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ISLAM: SOME BASIC FACTS
The word “Islam”
The word “Islam” is an Arabic word. It means peace or submission – peace with God, or
submission – the wholehearted giving of oneself – to God. Islam teaches that one can
only find peace in one's life by submitting to Almighty God (Allah) in heart, soul and
deed. The same Arabic root word gives us "Salaam alaykum," ("Peace be with you"), the
universal Muslim greeting. Islam, then, is a religion that is named after the very
experience it seeks to cultivate: Life’s total surrender to God.
The word “Muslim”
The word “Muslim” is also Arabic. A person who believes in and consciously follows
Islam is called a Muslim, also from the same root word. So, the religion is called Islam,
and a person who follows it is a Muslim.
Allah
Islam begins with God (Allah). The word “Allah” is formed by joining the definite
Arabic article “al”, which means “the”, with the Arabic “llah”, which means “God”. This
is significant, because it reinforces the important notion that Muslims don’t just worship a
god, (out of many others). Rather, Muslims worship the only God: The God – Allah.
Islam holds to a strict monotheism - Allah has no partners and is not divided into a trinity.
Any worship or prayer directed at saints, prophets, other human beings or nature is
considered idolatry. This profoundly monotheistic theology is expressed in the phrase
"La ilaha illa Allah," meaning "There is no deity but Allah."
The Prophet Muhammad
Islam recognizes many prophets. Among them are Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael,
Moses, David, John the Baptist, Jesus, and finally, Muhammad. Muslims believe that
this final prophet, Muhammad, came to invite humanity back to the true teachings of the
previous prophets. Muhammad (which means “highly praised” in Arabic) was born in
Mecca in the Christian calendar year of 570 A.D. One night, about 40 years later, in
approximately the year 610 of that same calendar, Muhammad ascended to a cave on
Mount Hira (on the outskirts of Mecca) and began to pray to Allah. This night – The
Night of Power – Muhammad was visited by an Angel of God, and was commanded to
“Proclaim in the name of your Lord who created!” This encounter with the Divine
resulted in a recitation of God’s word, the Qur'an. Muslims express admiration, respect,
and affection for Muhammad, but he is not worshipped as a divine figure (e.g., in the
manner that Christians worship Christ). For this reason, it is incorrect and objectionable
to call Muslims “Muhammadans.”
Hijra – The Flight to Medina
Muhammad began to gather together a number of believers in Mecca. But in another
city, then known as Yathrib (approximately 280 miles north of Mecca), others interested
in building a new community of Muslims called for his help. In 622, again of the
Christian calendar, Muhammad fled Mecca to Yathrib. So began a new era in human
Edited 4/09/2007
Annie Galarosa
Islam 101 handouts
history, according to Islamic doctrine; the year of this event is the basis on which
Muslims date their calendar. Yathrib soon came to be known as Medinat al-Nabi (“The
City of the Prophet”). This was later shortened simply to Medina – “The City”.
Muhammad assumed the role of political leader, and transformed Medina into a
miraculous model of human justice and cooperation. In the year 10 A.H. (after the
Hijra), Muhammad died.
The Qur'an
The word “al-qur’an” in Arabic means a recitation. That Muhammad – an unschooled
man, barely able to write his own name – could have recited this grammatically perfect,
poetically peerless work, so broad in scope and keen of analysis, is, in itself, a “standing
miracle” for Muslims – explicable only by appeal to the work of the Divine. Slightly
shorter in length than the Christian New Testament, the Qur’an is divided into 114 surahs
(or chapters). The words of the Qur’an came to Muhammad over a time-frame of 23
years. The voice through which Muhammad heard the Divine Word was that of the angel
Gabriel. According to Muslim teaching, the Qur’an represents a continuation and
culmination of the Old and New Testaments – earlier Revealed wisdom. In this respect,
Jews, Christians, and Muslims are all united as “People of the Book.” Muslims believe in
books that Allah has sent down to humanity through the prophets. These books include
the Books of Abraham, the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. These books all had the same source (Allah), the same message, and all were
revealed in truth. But unlike these other sacred Books – whose original scriptures have
been altered over the centuries – the original Arabic script in which the Qur’an was
written has been unchanged since its revelation to Muhammad. The Qur'an is
addressed to all of humanity. It seeks to guide people in all walks of life; spiritual,
temporal, individual and collective. It contains directions for the conduct of life, relates
stories and parables, describes the attributes of Allah, and speaks of the best rules to
govern social life.
How many are Muslims? Where do Muslims live?
Islam is a major world religion, with over 1 billion followers worldwide (1/5 of the
world population). Although usually associated with the Arabs of the Middle East, less
than 10% of Muslims are in fact Arab. Muslims are found all over the world, of every
nation, color and race. Muslim majorities are found throughout the Middle East, North
Africa, East Asia and the Pacific Islands (for example: Indonesia and The Philippines).
Large numbers are also found in Western Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North
America.
Sikhs are not Muslims
Though Sikhism has its roots in the Punjab – “the land of the five rivers” – in a region of
India controlled at that time by Muslims, Sikhs are not Muslims. Guru Nanak, born in
847 A.H. (1469 A.D.), received an original revelation, according to Sikh teaching, quite
distinct from that imparted to Muhammad. As an example, Sikhs believe in
reincarnation, while Muslims reject this doctrine.
Edited 4/09/2007
Annie Galarosa
Islam 101 handouts