Islam
The Muslim World
Muslims
Islam followers are called Muslims. There are many types of Muslims. The most common are Sunni and Shiite(Shia). Muslims have 6 main beliefs. The first belief is that Muslims should only believe in one god, and that god is Allah, and his Prophet is Muhammad. Muhammad is so revered that Muslims always mention the term pbuh after his name. Pbuh is Peace be upon him. The second belief is belief in angels. The third belief is belief in the holy book(Qu'ran). The fourth belief is the belief in prophets such as Muhammad. The fifth belief is the belief in the day of judgement, in which Allah decides whether a person goes to hell(Jahanam) or heaven(Jannah). The sixth belief is the belief of predestination, that Allah has already decided what will happen. Muslims believe that this doesn't stop human beings from making free choices. Muslims have 5 pillars of faith. The first pillar is Shahadah, or the belief in Allah. The second pillar is Salah, or prayer. They must pray 5 times a day, at morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. The third pillar is Zakat, or charity. Muslims must give 2.5% of their earnings to charity. The 4th pillar is Sawm, or fasting. They must fast during daytime hours of the month of Ramadan. The fifth and last pillar is Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims try to make this pilgrimage at least once. Muslims must go to the mosque on Friday evenings. The place of worship is called a mosque. Inside a mosque, there are no photos or idols. The place of prayer is decorated with Qu'ranic verses. The worship leader is called the Imam. Other important people in a mosque are the muezzein(leads call to prayer) and the mullah(teacher). The holy book is called the Qu'ran or Koran. In the Qu'ran, there are 114 surahs(chapters) and 6,236 ayat(verses). Sometimes, the number of verses is said to be 6,666. The main holiday is Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year. The Muslims will fast during daylight hours. They will then pray and break the fast after sunset(maghrib). The end of Ramadan is called Eid-ul-Fitr. 70 days after Eid-ul-Fitr, a festival called Eid-ul-Adha occurs. This festival is the festival of sacrifice, when Prophet Abraham is sacrificing his son to show his loyalty to Allah. This marks the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage. This takes place on the tenth day of Dhu Al-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic year. Another common festival is Al-Hijra, the day Muhammad left Mecca to go to Medina. This day is the Islamic New Year also. The three holiest sites in Islam are Mecca, in western Saudi Arabia, Medina in northwestern Saudi Arabia, and Jerusalem in eastern Israel.
Mecca's Masjid al-Haram
This mosque, located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is considered the holiest site in Islam. This mosque is the largest in Islam.
Qu'ran
This is the holy book of Islam.
Imam
This is the religious leader of a mosque.
Muslim Children
This is the outfit for Muslims.
Sabançi Mosque
This is a popular mosque in Turkey located in the city of Adana.
Ramadan
This is the holiest festival in Islam.
Star and Crescent
This is the symbol for Muslims. This symbol is usually at the top of the mosque.
Qu'ran with stand
This is another picture of the Qu'ran with a stand. This is how Muslims read the Qu'ran.
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
This mosque is another famous mosque in Islam. This mosque is the 2nd most holiest mosque in Islam. It is the mosque of Muhammad.
Mecca
This is the location of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam.
Medina
This is the location of Medina, the 2nd holiest site of Islam.
Jerusalem
This is the location of Jerusalem, the 3rd most holiest location in Islam.
Dome of the Rock
This is the 3rd holiest mosque. This mosque is located in Jerusalem, Israel.
View of God
Islam is a monotheistic religion. Its god's name is Allah, which is literally translated to God.
Common Figure
The common figure in Islam, Judaism, and Christianity is Abraham, but the main figure of Islam is Muhammad.