Manifestations Of Islam

Joshua Sawyer REL3363-791 12/6/14 Dr. Martinez Modern Manifestations of Islam Islam is one of the largest religions in the world. Today, it has over one billion followers worldwide. Islam is also the worlds fastest growing religion. The followers of Islam are called Muslims and comprise of approximately twenty percent of the world’s population. Muslims believe that there is and can only be one god. Islam is a religion in which there is only one God, like previously stated, and thus, can be classified as a monotheistic religion. The God that muslims worship is called Allah. In Arabic the translation for God is Allah, so the name is very fitting. Muslims believe that Allah sent prophets or messengers to teach

These tasks are five things that require sometimes daily or lifetime dedication. Each one of these is considered a right of passage and puts you that much closer to Allah. Failure to do these tasks may result in the rejection from Allah in the afterlife. These pillars are: 1. Declaration of Faith(Shahada) , 2. Prayer five times a day,(Salat) 3. Almsgiving or giving to the less fortunate, (Zakat) 4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm), and finally a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in an individuals lifetime(Hajj). In the next few paragraphs one will gain a better understanding of the five pillars of Islam and its evolution from the life of the prophet

Salat is a daily ritual of prayer. This task is to be completed at least five times throughout the day. The easiest way to do these is to have predetermined times to complete them so that it becomes almost ritualistic. These times are at dawn(Fajr), midday(Dhuhr), afternoon(Asr), sunset(Maghrib), and night(Isha’a). Fajr is when the morning light appears and ends when you can see the full sunrise. Dhuhr occurs when the sun is at its highest point so directly above the individual. Asr occurs anytime after Dhuhr and before Maghrib. Maghrib starts when the sun sets and ends when the sun disappears completely. Finally, Isha’a is when the sky is dark but preferably before mdinight. However, Muslims recognize the importance of other daily activities such as work and school so some may perform these tasks while at other obligations. Prayer can be done individually or with a group. However, Muslim prayer is preferred to be done with a group inside of a mosque. Like previously stated, time does not always permit individuals to be in a mosque for prayer. When doing prayer, you use a prayer rug which is known as a sajjada. The prayer is always done in a specific direction. It is always directed in the direction of the qibla in the Ka’ba in Mecca. Finally before prayer you must wash your hands, feet, and face with water. Prayer requires cleanliness because Allah believed that you should only pray and read the Quran when