Islamic Symbols Report

Islamic Symbols Report--Throughout the years, people have used symbols to represent their spiritual beliefs. We will look at several of these symbols in the Islamic religion.

First we will look at one of the most important symbols to Muslims. It is the Koran, also spelled Qur'an. This is Islam's holy book. It contains Allah's final revelation and how each Muslim should live their life. The original language of the Koran is Arabic and has been translated into many different languages. It contains 23 years of Revelations dating for 610 C.E. to 632 C.E. and has 114 Chapters. The message in the Koran was given to the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad was the final messenger of Allah; therefore the Koran is the last message that Allah sent to Muslims. In their daily lives, Muslims recite passages from the Koran during prayers.

Another important symbol of the Islamic religion is their laws or the five pillars of faith. In Islam, faith and good deeds go "hand in hand." Practicing these five acts of worship helps Muslims to be strong in their obedience. First, there is a testimony of faith. This is simply declaring that there is no God, but Allah and that his messenger was Muhammad. When one declares this statement, one is testifying the Unity of Allah and the message of the prophethood. The prophethood believes in the fact that Muhammad was a messenger of Allah and all the prophets before him existed like Jesus. A person becomes a Muslim when proclaiming this statement with a pure heart and certainty of faith. The second pillar is that of prayer. Prayer is the most official act of worship. It is the connection between Allah and his people. It is believed that one can gather strength, guidance, and peace of mind through prayer. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day, before dawn, noon, afternoon, after sunset, and in the evening. Muslims rise, cleanse with water, and present themselves for daily prayer. One can pray alone or with others. When praying with others, it promotes love and brotherhood. Muslims stand side-by-side in rows and bow to Allah. The third pillar of faith is fasting. This is done in the ninth month of the lunar calendar and is known as Ramadan. Muslims only have to do this once a year. They do not eat or drink anything during daylight hours. This activity is to suppress desires and to remember Allah, strengthening one's faith. The fourth pillar is Almsgiving. Every Muslim whose financial conditions are above a certain minimum must pay 2.5% of their savings annually to a deserving person who is needy, a traveler, or someone who is overwhelmed by debt. This fosters a sense of sacrifice and rids one of selfishness, gluttony, and pride. The last of the five pillars is Hajj or Pilgrimage. At least once in a lifetime, a Muslim is to take a journey to Mecca, Saudi Arabia if one