Islam - tell me more
Facts and information
To be a true Muslim, a person must believe in these 6 things:
- Allahis the one and only God
- The angels
- The prophets
- these are Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa (Jesus).
- Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final prophet.
- The scriptures
- these are the holy books of Islam
- The Day of Judgement
- The day when Allah judges a person’s life and decides if the person goes to heaven or hell.
- Pre-destination.
- This means Allah gives us choice to decide how we live our lives, but he knows what we will decide to do.
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Their understanding of god
Allah is the Arabic word for God. Muslims believe there is only one Allah.
When Muslims talk about Allah they also say ?peace be upon him?.
Muslims believe Allah made the world, that He knows everything and has power over all things.
It is believed Allah will live forever. Muslims believe they come closer to Allah by praying or reading the Qu’ran. The Qu’ran is the holy book of Islam.
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How it began
1300 years ago the religion of Islam began with the prophet Muhammad (or pbuh). Muhammad was born in Makkah (this is also known as Mecca) in Saudi Arabia in 570CE. There were 5 prophets before Muhammad, they were Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David) and Isa (Jesus). Muhammad was the last prophet of Islam.
After Muhammad was 40 years old he was visited many times by the angel Jibreel (or Gabriel). The angel gave Muhammad messages from Allah. The messages were Allah’s wishes for how Muslims should live their lives. Muhammad remembered the messages carefully and they were written down – they became Israel’s holy book, the Qu’ran.
In 622CE Muhammad made the 1st community of all Muslims who followed Allah and believed in the messages Allah sent them. Muhammad led this community until he died in 632CE.
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About worship
Muslims worship in a mosque.
Muslims must pray 5 times a day. Muslims have to prepare themselves carefully before they pray. They also have to move in a special way while they pray.
There are 5 basic Muslim practices - they are called the Five Pillars of Islam. These are:
- Shahadah – this is a Declaration of faith. It is when Muslims say ‘I bear witness that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was his prophet and messenger.
- Salat or Namaz – these are 5 daily prayers. Adult Muslims must pray 5 times a day.
- Ramadan – a month of fasting. In this month Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink between dawn and sunset. People who are ill, or on a journey, or women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or having their period don’t have to do this.
- Zakat - giving money. Every year Muslims are expected to give a small amount of their money to help poorer people.
- Hajj – a pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims are expected to visit Makkah (or Mecca) once in their life, if they can afford to.
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How many people believe in this faith?
Islam is the 2nd most popular faith in the world – it has more than a thousand million (1,000,000,000) followers.
There are about 1.6 million Muslims living in the United Kingdom – that makes Islam the 2nd most popular faith in the United Kingdom.
About 73,000 Muslims live in Tower Hamlets.
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| Diet
Muslims are allowed to eat Halal foods, but not Haram foods. Muslims are not allowed to drink alcohol or eat pork. They are also not allowed to eat any meat, fat, gelatine or rennet from animals that have not been slaughtered correctly.
Muslims are allowed to eat all vegetarian food. Many Muslims feel this is their safest and simplest choice.
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