Table of Contents |
The historical chronology of Islam goes back to the seventh century in the calm of the Common Era. It is the last of the three monotheistic Abrahamic religions, after Judaism and Christianity. The formal unification of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam occurred under the organization and leadership of the prophet Muhammad in the seventh century of the Common Era.
Muslims, practitioners of Islam, believe that the divine revelation that gave rise to the Islamic faith is the ultimate, the final, and the perfect revelation. Islam recognizes the Jewish and the Christian prophets but believes that their prophet, Muhammad, is God’s greatest prophet. Firmly in the Abrahamic tradition, Islam recognizes Abraham as the first historical patriarch and as one of God’s prophets, along with Moses and Jesus.
However, Muslims consider their prophecy and revelation to be preparations for the Seal of the Prophets, the human person of Muhammad—in other words, God had chosen Muhammad to receive the last and the most complete revelation of truth.
As he was approaching 40 years old, Muhammad was known to retreat to the hills and the caves surrounding his home city of Mecca to meditate on and contemplate the problems of justice and inequality in the world. During these times, he received a series of revelations from God’s angel, Gabriel, carrying the message that there is only one God, Allah. This and other revelations during these times form the verses of Islam’s central sacred text, called the Qur’an, or Koran, in which there are at least 99 other names for God.
According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad also received divine insight into God’s unity, God’s perfection, and God’s incomprehensibility. Stories and sayings about the life of Muhammad, which are based on this revelation and understanding of Allah, are called hadith, or tradition, and together they form the other sacred piece of literature in Islam.
The word Islam itself means surrender. This is generally understood to mean surrendering one’s will to God. To authentically do so aligns the practitioner with the will of Allah and the teaching of the Qur’an. Muslims do not believe that Allah is some representation of some other force or power of God. Allah is God, himself, for a Muslim.
Every religion has different denominations, schools, or sects. In Islam, there is one primary division and parting of ways that can be traced back to the year 632, the year of Muhammad’s death. It concerned the dispute over the legitimate successor to Muhammad, and it caused a great schism forming two primary groups: the Sunni and the Shiites.
The Shiites believe that Muhammad also received divine revelation informing him that Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, would succeed him as caliph, or religious head of state. The Sunnis believe that Muhammad’s father-in-law, Abu Bakr, was the legitimate successor, and would be determined by consensual agreement among the community.
In addition to the issue of succession, there are some practical differences among these groups, such as certain customs related to prayer; methods of dress, including the hijab; and certain laws that pertain to temporary marriage.
The most consistent difference, and perhaps the most difficult one to reconcile, is the Sunni-Shiite disagreement concerning the hadith: the Islamic tradition that refers to the actions, sayings, approvals, and disapprovals of the prophet Muhammad.
One thing that all Muslim groups agree on, however, is the truth of the Qur’an and the importance of following the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars outline the duties and responsibilities that every Muslim must adhere to.
| Pillar | Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shadada | Profession of faith | One must profess one’s wholehearted belief in the truth of the oneness of Allah, the truth of the Qur’an, and the truth of Muhammad, God’s seal of the prophets. |
| Salah | Prayers | It has many different interpretations among different Muslim groups. Generally, daily prayer is obligatory. Any belief in Allah cannot be supported without practice, and daily prayer is the most direct and demonstrable way to do so. One who doesn’t might be considered a non-believer at worst and a sinner at best. |
| Zakat | Almsgiving | It’s very common in many of the religions of the world. In Islam, one must give 2.5% of one’s savings to the poor and needy. This action is, in fact, a form of worship, and supports a spiritual purification of anything remaining after the act of giving. |
| Sawm | Fasting during the month of Ramadan | Ramadan is the holy month in Islam, which marks the time when the prophet Muhammad received the revelation of the Qur’an. For Muslims, fasting and abstaining from food during this time allows one the opportunity to get closer to God and also to have more self-control with regard to one’s desires. |
| Hajj | Pilgrimage to Mecca | This is a pillar that doesn’t affect life on a daily, monthly, or even an annual basis for most people. The obligation of the hajj as the fifth pillar of the faith is to go on pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, which is the site of Muhammad’s birth and revelation. If one has the health and the finances to support the journey, it is prescribed in the Qur’an to do so at least one time in one’s life. |
Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY TED FAIRCHILD FOR SOPHIA LEARNING. Please see our Terms of Use.
