ISLAM
Islam is the second largest religion in the world with over 1 billion followers. Followers of Islam are called Muslims. The world Islam means ‘ submission to the will of God.’
Muslims believe that there is only One God, Allah. According to Muslims, God sent a number of prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His Law. Jesus, Moses and Abraham are respected as Prophets of God. They believe that the final Prophet was Muhammad.
Religious Texts
Muslims base their Laws on their Holy Book, the Qur’an, and Sunnah. Muslims believe the Sunnah is the practical example of Prophet Muhammad and that there are five basic Pillars of Islam. These Pillars are the declaration of faith, praying five times a day, giving money to charity, fasting, and pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once in a lifetime).
The Holy Book is the Qur’an. Hands should be washed before touching the Qu’ran and if you are non-muslim, the Qur’an should be wrapped in a clean ritual cloth before handling. The Qur’an should be stored upright on a shelf with nothing placed on top of it. It should be stored in a clean and respectful place.
Prayers
Muslims pray five times a day, which is the second Pillar of Islam. Salat are the obligatory Muslim Prayers, performed each day. Prayer times are as follows:
Salat al-fajr: dawn, before sunrise
Salat, al-zuhr: midday, after the sun passes its highest
Salat al-’asr the late part of the afternoon
Salat al-maghrib just after sunset
Salat al-’siah between sunset and midnight
Wudhu is the ritual washing Muslims undertake before prayer. This involves washing the hands, mouth, face, forearms, wiping the head and washing the feet.
Food
It is forbidden to Muslims to eat ham or pork as meat, soup or gravy. It is further forbidden to Muslims to eat meat which is not slaughtered according to Islamic Law. Each Muslim has to fast the month of Ramadan every year.