the more radical of the two).  Most Muslims are like most other faiths, pretty ordinary and only want to have a comfortable life free of trouble for their loved ones.

The very few that are extreme have created more harm than good for Islam and Muslims worldwide. One or two bad apples have spoiled the whole batch!