Islam
Muslims are the followers of Islam.
All about Islam
Islam is one of the biggest religions in the world. The religion is monotheistic (like Christianity and Judaism), and an Abrahamic religion where the religious text was recorded in their holy book, the Quran, written in the Arabic language. Muslims, the followers of Islam, believe in Allah, their god. The foundation of the religion are the five pillars of Islam. They also have many different holidays and holy sites that are very important to them. As you can see, Islam is a very complex religion.
The holy book
This is the holy book for Muslims. It is called the Quran.
Symbol
This is the symbol of Islam. It is a crescent with a star above it.
The five pillars of Islam
Muslims' foundation of life is based on the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars of Islam are how they should maintain their life. The first pillar is the most important of them all, belief (Shahada) in the one true god, Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger. The second pillar is prayer (Salat). Muslims must pray five times a day. They pray at sunrise, mid-day, late afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. The third pillar is charity (Zakah). They must spend a portion of their income for the benefit of the poor and needy. This is a considered a worship to Allah. The fourth pillar is fasting (Sawm). Every year, in the month of Ramadan (the ninth month of the year), all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown. They cannot eat or drink during fasting. The fifth pillar is pilgrimage (hajj) to Makkah, their holy city. They must fulfill this at least once in their lifetime only if they can. These are the main beliefs of Muslims.
Holidays
Two of the most important holidays for Muslims are Ramadan and Eid al Fitr. Ramadan happens during the ninth month where Muslims fast from dawn to sundown. They are not allowed to eat or drink anything. During the month of Ramadan, they increase prayers and they try to avoid bad deeds. Eid al Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan. Muslims celebrate Eid al Fitr by giving each other gifts and with a big feast with family. Muslim holidays are celebrated with great joy.
Ramadan
Muslims are finally eating after sundown.
Eid ul-Fitr
This is the celebration of the end of the month of Ramadan.
Holy cities/places
Muslims have many holy places that are important to them. One of them is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. It is important to them because it is believed to be the place where Muhammad went to heaven. Another holy city for them is Makkah because that is where Muslims go for hajj (pilgrimage). They go there to visit the Kabbah, a black building. These are only two of the most holy sites for Muslims.
The Dome of the Rock
This is the central place in Jerusalem that is important.
Makkah
This is the city of Makkah and there is a black building in the middle where Muslims go for hajj.
Places of Worship
Muslim go to mosques to pray. All mosques have a dome on top of the building and have a really nice architecture and designs. All mosques also have minarets which are usually used for call of prayer.
Mosque from the inside
This is a mosque from the inside. It has a lot of space in it and has great decorations.
Mosque from the outside
This is a mosque from the outside. As you can see, there are several domes on top of the building. There are also minarets which are slender towers.
Worship Leader
Muslims have several worship leaders. They have an imam who is the prayer leader for Muslims. Imam leads the prayer every single day. Muslims also have mullahs which are religious teachers for children. A muezzin leads the call to prayer. He calls everyone to come to the mosque to pray. The picture below is a muezzin.