The Muslim Faith

There are approximately 1.2 billion follower of the Islam religion from every race and from every country according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The word Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning peace and submission. Islam teaches that one can only find peace in life by submitting to the almighty God Allah. Islam was founded by Muhammad in the seventh century and in 1622 he founded the first Islamic state. There are two different branches of the Islamic religion that he founded(this will be talked about more later on).

The Muslim faith consists of 5 basic tenets, 5 pillars, and 5 social doctrines. The basic tenets include one that "there is only one god", Allah(The God). He created the whole world, and sends infidels to eternal hell or sends/rewards the faithful with eternal heaven. Two "Muhammad" was the last of the great prophets and three "The Koran" is the sacred holy book. Four is "life on earth" where life is a test and is preparation for eternal life that is to come(when you die). The fifth tenet is "the final judgment" where the faithful will be sent to eternal heaven and infidels to eternal hell. The "faithful" are the ones who praise Allah ans his prophet Muhammad, obey the Koran, and full fill the 5 pillars of Islam. In the Muslim faith alcohol, pork, and games of chance, are outlawed, and pride is a cardinal sin.



The 5 pillars include profession of faith, which is the statement "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet." Second is faith which include prayer 5 times a day in the direction of Mecca, third is to give alms which is where every middle and upper class Muslim must give 2 and a half of what they posses. The forth is fasting during the month of Ramadan and the fifth is a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in ones life.



There are divisions within the Muslim faith including the Sunnis and Shi'ites. Both groups share the core fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith. The division occurred because of a question of leadership after the death of the prophet Muhammad in regards to who would take over leadership of the Muslim nation.

The Sunnis believe that the new leader should be elected from among those who are capable of taking on the job. This was what was done when the prophet Muhammad died, his advisor and close friend Abu Bakr took over. In Arabic the word Sunni means "one who follows the traditions of the prophet."

While Sunnis make up eighty five percent of Muslims all over the world there are the Shi'ites who believe that the leadership should have stayed within the prophet Muhammad's own family among those he specifically appointed, or among those appointed by God himself. Shia Muslims believe leadership should have been passed to Muhammad's cousin/son in law Ali. Through history Shi'ite Muslims have not recognized authority of elected Muslim leaders and instead have followed a line of Imams they believe have been appointed by Muhammad or God himself. The word Shia in Arabic means "a group or supportive party of people." This is a shortened term from the historical "Shia-t-Ali" meaning the party of Ali.

While both groups practice the same core beliefs there are a few differences. Sunnis believe their is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders. Say leadership in the community is not a birthright but a trust earned which can be given or taken away by the people. The Shia Muslims believe that the leaders(Imam) come directly from God and therefore they treat the Imam as saints and make pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of receiving some kind of devine gift.
And it should be noted that most Muslims do not identify themselves by one or the other group but simply as Muslims.

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab(1703-1792)
He was a theologian who founded the Wahhabi movement which attempted to return to the "true principals of Islam." He began to teach in Islam against what he thought to be extreme ideas of Sufi doctrines. He wrote the Kitab at-tawhid(Book of Unity) which is the main text for his Wahhabi doctrines. al-Wahhab's teachings were very traditional representing the early era of the Islamic religion. He was against all innovations in the Islamic religion because he thought they were reprehensible. He felt the "original grandeur" of the faith could be regained if all Muslims would return to the principals put in place by the prophet Muhammad.