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Major Religions of the World. Islam. Monotheistic or Polytheistic?. The word “Islam” means “surrender to God/Allah. The Islamic religion is mainly about peace and tolerance. Islam is a monotheistic religion. People who follow Islam are called Muslims. Founded: When, Where and by Whom.
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Monotheistic or Polytheistic? The word “Islam” means “surrender to God/Allah. The Islamic religion is mainly about peace and tolerance. Islam is a monotheistic religion. People who follow Islam are called Muslims.
Founded: When, Where and by Whom Muhammad is the founder of the Islamic religion. He took his followers from Mecca (Saudi Arabia) to Medina around 622 AD.
Name of God The Islamic name for God is Allah.
Sacred Text Their sacred text is called the Qur’an (Koran). Muslims believe the Qur’an is the corrected versions of the Gospels and the Torah.
Religious Law Shar’iah is the Islamic law based on the Qur’an and the Hadith (the sayings of Muhammad.)
Clergy Imams, as they are called in the Arab world, or mullahs, as they are called in Southeast Asia, are simply local people called to lead a service, act as a religious figure in the community, or give sermons/lead prayers.
Day of Worship/Place of Worship The main day to worship is Friday. Muslims worship at mosques.
Major Holiday Major holidays include: Ramadan- lasts for 1 month. This is a time in which they fast from sunrise to sunset. It is a time for self-examination and religious devotion. Eid Al-Fitr is the celebration when the fast is broken at the end of Ramadan. Eid Al-Adha is on the day after Muslims make the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca from Medina.
Major splits/divisions There are 2 different groups in the Islamic religion: Sunni- 90%- believe that the leader of the Muslim nation should be elected as a successor to Muhammad Shiites- 10%- believe that the leader of the Muslim nation should be a direct descendant of Muhammad
Current number of followers and where are they found It is estimated that there are 1 billion Muslim people in the world. A large majority are found in the Middle East and northern Africa.
Major Beliefs Muslims believe in The Five Pillars: • Belief in Allah and his prophet Muhammad • Prayer 5 times a day • Giving charity to the needy • Fasting, or avoiding eating and drinking during Ramadan • Pilgrimage to Mecca
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