| The word Islam, which when translated from
Arabic, means "to submit to the will of Allah," is the youngest of the
world's major religions. Worshippers of this monotheistic religion are
known as Muslims, which means "one who submits to the will of Allah." The
Islamic holy book is called the Qur’an. Islam is currently the second most
practiced religion in the world, and experts predict that it will overtake
Christianity as the most popular religion in the world sometime during
the 21st century.
Mohammed: Prophet of Allah; founder of Islam. Qur’an: Islamic holy book. Five Pillars of Islam: Code of behavior
for followers of Islam. Includes Charity, Daily Prayer, Profession of Faith,
Fasting during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to Mecca called the hajj.
Hegira: The flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Median which was instrumental to the founding of the religion of Islam. Occurs in 622 ACE, which dates the founding of Islam. Mecca: A city in Saudi Arabia where Muslims must make a pilgrimage at least once in their life. Hajj: The pilgrimage or holy journey to the city of Mecca Mosque: A domed Islamic religious building. Muezzin: In Islam, one who issues a call to prayer, causing the faithful to gather at the local mosque Jihad: Effort in God’s service waged by Muslims in defense of the Islamic faith. |
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