ISLAM AT A GLANCE
Marklen E.Konurbayev (Ashik
Sayyid)
Published by Hello-Online.ru
Islam is the worldТs third largest religion (along with Christianity
and Judaism) that appeared in the 7th century in Arabia with the
prophetic activity of Muhammad Ц a shepherd and a merchant. Archangel
Gabriel appeared to Muhammad in a vision with a commandment from God to recite
the words revealed to him, to memorize them and bring them over to people in
their original form and meaning.
УIslamФ in Arabic means УpeaceФ and УsubmissionФ Ц that is to say,
complete obedience to the Will of God. A man who peacefully surrenders to this
Divine Will is a Muslim. The God of the Muslims is the same One God of the Jews
and of the Christians.
Islam is strongly opposed to heathenism and polytheism and requires,
above everything else, that a man wishing to embrace Islam should make a public
declaration of faith Shahada: there is no other god but One
God and Muhammad is His Prophet. This simple, brief and laconic phrase is a
quintessence of Islam, containing the idea of GodТs singularity, indivisibility
and transcendence.
Islam has an elaborate Law (Sharia), which relies entirely on the
QurТan (the Sacred Book of the Muslims, which is said to be a fragment
of the Heavenly Testimony placed at the throne of the Almighty God revealed to
the Prophet Muhammad), and the Sunna (the ProphetТs own sayings
concerning various aspects of the MuslimsТ daily life and activity).
The edifice of Islam rests on five pillars Ц
the indispensable foundation of faith and the cornerstone of the Law:
1.
The profession of faith (Shahada).
2.
The Prayer (Salaat) Ц five obligatory daily prayers.
3.
Almsgiving (Zakat) Ц the tax paid by every Muslim for the
benefit of the poor members of the religious community (umma).
4.
Fasting (Saum) Ц abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking and
sexual relations from dawn till sunset in the lunar month of Ramadhan.
5.
Pilgrimage (Hajj) Ц visiting the Kaaba at Mecca Ц the central
shrine of Islam Ц and fulfilling the religious rituals in the appointed lunar
month of the year.
At sunset of July 15, 622 AD, the
Prophet Muhammad was forced to flee from his native town Ц Mecca (where he was
subjected to humiliations and contempt). Muhammad and his followers settled
down in Yathrib Ц a town which was subsequently renamed into Medinat-en-Nabi Ц
the city of the prophet (or simply Medina) where he continued his teaching and
the formation of the first Muslim state. This flight (Hijra) marked the
beginning of the Islamic lunar calendar that consists of twelve months with each month
alternatively having either 29 or 30 days:
1.
Muharram
2.
Safar
3.
Rabi' avval
4.
Rabi' sani
5.
Jumada avval
6.
Jumada sani
7.
Rajab
8.
Sha'ban
9.
Ramadan
10.
Shawwal
11.
Thu al Qa'da
12.
Thu al Hijja
In keeping with this calendar, the Muslims celebrate some of the most
notable events in their religious tradition Ц Islamic festivals.
A weekly festive event for the Muslims is the Friday congregational
prayer (Juma-namaz), which is obligatory for all
men and optional for women. All Muslims of the neighbourhood gather at the
local mosque shortly after noon to attend to the sermon and to say a short
congregational prayer. In the majority of Islamic countries Friday is a
day-off.
The greatest annual festival of the Muslims Ц Id al Adha
(or Kurban bairam) Ц is celebrated in memory of patriarch IbrahimТs (Abraham)
attempted sacrifice of his son at the commandment of God. The Muslims celebrate
this exceptional manifestation of faith by offering a sacrifice to God (usually
a sheep or a cow). A part of the sacrifice meat is given to the poor and the
needy. The Festival of Sacrifice (Id al Adha) marks the end of the
pilgrimage (Hajj) to Kaaba.
The second in importance is the festival of the end of fasting held
during about 30 days on the month of Ramadhan (Id al Fitr) (or
Uraza bairam). On this day Ц before the beginning of the festive sermon and the
congregational prayer in the mosque early in the morning the Muslims must pay
obligatory annual tax (zakat), and then, after the festive prayer in the
mosque visit their friends and relatives.
In the month of Ramadhan there is a special night which the QurТan
describes as better than a thousand nights: the night of decree and power Ц Lailat
al Qadr Ц when the QurТan began to be revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
This event is marked by additional prayers, oral recitations of the QurТan and
sleepless nights spent in the mosque.
The Muslims also observe the ProphetТs birthday Ц Mawlid an Nabi.
Another notable festive event in Islam is celebrating MuhammadТs
reported miraculous journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension to the
throne of God (Lailat al Miraj). Fasting on this day is
considered to be a particularly virtuous deed.
There are other festive events Ц like the beginning of the Hijra
New Year, and a special day of fasting Ц Ashura on the 10th
day of Muharram.††
В
Information
about the author.
Marklen E. Konurbayev Ц Professor at the English Department, Faculty of
Philology, Moscow State University. He is also the author of some survey
materials on Islam published by the УMusulmaneФ magazine and the Internet site www.islam.ru
His Muslim name is Ashik Sayyid Ц which is translated from Arabic as
the Happy Lover (of God).