The key aspects of Islam include the five pillars, the seven articles of faith, the prophet and the Qur'an. Together they hold and portray the basic beliefs and principles which make up the religion.
The five pillars of Islam are expressions of faith required to be performed by Muslims, as part of their ritual duties. The first pillar is the Shahada, belief in no other god but allah and Muhammad as his prophet. The second pillar is the Salat which involves regular prayer at least five times a day with the wudu ritual of washing the feet in preparation. They are expected to pray on a mosque mat, facing the city of Mecca while performing a sequence of prayer actions. The second one is the Zakat, which places important on Almsgiving and charity. It accounts for 2.5% of their possessions. There is also the sadaqa as a form of private charity. Next comes the pillar called the Sawan or fasting. In the month of Ramadan, muslims must abstain from having anything in their mouth ...view middle of the document...
The rusul is the belief of the messengers of Allah which governs how they should act and obey. The rusul is the belief in the afterlife which affects its followers as an incentive to make good decisions and be faithful while on earth to avoid eternal punishment as a divine judgment by Allah’s mercy and justice.
The success of the prophet’s actions allowed the number of Muslims followers to grow, therefore making him the founder of Islam. Three key events in the life of Muhammad include his first revelation, his travel to Yathrub and the conquest of Mecca. Muhammad’s first revelation on the Mount Hira, from the angel Gabriel was a significant time in the prophets life as it started a series of revelations to come, also inspiring Muhammad to go out and share his experience with others. The words spoken by Gabriel in the first revelation make up the first few pages of the Quran, “in the name of your Lord who created man from a clinging clot.” Another important experience in Muhammad’s life was his journey to Yathrib called the Hegira. In this small town he created the mosque and solved conflicts allowing for his mission to be great accomplishment, further encouraging him to continue preaching. His journey is also of high significance because it marks the start of the Muslim calendar. One of the last significant events in the Prophets life before he died in 632 includes the conquest of Mecca, which influenced the number of practicing Muslims by an increased population. Through this defeat he was able to destroy all false idols and restore the black stone back to Allah. With Muhammad’s triumphal victory Mecca wouldn’t be the center of Islamic faith today.
The Quar’an has plays an important role in conveying the beliefs of Islam to its followers, as it is the book of the prophet providing record of the words of Allah spoken to Muhammad and knowledgement of Allah’s will. It is principal source of Islamic belief as the Quar’an contains Allah’s primary message. This message is the affirmation of absolute supremacy of one god who powers have no limits. He is in total control and all human beings owe him obedience. Other key messages of Islam the Quar’an holds is the acknowledgment that people have free will to choose between good and evil, but there will be consequences in the nest life.
