Islam

“” God does not judge you according to your bodies and appearances, but He looks into your hearts and observes your deeds.

— Prophet Muhammad

Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion founded on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad in the Arabian Peninsula. Muslims believe Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith revealed through prophets like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

Islam is the second largest religion in the world, also the fastest growing religion, notorious for many strict laws and harsh punishments especially against women and non-believers, whom he calls "kafirs" (infidels). Throughout his history, Islam mostly grew and spread through conquest under the caliphates. In fact, Islam promotes peace and harmony when he is weak and minority, but switches to war and aggression when he becomes strong or the majority. This can be observed in the Quranic scriptures with the differences in doctrine between the beginning and end, and also in the modern Western society.

Whether he's calling for peace, war, or sharia law, Islam is a major force on the world stage— religiously, politically, and culturally.

History

Founding

Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the early 7th century Mecca, in present-day Saudi Arabia. Muhammad began receiving what Muslims consider "revelations" from the angel Gabriel in 610 AD, calling for submission to the one God, preparation for the imminent Last Judgement, and charity for the poor and needy. Muslims mark this year as the year of return to the "original faith" practiced by prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

The revelations of Muhammad were later compiled into the Quran, the holy book of Islam. His teachings centered on monotheism, calling for the worship of one God, Allah, and emphasized social justice, charity, and moral conduct, with strict laws and harsh punishments. Muhammad tried to preach for 12 years but was only able to recruit his immediate family and friends.

After facing persecution in Mecca, Muhammad and his followers migrated to Medina in 622 AD, an event known as the Hijra, which marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. In Medina, Muhammad established the first Muslim community (ummah), drafted a constitution, and built alliances with local tribes. Medina at the time was the Jewish hub of business and trade, so naturally Muhammad wanted the Jews to accept him as the last prophet, but they wouldn't. As such, Muhammad became a military warrior and established an Islamic Theocracy so he can conquer the Jews, Christians and pagans. Over the next decade, Muhammad united the many tribes under Islam and successfully converted many to a community governed by Sharia (Islamic law).

When Muhammad had almost all of the Arabian Peninsula under his control, he took Mecca in 630 AD. Muhammad passed away in 632 from a slow and painful poison that felt like was cutting his aorta, leaving behind a rapidly growing religious community.

Rightly Guided Caliphs

After Muhammad's death in 632 AD, disagreement arose among his followers over who should lead the Muslim community. Most supported Abu Bakr, a close companion and father-in-law of Muhammad, who became the first caliph (successor) and beginning the Rashidun Caliphate. A minority believed leadership should stay within Muhammad's family, specifically with his cousin and son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib. This succession dispute, initially political, gradually developed into deeper doctrinal divisions between what became Sunni and Shia Islam. This period is considered the golden age of Islamic governance and saw the first four caliphs, known as the "Rightly Guided Caliphs", lead the Muslim community.

Some tribes decided that they were done with Islam and left, some rebelled under leaders who declared themselves new prophets. But the first caliph Abu Bakr focused on setting out brutal campaigns against them, killing them for apostasy (a crime in Islam). These campaigns were known as the Ridda Wars, which lasted from 632 to 633. Local populations of Jews and indigenous Christians were persecuted as religious minorities and heretics, also are taxed heavily. Bakr restored central authority and prepared the ground for expansion beyond the peninsula. His short reign ended when he died in 634.

Under the second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab (r. 634-644), the Muslim armies achieved rapid conquests. Victories over the Byzantine Empire brought Syria, Palestine, and Egypt under Islamic control, while defeats of the Sassanid Empire added Iraq, Persia, and parts of Central Asia. These expansions turned Islam from a regional Arabian movement into a vast empire. Umar established administrative systems, including provincial governors, tax collection, and a standing army, and adopted the Hijri calendar officially.

The third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, continued expansion into North Africa and parts of Central Asia. He standardized the Quran into a single written version to prevent variations in recitation, a key step in preserving doctrinal unity. However, accusations of nepotism and favoritism toward his Umayyad clan led to unrest. Rebels assassinated Uthman at Medina in 656, sparking division.

Ali ibn Abi Talib became the fourth caliph, but faced immediate opposition. The First Fitna, a civil war between the Sunnis (supporters of Uthman) and Shias (supporters of Ali) erupted. Supporters of Ali included Aisha, Muhammad's former child wife, and Mu'awiya, Uthman's relative and governor of Syria. Ali was assassinated in January 661 by a Kharijite extremist. Mu'awiya then established himself as caliph later in 661, founding the Umayyad Caliphate with his capital in Damascus.

Islamic Imperialism & Golden Age

With the founding of a new caliphate in 661, hereditary rule was established. The majority of Muslims ultimately accepted the caliphate as a political reality, though Ali's supporters continued to insist for rule by Muhammad's descendants, leading to the permanent division between Sunnis and Shiites.

Under the Umayyad, Islam was spread even further. Through imperialism, the Muslim faith reached North Africa, Spain/Portugal, and the borders of India and Central Asia, creating one of the largest empires in history up to that point. The Umayyad developed Arabic as an administrative language, built iconic structures like the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, However, tensions grew between Arabs and non-Arab converts (mawali) who felt marginalized. The Umayyad's favouritism toward Arab elites also caused unrest, leading to their overthrow in 750 by the Abbasid Dynasty.

The Abbasids claimed descent from Muhammad's uncle Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. The capital was moved to Baghdad (founded in 762). Under Abbasid rule, Islam experienced a Golden Age, with major advances in science, mathematics, medicine, and philosophy. The Islamic city of Baghdad became the most prosperous city in the world and a global learning center under caliphs like Harun al-Rashid and al-Ma'mun, with many different cultures interacting. Greek, Persian, and Indian works were translated into Arabic.

Doctrinally, this period was crucial for the development and solidification of Islamic theology (kalam) and law (fiqh). Early debates over free will versus divine predestination, the nature of God's attributes, and whether the Quran was created or eternal led to the rise of theological schools. The Mu'tazila school emphasized rationalism, human free will, divine justice, and the created nature of the Quran, influencing intellectual discourse but facing opposition for over-relying on reason. In response, the Ash'ari and Maturidi schools emerged as mainstream Sunni positions. They balanced revelation with limited rationalism: affirming God's absolute omnipotence and predestination while allowing human responsibility through "acquisition" (kasb) of actions. These schools rejected extreme rationalism and literalism, becoming dominant in Sunni theology.

The Sunni-Shia split deepened doctrinally, with Shi'ism being now a fully distinct branch of Islam that were persecuted by the Sunnis. Sunnis emphasized consensus (ijma) and the traditions (Sunna) of the Prophet, accepting the first four caliphs as "rightly guided" and developing four major schools of jurisprudence. Shias held that leadership (imamate) belonged to divinely appointed descendants of Ali, viewing the Imams as infallible guides in doctrine and interpretation. Twelver Shia (the largest Shia branch) developed beliefs in twelve Imams, with the twelfth in occultation (hidden) awaiting return as the Mahdi to establish justice. Sufism emerges in the 750s, emphasizing spiritual purification, inner devotion, and mysticism, also flourished, often crossing sectarian lines and influencing doctrine through concepts like direct experience of God.

By the 900s, much of Persia, Egypt and Syria has turned to Islam. There are many benefits in converting to Islam: adopting the faith if the elite rulers offers less taxes plus advantages in business, networking, and status. But these regions still remain religiously diverse, still with Jews, Christians and communities of other sects. For many years, Muslim traders have been crossing into Sub-Saharan Africa, buying slaves to be sold across the Caliphate. Through these trade routes, Islam gradually spreads south. Cities like Timbuktu, Gao and Kano became Islamic centers of learning and culture. Muslims traders also cross the Arabian Sea, establishing trading hubs along the East African coast, also connecting to the Indian Ocean, helping Islam to spread to South and Southeast Asia.

Fragmentation of the Classical Caliphates

In Central Asia, a semi-nomadic Turkic tribe known as the Seljuks converts to Islam in 985. They carve out their own Islamic empire, conquering the Abbasid cities, eventually capturing Baghdad in 1055 and becoming the de-facto rulers of the Islamic world. Under the Seljuks, Islamic political power and religious authority were separated. Religious leadership are provided by caliphs and scholars known as the "ulama". The Seljuks take Anatolia and the Holy Land, causing Christians to strike back and Crusades against the Muslims. The Islamic world is politically fragmented, the former Caliphate now ruled by various empires and sects.

Over time, the Abbasid caliphs lost political power to regional dynasties and military leaders (such as the Buyids and Seljuks), retaining mainly symbolic religious authority until the Mongol sack of Baghdad in 1258 ended the classical caliphate period. Islam continued to spread through trade, migration, and Sufi missionaries, as the Mongols were surprisingly tolerant of different faiths. Three of the four Mongol khanates convert to Islam.

In Southeast Asia, centuries of contact with Muslim traders are also accelerating the spread of Islam. Around 1267, on the island of Sumatra, the Samudera Pasai Sultanate would be founded, becoming a center of Islamic learning and trade. Meanwhile, back in the Middle East, a new Sufi order, the Mevlevi Order, gains popularity in the Sultanate of Rûm around 1273.

The 14th century saw rival dynasties vying for control in the Muslim heartlands. The Mamluks in Egypt, the Ilkhanate in Persia, and many Turkic beyliks in Anatolia, one of which was about to become perhaps the greatest Muslim empire of them all.

Gunpowder Empires

In the early modern era of the 14th to 18th centuries, the use of gunpowder made three new Muslim empires rise to great heights. These three were the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals.

The 1300s see the dawn of the Turks. Osman I founds the Ottoman state circa 1299 and proceeded expand rapidly into Europe and surroundings. Over time, many locals convert to Islam, attracted by economic benefits, legal privileges, and roles in Ottoman government. Under Mehmed II, the Ottoman Muslims even ended the Byzantine Christians in 1453, turning their capital Constantinople into the now Islamic capital of Istanbul.

In Southeast Asia, Malacca converts to Islam in 1414 and adopts the faith as the state religion. Through commerce and alliances, the new sultanate helps Islam spread further in the region. In 1478, Demak Sultanate emerges as the first major Muslim state in Java.

In the Iberian Peninsula, the Reconquista takes place. The Christians retake their former land and the last Muslim stronghold, Granada, falls in 1492, ending more than eight centuries of Muslim rule in the region. Muslims there faced forced conversions to Catholicism, and if not, expulsion.

In 1501, the Safavids conquered Persia. Twelver Shi'ism was announced as the state religion, forcibly converting much of Persia from Sunni to Shia Islam, permanently reshaping the region's religious identity. The Safavids institutionalized Shia clerical authority and promoted devotion to the Imams, creating a sharp sectarian divide with the Sunni Ottomans that persists to this day.

In 1517, the Ottomans conquered the two holiest sites in Islam: Mecca and Medina. So, the Sultan Selim I declares himself the new Caliph, a title that would be held by the Ottoman Sultans for the next 400 years. The empire reached its peak under Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–1566). Ottoman armies dominated Balkans, threatened Europe, and controlled much of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Suleiman reformed Islamic law alongside imperial decrees (kanun), strengthening centralized authority. Ottoman religious institutions promoted Sunni orthodoxy, while suppressing heterodox movements.

Babur, a descendent of Genghis Khan, defeats the Delhi Sultanate in 1526, establishing the Muslim Mughal Empire to rule over much of India and the Hindu-majority population there for the next two centuries.

Decline to the West

Cracks begin to show in the Muslim's global dominance. In the 16th century, Orthodox Christian Russia defeated many Muslim khanates in Siberia. Ottoman Empire got defeated at the Battle of Lepanto of 1571, and failed his siege at Vienna in 1683. From this point onwards, the two great Muslim powers, the Ottoman and the Mughal, found themselves increasingly challenged by internal divisions and external foes.

In 18th century Arabia, the reformist Wahhabi movement is formed, characterized by suspicion of many traditional Muslim beliefs and practices. The movement acquired political influence through alliance with the House of Saud, rulers of the first Saudi state.

European colonialism was rampant during the 19th century. The colonized include several Muslim countries/territories. In many places, Islam became a powerful aspect of resistance against their Christian overlords. In the 1880s, a new fundamentalist movement arose: the Salafist movement, which seeks a return to the "pure" way and practices of the early Muslim community.

Other reformers such as Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh attempted to reconcile Islam with science, constitutionalism, and nationalism. Islamic thought split between modernist, traditionalist, and fundamentalist approaches.

Modern Age

The declining Ottoman Empire was defeated in the First World War from 1914-1918. Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ended the Caliphate in 1924, and drove the country secular. Since the Caliphate was over, Islam could no longer compete with the more advanced Christian countries. So, Muslims began to mainly use Dawah to spread.

The World Wars, decolonialization, and the spread of communism of the 20th century profoundly impacted the political map of Islam. Indonesia declared independence from the Dutch Colonial Empire in 1945 and became the home of the largest population of Muslims. In 1947, the Muslim-majority states of India become independent as Pakistan. In 1979, the Iranian revolution overthrows the Pahlavi and establishes the totalitarian Islamic Republic.

In the late 20th century, historical colonial ties and economic migration led a moderate number of Muslims to live in Europe and North America. Salafism would eventually evolve into violent Jihadism in the 20th and 21st centuries, and many countries will have severe problems regarding to this. both Chinas had to deal with Islamist separatists, Russia fought many Jihadists in the Chechen conflict, the Jihadist group Al-Qaeda attacked the USA's Twin Towers in 2001 killing tens of thousands, even Muslim nations such as Iraq and Syria had to deal with extremists.

In the 2010s, a wave of calls to overthrow the authoritarian governments across many Muslim countries known as the "Arab Spring" caused widespread chaos and destruction. The nations of Europe decided to open up and welcome refugees, but they let in too much. Islam and Islamists began infiltrating many Western Christian-dominated countries, such as United Kingdom, France and Germany. The naive Western governments complied to the Muslim's every request, building new mosques and cancelling many Christian aspects of life. For comparison, Saudi Arabia has 0 churches and Germany has almost 3,000 mosques. Crimes such as rape and homicide also went significantly up after importing the Muslims, many of whom's cultural values do not comply with Western ones. Still, Muslims became the most protected group by the woke and leftist governments of the European Union. It is very unfortunate; some Muslims just want to live their lives normally in a free country while their companions are shouting about overthrowing Western governments and establishing a new Caliphate under Sharia law. In 2026, the Muslim nation of United Arab Emirates restricted funding for his citizens to study at UK universities due to concerns over them being radicalized by militant Islam.

In modern times, due to being a religion of "minorities" in the woke West (unlike Christianity), Islam has found himself becoming almost untouchable by satires or criticism by the Mainstream Media.

Beliefs

Islam's rapid spread along with his beliefs and practices across the Arabian Peninsula profoundly transformed Arabian society, culture, and law, replacing many local customs with Sharia law, which regulated daily life, commerce, family relations, and criminal justice. These beliefs would be then spread to the rest of the Muslim world.

Articles of Faith

The Islamic creed (aqidah) states that to be a Muslim, one is required to belief in six articles:

1. Belief in God and tawhid
2. Belief in the angels
3. Belief in the Islamic holy books ( Quran, hadiths, sunnah, etc.)
4. Belief in the prophets and messengers
5. Belief in the Last Judgment and Day of Resurrection
6. Belief in predestination

The six articles of faith or belief (Arkān al-Īmān) are derived from the Quran and sunnah, accepted by all Muslims. While there are differences between Shia and Sunni Islam and other schools or sects concerning issues such as the attributes of God and the purpose of angels, the six articles themselves are not disputed.

God

The central concept of Islam is tawḥīd (توحيد), the oneness of God. It is usually thought of as a precise monotheism, but is also panentheistic in Islamic mystical teachings. God is seen as incomparable and without multiplicity of persons such as in the Christian Trinity (whom Muhammad mistakenly calls Allah, Jesus and Mary), and associating multiplicity to God or attributing God's attributes to others is seen as idolatry, called shirk. Thus, Muslims practice Iconoclasm and do not attribute forms to God. God is instead described and referred to by several names or attributes, the most common being Ar-Rahmān (الرحمان) meaning " The Entirely Merciful", and Ar-Rahīm (الرحيم) meaning "The Especially Merciful" which are invoked at the beginning of most chapters of the Quran.

Islam teaches that the creation of everything in the universe was brought into being by God's command as expressed by the wording, "Be, and it is," and that the purpose of existence is to worship God. There are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God. Consciousness and awareness of God is referred to as Taqwa. Allāh is a term with no plural or gender being ascribed to it and is also used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews in reference to God, whereas ʾilāh (إله) is a term used for a deity or a god in general. Contrary to the god of Christianity, Allah is described as distant, unknowable, and often detached, emphasizing mystery over intimacy. According to Islam, God is knowable through his creation, metaphorical stories of the prophets stored in the Quran, and signs in nature.

Angels

Angels (ملك, malak) are beings described in the Quran and hadith. They are described as created to worship God and also to serve in other specific duties such as communicating revelations from God, recording every person's action, and taking a person's soul at the time of death. They are described as being created variously from " light" (nūr) or " fire" (nār). Islamic angels are often represented in anthropomorphic forms combined with supernatural images, such as wings, being of great size or wearing heavenly articles. Common characteristics for angels include a lack of bodily needs and desires, such as eating and drinking. Some of them, such as Gabriel (Jibrīl) and Michael (Mika'il), are mentioned by name in the Quran. Angels play a significant role in literature about the Mi'raj, where Muhammad encounters several angels during his journey through the heavens. Further angels have often been featured in Islamic eschatology, theology and philosophy.

Scriptures

Quran is the holiest book in Islam. According to Muslims, the book was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by Allah on multiple occasions between 610 and 632, the year Muhammad died. While Muhammad was alive, these revelations were written down by his companions, although the primary method of transmission was orally through memorization. Islam believes that the Quran is eternal and never wrong, since the book is directly dictated by Allah. As the final and unaltered word of God, the Quran serves as a complete guide for life, covering all aspects of morality, law, and spirituality. The Quran is recited and memorized by believers around the world as an act of devotion.

Islam also holds that God has sent revelations, called wahy, to different prophets numerous times throughout history. However, Islam teaches that parts of the previously revealed scriptures, such as the Tawrat (Torah) and the Injil (Gospel), have become distorted—either in interpretation, in text, or both, while the Quran (literally meaning "Recitation") is viewed as the final, verbatim and unaltered word of God, the ultimate source of truth, superseding previous scriptures and fixing the errors of the Torah and Bible. The Quran is recited and memorized by believers around the world as an act of devotion.

Hadiths are reports of Muhammad's words, actions, and habits, extra scripture in addition to the Quran. They have two parts: the sanad, or chain of narrators, and the matn, or the actual text. Scholars classify hadiths by authenticity: "authentic" (ṣaḥīḥ), "good" (ḥasan), or "weak" (ḍaʻīf), among others. The Kutub al-Sittah is a collection of six widely respected hadith books in Sunni Islam, including Sahih al-Bukhari, often considered the most reliable after the Quran. Shia Muslims have their own key hadith collection called The Four Books.

Prophets

Prophets of Islam mentioned in the Quran

Name	No.	Arabic	Messenger?	Arch-Prophet?	Equivalent
Ādam	1	آدَم	Yes	No	Adam
Nuh	3	نُوح	Yes	Yes	Noah
Ibrāhīm	6	إِبْرَاهِيْمُ	Yes	Yes	Abraham
Musa	14	مُوسَىٰ	Yes	Yes	Moses
Dāwūd	16	دَاوُۥد	Yes	No	David
Sulaymān	17	سُلَيْمَان	No	No	Solomon
Isa	24	عِيسَىٰ	Yes	Yes	Jesus
Muhammad	25	مُحَمَّد	Yes	Yes	-

Prophets (أنبياء, anbiyāʾ) are people chosen by God to share His message with others. Some prophets are also given a new holy book and are called "messengers" (رسول, rasūl). Muslims believe prophets are human, not divine, and that all prophets taught the same basic message: submit to God's will. According to Islam, this is why many religions share similar teachings. According to certain Hadiths, there were about 124,000 prophets, and the Quran states that "for every community there is a messenger." However, only 25 prophets are mentioned in the Quran by name, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Other stories about prophets are collected in books called Qisas al-Anbiya (Stories of the Prophets).

Muslims believe Muhammad was the final prophet ("Seal of the Prophets") who delivered the complete message of Islam. His life provides an example for Muslims, called the sunnah ("trodden path"), showing how to live morally and follow God's guidance. The sunnah is recorded in hadiths, some of which called Hadith Qudsi are considered God's words quoted by Muhammad but are not part of the Quran.

Resurrection and Judgment

Belief in the " Day of Resurrection" or Yawm al-Qiyāmah (يوم القيامة) is also crucial for Muslims. It is believed that the time of Qiyāmah is preordained by God, but unknown to man. The Quran and the hadith, as well as the commentaries of scholars, describe the trials and tribulations preceding and during the Qiyāmah. The Quran emphasizes bodily resurrection, a break from the pre-Islamic Arabian understanding of death.

On Yawm al-Qiyāmah, Muslims believe all humankind will be judged by their good and bad deeds and consigned to Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam (hell). The Quran in Surat al-Zalzalah describes this as: "So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it." The Quran lists several sins that can condemn a person to hell. However, the Quran makes it clear that God will forgive the sins of those who repent if he wishes. Good deeds, like charity, prayer, and compassion towards animals will be rewarded with entry to heaven. Muslims view heaven as a place of joy and blessings, with Quranic references describing its features. Mystical traditions in Islam place these heavenly delights in the context of an ecstatic awareness of God. Yawm al-Qiyāmah is also identified in the Quran as Yawm ad-Dīn (يوم الدين "Day of Religion"); as-Sāʿah (الساعة "the Last Hour"); and al-Qāriʿah (القارعة "The Clatterer").

Jannah

Islam believe when a Muslim die, they go to Jannah, or Heaven. In Jannah, everyone will be the same height and will be able to meet all the Islamic prophets. This place is considered a paradise, and according to one count, the word appears 147 times in the Qur'an. Jannah is described with physical pleasures such as gardens, beautiful houris, wine that has no aftereffects, and "divine pleasure". {{I|Male} Men get 72 virgins to deflower and they remain virgins for some reason. There are many levels of Jannah, each level supposedly has "higher quality" of things than their lower level.

Divine Predestination

The concept of divine predestination in Islam (القضاء والقدر, al-qadāʾ wa l-qadar) means that every matter, good or bad, is believed to have been decreed by God. Al-qadar, meaning "power", derives from a root that means "to measure" or "calculating". Muslims often express this belief in divine destiny with the phrase "In-sha-Allah" (إن شاء الله) meaning "if God wills" when speaking on future events.

Acts of Worship

There are five acts of worship, known as the "Five Pillars of Islam" that are considered duties:

1. Shahada (declaration of faith)
2. Salah (prayer)
3. Zakat (almsgiving)
4. Sawm (fasting)
5. Hajj (pilgrimage)

In addition, Muslims also perform other optional supererogatory acts that are encouraged but not considered to be duties.

Declaration of Faith

The shahadah is an oath declaring belief in Islam. The expanded statement is "ʾašhadu ʾal-lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāhu wa ʾašhadu ʾanna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh" (أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمداً رسول الله), or, "I testify that there is no deity except God and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God." Islam is sometimes argued to have a very simple creed with the shahada being the premise for the rest of the religion. Non-Muslims wishing to convert to Islam are required to recite the shahada in front of witnesses.

Prayer

Prayer in Islam, called as-salah or aṣ-ṣalāt (الصلاة), is seen as a personal communication with God and consists of repeating units called rakat that include bowing and prostrating to God. There are five timed prayers each day that are considered duties. The prayers are recited in the Arabic language and performed in the direction that is facing Kaaba, no matter where you are in the world. The act also requires a state of ritual purity achieved by means of either a routine wudu ritual wash or, in certain circumstances, a ghusl full body ritual wash.

A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, who often refer to it by its Arabic name masjid. Although the primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer, it is also an important social centre for the Muslim community. For example, the Masjid an-Nabawi ("Prophetic Mosque") in Medina used to also serve as a shelter for the poor. Minarets are towers used to call the adhan, a vocal call to signal the prayer time.

Almsgiving

Zakat (زكاة, zakāh), also spelled Zakāt or Zakah, is a type of almsgiving characterized by the giving of a fixed portion (2.5% annually) of accumulated wealth by those who can afford it to help the poor or needy, such as for freeing captives, those in debt, or for (stranded) travellers, and for those employed to collect zakat. It acts as a form of welfare in Muslim societies. It is considered a religious obligation that the well-off owe the needy because their wealth is seen as a trust from God's bounty, and is seen as a purification of one's excess wealth. The total annual value contributed due to zakat is 15 times greater than global humanitarian aid donations, using conservative estimates. Sadaqah, as opposed to Zakat, is a much-encouraged optional charity. A waqf is a perpetual charitable trust, which finances hospitals and schools in Muslim societies.

Fasting

In Islam, fasting (صوم, ṣawm) precludes food and drink, as well as other forms of consumption, such as smoking, and is performed from dawn (first light, or Fajr) to sunset (Maghrib). This makes fasting in far-north countries like Norway near impossible. During the month of Ramadan, it is considered a duty for Muslims to fast. The fast is to encourage a feeling of nearness to God by restraining oneself for God's sake from what is otherwise permissible and to think of the needy. In addition, there are other days, such as the Day of Arafah, when fasting is optional.

Pilgrimage

The Islamic pilgrimage, called the ḥajj (حج), is to be done at least once a lifetime by every Muslim with the means to do so during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Rituals of the Hajj mostly imitate the story of the family of Abraham. In Mecca, pilgrims walk seven times around the Kaaba, which Muslims believe Abraham built as a place of worship, and they walk seven times between Mount Safa and Marwa, recounting the steps of Abraham's second wife, Hagar, who was looking for water for her baby Ishmael in the desert before Mecca developed into a settlement. The pilgrimage also involves spending a day praying and worshipping in the plain of Mount Arafat as well as symbolically stoning the Devil. All Muslim men wear only two simple white unstitched pieces of cloth called ihram, intended to bring continuity through generations and uniformity among pilgrims despite class or origin. Another form of pilgrimage, Umrah, is optional and can be undertaken at any time of the year. Other sites of Islamic pilgrimage are Medina, where Muhammad died, as well as Jerusalem, a city of many Islamic prophets and the site of Al-Aqsa, a compound of Islamic buildings which was the direction of prayer before Mecca.

Other Acts of Worship

Muslims recite and memorize the whole or parts of the Quran as acts of virtue. Tajwid refers to the set of rules for the proper elocution of the Quran. Many Muslims recite the whole Quran during the month of Ramadan. One who has memorized the whole Quran is called a hafiz ("memorizer"), and hadiths mention that these individuals will be able to intercede for others on Judgment Day.

Supplication to God, called in Arabic duʿāʾ (دعاء) has its own etiquette such as raising hands as if begging.

Remembrance of God (ذكر, Dhikr') refers to phrases repeated referencing God. Commonly, this includes Tahmid, declaring "praise be due to God" (الحمد لله, al-Ḥamdu lillāh) during prayer or when feeling thankful, Tasbih, declaring glory to God during prayer or when in awe of something and saying "in the name of God" (بسملة, basmalah) before starting an act such as eating.

Caliphates

Main article: Islamic Theocracy

A caliphate or khilāfah (خِلَافَةْ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph, a person considered a political-religious successor to Muhammad and a leader of the entire Muslim world ( ummah). The caliphate is meant to uphold and implement Islamic law (Sharia) and govern the affairs of the Muslim community. Historically, various caliphates have existed, such as the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman caliphates, each of which played a crucial role in the spread of Islam and the administration of vast territories.

Branches

Schools and Branches of Islam

Name	Year Founded	Belongs To
Non-Denominational Islam	610	Islam
Sunni Islam	632	Islam
Shia Islam	632	Islam
Muhakkima	657	Islam
Kharijism	c. 657	Muhakkima
Ibadi Islam	c. 692	Muhakkima
Sufism	c. 750	Islam
Ismailism	c. 765	Shia Islam
Twelver Shi'ism	874	Shia Islam
Alawism	9th century	Shia Islam
Wahhabism	Early 1700s	Sunni Islam
Salafism	Late 1800s	Sunni Islam
Ahmadiyya	Late 1800s	Mahdism
Nation of Islam	1930	Mahdism

Islamic schools and branches have different understandings of Islam. There are many different sects or denominations, schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and schools of Islamic theology, or ʿaqīdah (creed).

The two main branches of the Islamic faith are Sunni Islam and Shia Islam, each with their own variants and sects. Sunni is mostly practiced in Saudi Arabia, and Shia in Iran. Sunni is the largest branch, accounting for 87-90% of all Muslims.

Differences between the groups may not be well known to Muslims outside of scholarly circles, or may have induced enough passion to have resulted in political and religious violence. Some Islamic sects and groups date back to the early history of Islam between the 7th and 9th centuries AD, whereas others have arisen much more recently, or even in the 20th century.

Muslims who do not belong to, do not self-identify with, or cannot be readily classified under one of the identifiable Islamic schools/branches are known as non-denominational Muslims.

Trivia

• The Quran has explicitly mentioned the number 19, and some scholars believe that it contains a "19-based mathematical structure".
• Less than 15% of the Muslim population are Arab. The top five countries with most the Muslims are all non-Arab.
• By Islamic law, any person who converts to another religion from Islam is considered to be apostasy, a crime punishable by death.
• According to Sahih Muslim Book 37, Number 6665-6666, Muslims gets a free pass for their sins, and either a Jew or Christian suffers for it. And, when a Muslim dies, a Jew or Christian replaces him in hell.

Relationships

Halal

• Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) - لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا الله مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ الله
• Monotheism - ¹Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ "He is Allah—One ˹and Indivisible˺.
• Kalam - ³⁹ This is a blessed book which We have sent down to you so that people may ponder over its verses, and that men of understanding may take heed from it.
• Optimism - ¹¹However, in both cases, those who are patient and do right, proper and good deeds that will please Allah do not behave like this. For them is forgiveness and a great reward.
• Asceticism - ⁶⁴¹⁶Be in this world as if you were a stranger or a traveler.

Shubha

• Isa - ⁵²When Jesus sensed disbelief in them, he said, ‘Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah?’ The disciples said, ‘We are the helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims.’ But false religion wouldn't have happened if you didn't mess up so badly.
• Sunnism & Shi'ism - ⁵⁹O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution.
• Christianity - ⁸²You will surely find the most bitter towards the believers to be the Jews and polytheists and the most gracious to be those who call themselves Christian. That is because there are priests and monks among them and because they are not arrogant.
• Sikhism - Fellow halal Muslim or haram Mushrik? I don't understand you, but I think it's the latter. Oh well, many of your people are nice and helped us out a few times before…
• Mormonism - We have some striking similarities… people even say you are the " white" version of me.
• Liberal Islam - I get that you're trying to make me more appealing for the modern West, but I never called myself a religion of peace!
• Jihadism - Kill infidels, make Allah happy. Claims to be the true Islam. Many of us denounce you, plus you give us a very bad reputation and a reason to hate. We should only kill infidels and non-believers if they are hostile to us, you take it way too far…
• Pedophilia - 9 year old Aisha was emotionally and physically mature, but Islamophobes still use our great Prophet's marriage and sex with her to attack me! It was also normal for the time. But the Quran is a timeless message, so there's theories floating around that Aisha wasn't 9 but something like 17. Still, Muslims get eternal virgins with budding breasts when we enter heaven!

Haram

• Other Religions - ⁸⁵Whoever seeks a way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers.
• Paganism - ⁵Then, when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every lookout. But if they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then let them go their way.
• Trinitarianism - This is literally Polytheism. 1+1+1 equals 3, not 1! ¹⁷¹The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of Allah and the fulfilment of His Word through Mary and a spirit ˹created by a command˺ from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, "Trinity." Stop! For your own good.
• Satanism - ¹²⁰Satan only makes them ˹false˺ promises and deludes them with ˹empty˺ hopes. Truly Satan promises them nothing but delusion.
• Idolatry - ⁶⁰Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Shall I inform you of those who deserve a worse punishment from Allah ˹than the rebellious˺? It is those who earned Allah’s condemnation and displeasure—some being reduced to apes and pigs and worshippers of false gods. These are far worse in rank and farther astray from the Right Way.”
• Islamophobia - ¹⁹¹Kill them wherever you come upon them and drive them out of the places from which they have driven you out. For persecution is far worse than killing. And do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque unless they attack you there. If they do so, then fight them—that is the reward of the disbelievers. ¹⁹²But if they cease, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ¹⁹³Fight against them ˹if they persecute you˺ until there is no more persecution, and ˹your˺ devotion will be to Allah ˹alone˺. If they stop ˹persecuting you˺, let there be no hostility except against the aggressors.
• Judaism - ¹⁶⁰We forbade the Jews certain foods that had been lawful to them for their wrongdoing, and for hindering many from the Way of Allah,
• Hinduism - Bad dirty polytheists.
• Crusadism - THE HOLY LAND IS MINE!
• Zoroastrianism - Span I came to Persia to convert you all dirty infidels! Some people say that my As-Sirāt is taken from your Chinvat Bridge but that is untrue!
• Coptic Orthodoxy - Get out of Egypt you infidel!
• American Model - You know what this place needs? Sharia law.
• Queer Theory - Many of your Westerners support me because I am a minority in the West, and feel betrayed when I outlaw the pride flag. News flash, I was never on your side. ¹⁶And those two of you who commit it (the shameful act), torture them both. But if they repent and correct themselves, leave them alone. Indeed, Allah is Ever Accepting of Repentance and Merciful.
• Feminism - ³⁴ Men are caretakers of women… As for women of whom you fear rebellion, convince them, leave them apart in beds, and beat them (lightly). Then, if they obey you, do not seek a way against them.
• Chick Theology - Crazy Christian, Allah is not a moon god; the star and crescent wasn't even used during Muhammad (PBUH)'s time, that came later during the Ottoman Empire!

How to draw

Flag with Islamic symbolism

Islam has a drawing rating of intermediate.

1. Draw a ball.
2. Fill it with green.
3. On the middle of the ball, draw the Allah symbol in yellow.
4. Add the eyes and you are done!

Color Name		HEX
	Green	#247E1D
	Yellow	#ECEC00

Gallery

RegularInformational

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  Concepts for Religion-Theocracy design differences

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  Symbol of Allah, god of Islam

See Also

• Islamic Theocracy
• Muhammadism