Basic Islam
According to Muslims, Islam began with the very first human beings, Adam and Eve, who eventually failed to submit themselves to God. The word Islam means submission. Muslims believe that Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus were all prophets of Islam. Many think that Adam built the original Beit Allah (the house of God) in Mecca, known as the Kaaba, but most accounts attribute it to Abraham.
No one can possibly understand Islam without knowing something about the life of Mohammed. This man is revered by all Muslims as the last and greatest prophet. In Islam, Mohammed is considered the 'ideal man'. Mohammed is in no way considered divine, nor is he worshipped, but he is the noel for all Muslims concerning how they should conduct themselves. No images of Mohammed are permitted (in order to prevent idolatry).
The Early Life of Mohammed
The prophet of Islam was born in AD 570 in Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia. He was a member of the Hashim clan of the powerful Quraysh tribe. During much of Mohammed's lifetime, pagan idol worship abounded in Arabia. An estimated 360 gods and goddesses were adored by the Arabs in Mecca, which was a major centre of idolatry in the region. Muslim historians portray Mohammed as detested idol worship and living a morally pure life as a boy.
Initial Revelations
According to Muslims, at the age of 40, in AD 610, Mohammed began to reeve revelations and instructions that he believed were from the archangel Gabriel (Gibrail in Arabic). These 'revelations' form the basis of the Qur'an. Mohammed proclaimed that his revelations were the final and superior message from the One Supreme God, although at the beginning Mohammed even doubted himself that he was a prophet. He banned the worship of idols and established civil and religious order in Medina and eventually Mecca. Mohammed died of natural causes in AD 632 in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Relations with Jews and Christians
During his life, Mohammed met many people who were at least nominal Christians. He also learned many religious ideas and customs from Jewish clans that were living in the region of Mecca and Medina. The Jews did not accept Mohammed's role as a prophet, which led to serious conflict. Jewish and Christian ideas, practices and history are present in the Qur'an, although they are often distorted.
Islamic Beliefs
No one can possibly understand Islam without knowing something about the life of Mohammed. This man is revered by all Muslims as the last and greatest prophet. In Islam, Mohammed is considered the 'ideal man'. Mohammed is in no way considered divine, nor is he worshipped, but he is the noel for all Muslims concerning how they should conduct themselves. No images of Mohammed are permitted (in order to prevent idolatry).
The Early Life of Mohammed
The prophet of Islam was born in AD 570 in Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia. He was a member of the Hashim clan of the powerful Quraysh tribe. During much of Mohammed's lifetime, pagan idol worship abounded in Arabia. An estimated 360 gods and goddesses were adored by the Arabs in Mecca, which was a major centre of idolatry in the region. Muslim historians portray Mohammed as detested idol worship and living a morally pure life as a boy.
Initial Revelations
According to Muslims, at the age of 40, in AD 610, Mohammed began to reeve revelations and instructions that he believed were from the archangel Gabriel (Gibrail in Arabic). These 'revelations' form the basis of the Qur'an. Mohammed proclaimed that his revelations were the final and superior message from the One Supreme God, although at the beginning Mohammed even doubted himself that he was a prophet. He banned the worship of idols and established civil and religious order in Medina and eventually Mecca. Mohammed died of natural causes in AD 632 in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Relations with Jews and Christians
During his life, Mohammed met many people who were at least nominal Christians. He also learned many religious ideas and customs from Jewish clans that were living in the region of Mecca and Medina. The Jews did not accept Mohammed's role as a prophet, which led to serious conflict. Jewish and Christian ideas, practices and history are present in the Qur'an, although they are often distorted.
Islamic Beliefs
- One God, the Creator of all things
- Angels and evil spirits
- Prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah, Jesus, Mohammed)
- Mohammed, the last and greatest prophet
- Holy books: the Torah (books of Moses), Zabur (Psalms), Injil (Gospel) and the Qur'an
- The Day of Judgment for all people
- The Bible has been corrupted and modified by Jews and Christians
Muslim Ideas About Jesus
- Jesus was conceived miraculously by God in the womb of the Virgin Mary
- Jesus is only a prophet; he is not divine (not the Son of God, nor God in the flesh)
- Muslims believe that Jesus already said as an infant that he was a prophet
- Jesus was actually a good Muslim and taught an earlier form of Islam to the Jewish people. slims also frequently hold view about Jesus based on the controversial 'Gospel of Barnabas', which his also cited to support the idea that Jesus foretold the arrival of Mohammed.
- Jesus will come again one day; He will marry, and have children. He will correct the errors that Christians have told about Him. He will die, be buried in Medina and be judged like all men at the last Judgment.
- Jesus is not the Judge of mankind.
Jesus' Death and Resurrection
- Islam denies the need for Jesus to die for our sins. Many Muslims believe that the God of Abraham can simply forgive sins without an atoning sacrifice.
- Islam denies the fact of Jesus' death on the cross. Muslims are taught to believe that Jesus did not die on the cross, but went directly to heaven when Judas the traitor, his face transformed to look like Him, died in Jesus' place.
- Therefore, Islam also denies the efficacy of Jesus' death to remove our sin and guilt, as well as His victory over death through His resurrection.
- Islam denies that Jesus has come the Messianic King who is to reign over the whole world.
The Five Pillars of Islam
The Islamic religion is lived out according to five main 'pillars' which hare obligatory religious practices for all adult Muslims:
- Reciting the Creed (shahada) - 'THere is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet'.
- Prayer (salat) - Five times a day
- Almsgiving (zakat) - Both obligatory and voluntary giving to the poor.
- Fasting (saum) - Especially during the 'holy' month of Ramadan.
- Pilgrimage (hajj) - At least once in a lifetime to Mecca, known as the Hajj.
- Some add this sixth pillar: Jihad: the struggle to propagate the faith of Islam throughout the world, either by force of arms or by actively seeking to propagate the faith by word and deed.
What God has accomplished for us: Jesus, the Messiah, resurrected from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth... has released us from our sins by his blood (Revelation 1:5).
-- All text from 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
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