Islam:
there might exist people in this world that don't know about this religion. but this is really sad !! anyway, the major problem (i face usually in life) is that i don't want to get involved in discussions and endless debates with atheists in the first place.. so those who do believe in One God read this.. otherwise, forget it.. i guess i won't be able to persuade you in any way unless God really wants this to happen!!!
I admit that feeling secure is what everyone of us dreams of and longs for. Actually, most believers achieve this feeling by looking up and praying to a higher power that's invisible (apparently) while it is in fact governing space and controlling the Cosmos in which we represent nothing but a microscopic atom.. That Higher power is a One God.. God said in the Holy Qur'an: "If there were therein gods beside Allah, then verily both (the heavens and the earth) had been disordered. Glorified be Allah, the Lord of Throne, from all that they ascribe (unto Him).21/22"
That feeling of security and peace can be attained in many ways. One solution is through Islam (which by the way its typical greeting means: "May The Peace be upon you and Mercy of God and his blessings"). [it is a meaningful greeting but still long.. someone might want to replace it by Peace (Salaam)]. There are actually lots of heroes who've converted to Islam (converts) and (most of them) obtained new Islamic names like the Famous British Singer "Cat Stevens" who've been known after converting to Islam as Youssef Islam. He embraced it! As simple as that! Many foreigners to Islam became his strong supporters like: Leopold Vice (Muhammad Asad), Jeffrey Lang (Who has a miraculous story written in his wonderful book (that i am reading now translated to Arabic): Struggling to surrender: Some Impressions of an American Convert to Islam ISBN 0-915957-26-4 Amana Publications), Malcolm X, Jermyn Jackson (Muhammad Abed El Azeez), Douglas Hamilton, and many many more! Some of these heroes have written books telling their stories, opinions, and points of views. So, truly and statistically, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. ritual
Islam has two basic parts: morals (to be good) and worships (or rituals more precisely to worship God and thank Him for his unlimited graces). the second should be the key to the first, which means praying for example shall give you the key to inner peace, total submission to God, fairness and unity with people (when praying with others), and most importantly the ultimate deterrent or the essential proof from committing sins and offenses and even if (small ones of course) committed then it adds forgiveness. Unfortunately, most Muslims of today, let's say some part of them focus and pay more attention to the second part that constitutes the Islamic creed.. concerned only about how to pray and fast while forgetting the substantial aim and the direct motivation of these worshipping methods (high morals and divine ethics).
Concerning the Islamic rituals, they form an supportive infrastructure for a Muslim, and they're comprised of five pillars:
Al Shahada: this means "Testimony"
and it is just a simple sentence that frames the whole religion by testifying
that there is no God but One God (Allah) and the Prophet Muhammad is his
messenger (Muslims believe in all prior prophets including Jesus, Moses,
Abraham, Isaac,...). The definition of Faith in the Islamic perspective is: to
believe in God, his holy books, his angels, his
messengers (prophets), Judgment Day and Fate (believing in
fate is called fatalism or determinism).
Praying: kneeling
and bowing is a spiritual and symbolic aim to thank God and ask Him for mercy
and happiness, and finally seek security and relief. It is performed five times
everyday either individually or collectively (Jama'aa) (e.g. in the mosques).
They're organized according to the sun's location along the day (Dawn Prayer,
Noon Prayer, Afternoon Prayer, Sunset Prayer, Evening Prayer).
Az' Zakat: No direct synonym to English, but
it can be viewed as "Financial Charity towards the poor guys". This is
meant for unifying the societal layers (which is currently impossible),
terminating poverty and enhancing human aids and divine unselfishness.
This pillar applies by dedicating an annual percentage (2.5%) on the assets a
Muslim owns (of course, there are more details and further cases).
Fasting: this term is quite familiar to
most Religious people. In a precise lunar month (in the Hijri Calendar),
Ramadan, Muslims fast for either 29 or 30 days (stop eating and drinking between
Sunset and Sunrise), this month is also accompanied by intense prayers during
its nights (usually its last 10 days).
Pilgrimage (Al Hajj): A reunion for all Muslims in Makka (Al Kaaba) in a certain lunar month (Zil Hijjah) to perform this sacred ritual that wash away the sins to give the Pilgrim (Hajji) a brand new rebirth. A Muslim would have to pilgrim once in his lifetime. A regular visit (not in the month of pilgrimage ) to Makka and Al Madina (The Prophet's Shrine) would be called Omra.
I don't want to be long and write so much.. it is best to be brief.. after i had searched the internet for a convenient guide to Islam for non-Muslims, i found this great guide which is not only available as a regular website but also as an honestly precious book that can be ordered online as far as i can tell. This site/book gives its reader a global view of Islam including the miracles contained in its holy book the Koran (Al Qur'aan //double A for a long A\\), the Prophet or the Messenger who delivered the Message very successfully to the nations and accomplished his heavenly mission amazingly, and a thorough section containing Frequently Asked Questions. like: "What do Muslims believe about Jesus Christ?", "How does someone become a Muslim?", "The Family in Islam".... What also made this site very attracting is that it offers the same contents in various languages (English, Arabic, French, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, German) WOW!! right?? Moreover, there are links to other trusted and decent sites about Islam. PLUS, some Recitations from the Holy Qur'aan which needs a special software to be installed (Real Player).
I feel that you want to kill me now right?? ok.. here is the link to that great site:
page last updated: 19/June/2005