Islam (Arabic: الإسلام
al-'islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] is the monotheistic religion articulated by the
Qur'an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of the one,
incomparable God (Arabic: الله,
Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's teachings and normative example
(in Arabic called the Sunnah, demonstrated in collections of Hadith). Islam
literally means "submission (to God)." Muslim, the word for an
adherent of Islam, is the active participle of the same verb of which Islām is
the infinitive.
Muslims regard their religion as the completed and universal
version of a primordial, monotheistic faith revealed at many times and places
before, including, notably, to the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Islamic
tradition holds that previous messages and revelations have been changed and
distorted over time. Religious practices include the Five Pillars of Islam,
which are five obligatory acts of worship. Islamic law (Arabic: شريعة Šarīʿah) touches on
virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from
banking and warfare to welfare and the environment.
The majority of Muslims belong to one of two denominations,
the Sunni and the Shi'a. Islam is the predominant religion in the Middle East,
North Africa, and large parts of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Sizable
communities are also found in China and Russia, and parts of the Caribbean.
About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, 31% in the
Indian Subcontinent, and 20% in Arab countries. Converts and immigrant communities
are found in almost every part of the world. With approximately 1.57 billion
Muslims comprising about 23% of the world's population, Islam is the
second-largest religion in the world and arguably the fastest growing religion
in the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment