Islam is a monotheistic faith (that means they believe in one god). Islam literally means 'to accept, surrender, or submit,' thus a Muslim is a person who submits his/herself to the will of God. God is called Allah, which is Arabic for God. Interesting point - Christians in Muslim countries also call God by Allah. The main book of faith for Muslims is The Qur'an. Muslims believe that Allah revealed his final message to humans through his last prophet Muhammad by way of the angel Gabriel. Islam considers prophets to be people whom Allah selected to be his messengers. Hence, the prophets are human rather than divine. Other prophets mentioned in the Qur'an include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims do not consider Jesus as the Son of God, though they do highly respect him as the second-last prophet. The mosque is the Muslim place of worship. There are many sects of Islam, though two main ones are Sunni and Shi'a.
The famous mud mosque in Djenne, Mali.
In Mali, most Muslims are Sunni and Sufi. Malian Muslims converted to Islam when Muslim traders came through Timbuktu around the 1300s. 90% of Mali is Muslim; 5% Christian; 5% Animist. Malian Islam is very moderate, tolerant, and adapted to the local lifestyle and customs. For examples, most women wear African fabric head wraps once they are married, but very few wear the veil or burqa. If women don't cover their head it is not a big deal. Polygamy is practiced in Mali. In Islam, a man can have up to four wives if he is able to provide for each of them and treat them equally (some would argue that it is never possible to do that). Polygamy is currently somewhat controversial in Mali - most women do not like it, some men do not agree with it.
There are five main pillars of faith in Islam:
1. Shahadah: the creed of Islam which states in Arabic: 'I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is the messenger of God. One repeats this phrase during prayer.
2. Salah: The ritual prayer which one prays five times a day. One washes oneself, then prays on a mat facing Mecca. In Mali, the prayer call is sounded via loudspeaker from the local mosque. The prayer caller says Allah akbar! which means God is great!
3. Zakat: alms-giving. Giving is based on accumulated wealth and is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford to give.
4. Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan. From dawn until dusk, Muslims do not eat during Ramadan. The dates for Ramadan differ each year because Islam is based on the lunat calendar. In Mali, people wake up very early in the morning to eat a large meal, fast during the day, and then have special food for dinner after dark. Break out the beans and macaroni after sunset!
5. Hajj: the pilgrimage to Mecca. Every Muslim who can afford to go to Mecca is obligated to do so once during his/her lifetime.
Some Sunni Muslims call jihad the sixth pillar of ISlam, though most Muslims refer to jihad, which means struggle, as the struggle to attain spiritual perfection rather than religious warfare. Military jihad is highly debated within the Islamic community. In Mali, jihad refers to one's personal religious faith.
I realize this is very simplified, but it's a beginning at any rate!
1 comment:
Impressed, I just had to comment again. You really did a great job of summarizing Islam, you hit key points that many people who think they know about Islam do not know, such as Allah is not a separate God, but the Arabic word for God, as Christian Arabs use the word Allah too. Thank you so much for your understanding and respect!!
signed : muslim in America. Salam!
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