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n. the religion of Muslims, revealed through
Muhammad as Prophet of Allah (see below); the Muslim
world. - Islamic adj. [f. Arab., =
submission (to God), f. aslama resign oneself]
The monotheistic religion
founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabian
Peninsula is the 7th c. AD is now the professed faith
of over seven hundren million people world wide.
To become a Muslim means both to accept and affirm
individual surrender to God, and to live as a member
of a social community. The Muslim performs prescribed
acts of worship and strives to fulfill good works within
the group; the 'Pillars of Islam' include profession
of the faith in a prescribed form, observance of ritual
prayer (five obligatory prayer sequences each day as
well as non-obligatory prayers), giving alms to the
poor, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and performing
the pilgramage to Mecca.
These ritual observances were given to Muhammed as a
series of revelations, codified in the Koran and
supplemented by the deeds and discourse of the Prophet.
Islam is regarded by its adherents as the last of the
revealed religions (following Judaism and Christianity),
and Muhammed is seen as the Seal of the Prophets, building
upon and perfecting the examples and teachings
of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
The term Islam carries three interrelated
significations: the personal individual submission
to Allah; the 'world of Islam' as a concrete historical
reality comprising a variety of communities which,
however, share not only a common religious outlook
but also a common fund of cultural legacies; and finally
the concept of an 'ideal Muslim community' as set forth
in the Koran and supporting sources.
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