Islam: A Religion of Peace

Salat, ritual prayer is the second pillar of Islam. The call to prayer and an affirmation of Gods unity. There are five daily prayers starting at sunrise, midday, afternoon, sunset, and after night falls. The time of each prayer changes from day to day with the orientation of the sun in the heaven. These prayers are continuous reminders for Muslims to submit to God, keeping them on a pure path, rejuvenating their faith, and giving thanks to God for all of the blessings they enjoy. Prior to each prayer one must ritually purified and cleanse one’s self both spiritually and physically in preparation for prayer. There is strict gender segregation during prayer. The Quiblah in each Muslim mosque faces in the direction of Mecca, which is the way one prays, facing the Ka’bah. Prayer starts with Allahu Akbar (Allah is great), standard resuscitation Devotional verses, verses of the Karan. Friday

about 10% Shia. Muslims prayer five a day. The most important day for them to worship Allah

Islam, meaning peace in Arabic, is one of the most misunderstood religions in the world. Many people view it as a religion of hatred and crime, while others view it as peace. Islam is the world’s second largest religion and the youngest. There are approximately 1.57 billion Muslims in the world today. The origin of Islam, Prophet Muhammad, and beliefs of Islam affect how Islam is being taught and viewed today.

Islamic studies has become a subject of strategic importance in our multicultural society. With all of the political upheaval and ever present fear of extremism and terrorism in the world today, it is essential to promote the understanding of Islam and the role Muslims have in the contemporary world. To do this, one must first have an understanding of the culture and religious tenets surrounding Islam, compare and contrast these beliefs with Christianity and Judaism, and discuss how the perceptions or

When given this assignment, I was trying to think of a special population that I wanted to learn more about. Many different special populations came to mind. However, there is one in particular that I felt I knew very little about and began to question numerous aspects of their society; this culture is the Muslim culture. After doing some research, I realized that one of the most important dynamics to the Muslim culture is their Islamic faith. Islam is not only a religion, but it is a way of life to this population (Burrell, D., Pg. 18). The beliefs that Muslims uphold, in this religious sense, govern their way of life in almost every way possible. Once recognizing that religion is an extreme influential factor to their society, I wanted to learn what part of the religion gives the fundamental basis to this particular belief system. What I found regarding this are the five pillars of Islamic faith (IslamReligion.com).

When describing the five pillars of the Muslim faith, it is believed that this was the main foundation of the Muslim way of life. These five pillars give a true identity when it comes to the Muslim faith and lifestyle. One of the pillars is named Salat which is translated to Prayer in the English language. Throughout the day people would have to pray and it doesn't really matter where they do it. They have to at least do it five times a day. The second pillar that I will talk about is named Zakat. Zakat would mean charity or give charity. One of the principles following this is to have the knowledge that everything belongs to God.

They follow the 5 Pillars of Islam. the first pillar is Shahada. This means testifying to god’s oneness. The second pillar is Salat. A good muslim is expected to pray. The third pillars is Zabat. giving charity,the fourth pillar is Sawm.: Fast, the five pillars is Hajj.: Pilgrimage-Journey and Muslims follow the 5 pillars of islam

“Recitation of the Qur’an is thought to have a healing, soothing effect, but can also bring protection, guidance, and knowledge, according to Islamic tradition (Fisher, Mary)”. People can recite the qur’an in the purified states only because Qur’an contains a powerful words and it takes a great responsibility (Fisher, Mary)”. “The verses of the Qur’an are terse (Fisher, Mary)” which makes it harder to translate. One of the unique tradition in Islam are the five pillars. “The basic spiritual practices incumbent on all Muslims are known as the five pillars of Islam (Fisher, Mary)”. The first pillar is believing and professing the unity of god and the messengership of Muhammad. The second pillar is the performance of a continual round of prayers. Muslims perform prayers five times a day “facing mecca, and reciting a series of prayers and passages from the Qur’an, bowing and kneeling (Fisher, Mary)”. The third pillar is Zakat, charity or almsgiving. “Muslims must donate at least two and a half percent of their accumulated wealth to needy Muslims (Fisher, Mary)”. The fourth pillar is fasting. Fasting frequently is recommended in Islam however, fasting during Ramadan is the obligatory (Fisher,

The teachings of peace in Islam and Christianity are evident in the development of inner peace for the individual. Peace is not just the nonexistence of violence, conflict or war but encompasses a larger concept of factors such as healthy interpersonal or international relationships and social or economic wellbeing. Peace would be best understood as more a continuous goal rather than a fundamental fact. This implies that everlasting peace is united with religion. For both Christianity and Islam, inner peace is found by faithfully devoting one’s self to the will of God. These religions don’t just allow the individual to achieve inner peace, but also enable the individual to live at peace with others. The individual adherent is guided by the expressions of religious beliefs, to achieve/experience inner peace.

The message of peace is a fundamental universal concern which is relevant throughout our world today. Peace is not merely the ‘absence of war’, but a state of mind in which a sense of tranquillity comes from actively working towards right relationships with individuals and God. To understand the way in which Muslims and Christians view peace it is imperative to understand the source of the teachings for each religion. The principles teachings of peace for Both Christianity and Islam are primarily found in the sacred texts of both religious traditions. Christianity looks to the bible and specifically the New Testament for teachings about peace, whereas Islam focuses’ on the Qur’an and Hadith to guide their beliefs of peace. These sacred

This is set by the time of day. The last important component to the prayer pillar is the public day of prayer, Friday. On this day, devote Muslims join together to pray in mosques (Molloy, 432-434).

The Islamic religions follows five pillars from the prophet. 1. Testament that there is one God and Muhammad is his messenger; 2. prayer five times daily mainly before sunset and after; 3. fast during Ramadan- you can eat after sunset; 4. charity to the poor at least 2.5% of their overall wealth; 5. Pilgrimage- journey to the holy place in India, the Mosque.

Salat is the Muslim prayers that are performed five times every day. Allah ordered Muslims to pray at five times of the day: dawn, before sunrise, midday, after the sun passes its highest, the late part of the afternoon, just after sunset, and between sunset and midnight. All Muslims try to do this, even young children. The prayers give Muslims the pattern of their day.

The five pillars of Islam are the basics of the Muslim life. The first pillar is called the Shahada or Witness. It is a profession of faith that states simply that “there is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Someone becomes a Muslim by stating this declaration of faith. It is also used daily in prayers. The second pillar of Islam is called Salat or Prayer. It describes the ritual prayers muslims are called to pray five times throughout the day. The prayers are made in position facing Mecca. The third pillar is called Zakat or Giving. It is the act of charity Muslims do by setting aside about 2.5 percent of their total income and give to the poor. The fourth pillar of Islam is called Swam or Fasting. Every year in the month of Ramadan, (the ninth month of

The idea of peace is the dominant idea of Islam. Peace within our souls, peace within our communities, peace with all human beings and peace in the entire world. Islam is defined by the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) when he was asked by the Jibril: “To testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His Prophet (P.B.U.H.), to perform the prayers, to give the Zakat (helping the needy financially), to fast in the month of Ramadan, and to make pilgrimage to Makkah, if one is able to do so.” [Reported by Muslim and others]. Islam also means "complete submission to the Will of God", the purpose of which is to reach the knowledge, realization, and nearness of God resulting in a profound spiritual state of inner peace,