Download Islam – brief summary The sacred literature of Islam Qur`an and

Islam – brief summary
The sacred literature of Islam Qur'an and Hadith
The Qur'an
Sunnah (Muhammad's conduct and sayings) and Hadith ("Traditions," written narrations of Sunnah)
Note on Islamic law – derived from Qur'an and Sunnah-Hadith:
Shariah = Islamic law – derived primarily from the Qur'an and secondarily from the Sunnah-Hadith.
Fikh = Islamic jurisprudence – interpretation and application of Shariah.
The essential doctrines and practices of Islam
Since Islam means total submission to Allah (God), Muslims do not accept the distinction between the religious and
secular aspects of life. This includes no distinction between "church" and "state."
Muslims also believe that they must combine faith and action in everything they do. Islam does not recognize any
separation of faith from good deeds ("works") – no faith-works dichotomy (as in Christianity).
Islamic Practice: The Pillars of the Faith
The Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim must meet in order to live a good and responsible
life according to Islam. The Pillars are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith (creed) – "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad
is His Prophet."
Salat (Salah): performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day.
Zakat (Zakah): paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy.
Sawm (Siyam): fasting during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca.
6.
Jihad – Holy War: A Sixth Duty?
Islamic Doctrine and Theology: The Articles of the Faith
1.
Belief in One God – Strict monotheism. Only one God (Allah); no trinity; no plurality whatsoever; absolute
oneness (unity).
2.
Angelology and Demonology: The existence of angels and demons (including Satan, called "Iblis" or "Shaitan").
3.
Belief in Revelation and Holy Books: The existence of divinely inspired scriptures – the Torah of Moses (the first
five books of the Hebrew Bible/"Old Testament"), the Zabur (Psalms of David), the Injil (Gospel) of Jesus
(Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and the Qur'an. However, the Qur'an is God's final word to mankind, so it
supersedes and overrules all previous writings.
4.
Belief in all of God's messengers (prophets): There have been many prophets of Allah (a total of 124,000). 25
(some say 28) are mentioned in the Koran. These include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah, and
Jesus. Of course, for Muslims, the final and greatest prophet is Mohammad.
5.
Belief in the coming of the end times: On the "last day," the dead will be resurrected. God will judge people's lives
on the basis of their faith and works, and each person will be sent to Heaven or Hell. Those who oppose God and
his prophet, Mohammad, will go to Hell, a place of extreme suffering (perhaps limited in duration).
6.
Belief in the supremacy of God's will (fate/predestination) (Al-Quadar). Allah is in control of everything that
happens, and He also knows what will happen in the future. These divine powers apply to both "good" and "bad"
occurrences. Humans should have faith that God decides what is best for them. This teaching does not negate
human moral freedom, which God permits.