Islamic Life

Intro:  Being islamic or a muslim has a lot of responsibilities.  When you are done reading this, you will know all you need and want to know about the religion Islam.
Founder:  The founder of the Islamic religion was Muhammad.  He was born in Mecca, around 570B.C.  His father died before he was born and his mother died when he was only six years old leaving him to his uncle who raised him.  As he grew older he joined a tribe.  He was known, as the trusted one is his tribe because of his calm demeanor.

Sacred Texts:  Sacred texts mean a lot to the people of Islam.  There are two main texts, The Qur'an (picture to the right) also known as recitation in Arabic the Hadith. The Qur'an is the main book that is the exact word of God that was then passed onto Muhammad.  The Hadith is the secondary book which touches on the writings that Muhammad and his followers or disciples said.  The Hadith was also known as the tradition of the Prophet. Muslims, people who followed Islam beliefs and worship in the right ways, thought that the Qur'an was flawless.  There are 113 books in the Qur'an. Other texts that they use are the Suhufi-Lbrahim, Tawrat, Zabur, and Injil.

People who follow Islam: Today, there are 1.3 billion people who follow Islam and are considered Muslims.  The majority of them are located in Indonesia and Pakistan which are both Non-Arab countries, but they are also located in Middle East and North America. 

Their holidays: Muslims only celebrate a few holidays but they are very important. Al-Hijra or also known as Muharram is the Islamic New Year (pictured to the top, right) which is celebrated on the first day of Muharram.  During this day, Muslims don't have to attend a religious ceremony but they are expected to take time to reflect on the year coming up. 

      Ramadan is often mistaken for a holy day where as it is a holy month.  It is often in September or the ninth month in the Muslim calendar.  It is a time of penance which Islam's consider a direct command from God. During Ramadan (as photographed on the bottom, right), those who are able must abstain from evil thoughts and deeds, food and drink (including water), and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk for the entire month with no exceptions.  When the year's shift and the Ramadan falls in the summer, some find it harder to stay true to their religious beliefs.   

       Ashura is another one of their holidays.  observed on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year. The word Ashura means "10," denoting the date of the holiday.  Ashura as a day of fasting from sunset to sunset.  It observes two other events or days, The day of Nuh which is the day of Noah and the day of Musa which is the day of Moses.  Ashura is observed for many reasons as well as in many different ways.

     Eid al Fitr ends the long month of fasting to Muslims.  It is a feast followed by a festival that is basically a celebration for the ending of the fasting time.  People dress up in their finest clothing, make visits to family members and friends, decorate their homes with lights and candles, and give treats to the young ones.  It is a time of happiness for everyone. 

     Mawlid Al Nabi is yet another one of the many holidays that Muslims believe in.  It is a day that Muslims take very seriously.  Mawlid Al Nabi is the day to remember the Birthday of Muhammad who foundered their religion.  Mawlid was first celebrated in the 13th century and was followed by a month of celebration.

Hierarchy and Organization: Muslims did not have any kind of hierarchy.  They believed that when someone prayed they should be praying directly to God and not through anyone, not even through a priest or pope.  It is extremely important for their beliefs and/or problems to get to God fast.

Particular clothing: Tradition Muslims usually wear under scarves, most long sleeve shirts or tops, shawls, some even certain clothes for prayer times.  many people take praying very serious so they have certain clothes to maintain their appearance for God. Women are expected to wear skirts and flat shoes, most Muslims are not supposed to wear high heels unless they have initially made that decision on their own.

Rituals and Customs: Muslims believe in many things.  Some of them are: Six articles of Faith, God, Afterlife, Human Nature, Prophets, Salvation, and views of other faiths.  The Six Articles of Faith are simply more beliefs that the Muslims follows.  God basically believes that the God rules afterlife, the life in which you go to after you have died, and that he created everything on Earth.  Human Nature kind of the same thing as Mother Nature, meaning that the Human Nature controls storms and other natural things that occur.  The Muslims symbol is the crescent moon with a star above it. (Located Left)

Number of Followers and Their Location: Today there are 1.3 billion people who follow Islam, believe in the same things, or call themselves Muslims.  The most populated area with Muslims are in Indonesia and Pakistan, both non-Arab countries, but they are also scattered throughout America.