ISLAM

Symbol
The star and crescent is an iconographic symbol used
in various historical contexts but most well known
today as a symbol of the former Ottoman Empire and, by
popular extension, the Islamic world. It develops in
the iconography of the Hellenistic period (4th–1st
centuries BCE) in the Kingdom of Pontus, the Bosporan
Kingdom and notably the city of Byzantium by the 2nd
century BCE. It is the conjoined representation of the
crescent and a star, both of which constituent
elements have a long prior history in the iconography
of the Ancient Near East as representing either Sun and Moon or Moon
and Morning Star (or their divine personifications). Coins with
crescent and star symbols represented separately have a longer
history, with possible ties to older Mesopotamian iconography. The
star, or Sun, is often shown within the arc of the crescent (also
called star in crescent, or star within crescent, for disambiguation
of depictions of a star and a crescent side by side);[1] In
numismatics in particular, the term crescent and pellet is used in
cases where the star is simplified to a single dot.

History
Islam originated around 600 AD in the Central Asian Arabian desert and
soon spread to East Asia, Central Europe and North Africa. The
religion started with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad who is
considered to be the messenger of the one and only, formless, all-
powerful God, Allah.
Islam spread rapidly from the Arabian Peninsula in less than 30 years.
The Persian and Roman Empires were defeated by the much less equipped
and out-numbered Muslim armies. Over the next several centuries, Islam
reached as far as India in the east, and to Spain in the west. The
spread continued through traders to Southeast Asia, where for example,
Indonesia, today's largest Muslim country, received the message of
Islam through Arab traders.
During the peak of Islam's rule, when Europe was in the Dark Ages, the
sciences of mathematics, algebra, astronomy, medicine, physics and
other disciplines were developed and are still in use today based on
the principles of the early Muslim scholars.
Today, Islam is considered to be the fastest growing religion in the
world.
Geographical Location
By the percentage of the total population in a region considering
themselves Muslim, 91% in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA), 89% in
Central Asia, 40% in Southeast Asia, 31% in South Asia, 30% in Sub-
Saharan Africa, 25% in Asia–Oceania, around 6% in Europe, and 1% in
the Americas.

Founder
Muhammad

Muhammad, sometimes spelled “Mohammed” or “Mohammad,” was born in

Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 570 A.D. Muslims believe he was the final
prophet sent by God to reveal their faith to mankind.
According to Islamic texts and tradition, an angel named Gabriel
visited Muhammad in 610 A.D. while he was meditating in a cave. The
angel ordered Muhammad to recite the words of Allah.
Muslims believe that Muhammad continued to receive revelations from
Allah throughout the rest of his life.
Starting in about 613, Muhammad began preaching throughout Mecca the
messages he received. He taught that there was no other God but Allah
and that Muslims should devote their lives to this God.
Sacred Text
The Quran
The Quran (sometimes spelled Qur’an or Koran) is considered the most
important holy book among Muslims.
It contains some basic information that is found in the Hebrew Bible
as well as revelations that were given to Muhammad. The text is
considered the sacred word of God and supercedes any previous
writings.
Most Muslims believe that Muhammad’s scribes wrote down his words,
which became the Quran. (Muhammad himself was never taught to read or
write.)
The book is written with Allah as the first person, speaking through
Gabriel to Muhammad. It contains 114 chapters, which are called
surahs.
Scholars believe the Quran was compiled shortly after Muhammad’s
death, under the guidance of Caliph Abu Bakr.

Doctrines
Five Pillars of Islam
Muslims follow five basic pillars that are essential to their faith.
These include:

Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief in Muhammad

Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and
evening)
Zakat: to give to those in need
Sawm: to fast during Ramadan
Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during a person’s
lifetime if the person is able

 Sharia Law
Islam’s legal system is known as Sharia Law. This faith-based code of
conduct directs Muslims on how they should live in nearly every aspect
of their lives.
Sharia law requires men and women to dress modestly. It also outlines
marriage guidelines and other moral principles for Muslims.
If crimes are committed, Sharia law is known for its harsh
punishments. For example, the punishment for theft is amputating a
person’s hand. Adultery can carry the penalty of death by stoning.
However, many Muslims do not support such extreme measures.
God
ALLAH
In Islam, God (Arabic: ‫هللا‬, translit. Allāh, contraction of ‫ اإْلِٰله‬al-
ilāh, lit. "the God") is indivisible, the God, the absolute one, the
all-powerful and all-knowing ruler of the universe, and the creator of
everything in existence. Islam emphasizes that God is strictly
singular (tawḥīd ): unique (wāḥid ), inherently One (aḥad ),[1] also
all-merciful and omnipotent.[2] God is neither a material nor a
spiritual being.[3] According to Islamic teachings, beyond the
Throne[4] and according to the Quran, "No vision can grasp him, but
His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is
acquainted with all things."[5]

Chapter 112 of the Quran, titled Al-'Ikhlās (The Sincerity) reads: "He
is God, [who is] One. God, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor
is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent."[6]

In Islam, there are 99 known names of God (al-asmāʼ al-ḥusná lit.

meaning: "The best names"), each of which evokes a distinct attribute
of God.[7][8] All these names refer to Allah, the supreme and all-
comprehensive god.[9] Among the 99 names of God, the most familiar and
frequent are "the Compassionate" (Ar-Raḥmān) and "the Merciful" (Ar-
Raḥīm).[7][8] Creation and ordering of the universe is seen as an act
of prime mercy for which all creatures praise God's attributes and
bear witness to God's unity.

Sects
Other, smaller Muslim denominations within the Sunni and Shiite groups
exist. Some of these include:

Wahhabi: This Sunni sect, made up of members of the Tameem tribe in

Saudi Arabia, was founded in the 18th century. Followers observe an
extremely strict interpretation of Islam that was taught by Muhammad
bin Abd al-Wahhab.
Alawite: This Shiite form of Islam is prevalent in Syria. Followers
hold similar beliefs about the caliph Ali but also observe some
Christian and Zoroastrian holidays.
Nation of Islam: This mostly African-American, Sunni sect was founded
in the 1930s in Detroit, Michigan.
Kharijites: This sect broke from the Shiites after disagreeing over
how to select a new leader. They are known for radical fundamentalism,
and today are called Ibadis.
Number of believers
According to a report by the Pew Research Center, there are 1.8
billion Muslims worldwide. (2015 est.)
Sunnis make up 87% to 90% of the worldwide Muslim population. Shiite
Muslims make up approximately 10%.
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, following
Christianity.
Indonesia has the largest following of the Islamic religion - 13.1%.
Pakistan, India and Bangladesh also have large Muslim populations.
Pew Research Center estimates Muslims make up 1.1% of the US
population.