What Do Muslims Believe?

For most of us in the western world, Islam remains a religion of mystery. We see images of foreign people performing foreign rituals, and we come away not knowing anything more. Nowadays, we have an additional set of baggage attached to the religion of islam. Is it really a religion of violence and oppression? It somehow seems quite backward and out of touch. However, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. There are approximately 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today, second only to Christianity in followers, but growing at a faster rate. It behooves us all to know something about the real teachings and background of Islam. Below is a brief synopsis of some of the tenets of Islam for our edification.

Islam is the religion of allegiance to God that began historically with the prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century CE. However, according to its own teachings, Islam began as a way of life or din, (translated into English as religion), which God intended for his creation from the start. Human rebellion and sin meant that God constantly sent prophets, including Moses, called Musa in Islam, and Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, called ‘Isa by Muslims, to summon people back to the proper din. However, with the exception of Muhammad, all were rejected, persecuted or killed.

The Qur’an (or Koran)
The Qur’an is the nonnegotiable written authority in Muslim life and belief. It is considered God’s literal word, and is the foundation of Islam. The same message has been revealed through earlier prophets, such as Moses and Jesus, but earlier communities have corrupted the message entrusted to them. (Christianity still affirms the same thing about Judaism). Thus, only the Arabic Qur’an expresses without fault the Word of God. This is why the Qur’an cannot be translated into any other language, it can only be paraphrased or interpreted.

However, the Qur’an does not cover all circumstances in detail, so the words and actions of Muhammad and his companions are accepted as a living commentary on what the Qur’an means and how it should be applied. Major traditions of interpretation emerged, and then developed into law codes for life, known as Shari’a. There are four major schools of Shari’a, and most Muslims live their lives according to one of them.

It is believed that the prophet Muhammad received the teachings of the Qur’an as a series of revelations from God through the messenger angel Jibril (Gabriel), and began to write them down to share with humanity as the true will of God. The revelations began in 610 and Muhammad began proclaiming them in 613 to the polytheistic people of Mecca. Since his message was one of radical monotheism, no God but the one God Allah, he was not initially well received. After many years of persecution, the Meccans eventually accepted the teachings of the Qur’an. Muhammed died in 632 at the age of 62.

Practices: The Five Pillars of Islam
These pivotal practices provide support and give structure to Muslim life.
Shahada: The unity of Allah, There is no God but Allah
Salat: The Prayers performed 5 times daily in the direction of Mecca.
Sawm: The fast performed during the month of Ramadan. The fast is in effect during the daylight hours.
Zakat: almsgiving to the poor
Hajj: the pilgrimage to Mecca during the 12th Islamic month. It is required of all healthy Muslims at least once in a lifetime.

Islam is a religion whose followers seek to live in submission to the will of Allah. For most Muslims this means living a life of compassion, humility, discipline, and worship. What we see splashed across our media are the Muslims who interpret submission to Allah as committing jihad upon all nonbelievers, especially those who seem to threaten their way of life the most. Most Muslims will acknowledge that this is not Islam. It is not a religion of violence. It has been a vehicle for committing violence. Islam is understood by most to be a religion given by Allah for peaceful, thriving and happy living.

Some sections excerpted from World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained, John Bowker.

Find out more information on other world religions: Vedanta Buddhism