[WikiGem] Islam

Islam is the religious dispensation brought into being by Muḥammad (Arabic: محمد) (c. 570 CE – 8 June 632 CE). The word Islam is derived from the Arabic word salima (submission, peace), in reference to the centrality of willing submission to the Teachings of God in Islam. The word Islam can be used as a universal theological name of all religions, and is often used this way by followers of Islam, who call themselves Muslims.

Islam is centered around the Qur'an, or recitation, which was revealed by Muḥammad over a period of 23 years; the Qur'an is considered by Muslims to be composed of verses received by Muḥammad as the direct Word of God. It contains laws, teachings, and precepts covering many aspects of individual and social life and fostering the development and spread of the nation-state throughout the world.

Five teachings in Islám are commonly referred to as the five pillars, and make up the core of an individual Muslim's duty towards God:

1. The Islamic profession of faith (shahadah): "There is no god but God, and Muḥammad is God's Messenger".

2. To say the obligatory prayer (Salah) five times a day, facing the Ka'aba in Mecca.

3. Giving alms (Zakat) to the needy once a year is a duty.

4. Fasting in the month of Ramadan.

5. A pilgrimage to Mecca once in the course of one's lifetime, for all Muslims who have the means.

After the death of the Prophet Muḥammad, there was disagreement among His followers as who should lead the community of Muslims and whether that leadership should be primarily religious or governmental in nature. Over the following decades Muslims split into two camps: the Sunnís and the Shí‘ihs. The Sunnís, led by Abu Bakr, a close companion of Muḥammad and the father of His favored wife, believed that the Qur'án contained all the guidance they would need. They elected Abu Bakr as their Caliph, a role primarily focused on leading the emerging Muslim nation-state. The Shí‘ihs held that Muḥammad had intended His son-in-law `Ali ibn Abi Talib to succeed Him as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community.

References

• Aslan, Reza (2005). No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. USA: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6213-6.
• Balyuzi, Hasan (1976). Muḥammad and the Course of Islám. London, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853984786.
• Muḥammad (2008). The Qur'án. Oxford World's Classics Hardcovers. Translated by Abdul Haleem, Muḥammad. Oxford, England, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192805487.

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