Religion and Theology

Several definitions and interpretations are being attributed to the term Islam. Some say that the word is Arabic which means submission or surrender of ones will to the only true god worthy of worship Allah. The term also denotes peace which, according to Muslims, results when the individual has submitted himself or herself totally to the will of Allah (Philips, n.d.). According to some writers, it is being described in the Quran as a way of life, from the Arabic word Deen and that the follower of Islam is called a Muslim  a term which when translated literally, means one who surrenders or submits to the will of God (Hakim, 2009). The followers of Islam maintain that their religion is the original monotheistic religion which subscribes to the creed There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his Messenger. This creed could be taken to mean that the Muslims recognize that Allah, their God, is the only source of authority of their religion and that He made Muhammad His messenger when He entrusted the Quran (their sacred texts) to him (Fisher, 2005). As a matter of fact, in an article entitled Jews in the Quran An Introduction, Aisha Y. Musa writes that Islam is the religion of all the prophets from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses, Jesus and Mohammad (as cited in Hakim, 2009).

Origin and history
According to the beliefs of the Muslims, Islam could be traced back to as early as the time of Abraham. While they admit that the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad took place much later  in fact five centuries after Jesus Christ died on the cross - the Muslims believe that the event (revelation) only marked the renaissance of Islam as a religion after it sank into insignificance and oblivion when Abraham and his monotheistic religious ideas were rejected by the Meccans (Fisher, 2005).  

According to the Quran, Muhammad, the messenger of Allah, descended from Abraham who fled to the Becca Valley (now called Mecca) with Hagar, an Egyptian slave, and their son, Ishmael. Abraham was forced to flee when his wife, Sarah, also gave birth to a baby boy (Isaac) and became extremely jealous of Hagar and Ishmael. The belief goes that it was Abraham, with the help of Ishmael, who later built the holiest sanctuary of Islam in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Kabah, as the sanctuary is called, remains to this day the destination of Muslims during the hajj, their holy pilgrimage to Mecca. The birth of Muhammad was recorded to have taken place in 570 CE. His parents were from a poor clan who Muslims believe descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham (Fisher, 2005).  

Muhammad married Khadijah, a forty-year-old businesswoman when he was twenty-five years old. It was his wife who later stood by him and gave him all the support he needed when he was faced with all kinds of difficulties during the first few years of his mission as Allahs messenger and prophet. According to Muhammads personal accounts, the series of revelations of the Quran started when he was forty years old. An angel appeared before him during one of his spiritual retreats in a cave in Mt. Hira sometime in 610 CE. The angel made him recite something which he refused because he found it difficult, being an illiterate. The angel made the request three times and each time he refused to do as requested. The angel persisted, and after the fourth request, Muhammad relented, giving it his best in spite of his inadequacy. It turned out that the words given by the angel during that first revelation were actually the first words of the Quran which described the creation how God created man and then provided him with his material as well as intellectual needs. The exact words as dictated by the angel were

Proclaim (or Recite)
In the name
Of thy Lord and Cherisher,
Who created
Created man, out of
A (mere) clot
Of congealed blood
Proclaim And thy Lord
Is Most Bountiful,-
He Who taught
(The use of) the Pen,-
Taught man that
Which he knew not (Fisher, 2005).

That was only the first revelation. Several more episodes followed, albeit intermittently, and each time, more revelations were made. The events were described by Muhammad in the following words Revelation sometimes comes like the sound of a bell that is the most painful way. When it ceases I have remembered what was said. Sometimes it is an angel who talks to me like a human, and I remember what he says.  During the first three years, Muhammad shared the revelations only with his wife, Khadijah, and a few people whom he trusted and who believed in him Ali, who was his cousin, a freed slave named Zayd, and Abu Bakr, his friend who was a trader by profession. However, on the fourth year, he was told to share the revelations with the public. That started his career as a preacher, fulfilling his role as Allahs messenger. Since then, Islam has grown into the second largest religious denomination in the world, second only to Christianity, claiming a following of as much as twenty percent of the worlds population (Fisher, 2005).

Muhammads early years as a preacher were not easy. He was able to win converts to Islam but he and his group suffered from persecution at the hands of the Qurayshites  the influential class of aristocrats in Mecca. His uncle, who also wielded some influence during the time failed to provide Muhammad and his small group of converts enough protection from the Qurayshite persecution. Consequently, Muhammad and his followers were exiled to a very desolate and isolated place. Leaves of trees and some wild fruits were the only available sources of food. The survived that period of exile which lasted for three years and were allowed to return to Mecca afterwards. However, the persecution did not stop. At the age of fifty, Muhammad experienced the darkest moments of his life. Historians refer to this period as the Year of Sorrows. The reasons were the deaths of his wife, his staunchest supporter, and his uncle, who was trying his best to provide him with the much-needed protection from the Qurayshites. According to the Islamic tradition, the Night of Ascension took place during that difficult period in the life of Muhammad. During that night, Muhammad supposedly ascended into heaven and met the prophets who came before him such as Adam, Abraham, and Jesus Christ in Divine proximity. He was also able to see firsthand both hell and paradise, and was later blessed by the Divine Presence (Fisher 2005, 366).

Muhammad and his Muslim converts later decided to leave Mecca in order to escape the Qurayshite persecution. They moved to al-Medina (the called Yathrib) sometime in 622 CE  a migratory movement that is now known as the hijrah and which is considered by historians as the beginning of the Muslim era. In al-Medina, Muhammad went to work strengthening his group. However, the Qurayshites declared war against Muhammad and his Muslim converts before they could really acquire enough strength. Hence, war between Mecca and al-Medina erupted. By 630 CE, Muhammads group finally developed enough strength and resources to pose a very imminent threat against the Qurayshites. They eventually conquered Mecca without a fight. Muhammad made a journey back to Mecca to re-establish it as Islams holy sanctuary chose to make al-Medina his home. It was there where he established the spiritual and political center of Islam and even made it the launching pad of his campaign to spread the Islamic faith. Eventually, northern Africa, Bahrain, Oman, and the Persian states of Yemen became Islamic states. Unfortunately, Muhammad died in 632 CE in al-Medina from a fatal illness which he contracted during his final pilgrimage to Mecca for the eleventh year of the Muslim era (Fisher, 2005).  
The Shia and Sunni Muslims
The birth of Muhammad also signaled the rebirth of Islam. His life and teachings rejuvenated Islam, giving it new strength and vigor, and finally turned it into a world religious power. Unfortunately, his death rocked and brought chaos into the Muslim world by causing a serious and irreconcilable split among the followers of Islam, giving way to the emergence of the Shia and Sunni Muslims. The Shia-Sunni split resulted from the issue of succession. When Muhammad died, many Muslims believed that he did not name a successor. Therefore, the prevailing belief was that his successor should be named according to a process which would satisfy the majority of Muslims in order to prevent any dissension in the ranks of Muslim. An election was therefore decided upon and two candidates emerged in the persons of Abu Bakr (from the majority) and the minoritys Ali (Fisher, 2005).

Abu Bakr, also known as El Siddik or Al-Siddiq a name which means The Upright, was a close friend of Muhammad. He was among the first who converted to Islam although he came from a rich family because of his longtime friendship with Muhammad. He was also one of those personally chosen by Muhammad to accompany him to al-Medina for the hijrah. His daughter, Aishah, later became Muhammads wife. Muhammad, just before he died, requested Abu Bakr to offer up a prayer for the people. Because of that request, the followers of Abu Bakr were led to believe that Muhammad had anointment Abu Bakr to succeed him. His followers, therefore, nominated him to be the first caliph who will succeed Muhammad at the helm of the Muslim world (Snell, 2008).

According to a minority faction, however, Muhammad anointed Ali, his brother-in-law when he said, several weeks before he died that Whoever I protect, Ali is also his protector. O God, be a friend to whoever is his friend and an enemy to whoever is his enemy. Ali was not only Muhammads son-in-law but also a cousin. For these reasons, his group really expected him to succeed Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community, being the closest surviving blood relative (Fisher, 2005). However, the majority group won the election and Abu Bakr became the first caliph of the Muslim world. Abu Bakr died on August 23, 634 under unknown circumstances, although there was a suspicion that he was poisoned (Snell, 2008).  

Abu Bakr started the tradition of empowering the current caliph to name his successor. So the next two caliphs came from the majority. The second caliph was Umar (Fisher, 2005) and the third was Uthman, a member of the Umayyad house. His rule started the Umayyad Dynasty (UMAYYADS, the first Muslim dynasty 661-750). Ali finally became caliph in 656 CE but the irreconcilable differences between the majority and the minority factions prevented him from exercising complete control over the whole Muslim community. He was assassinated in 661 by a Khawarij or a seceder (Fisher, 2005).
 The fifth caliph, Muawiya b. Abi Sufyan, also came from the Umayyad house. When time came, he appointed his son, Yazid, to succeed him (UMAYYADS, the first Muslim dynasty 661-750).  However, Alis son, Husayn ibnAli, an Imam of the Shia faction, challenged the decision because, according to him, Yazid would be the third Ummayad to occupy the caliphate, therefore the appointment would effectively institutionalize the rule of the Umayyad dynasty. When his protest was ignored, Husayn led a rebellion but his force was slaughtered by a much superior force loyal to Yazid (Imam Husaynb IbnAli, 2008).  
 
The two events  the assassination of Ali and the killing of his son, Husayn, were the main causes of the permanent split in the Muslim world. The majority faction became known as the Sunni Muslims while the minority group became the Shia Muslims. The Sunnis are traditionalists who are loyal to the caliphs. The loyalty of the Shia Muslims, on the other hand, is to their Imams, the first three of whom were Ali, Hasan.(Alis older son), and Husayn. These two factions have never reconciled.  The Shia Muslims now form the majority faction in Iran, while the Sunnis are the majority in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, northern African countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union, and Indonesia (Fisher, 2005).

Basic Practices
Their basic practices consist of what they call the Five Pillars and the Jihad. The Five Pillars of Islam are Beliefs and witness Daily prayers Zakat Fasting and Hajj.

Beliefs and witness
Every Muslim, without resorting to the use of force or intimidation, are obliged to spread the words of Islam so that other people may know about it, understand it, and use the knowledge to guide them in choosing their faith. They are convinced that once non-Muslims acquire enough knowledge, they would voluntarily embrace Islam (Fisher, 2005).

Daily Prayers
Prayers should be recited five times a day while facing the direction of Mecca.  It is believed that requiring every Muslim to face Mecca symbolizes unity among the devotees of Islam around the world, while the daily prayer emphasizes Islams teaching that every Muslim should remember God everyday of his or her life (Fisher, 2005). Their daily prayer is called salat and consists of the Fajr (morning prayer) the Zuhr (noon prayer) the Asr (afternoon prayer) the Maghrib (sunset prayer) and the Isha (night prayer).  

Zakat
Zakat, the third pillar, means spiritual tithing and almsgiving.  Muslims are enjoined to help the poor by donating part of their annual income to charities of their choice. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, channels its contribution through the Islamic Relief Organization which aids people around the world regardless of their religion. Other Muslims could give their contribution to their local mosques (Fisher, 2005).

Fasting
Every year, the first Quranic revelation is celebrated with a month-long fasting called Ramadan.  All able Muslims are required to abstain from food, drink, sexual intercourse, and smoking from dawn to dusk.  Although fasting during Ramadan is an obligation, fasting, per se, is advised from time to time because it provides an individual with a Transparent Soul to Transcend, a Clear Mind to think and a Light Body to move and act (Fisher, 2005). Ramadan is considered as their holiest period which every Muslim who is over 12 years old is expected to observe except if he or she is sick (Robinson, 2009).

Hajj
The last Pillar  the Hajj  is a pilgrimage which every Muslim is expected to make provided that he or she is financially and physically capable even only once during his or her lifetime to honor Allah.  Their pilgrimage destination is Kabah, their holiest sanctuary in Mecca (Fisher, 2005). According to the Council on Islamic Education, The Hajj consists of several ceremonies, meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of prophet Abraham and his family (Robinson, 2009).

Jihad
Jihad means struggle. It is often misinterpreted by non-Muslims because it has often been portrayed by the western media as a term for holy war being waged by Muslims against non-Muslims. However, for Muslims, Jihad is actually a personal struggle to excel in ones work or achieve a noble objective. It also means a Muslims struggle for self-purification (Robinson, 2009).

Islamic view on Jesus Christ
Muslims believe that Jesus Christ existed. They believe that He was the son of Mary and Joseph and that He was, in fact, one of Gods prophets. However, they do not believe in the biblical concept of Jesus Christ. They do not believe, for instance, that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God because this was emphasized in the Qurans several passages. One of such passages follows They say, God has taken to Him a sonSay Those who forge against God falsehood shall not prosper. They also consider those who believe that Jesus Christ was God Incarnate to be committing a shirk or what they call the one unforgivable sin. Finally, Muslims believe that Muhammad was superior than Jesus Christ because he was the last of the prophets. Therefore, he was the one who received the final set of revelations from God (Ankerberg and Weldon, n.d.).

How does one become a Muslim
The first step for one to take if he or she wants to be a Muslim is to recite the Shahada. It is known as the testimony of faith. The original text of the Shahada is ASH-HADU ANLA ELAHA ILLA-ALLAH WA ASH-HADU ANNA MOHAMMADAN RASUL-ALLAH. Translated in English, it means I bear witness that there is no deity (none truly to be worshipped) but Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammad is the messenger of Allah. After reciting the Shahada, one should adopt a very firm conviction in the beliefs just recited. Then he or she should comply with the teachings of the religion (the five pillars and jihad) and believe with all his or heart that Muhammad is really the messenger and prophet of Allah.

Afterwards, the convert should be purified. This is being done by letting him or her take a complete bath. After taking the complete bath, he or she is required to turn his or her back on all kinds of polytheism, including any false beliefs. Finally, he should comply with the Islamic motto which says Laa Ilaha Illallah by vowing to reject evil and be righteous (IslamWorld, n.d.).