Islam
N Novak-1st Period
Islam
Islam is the worlds 2nd largest religion. It is monotheistic and Abrahamic, which means followers believe in one God, and that they are descendants of Abraham. It was founded by Muhammad, who was a prophet of God. The followers of this religon are called Muslims, they study the Qur'an, which is their holy book. Muslims follow the Sunnah, it is a a guide about how you need to live as a Muslim. One Muslim tradition is to follow th 5 pillars of the Sunnah. The first pillar is called the declaration of faith, it is to show that there is only 1 God in Islam. The 2nd pillar is called prayer, you need to pray 5 times a day, at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, then after nightfall. The 3rd pillar is charity, because in Islam you have to share by giving money to the poor so that you are both equal. The 4th pillar is fasting, they fast from dawn to sunset, unless they are sick, old or can't for some reason. The 5th pillar is pilgrimage, referred to as Hajj, which is when you travel to Mecca to pray; it cost a lot of money so not everyone can do it. Muslims pray or worship in a Mosque but they really dont have to worship there, they can worship really anywhere they want to. They don't just pray though, they show equal status by sitting on the floor. They have to face Mecca during prayer. The Muslim leader that leads the Mosque is called an Imam. The 2 holidays Muslims celebrate are Eid al-fitr and Eid al-adha. Eid Al-Fitr is when Ramadan ends and people wear new clothes, decorate there homes and cook special foods. Eid Al-Adha is a festival when the annual hajj ends and they sacrifice sheeps and share the meat with their families and exchange gifts. Their holy cities are Mecca and Jerusalem.