Islam
The Five Pillars
- Shahada:
The duty to recite the creed: “There is no God but God, and Mohammed is His Prophet.” - Salat:
Devotional worship through prayer, five times daily. - Zakat:
Obligatory tax for the needy in the Islamic community. - Sawm:
The fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. - Hajj:
The pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca once in one’s lifetime.
The Six Articles of Belief
- Belief in One God
- Belief in Angels
- Belief in the Revealed Books
- Belief in the Prophets
- Belief in the Day of Judgment
- Belief in Predestination and Free Will
Flag with symbol of the Islamic faith.
Quran 49.13
“Everything which you ask of Him, He gives to you; and if you would reckon the favours of God, you could not count them!”
— The Koran
The word Islam means “surrender to the will of God.” In Islam, all humanity is a vast brotherhood of equal beings, with one all-powerful God as its Creator and Master. Thus, the Muslim religion is based on unity of God and unity of humanity.
God’s instrument in the creation of Islam was the prophet Muhammad. His teaching of “the one God” galvanized the entire Arab world. His one-pointed spirit led this desert people into the light of Islam.
As a successful businessman through much of his early life, Muhammad was always drawn to meditation, prayer, and fasting. During a pilgrimage to Mount Hira, he was blessed with a vision of the Angel Gabriel. The divine message he received resulted in the holy book of Islam, the Koran.
The Koran covers all aspects of life from the great to the small. It deals with the nature of God’s existence. His attributes, creative activity, relation to humanity, and prophets. The influence that the Koran holds over the life of the practitioner is far-reaching. In addition to the Koran, the other sacred books of Islam are the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the Gospels of Jesus.
The mystical branch of Islam is known as Sufism. Called the religion of love, Sufism is based on the concept of the devotee as the lover and God as the Beloved. The Sufi mystic experiences cosmic vision by seeing the Beloved everywhere and in all objects. He or she seeks total unification with God, so that the lover and Beloved become one. “One’s true wealth hereafter is the good one does in this world to his fellow man.” —Muhammad
Islam Display in LOTUS All Faiths Hall
All Faiths Hall Quotations
“O son of man, should your sins reach the horizons of the heavens, and then you ask my pardon, I would pardon you.”
—Allah Ta’ala
“He who cheers up a person in difficulties, Allah will cheer him up in this world and the next.”
—Mohammed
“O Light of light, Thy light illuminates the people of heaven, and enlightens the people of earth. O Light of light, Thy light is praised by all light.”
—Mohammed
“May the Blessings of God rest upon you. May His Peace abide with you. May His Presence illuminate your heart, Now and forevermore.”
—Hazrat lnayat Khan