An Introduction to Islam

I know that many of you have only a vague idea of what Islam is, though, some of you are more knowledgeable than I. In an effort to bring a little light to the subject, I present the following which was originally intended to be my thesis project at the University of Hawaii. The project never went beyond the proposal stage but hopefully this is helpful and enlightening in some way. If I have made mistakes or omissions please correct me and I hope that my errors do not lead to further confusion in this already confusing world.

While it is true that a Muslim is a person who practices the religion of Islam, the problem with this particular definition is that it generalizes a diverse population that spans the world. There are Muslims of all ethnicities and most if not all nationalities. While it is true that a Muslim is a person who practices Islam, that is not the entire picture.

The events of September 11, 2001, however, caused people all over the world to look at Islam and Muslims with a more critical eye.

What is Islam?

The word “Islam” is derived from the Arabic root S-L-M (س ل م) سلم which means peace. The word Islam means follower of God or submitter to God. A Muslim (M-S-L-M or ( م -س -ل -م) مسلم is one who submits to the will of God or one who follows God. Islam is the second largest religion in the world with more than 1.6 billion adherents.

Followers of Islam believe that God revealed the sacred book of Muslims, called the Quran, to the Prophet Mohammad. The Quran, it is believed, is the exact replica of a sacred book in Heaven. The Quran was revealed to Mohammad in Arabic, which is considered a sacred language by Muslims. Non-Muslims are not allowed to touch Arabic versions of the Quran.

Muslims share reverence for the prophet Abraham with Christianity and Judaism. The three religions all spring from this one figure. All three also recognize Jesus as a prophet. Muslims, however believe that Mohammad was the last and greatest prophet.

In the year 610 C.E, Mohammad, a trader living in the city of Mecca was given the first in a series of revelations from the angel of God. Later, he was transported to Heaven and the rest of the Quran was revealed to him. In the year 622 C.E, Mohammad established the first mosque in Medina and the Muslim community, called the Ummah, was born. 622 C.E. is year 1i on the Muslim Calendar.

In the year 630 C.E. Mohammad conquered the city of Mecca with no bloodshed and moved his center of power there

Five Pillars of Islam
All Muslims order their beliefs on what are called the five pillars of Islam. The first pillar of Islam is the Shahada, a statement of faith. This is translated as “There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet”. Salat, the second pillar, is the act of prayer. Muslims pray five times each day facing Mecca. The third pillar is the Zakat which is charity. 1/40th of all wealth is given to the Ummah through the Mosque. The fourth pillar is the act of abstinence and fasting called Saum. All Muslims fast during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This is referred to as Ramadan. Saum also applies to several permanent prohibitions such as the abstinence from alcohol and mind altering substances. The fifth and final official pillar of Islam is the Hajj. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must endeavor to take within their lifetimes. Those who have made the pilgrimage are referred to as Hajji or Hajja.

There is also a sixth unofficial pillar of Islam that is often misunderstood by non-Muslims. This is the concept of Jihad, which in Arabic means to struggle. There are two types of Jihad: the first is known as Greater Jihad, this is the struggle to overcome weaknesses within the self; the second is known as Lesser Jihad, this is the struggle to overcome weaknesses in society.

Mohammad and the Status of Women

While it is true that in much of Islam today women are oppressed, this was not necessarily the case during the time of Mohammad. In fact, one of the most revered figures in Islam is Khadija, the first wife of Mohammad who was also the first believer. When Mohammad doubted what was happening to him, Khadija supported him and encouraged him to believe.

Under the rule of Mohammad, women were given more rights than they had enjoyed previous to him. Mohammad prohibited marriage without the consent of the bride, allowed women to divorce, allowed women to keep property, banned female infanticide, and created rules to regulate polygamy. These rules included getting the permission of the first wife before marrying another, requiring that all wives were treated equally in terms of finance and affection, and setting a maximum number of wives.

Different types of Islam

Just as there are different sects within Christianity and Buddhism, there are also different sects within Islam. The major split in Islam arose after the death of Mohammad when his followers disagreed about who should succeed him.

One group, the Sunnis wanted the father-in-law of Mohammad, Abu Bakr, while another group, the Shiites, wanted the son-in-law of Mohammad, Ali. The two groups coexisted peacefully under Abu Bakr first and later under Ali. In 661 C.E. Ali was assassinated. That was when the split began.

The Shiites deify Ali and his two sons, Hussein and Hasan, while the Sunnis do not. To Shiites, Ali is known as the first Imam and is considered sinless. Interestingly, Ali was killed by Shiites who felt that he had betrayed the trust of Mohammad. His son Hasan was poisoned and Hussein was killed in battle. This early violence helped to create a strong sense of martyrdom among Shiites.

Shiites make up approximately 12% of all Muslims and the majority of Shiites are in Iran and Iraq. Sunnis make up 85% of all Muslims, the majority of whom are in Indonesia. Saddam Hussein and his Baath Party were part of a Sunni minority in an Iraq that had a majority of Shiites.

A third sect of Islam is known as the Sufis, a word which means ‘woolen ones’ in Arabic. Sufis were born as a reaction against the institutionalization of Islam and tend to focus on mysticism and asceticism. The whirling dervishes of Turkey are Sufis.

A more recent addition to the family of Islam is the Nation of Islam (NOI). Nation of Islam was born in Chicago in 1931 and is an organization which is based upon Islamic principles and favors political and economic independence for African Americans. Many non-NOI Islamic groups do not consider NOI members to be true Muslims because of radical differences in doctrine and teachings.