Miec.org.uk

Islam is one of the most misunderstood religions in the world, especially in the United Kingdom. After September 11, 2011, the western world has been less receptive to Muslims and a lot of people who preach Islam have been unfairly branded as terrorists in this country as well. The goal of our website is to provide information about Islamic culture and traditions so that people can better understand this great religion of ours. Hopefully, after reading information about Islam people will come to realize that they are just painting a majority with the indiscretions of the majority. Islam is a religion of love and 99% of Muslims are humble, loving human beings.

Islam is a religion that has been around for centuries and almost one fifth of the world’s population is Muslim. Islam is a religion which preaches peace, forgiveness and mercy. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) taught us to be loving and caring towards everyone. Islam has been unfairly associated with the events that have recently come to be associated with the religion.
One fifth of the world’s people, almost one billion individuals, are Muslim. These people come from many different races, backgrounds, cultures, and countries. There is no stereotype of a Muslim man or woman, as Muslims come from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Malaysia. 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world, but Indonesia is the country that has the largest Muslim population in the world. There are even a substantial number of Muslims in countries such as China, Russia, and across the continents of North and South America.

Muslims believe in the existence of One Almighty God (Allah) and the Angels who were created by this God. They also believe that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was the last prophet of Allah and was sent down to earth to right the mistakes that had been made in previous religions. Muslims actually recognize Christianity and Judaism, and believe in the succession of prophets all the way from Adam to Moses to Jesus Christ. They believe that these three religions are sacred, calling them the “book religions”. However, they do believe that God’s final message was through his last prophet and that this is the message God wishes for his followers to abide by.

Becoming a Muslim is not difficult, it is just a matter of reciting a prayer and believing in the teachings of God. The sentence, “There is no God apart from Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” must be repeated three times. By saying this, the believer denounces all other religions and faiths and pledges allegiance to Allah and His last prophet. A Muslim also believes in everything stated in the holy book of Islam, the Quran. By believing in and abiding by these teachings, the believer puts himself in the hands of God completely.

Islam is derived from Arabic, and the word means “submission”. The derivation of this word is from the original Arabic word for “peace”, showing just how the true origins of Islam really were. Accepting Islam means completely submitting to God and his will. Anyone who says that Islam has anything to do with Mohammedanism is wrong, because that implies that Muslims worship Muhammad not Allah, which is completely false.

Some people may find Islam an extravagant religion or an exotic religion. That is simply because Islam is a very dominating religion. Christianity and Judaism in the modern world are not very dominating and play small parts in people’s lives. Going to church every Sunday or saying grace before dinner is about the extent of most Christians preaching. Islam, on the other hand, encourages prayer five times a day from its followers. This is meant to show how devoted Muslims are to God and that despite whatever else is happening in their lives they still have time for Allah to show Him how important He is to them.

There are five pillars of Islam. One is praying five times a day. Then there is the one month of fasting during Ramadan, knowing the first and most important statement of Islam that “There is only Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is his last Prophet,” pilgrimige to Mecca, and the giving of charity or Zakat on a yearly basis. If a Muslim follows these five pillars throughout his or her life, then he or she is considered a true and devoted Muslim. Of course, not everyone can manage to pray five times a day or go to Mecca, but these are the pillars on which our great religion is built and they must be something that every Muslim can strive towards.