Meaning of Islam
For many, Islam is described as an Abrahamic monotheistic religion , because it restricts the worship of the only supreme Lord who is the Creator of the universe whom they identify with the name of Allah, based on the Koran, a book considered by his faithful followers as the literal word of God that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad or Muhammad. In other words, Muslims are those who believe in only one God and in Muhammad as the last prophet of God; dedicating their lives to the service of it.
Currently, many people have a limited idea of what Islam is. This, as mentioned above, is a monotheistic religion in which devotion is owed to God , idolatry is set aside and obedience is prioritized. The followers of the Islam religion are called Muslims, this term derives from the Muslim, which means submitted or undergoes a certain action. In this religion, a last prophet called Muhammad is believed, who was in charge of shaping the sacred writings through the Archangel Gabriel.
This Archangel is quite known in the world thanks to the Bible, but in the Koran (holy book in Islam) he is known as Jibril . But in addition to Muhammad, Islam also considers Moses, Abraham, Noah, Adam, Jesus (better known in Islam as Issah) and Solomon as prophet.
Islam teaches that God is the source of all creation and that human beings are the best of their creation . It communicates by inspiring them to goodness and sending prophets who deliver God's message. Muslims believe that the first prophet was Adam followed by a long chain of Prophets to guide mankind. The word islam derives from the classical Arabic "islam" which according to various sources means "submission" or "performance" to the Will of God, coming from the root of the word "salam", which means peace.
Unlike the many existing religions in the world, Islamism has no more gods or deities to praise, or to whom devotion is owed, there are no partners, only one God, one obligation and one way to go.
It should be added that it is important to differentiate Islamism from the Islamic State.
The Islamic State is a long way from comparing itself to what Islam stands for. While Islam is defined as a religion, the Islamic State is directly associated, conceptualized and known as a terrorist group that, although it follows certain parameters of what Islam means, they are called heterodox of the religion. They only follow Allah, but they do not fulfill the obligations that the Quran establishes. The Islamic State, also known to the world as ISIS, has become very controversial due to the beheadings, which, by the way, have been recorded and disseminated on the web since 2014.
Origin of Islam
To really determine what Islam is, it is necessary to talk about its real origins. The word comes from the Arabic aslama, which refers to obeying , submitting to certain actions (such as the Muslim term) or accepting orders. These 3 elements give a starting point of what Islam means, because in addition to making its followers accept God, they subject them to follow some parameters to live in harmony. Its genesis dates back to the 7th century in Saudi Arabia and has spread throughout the Middle East, creating not only a religion, but also a political premise.
Before the arrival of Muhammad, the Middle East followed too many religions , including Christianity and Judaism.
It took many years for all the settlements of the East to accept God (Allah) as the only existing deity to worship and Muhammad as their last prophet, in fact, there are 8 textual words in the Qur'an that reflect this same statement: “… There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet… ”and this is just the beginning of what Islam means, as there are still more expansive details of the religion.
For example, the symbol of Islam, which is represented by a 5-pointed star and a crescent located just to its right . This symbol has been quite well known in the world and unfortunately, they have associated it with terrorist groups, but not everything they represent goes hand in hand with Islam, because it follows the love of God and not the violence of man to impose itself on the world. Once its etymology is known, important aspects of the religion can be mentioned, for example, its characteristics.
Characteristics of Islam
Like any religion, Islam has some characteristics that individualize it and differentiate it from the rest. There are certain customs and even ceremonies that are carried out and that are essential for Muslims, for example, on the subject of ceremonies, there are 3 that are imperative and celebrated: birth, marriage and death. Each one is a phase in people's lives, all very different, with different experiences but true, obligatory. Having clarified this, we can talk about the characteristics of Islam. The first is the willingness to recognize Muhammad as a prophet.
Muhammad is and will be important in this religion because he was commissioned to write the 114 chapters of the Koran thanks to the help of the Archangel Gabriel. He was one of those who was closest to the divinity of God and that has marked a before and after in the life of Muslims.
Likewise, there are the origins of faith, characteristics that include daily praying, pilgrimage, fasting and doing Jihad (the search or battle of faith that is carried out internally by each religious) is not something easy, it is a strong test , but with favorable results.
On the other hand, in addition to the holy book of Islam, there is the Hadith , a book that narrates the entire life of Muhammad (that is, his actions, sayings and way of life). This is considered as a second Muslim law after the Qur'an and is called Sunna. Then there is the Sharia , that is, the Islamic law made up of the Koran, the Sunna, the Ijma and the ijtihad.
The last two represent consensus and effort , but all refer to the obligations and rights of Muslims, not only at the political and civic level, but also morally. There are also prohibitions and many other permits that apply to all Muslims in the world.
Finally, there is the community known as Umma, which unified all of Islam and which had a rupture after the death of Muhammad. This is one of the greatest aspirations of the Muslims, however, it has not been fulfilled to date, only two different points of the community have been created.
Islam possesses two great schools of thought, first there are the Sunnis who believe that the community selects its own leader after the death of Prophet Muhammad while the Shiites believe that the prophet had appointed 'There, by divine will, to be his successor . Therefore it is pointed out that both Sunnis and Shiites are united in their main beliefs, that is, they believe in the same God, the same book, the same prophets and pray in the same direction. The differences are mainly theological and jurisprudential.
Doctrines and principles of Islam
Islam teaches that God is the source of creation . But it also teaches that human beings are the best of their creation. It communicates by inspiring them to goodness and sending prophets who deliver God's message.
According to Muslims, Islam is the last religion revealed to man through the Prophet Muhammad; This person of great importance for this religion was born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia in the year 570 AD. He was a very sincere and honest person, history shows that at the age of forty, God asked him, through the angel Gabriel, to proclaim the religion of Islam publicly and God's message to humanity was delivered in the Qur'an containing 114 chapters called Suras.
Many of these texts have been known throughout the world by different prophets who, interestingly, have also been named in the bible.
Prophets of Islam
Muslims believe that the first prophet was Adam followed by a long chain of Prophets to guide mankind. Many other prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Jacob, Joseph, and Jesus are mentioned in the Qur'an.
All the prophets brought the same message, namely the belief in one God, upright human behavior, and the belief in responsibility for human acts at the end of time.
Now, speaking formally of the doctrines of Islam, one can mention fasting, which is part of the 5 pillars of faith. It takes place in the ninth month of the religious calendar and is mandatory for all Muslims, starting from dawn until sunset.
There is also charity. Islam makes all its followers or subjects totally charitable , but this charity is not like the one known in the world (to help others). No, in this regard, it is talking about doing honestly, doing works that liberate the soul.
These works are related to fasting, making sacrifices and imposing punishments on those who go against the faith (thieves, murderers and adulterers). On the other hand, there are the ceremonies that, as mentioned above, are celebrated by all Muslims.
They are sacred ceremonies and of great importance. The first is the birth, there, the father takes his son and whispers in his ear a call to prayer, after that, he proceeds to place a little honey on the newborn's tongue. From there, that little one is a new member of the religion.
A week later, the aqiqah ceremony is held, a festival to give the creature a name . The next ceremony is marriage, always suggested by the parents and optionally rejected only by the future spouse.
The ceremony is carried out in the house of either party in front of an Imam (subject who makes the wedding official) and at least two witnesses must be present, in this way, it is recorded that both are contracting marriage of their own free will. This ceremony is criticized in the rest of the world for many aspects.
However, the one that is most powerful is the fact that parents are looking for their children's partners , more out of convenience than out of love. Finally, there is death. When the person knows that he is going to die, he should recite the shahada, a kind of holy prayer.
In the event that it cannot do so, then the people who are present before, during or after death do it. After death, the body must be washed with clean water, then wrapped in the sacred savannah called Irma and taken to the Mosque .
All this must be done by people of the same sex as the deceased . Another important characteristic is that of the term Allah, which is known as God, but if there is something significant in this, it is that no one else within the religion can be called that.
Holy books of Islam
As has been said on previous occasions, this religion has a special book that regulates the actions of all Muslims, however, it should be noted the existence of 3 more that have a lot of importance within the religion.
These books will be mentioned and briefly explained in this section in order to understand everything related to Islam, not only in its customs, but also in what faithfully represents them as followers of one of the largest and most widely practiced religions in the world.
- The Koran: in this book not only is the divinity of God dictated and all Muslims are prohibited from believing in another deity than him, but it also mentions the existence of at least 20 prophets who went all over the world preaching the word of Allah, seeking followers, expanding and taking their knowledge to all corners of the world. The prophets did not alter the texts of the Qur'an, they simply focused on letting humanity know that God was unique and that no one was more divine than him.
- The Torah: is the representation of the doctrine , teachings and instructions of Muslims in the world. It is known in Christianity as the Pentateuch, (Old Testament) because it represents the foundations of Judaism (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. It was revealed to Moses the prophet, the Torah is the beginning of everything that is known in the actuality, the genesis of the universe, the meaning of life, it explains the creation of the universe and its designs from its beginnings to the end.
- The Psalms: these are made up of 5 religious texts that, in turn, are part of the old Christian testament. It was revealed to King David and contains praise to Allah in poetic or chanting forms . These are classified into hymns, supplications, thanksgiving psalms, messianic psalms, royal psalms, songs of Zion, wisdom psalms, and didactics.
- The Gospel: it is the good news that God sent through Jesus (Issah) fulfilling the words of Allah and all his prophets on the total abolition of sin through the death of his only son, Jesus, in the cross.The gospel applies in the Christian religion and in Islam as a reminder that God always keeps his word and that all those who follow him voluntarily and with great faith will be saved.
Islamic Caliphate
It is a political system represented as a sovereign state of the entire Muslim faith, governed by an entity called "caliph" under Islamic law known as "sharia."
The caliphate is also described as a unique political system of the ideology of Islam that represented unity in reference to the leader of the umma or Muslim community. From its inception, it is stated that this phenomenon was led by the disciples of Muhammad, continuing the religious system established by the prophet himself. This is known as the "Caliphates of Rashidun."
The term was developed by the leaders of the great Muslim empires that existed in the Middle East after the death of Muhammad. When the Prophet Muhammad died in 632 during the Christian era, Bakr took over as the spiritual and administrative leader of the Muslim community.
Eventually, the caliphate evolved from one more elected office to one of the dynasty. The first clan to dominate was the Umayyad clan, which gave way to the Abbasid clan. Other contenders for the title, such as the Fatimid dynasty, also claimed the title from time to time.
Eventually, the remnants of the Abbasid dynasty transferred the title to the Ottoman Sultan in 1517 The Turks abolished the office in 1923.
According to the Sunni branch of Islam it is stated that as head of state, a caliph must be elected by the Muslims or their representatives . However, the followers of Shiite Islam believe that a caliph must be an Imam chosen by God or Allah.
Concepts related to Islam
These are all those terms that have a close relationship with the Islamic religion. Each of these terms will be mentioned and briefly explained below.
Allahu akbar
It translates into a phrase like "God is great" and is used by Muslims on different occasions, including formal prayers offered to Allah. It is also applied within expressions of joy and strength, among others. It is also used by Muslim terrorists, thus announcing Islamic terrorism.
Hajj
It is a pilgrimage carried out by all the faithful of the Muslim religion, this they do in Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia.
Halal
means "lawful", it is used in this community to refer to all those actions and meals that are allowed by the Muslim religion . It is also applied for day to day, therefore, something considered halal can be beneficial and healthy for humans.
Haram
It is nothing more than an Arabic term whose meaning refers to the sacred or strictly prohibited .
I have
It is a kind of leadership position in the Muslim religion. The term is used to name or call the person who carries out the prayers in the mosque .
Ramadan
It is defined as the ninth characteristic month of the Islamic calendar and is remembered and used as a month to fast, so that all Muslims in the world fulfill their obligation in Ramadan.
Salat
It is a prayer by which Muslims try to get closer to the way of Allah. With this prayer the believers ask to be forgiven.
Degree
It is the declaration of faith that Muslims make to accept Allah as their only God.
Sharia
This is nothing more than a set of rules that are intended to allow the Muslim individual not to forget his religious beliefs and stay on the correct path of faith. This is constantly stained by the intransigence set by man, however, these regulations have an immovable character.
Takfirism
This is considered as a strongly radical movement whose origin dates back to the prisons of the Egyptian lands. This Muslim current considers that they are the only people that can carry the honor of calling themselves that way, they classify as non-Muslims all those Arab people who practice Sharia law.
Jihad
It is a religious duty for Muslims, which is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion where the dogma of faith is based on the book of the Koran, which is established as a fundamental hypothesis to its believers.
Jihadism
It is a new term borrowed from Western countries that is used to designate the most radical and violent groups immersed in political Islam, whose peculiarity is to use constant violence in conjunction with terrorist activities, all in the name of the religious obligation known as jihad.
Zakat
It is the stipulated proportion of wealth that each person must have and that, in turn, must be paid in order to help those most in need and remunerate the people who have collected the tribute.
Muslim currents
Islam is characterized by having different branches or currents, all that depends on the interpretation given to the Coram, however, there is no doubt that these branches exist and will be explained below:
Sunism
They are a Muslim organization that has a wide reach worldwide. Its main characteristic is to have total focus on the Caliph and Sahaba prophets , but also customs that are born from them. Its name originates from the fact that its followers are devotees of the Koran and the Sunna because it has deeds and sayings of Muhammad.
Shiism
Its name is known because it is born from the Ya'farita Islamic school , it is professed by at least 15% of Muslims who have been distributed throughout the world.
Jariyism
It is one of the branches of Islam, who came to think that the dignity of caliphate had to be born from the community , for which she must choose it herself, even if it came from people of color and, also, slaves. Righteousness for them is paramount, because without it then there is no faith.
Sufism
Sufism is defined as a set of religious habits whose main characteristic is to emphasize certain ceremonies, this in order to serve as an orientation for those individuals seeking a spiritual encounter with God.
Bahaism
This is a monotheistic religion that focuses on the lessons taught by Bahá'u'lláh , a religious of Arab origin and founder of the religion. This was considered by its faithful as a bearer of divine revelations at that time, in addition, its bases are based on three beliefs, these are the unity of God of religion and humanity, in addition to a series of subsequent revelations to everything above.
Jihadist Organizations
There are also other types of currents or organizations that have reference to the Muslim religion, these are the following:
- Al Qaeda
It is a terrorist, jihadist and paramilitary group that manages to carry out terrorist attacks, in addition, it is posed as a resistance group that is distributed throughout the world, which is why it is considered as an international terrorism network. - Daesh
Also considered as Islamic state. It is a terrorist group believing in Muslim jihadaism and they are ultra-conservative , in addition, they are recognized worldwide for defending the radical foundations of Islam. The Islamic state is also known as ISIS, (Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham), it uses brutal tactics of pure violence against all people who do not follow sharia. - Hezbollah
It is a Muslim group, which is made up of paramilitary and political arms . Its foundation dates from 1982 to respond to an Israeli intervention that took place in that year, thus achieving the search for personnel to train, organize and found them thanks to a contingent belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. - Hamas
It is a Palestinian Muslim organization of a radical type that also declares itself as a jihadist and nationalist, it is based on political and militant powers and, due to these militant activities, the organization has taken a certain boom. This includes terrorist acts like suicide bombing , however, the role of Hamas in the Palestinian Authority and the various occupied territories, is actually more complex because the main goal of Hamas is the elimination of the State of Israel. - Qutbism
It is a way of propagating the laws established in the Muslim religion . Generally, the way to grow the number of believers in Muhammad is practiced in the Shiite region. They promote the practice of Jihad and also generate the promotion of holy war (conflict that is caused by differences between religions). - Wahhabism
Wahhabism was based within the boundary lines of what today is known as Saudi Arabia and is one of the many streams of the Muslim religion also has a lot of reach, even greater than the Habani school and Sunnis. The Wahab is the main protagonist in terrorist attacks on a global level . - Boko Haram
It is the name given to an Islamic terrorist group located in Nigeria. It was founded in 2002 by the spiritual leader Mohammed Yusuf. This terrorist organization aims to establish an Islamic state throughout Nigeria, imposing this law as a standard of conduct and flatly rejecting Western education, which was inspired by Christianity.
Islamic Art
Islam is not only religion or morality, it also encompasses a type of culture that draws a lot of attention, especially for the Mexican community, which is attracted to Islamic architecture. It is not at all difficult to define this culture as a perfect technique both in calligraphy and in its architecture.
In Islamic art there is decoration and geometry that characterize this culture as one of the oldest and most beautiful in the world. For example, there is Kufic calligraphy, a feature of quite ancient Islamic art and belonging to the Qur'an.
This type of writing has angles and lines , several times you can see something elongated vertically or horizontally. Despite the fact that this calligraphy was used to capture the Koran, there are still some territories in the Middle East that use it, of course, with some classic alterations due to the passage of time.
As for the architecture within Islamic art, we can mention the Lacería, one of the styles that has lasted the most over time. These are lines that are intertwined with each other, so that they end up forming different figures such as polygons or stars.
There is also the ataurique, a type of natural or plant art that captures drawings of nature using various materials. Islamic art encompasses architecture and it is home to Mosques and Madrasas. In the case of mosques, they are buildings in which various religious ceremonies are carried out.
Madrasas are educational institutions that promote Islam among children. They are quite common in the Middle East, however, there are also some in different parts of the world for Muslims who have emigrated for reasons beyond their control.
Another characteristic of Islamic art is Andalusian pottery, which was developed in the 8th century. These are beautiful vessels made with glass, tiles and enamels of all colors . It had a huge impact in Europe and they are still used today in different parts of the world.
There is also the eboraria, known as ivory, and Islamic textile works. Sanctuary art was the most prominent in Islam, using varied and precious elements and materials to decorate the sacred facilities. Islam is more than religion, it can also be art.