Islam
Persian:اسلام
Major world religion founded by
Prophet Muhammad in the early 7th century AD.
The
Arabic word islam means submission specifically to the will of God.
Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion, and its adherents, called
Muslims, regard the Prophet Muhammad as the last prophet. The sacred scripture of Islam is the
Quran, which contains God's revelations to Muhammad. The sayings and deeds of the Prophet are also an important source of belief and practice and also dispute in Islam. The religious obligations of all Muslims are summed up in the Five Pillars of Islam, which include belief in God and his Prophet and obligations of prayer, charity, pilgrimage, and fasting. The fundamental concept in Islam is the
Sharia Law, which embraces way of life commanded by God. Some Muslims pray five times a day and join in community worship on Fridays. Every believer is required to make a pilgrimage to
Mecca at least once in a lifetime, barring poverty or physical incapacity. The month of Ramadan is set aside for fasting. Alcohol and pork are always forbidden, as are gambling, usury, fraud, slander, and the making of images, depending on the reading of Islam.
Divisions occurred early in Islam, brought about by disputes over the succession to the caliphate. About 90% of Muslims belong to the
Sunni faith. The Shiites broke away in the 7th century and later gave rise to other sects, including the Ismailis. Another significant element in Islam is the mysticism known as
Sufism. Since the 19th century the concept of the
Islamic community has inspired Muslim peoples to cast off Western colonial rule.