Saudi Arbia

Muhammad

Mosque

The Qur'an

Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem

Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Adha

The Founder of Islam:

The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ) was the founder of Islam.

Muhammad (pbuh) was born around 570 A.D. in the city of Mecca on the Arabian peninsula. Muslims believe that Muhammad (pbuh) is the last in a line of prophets that includes Moses, Abraham, and Jesus from the Bible. Muhammad (pbuh) said that the Quran was the last Book of God, and that he himself was the last Prophet.

Allah spoke to Muhammad (pbuh) whilst he was meditating in a cave near Mecca. For the next 22 years, Muhammad (pbuh) memorized and wrote down the word of Allah. Allah's words spoken through Muhammad (pbuh) became the Muslim holy book, the Qu'ran.

Muhammad (pbuh) also interpreted the words from Allah in his daily life.
Many of the things which Muhammad (pbuh) did and said were remembered and carefully written down. These stories and sayings help Muslims to understand the Quran and put what it teaches into practice in their daily lives.

(peace be upon him (pbuh) - Muhammad is so revered that it is usual to make this statement every time his name is mentioned).

What are the Main Things that Muslims Believe In?

A Muslim is a follower of the religion of Islam. Islam is based on the teachings of a man named Muhammad (pbuh), and on the words that Allah (God) gave to the world through Muhammad (pbuh).

The basic belief of Islam is that there is only one God, whose name in the Arabic language is Allah, and who is the sole and sovereign ruler of the universe.

Muslims have Six main beliefs:

Belief in Allah as the one and only God.

Belief in angels.

Belief in the holy books.

Belief in the Prophets (special messengers).
(Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa (Jesus) and
Muhammad (pbuh) the final prophet).

Belief in the Day of Judgement...
(The day when the life of every human being will be assessed to
decide whether they go to heaven or hell).

Belief in Predestination...
(That Allah has already decided what will happen.
This doesn't stop human beings making free choices though).

The Five Pillars of Islam.

These are five duties that every Muslim is obliged to perform.
The five pillars of Islam help Muslims put their faith into action.

Shahadah: declaration of faith
"I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God." By reciting this, one enters Islamic faith.

Salah: prayer
Muslims are required to pray five times a day, washing themselves before prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying.

Zakat: giving a fixed proportion to charity
Muslims are required to give away a percentage of their earnings to those less fortunate, regardless of their religion.

Saum: fasting during the month of Ramadan
Muslims fast for one lunar month each year, a period called Ramadan. During this time, Muslims reflect on their behaviour and strive to purify their thoughts.

Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
If it is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in their lifetime.

What do Muslims think about God?

Allah is the name Muslims use for the supreme and only God, who created and rules everything. The heart of faith for all Muslims is obedience to Allah's will.

The Holy Book:

The Muslim Holy book is the Holy Qur'an. It is 'the word of God'.
Muslim beliefs and practices are rooted in the Qur'an.

Muslims treat the Qur'an with great respect because they believe that the Qur'an is from Allah, and every word and every letter is sacred. It is usually placed on a special wooden stand.

Muslims regard the Qur'an as the unaltered word of God.

The Place of Worship:

The Muslim building for communal worship is called a mosque. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid. The word comes from the Arabic for "place of prostration".

Mosques often have a domed roof and a tall tower called a minaret. Muslims are
called to prayer from the minaret. The man who who enters the minaret
and calls them to prayer is called a muezzin.

In Britain, calling Muslims to pray this way is not allowed, so some Islamic communities broadcast the call to prayer on a radio frequency which Muslims can pick up in
their homes and places of work.

There are no pictures or statues in a mosque. They are decorated with patterns
and words from the Qur'an. There is also very little furniture inside
because Muslims use prayer mats for prayer.

When people go into the mosque they take off their shoes.
This is to keep it clean for prayer.

There is often a fountain or pool, or at least an area with water where people
can wash (wudu). Muslim wash their hands, mouth, throat, nose, ears,
arms up to the elbow and feet. This is a sacred wash that symbolises spiritual
cleansing and purity in readiness for coming before God.

There is always a quibla wall in a Mosque which is the one facing Makkah (Mecca),
it has an empty arch to show the direction. It is important that Muslims
always know the direction of Mecca.

Women do not pray in the same place as men, there is usually a screened off area for them.

Services are held every day at the Mosque. The most important service is on
Friday at noon . All Muslims go to the mosque on Friday because
it is such a special day for prayer.

Prayer:

Muslims are required to :

pray five times a day (prayer times are fixed by the sun and change daily),
wash themselves before prayer and
face in the direction of Mecca (Mekkah) while praying.

Mecca to the Muslim world is Makkah, the birthplace of prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
It is also the place where the holy Kaaba (Ka'bah) is found, the cube-shaped
structure that Muslims face as they bow in prayer five times every day.

The Kaaba is the holiest place on earth. It was first built by Prophet Abraham
and is found within the Great Mosque of Mecca. It is used as a focal point
for prayer so that everyone prays in the same way. It is not worshipped

The Kaaba is draped with a black cloth, which is covered with Koranic verses that are embroidered in gold and silver thread. During the Hajj ceremony a Muslim walks
seven times around the Kaaba and then he or she kisses and touches the Black Stone.

Every Muslim family, no matter where they live, knows what direction the
Kaaba is from their house.

Each time for prayer has a special name and each time is separated by two hours.
These main times are:

After first light and before sunrise ( Fajr )
Between the sun reaching its height and mid-afternoon ( Dhuhr )
Between mid-afternoon and sunset ( Asr )
After the sun has finished setting ( Maghrib )
In the dark of the night ( Isha ).

Festivals:

Ramadan (Ramadhan)
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

Muslims believe that the gates of Heaven (Jannah) are open and the gates of
Hell (Jahanam) are locked for the duration of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the time when the verses of the Qur'an were
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Ramadan is a time of
worship and thought. A time to strengthen family and community ties.

Every Muslim is expected to fast from sunrise to sunset. Muslims must not eat or drink during daylight hours. During Ramadan Muslims get up early before dawn (Fajr) and
have a light meal. This time is known as Suhoor.

At the end of each day (Maghrib), Muslims traditionally break their fast with a meal called the iftar. Following the custom of Prophet Muhammad, the fast is often broken with dates, then followed by a prayer and dinner.

Ramadan concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

Eid-ul-Fitr (Id-ul-Fitr)
The festival for the first day after Ramadan.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the breaking of the fast for Muslims at the end of Ramadan.
Lasting three days, it is a time for family and friends to get together, for celebrating
with good food and presents for children, and giving to charity.

Eid-ul-Adha
The Festival of Sacrifice which occurs 70 days after Eid-al-Fitr.

Eid ul-Adha is the second most important festival in the Muslim calendar.
It is to remember the time when Abraham was going to sacrifice his own son
to prove obedience to God.
It marks the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca).
It takes place on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.

Dhu Al-Hijja
The month of pilgrimage during which all Muslims, at least once in their life, should
try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Al Hijra
The Islamic New Year begins on the day Muhammad left Mecca to travel to Medina.

Different types of Muslims

Almost 90% of Muslims are Sunnis. Shiites are the second-largest group.
The Shiites split from the Sunnis in 632 when Muhammad died.

These links will help you find out even more about Islam:

A dedicated web-site at Primary School level.
Information and games linked to dozens of different areas.
http://www.islam4schools.comin/infant.htm

The BBC web page on Islam.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/index.shtml

General information about Islam.
http://www.al-islam.org/

Images of Islam
http://www.oriel.w-sussex.sch.uk/learning/re/galleries/islamic/index.htm

The Story of Muhammad
http://www.indialife.com/Religions/islam1.htm

Islam for Children
http://www.jamaat.org/islam/Angels.html