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"Islam"
is an Arabic word which means surrendering oneself to the will of
God, and achieving peace and security by doing so. A person surrenders
to the will of Allah by living and thinking in the way Allah has
instructed.
Allah
is the name Muslims use for the supreme and unique God, who created
and rules everything. The heart of faith for all Muslims is obedience
to Allah's will.
| The
Five Pillars of Islam |
Every
Muslim must perform the duties known as the Five Pillars of Islam
The
Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligations that every Muslim
must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according
to Islam. Read more
about the Five Pillars of Islam
| Islamic
prayer and Worship |
The
Qur'an
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| Muslim
woman reading the Qur'an |
Muslims
are guided to follow Allah's will by the holy book, the Qur'an,
which Muslims regard as the unaltered word of God.
The
Qur'an is the Muslim's holy book. It is the word of Allah (God)
as told to the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Place
of Worship
Mosques
are buildings where Muslims gather together to learn about their
religion and worship Very often the buildings have a domed roof
and a tall tower called a minaret. Muslims are called to prayer
from the minaret. The man who calls them to prayer is called a muezzin.
There
are no pictures or statues in a mosque. They are decorated with
patterns and words from the Qur'an.
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| Muslim
man praying in a mosque |
They
have very little furniture in them because Muslims use prayer mats
for prayer. All Muslims go to the mosque on Friday, that is a special
day for prayer
When
people go into the mosque they take off their shoes. This is to
keep it clean for prayer.
There is often a fountain or pool, or at least an area with water
where people can wash.
Women do not pray in the same place as men, there is usually a screened
off area for them.
There
is always a quibla wall which is the one facing Makkah (Mecca),
it has an empty arch to signify the direction.
Large mosques might have an Imam, a prayer leader. If they do not
have one any adult male may lead the prayers.
The
Tigiyha - Male Muslim headware
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| Muslim
children reading the Quran |
Many
Muslim men wear the tigyha hold their hair in place whilst they
are at prayer. It is white, crocheted cotton.
The
Subha - Muslim Prayer Beads
The subha is made up of three sets of thirty-three beads and one
large one making one hundred in total. They are often made from
wood or plastic.
The
ninety-nine beads are used to say the ninty-nine names for God during
prayer. Muslims consider that repeating his name over and over brings
them closer to God. They would call him by names such as; the Wise,
the Compassionate, the Merciful, the Good or the Eternal.
Musalla
- Prayer rug
The musalla may be an area, room or prayer rug used by Muslim people
to provide for themselves a clean space to pray. When praying towards
the direction of Mecca, Muslims pray by reciting various verses
of the Holy Quran whilst standing, bowing and prostrating themselves
with the thought that Almighty God is in front of them.
There
are two main Islamic festivals
Eid ul-Fitr
At the end of Ramadam which is a 29 or 30 day fast there is a big
celebration. Muslims go to the mosque to pray together. Special
celebration meals are served up. Everyone has a holiday and many
big family groups of relations all get together. Children are given
sweets, presents and often new clothes. Muslims send cards to each
other to celebrate this special time. They often make offerings
to the poor and sometimes buy each other presents.
Eid-ul-Adha
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| Pilgrimage
to Mecca |
Eid
Ul Adha marks the end of Hajj (the Muslims formal pilgrimage to
Mecca). During the end of the Hajj period, Muslims sacrifice either
a goat or sheep which signifies the time when Prophet Abraham was
about to sacrifice his own son to prove obedience to God but God
replaced his son with an animal. A Muslim must perform the Hajj
at least once in their lifetime.
Take
a look at the Islamic festivals and holy days calendar
Places
of worship in Birmingham
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What are your personal experiences of living with your
faith? 
