Islam

The five pillars of Islam consist of a declaration of faith (shahadah), performing five daily prayers (salat), paying alms to the poor and needy (zakat), fasting during the holy month of Ramadan…

The prophet Mohammed founded the religion of Islam in 7th century Arabia. When he died, the Arabs, unified by his teachings, conquered a vast empire. The warriors who served the empire, and the states…

Like many religions, Islam believes in a final Judgment Day, when people are sent to Paradise or cast into Hell for all of eternity. Before this occurs, various events will take place, sending the…

The term "religious fundamentalism" carries a negative connotation among non-fundamentalists. In the Western media, the term is usually skewed toward specific faiths and extremist groups.…

There are five pillars of Islam: believe in one God and his prophet Muhammad, say daily prayers, give alms to the poor, fast during times of purification and make the hajj, which is the Arabic term…

Muslims celebrate many festivals and holy days throughout the year. Many of these festivals are joyous occasions meant to commemorate a happy event, while some Muslim festivals are more somber in…

Islam has several practices that can help its followers dispel negative energy. By clearing the mind, body and spirit of negative energies, Muslims are free to follow the balanced life that has been…

The Post-Classic Period took place from approximately 900 A.D. to 1521 A.D. in Central America and Mexico. Prior to this, during the Classic Period of 300 A.D. to 900 A.D., Mayans settled in large…

Alcohol can be a controversial subject. While millions of people worldwide undoubtedly enjoy it, there have also been many killed in auto accidents and through other means by those who have used it…

For some, Islam evokes the image of terrorism, while Mormonism is at times reduced to the practice of polygamy. Because of these stereotypes, both religions share a sense of "otherness" that isolates…

"Nafs" is translated as "self", "soul" or "being." It is the essence of being human. In Islam, body and spirit are directly opposed, as spirit is divine and body is of earth. The nafs is the mediator…

The Gregorian calendar used in the West is based on the solar year, the length of time it takes the Earth to travel around the Sun. Lunar calendars are based on the moon's orbit around the Earth.…

People from many religious denominations are converting to the Islamic faith, including Catholics. Prior to a Catholic converting to Islam, he needs to believe what the Islamic teachings say. To best…

Muslims around the world celebrate Eid ul-Fitr (literally, "to break the fast"), also known as Eid. Eid is a celebration held at the end of Ramadan to recognize the completion of a month of fasting.…

The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar is called Ramadan. During this month, Muslims around the world must fast and abstain from food, drink,and other physical needs during daylight hours.…

A duty within Islamic belief is Zakat. Zakat is a willful donation made by stable and capable Muslims to those in need of their charity. The Zakat is a percentage of their total earnings. This amount…

In Islam, contrary to popular belief, a woman is considered to be equal to a man. Real Islam states that a woman is the partner in her husband's life. The woman is an independent individual; she can…

Japan has been rich in tradition for 13,000 years, with families passing down customs for generations. Today, these customs continue to evolve and re-orient themselves to fit into the modern era.…

In response to seemingly unresolvable metaphysical problems, some choose to embrace atheism, agnosticism, or even a combination of both. Sometimes considered a sort of irreligion, atheism and…

The Islamic and Christian worlds were in constant conflict from the 10th through 15th centuries during the periods of Islamic expansion, Crusades and Spanish Reconquista. Asserting religious rights to…

Islamic faithfuls fast (sawm) -- they abstain from taking anything into their body cavities -- during the Holy month of Ramadan, the third of the Five Pillars of Islam. Muslims around the world pray,…

The principles of Islamic religion are strengthened by the five core "pillars" of the religion: Tauheed (Belief), Salah (Prayer), Zakat (Charity), Roza (Fasting) and Hajj (Pilgrimage). Of these,…

The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, marks a month of fasting throughout the Muslim world. Mohammed the prophet directed his followers to refrain from food and drink during the daylight…

The religion of Islam is based upon the notion that there is one God in the universe, Allah. Allah is the creator of human beings and everything else that exists. Islam follows the Qur'an, a book…

The Muslim calendar, often known as the hijra or hijri calendar - begins on July 16 of the year 622 CE. This year is pivotal in Islamic history, because this is the year that Muhammad and his…

The Islamic faith represents the overarching belief in Allah, holding him as the center of their religion and their world, as revealed by Muhammad in the Quran. The word Muslim represents the physical…

Women's roles in Christianity and Islam have been studied extensively. Though there are apparent differences, the number of similarities between these two groups is striking. Both Christianity and…

The Five Pillars of Islam are five significant duties that lay the groundwork for life as a devout Muslim. The Five Pillars are composed of fasting, reverence, faith, pilgrimage and alms giving. If…

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, with 1.3 billion practitioners. It was founded in 622 A.D. in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muslims -- those who practice Islam -- place high expectations and…

Estimates of the total number of Muslims range from 0.7 to 1.8 billion worldwide and 1.1 to 7 million in the U.S. Muslims make up 23 percent of the world's population, with Indonesia being the largest…

Islam is one of the Abrahamic religions. This means that Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, traces its beginning to Abraham, one of the patriarchs discussed in the book of Genesis in the Bible. In…

Farsi is the language spoken in present-day Iran; some older references still call it "Persian." It is often confused with Arabic, but the languages are not the same. Farsi is written in a unique…

Hijabi are Muslim women who veil themselves in public. While the hijab is sometimes a small scarf that only covers the head, it can also be a larger garment that covers a woman's upper or entire body.…

In the United States, there are two levels of power and legal authority: the federal level and the state level. The federal level is the government that unifies and sits atop the different states of…

Muslim teenagers in the USA and the UK face unique challenges to faith and identity in addition to the normal challenges of growing up. They are exposed to a dominant culture that sometimes conflicts…

Islam is a religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century. Believers say that the angel Gabriel delivered a message to Muhammad, from Allah, the Arabian word for God. Muhammad took…

According to the Pew Forum, Islam is the world's second largest religion, with over 1.5 billion adherents across the globe. Under the umbrella of Islam, some adherents have substantially different…

Islamic law touches upon most aspects of Muslim life, including worship and health. Muslim women refrain from prayer during menstrual periods and lochial (after childbirth) bleeding, but resume prayer…

Islamic studies are an integral part of many Muslim children's lives, so that children understand and gain a strong foundation of knowledge about their religion. Islamic studies include a variety of…

Islam is a religion born out of Muslim culture. Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad came to earth to teach people the way of Allah, or God. Islam is a monotheistic faith, which means its…

Islam is the second largest faith worldwide, according to Religioustolerance.com. Only Christianity is more popular. The Prophet Muhammad website estimates that, as of 2011, the worldwide Muslim…

Although many Muslims follow the Western solar or Gregorian calendar for everyday purposes, all Muslims use the lunar Hijiri calendar to determine Islam's holy days and holidays. The Hijiri year has…

Hajj consists of a specific series of rituals performed in and around Mecca during the first 10 days of Dhul-Hijja, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. It is mandatory for all Muslims capable…

While some Muslim women live in poor conditions or face oppression, much of what defines Muslim women's lives are economic, cultural or political issues. An professional woman living in New York City…

Many of the world's great civilizations have produced intricate and sophisticated styles of calligraphy. Islamic civilization has proven no different in this regard and possesses a long tradition with…

As the world's second largest religion, Islam is followed by over a billion people on all continents of the world, and is the main religion of the Middle East, northern Africa and parts of Southeast…

From the first light of day until the sun sets, Muslims observe fasting during the month of Ramadan. One of Islam's Five Pillars, Sawm -- fasting -- is a means of spiritual and physical…

Buddhism and Christianity are two major world religions that are practiced by hundreds of millions of people around the world. These religions were started thousands of years ago by two very different…

In order to provide the members with the Catholic Church with a list of the minimum spiritual activities expected of them, the Five Precepts of the Church were given so that they may be guided. Not…

Arabic calligraphy is a world-renowned art form and writing script that can be seen on buildings and art all across the Middle East. The Arabic language is a Semitic one from the same family as Hebrew…

Raising children in Islam requires an in-depth knowledge of the religious principles that govern the faith, as well as the ability to function well within the dominant culture. The Prophet Muhammad is…

The Persian language of Farsi is the main language spoken in Iran, and is also used in Afghanistan and Armenia. For an English speaker it can be a challenging language to learn, as the writing,…

Persian culture remains a mystery to many in the West because of its ancient history, art and culture. Perhaps the best way to learn is to delve into language. A study of Dari and Farsi, two branches…

Ramadan is the holy month for Muslims in which they observe fasting from sunrise to sunset. Although not mandatory for children, they may fast just for the sake of it. To distract them from the…

Farsi is a challenging language for English speakers to learn, but you can learn basic phrases for use in travel or everyday exchanges. Try taking a Farsi course at a major university, study Farsi…

Disciplining children in the 1950s has often been regarded as strict, harsh and oppressive. In fact, children were often meant to be "seen but not heard." Benjamin Spock's "Baby and Child Care," which…

Buddhism and Islam are two of the largest religions in the world. Although most people only think of the differences between these two major religions, some similarities unite them as well. Finding…

Zakat, generally interpreted as alms giving, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Together with daily prayer, pilgrimage to Mecca, acknowledgment of Allah as the one true god, and fasting during…

New Testament doctrines prohibit divorce in nearly all circumstances, while Jewish doctrines allow men to divorce their wives for any reason. Islam falls somewhere in between. Muslims view marriage as…

Like most religions, Islam has a tradition by which a newborn is welcomed into the world and the faith. The specifics of this tradition are drawn from the Sunnah: The sayings and living habits of The…

Islam was founded in the 7th Century C.E. by the Prophet Muhammad in what is today Saudi Arabia. The Five Pillars of Islam, which are activities that all Muslims are expected to perform, are Sawm, or…

Islamic architecture brings a distinct image to Middle Eastern cities that sets them apart from their counterparts throughout the rest of the world. Once the center of architectural innovation where…

Islamic summer schools are like other religious summer camps where students are taught about religious teachings while focusing on general education and physical activities. Islamic summer schools…

The modern world has shown a heightened awareness of the Islamic religion due to its influence and accelerated growth. Many misconceptions about this religion have emerged due to the actions of…

Islam is a religion that originated in Mecca, Arabia. Followers of the Islamic faith are called Muslims and they worship only one god called Allah. The five duties of the Islam religion are a set of…

Muslims and non-Muslims alike may be interested in studying Islam as a historical and political phenomenon, and its impact on the arts and sciences. Colleges and universities have met this demand with…

The five pillars of Islam are five acts central to Islamic life. They include acts that are performed by Muslims daily, and acts that some Muslims never have the opportunity to complete. While these…

The five pillars of Islam are five acts that are considered essential to Sunni Islamic religious commitment and are regularly practiced by Muslims worldwide. Learning about the five pillars of Islam…

Islam, a religion founded in the 7th Century C.E. in the Arabian Peninsula by the Prophet Muhammad, is the second-largest and fastest-growing of the major world religions. There are five major…

Marriage is a sacred duty, according to Islamic law; Muslims are urged to enter into the contract with a clear understanding of the religious implications. A non-Muslim man seeking to propose to a…

Islam has long been misunderstood in Western Europe and the Americas, and like many poorly understood subjects, good information on Islam can get lost in a sea of myths and misconceptions. Several…

Islam is a major world religion founded in the Arabian Peninsula by the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century A.D. Central to Islam are its Five Pillars, which are the shahada, or profession of faith;…

The five commandments in the Islamic faith are most commonly referred to as the Five Pillars of Islam. These are the five moral codes pertaining to Allah, Arabic for "god," who decrees what is right…

With about 1.2 billion followers, Islam is the second most popular religion in the world, after Christianity. Islam is most widespread in countries of the Persian Gulf, North Africa, India and…

The Qu'ran's Surah 1:6 presents Islam's principles of living in accordance with Allah's wishes, which are known as the Five Pillars. These obligations provide the framework for virtuous Muslim life,…

For those interested in the religion of Islam and Muslim culture, several schools around the country provide classes designed to accommodate the lifestyles of working adults. Interested adult…

Worldwide, more than 1 billion people practice Islam. Like most religious cultures, the Islamic religion has specific rituals that are followed during and after the birth of a child. When a child is…

Islam, among the world's most wide-spread religions, is practiced in many countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Indonesia. People from those countries…

Although cities in the Southeastern United States tend not to have very large Muslim populations, there is a significant enough group of Muslim families in the greater Atlanta area to support several…

The marriage is not a partnership of equals in Islam, and women have significantly less rights than men. For example, according to the Revival, a website for Muslim youth, a husband has a right to…

Islamic boarding schools aim to marry the ideals of Western education with the traditional spiritual edification of the Muslim tradition. Outside of the predominantly Islamic nations in the Middle…

Trying to explain the tenets of another religion to your students can be a difficult task. They have so many emotional ties with the things they believe in that discussing an alternative belief system…

Islam, from the Arabic word for "submission," teaches submission to God. An Islamic believer is called a Muslim or "one who submits." With more than 1 billion believers, it is one of the world's…

For years, Muslim communities in non-Muslim countries have stressed the need for all-girl Muslim schools. In all-girl schools, 100 percent of the teacher's attention is given to girls, unlike other…

In the Islamic calendar, the year is tracked by the lunar cycle, meaning each month starts on the day of the new moon. This method of time keeping makes the Islamic calendar a lunar one. The standard…

The post-Vedic era in India is also referred to as medieval India. This period lasted about 500 years, from AD 1000 to AD 1565. During this time India suffered from many foreign invasions, such as…

Deciphering the construals of Islamic fundamentalism means defining the term in a way that puts the practice into a comprehensible context. Fundamentalism exists and is practiced by extreme…

Puppetry and puppets are a highly developed cultural form in many Southeast Asian countries. While this is not particularly true of Brunei, the country is incorporating some of these regional…

The Koran, the holy scripture of Islam, forbids Muslims to charge interest. As with the Hebrew Scriptures, the Koran places lending in the category of charity, and so regards interest as a form of…

The number of Muslims in the world is estimated to be 700 million to 1.2 billion, with 1.1 to 7 million residing in the U.S. With 21 percent of people following Islam, it is the world's second-largest…

Many activities for Islamic children can be tailored to certain times of the year when Muslims have special events such as Ramadan, the fasting month. Other activities can be related to seasons such…

Bad breath is a particularly relevant issue for Muslims around the time of Ramadan due to the fasting required during daylight hours. The causes of bad breath, or halitosis, are wide ranging and can…

Several cultures around the world forbid or discourage the drinking of alcohol, often for religious reasons. As a result, many countries and areas ban the sale and consumption of alcohol. The level of…

The daily lives and family rituals of Muslims remain a mystery to people who have not explored their cultures and religious beliefs. A Muslim's upbringing will affect the type of person he or she…

Members of the Islamic faith are required to perform five duties at various intervals throughout their lives. These duties, called the Five Pillars of Islam, were set forth by the prophet Muhammed and…

The dinar is the official currency in the Islamic countries of Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Serbia, Sudan, Yemen and Tunisia. The dinar of these countries is paper. The new…

Islamic divorce is permitted, but only under extreme circumstances of necessity. Young wives, under nine years, can be divorced quickly, even by young boys who are their husbands. Older, more mature…

Something that surprises many people, is that divorcing in Islam is acceptable. It's also important to take family and other things into consideration when planning to divorce. The procedures are…

The Dark Ages were not at all dark for some. Islamic scientists were busy gathering, synthesizing, and making progress on the science other cultures across the Eastern hemisphere had already done. The…

Instead of using drawings to display religious beliefs and stories, those in the Islamic tradition use Arabic calligraphy instead. Khalid Mubireek with the Islamic Arts and Architecture Organization…

From the early eighth century through at least the end of the 15th century, Muslim rulers controlled territory stretching from present-day Spain in the west to India in the east, and from present-day…

Muslims enroll their children in Islamic schools to teach them the morals and ethics of the Islamic religion in an educational environment. Islamic schools work with students to strengthen and develop…

Preparing to integrate from a Western culture into an Islamic perspective carries its own set of challenges that require research and preparation. Whether you are moving to a Muslim country, working…

Islam's influence on ancient West African architecture dates to the 8th century with the arrival of Muslim traders. Arab Muslims incorporated existing indigenous architectural elements into designs…

Iranian or Persian architecture has been in existence since 5000 B.C. Although Iranian architecture has a variance of buildings, which include huts of common folk, the most noted examples are the…

Islamic centers of learning can exist for a number of reasons and have different specializations. Some centers are set up exclusively to teach Arabic, the original language of the Quran. Since…

In Islam there are several different schools of thought, and each of them have their rulings based on their interpretations of the Quran and the traditions of their prophet, Muhammad. Although they…

Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with more than one billion followers. It was founded in the 7th century by Muhammad, to whom Islam's holy book, the Quran, was revealed. Since…

Tioman Island is the largest of 64 volcanic islands located in the South China Sea. Officially part of Pahang, the largest state in peninsular Malaysia, Tioman Island lies about 40 miles off the east…

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world with approximately one billion followers. The clothing worn by Muslims is of many different styles and colors, and varies according to culture,…

Several religions believe in the concept of a paradisaical afterlife, where those who have lived according to the faith's teaching will live for eternity. Islam's afterlife is a concept that is simple…

The International Islamic University in Islamabad, Pakistan, is a major institution of higher learning geared toward Muslim scholars from the Middle East and abroad. While the school is founded upon…

A library catalogue is a comprehensive, organized list of a library's contents: It refers to maps, periodical archives, artwork, computer files, microfilm, and, of course, books. Library catalogues…

Although new converts to Islam are not required to change their names, many take new names upon conversion. Some converts must change their names because their name's meaning is forbidden in Islam.…

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, is intended to draw attention to the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is when it is traditionally believed that the Prophet Mohammed was given the…

Numerology is the ancient practice of reading signification into numbers and patterns of numbers, and in Islam, just as in many faith and mystical traditions, this practice has a long and interesting…

Members of the Muslim or Islamic faith are passionate about their prayer rituals, many of which include using a prayer bracelet to keep count of a desired number of times one should invoke the name of…

Like everyone else, Muslims experience depression. The Qur'an and Islamic Hadith offers prescriptions for the treatment of depression in Muslims. Enriching one's Islamic faith, admitting…

Islam is an often misunderstood religion in America and other parts of the world today. These misunderstandings have led to violence and shameful acts of intolerance. Knowledge is power and…

In Islam every command upon the Muslims is authentically rooted in the Qur'an---the revealed Speech of Allah---and in the Sunnah, the revealed and authentic practices of the Messenger, Muhammad (may…

"Dating" as defined in Western culture does not exist in Islam. Interaction between Muslim men and women is reserved solely with marriage in mind. Muslims who are able to marry are encouraged to do…

In keeping with Islamic tradition, the method in which names are given to children follows a 1,400-year-old formula.

The foundations of Islam are the Five Pillars of Faith. Every Muslim is obligated to perform each pillar. The only exception to obligation is Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca. That is required if one is…

Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca, is the last of the Five Pillars of Islam. If a Muslim is physically and financially able, he is obligated to make pilgrimage. It is also possible for a Muslim to…

The Arabic word, "Islam," means "submission" and to that extent, creating an Islamic home is in keeping with submission to the prophet Muhammad and the words revealed to him by Allah in the Quran.…

Islam is not only a religion but also a culture and there are many facets to understanding this way of life. Colleges both on and offline offer classes in Islam these days, but it's more than just a…

Islamic culture requires both men and women to wear clothes that cover the body, as the Creator intended when he made humans with thin skin and little fur. The clothing reflects more than modesty--it…

Muslims all over the world observe the Day of Arafat on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul-Hajj. During this month thousands of Muslims all over the world travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to…

So, you want to convert to Islam and become a Muslim. You will be joining the world's second largest religion. Islam means "submission," and Muslim means "one who submits to God." The religion…

Making Islam part of your life can be an enriching transition. Belief in God (Allah in Arabic) is the basic structure of the Islamic faith. Under Islamic belief, God is the creator of the universe,…