While finding inspiration for our website topic, we realized that we all came from different cultures. We wanted to leverage our diverse backgrounds in order to provide insight on how our own countries respond to Islam today.
What is Islam?
Islam is the name of the monotheistic and Abrahamic religion practiced by over 1 billion followers worldwide. The word comes from an Arabic root word meaning "peace" and "submission." The main teachings of Islam emphasize finding peace in one's life by submitting to the Almighty God, Allah, in heart, soul, an deed. The same Arabic root word gives us "Salaam alaykum," meaning "peace be with you," the universal Muslim greeting [1].
Followers of Islam look to the Quar'an, a book considered to be the verbatim word of Allah, containing the teachings and example of Muhammad, considered to be the last prophet of God. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. Most Muslims are of two denominations, Sunni (75%-90%) and Shia (10-20%).
Followers of Islam look to the Quar'an, a book considered to be the verbatim word of Allah, containing the teachings and example of Muhammad, considered to be the last prophet of God. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. Most Muslims are of two denominations, Sunni (75%-90%) and Shia (10-20%).
The Five Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are five basic acts considered mandatory for all believers. Since the Muslim concept of worship is very broad, they consider everything they do in life to be an act of worship. There are five formal acts of worship which help strengthen a Muslim's obedience and faith [2].
1. Testimony of faith (Shahadah): the Shahadah must be recited under oath with the specific statement, "'ašhadu 'al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa 'ašhadu 'anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh", or "I testify there are no deities other than God alone and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
2. Prayer (Salah): prayers must be performed five times a day
3. Almsgiving (Zakah): the well-off must give a portion of their wealth to those in need
4. Fasting (Sawm): fasting from dawn to dusk must be performed during the month of Ramadhan
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): has to be done during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca
1. Testimony of faith (Shahadah): the Shahadah must be recited under oath with the specific statement, "'ašhadu 'al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa 'ašhadu 'anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh", or "I testify there are no deities other than God alone and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
2. Prayer (Salah): prayers must be performed five times a day
3. Almsgiving (Zakah): the well-off must give a portion of their wealth to those in need
4. Fasting (Sawm): fasting from dawn to dusk must be performed during the month of Ramadhan
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): has to be done during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah in the city of Mecca
Islam in Different Countries
Muslims are prevalent everyone in the world as the religion is widespread and increasingly popular. About 25% live in South Asia, 20% in the Middle East, and 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, there are also sizable minorities found in China, Russia, and the Americas. Immigrant communities have formed in almost every part of the world for a total of 2.1 billion followers or 28% of the earth's population [3]. Islam is the second-largest religion and one of the fastest-growing religions the world. Our team researched the presence of Islam in countries where the religion is not the majority. Within the rest of the website we will take you through four different regions and explore how Islam was first introduced to the community and how they are accepted in the countries today. Our research goals included determining when and how Islam started in each respective country and the history of acceptance, rejection, or integration Islam faced with natives. We welcome you to browse through the following pages!