What is Islam?

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Introduction to Islam

The word “Islam” comes from the Arabic root word “sa-la-ma”, which means peace, and the word itself means “peace, purity, submission and obedience to the will of Almighty God” in Arabic.

The Arabic word for God is Allah, and He is described through 99 names, including the merciful (Ar-raheem), the constant forgiver (Al-ghaffar), the all-knowing (Al-’aleem), the most kind (Ar-ra’oof) and many more. To find out more of the 99 names, visit this website: https://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/resources/knowledge-base/99-names-of-allah/

Those who practice Islam are called Muslims.

The Statistics

Islam is the second largest religion globally and is projected to be the largest religion by 2050.

Worldwide, there are around two billion Muslims, with Indonesia having the largest number of Muslims overall: 242 million Muslims, which is about 87% of the Indonesian population and 11.7% of the world’s total population of Muslims.

In England and Wales, according to the UK Census, the population who identified as “Muslim” increased from 4.9% (2.7 million) in 2011 to 6.5% (3.9 million) in 2021.

The Five Pillars

In Islam, there are essential duties and practices Muslims must carry out, and they are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. These are:

Faith (Shahadah): The shahadah is the affirmation of faith, to encourage conviction and sincerity in the religion, and also contains the negation of other beliefs and the fact that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH, peace be upon him) is the final prophet and messenger. Muslims must declare shahadah at least at least once in their lifetime. However, a lot of Muslims also recite it daily as part of their prayers. In Arabic, the shahadah is as follows: “Ashhadu al-la ilaha illa-llah was ashhadu anna Muhammadar rasulu-llah”. This is translated as “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (PBUH) is His Messenger” or more simply, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad (PBUH) is His Messenger.”

Prayer (Salah): Prayer is performed five times a day and is another essential duty of a Muslim. The prayers are usually done at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and evening. Before prayer, there is ritual cleansing and purification (called Wuduʾ), usually consisting of washing one’s hands, mouth, nose, face, ears, forearms, head, and feet three times with the right hand. Surah Al-Ma'idah, verse 6, states that “When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles.” (https://quran.com/en/al-maidah/6). Prayers, wherever they take place, must be performed in the direction of Makkah (a holy city in Saudi Arabia). This direction is indicated by the kiblah, a word meaning “direction of prayer.” “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: 'The earth has been made for me a place of prostration and a means of purification, so wherever a man of my Ummah is when the time for prayer comes, let him pray.'” (https://sunnah.com/nasai:736). The prayers themselves consist of bowing and prostration, along with recitation of parts of the Quran and other prayers in Arabic. All end with the phrase, “May peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.” Muslims can perform prayer just about anywhere, but the most favoured place is in the mosque.

Fasting (Sawm): Fasting is a ritual observance during the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims are required to abstain from things such as eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset (dawn to dusk). Some Muslims are exempt from fasting, such as nursing and pregnant mothers, the sick, and children up to the age of puberty. Ramadan is important, because it marks the time in the year when the Quran began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Almsgiving (Zakat): This pillar is a call to charity. There are two categories: compulsory and voluntary. Compulsory almsgiving is similar to a tax for all Muslims, payable to either the community or state. It usually adds up to 2.5% of a person’s annually accumulated wealth. The reason why Zakat is so important is because it ensures that the poor will be provided for, but also because it purifies a person’s wealth, and the action of giving the money has a spiritual importance, in that it can be a way of asking for forgiveness for sins. The second category, voluntary almsgiving, is also known as sadaqah, and should be performed freely and with sincerity.

Pilgrimage (Hajj): All Muslims who have the money and the physical means to visit Makkah to carry out a pilgrimage should do so. During Hajj, pilgrims usually wear white, symbolising the equality of all Muslims before Allah. After arriving at Makkah, pilgrims walk about the Ka’ba (a shrine located near the centre of the Great Mosque in Makkah) seven times. After this, they walk between the hills overlooking the Ka’ba, from Mount Arafat, and traveling to nearby Minah. Pilgrims may also visit the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Madina if they are able to do so.

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