With over one billion followers, Islam has become the second largest religion in the world. It emerged in the 7th century in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The religion was founded on the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed who is believed to have been the final messenger of Allah. Islam literally means “surrender” or “submission,” and its followers are called Muslims, which means “those who make peace.”
While there are several sects of Islam, each is based upon six main beliefs: belief in angels, belief in the holy books, belief in the prophets, belief in the day of judgment, belief in predestination, and most importantly, belief in Allah as the one and only God. Allah has no children, parents, or partners. He created everything and rules everything. He is eternal and omnipotent, he has no form or shape, and he is just. Muslims worship only Allah and daily submit to his will.
According to Islam, Muslims are obligated to practice the Five Pillars of Islam in order to live a good and responsible life. The first is reciting the Shahadah. This is simply the Muslim profession of faith. All that must be done for one to become a Muslim is to say the Shahadah three times in front of witnesses. When stated, one is proclaiming that Allah is the only God, that Mohammed is his prophet, that they personally accept this as true, and that they commit to obeying all the responsibilities of Islam in their life. Read the rest of this entry »