MosquesFaisal Mosque
in
Islamabad, Pakistan
Main article:
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims,
who often refer
to it by its Arabic name,
masjid.
The word mosque in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated to Islamic worship, although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, privately owned mosque and the larger,
"collective"
mosque (masjid jāmi`).
Although the primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer, it is also important to the Muslim community as a place to meet and study.
Modern mosques have evolved greatly from the early designs of the 7th century,
and
contain a variety of architectural elements such as minarets.
Family life
Women in Islam
Many Muslim women do not show their hair in public.
The basic unit of Islamic society is the family,
and
Islam defines the obligations and legal rights of family members.
The father is seen as financially responsible for his family, and is obliged to cater for their well-being.
The division of inheritance is specified in the Qur'an,
which states that most of it is to pass to the immediate family,
while a portion is set aside for the payment of debts and the making of bequests.
The woman's share of inheritance
is
generally half of that of a man with the same rights of succession.
Marriage in Islam is a civil contract which consists of an offer and acceptance between two qualified parties in the presence of two witnesses.
The groom is required to pay a bridal gift
(mahr)
to the bride,
as stipulated in the contract.
A man may have up to four wives if he believes he can treat them equally,
while a woman may have only one husband.
In most Muslim countries,
the process of divorce
in
Islam is known as talaq,
which the husband initiates by pronouncing the
word
"divorce".
Scholars disagree whether Islamic holy texts justify traditional Islamic practices such as veiling and seclusion (purdah).
Starting in the 20th century,
Muslim social reformers argued against these and other practices such as polygamy in Islam, with varying success.
At the same time, many Muslim women have attempted to reconcile tradition with modernity by combining an active life with outward modesty.
Certain
Islamist groups like the Taliban have sought to continue traditional law as applied to women.
Calendar
Main article:
Islamic calendar
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle.
The formal beginning of the Muslim era was chosen to be the Hijra in 622 CE,
which was an important turning point in Muhammad's fortunes.
The assignment of this year as the year 1 AH
(Anno Hegirae)
in the
Islamic calendar was reportedly made by Caliph Umar.
It is a lunar calendar,
with nineteen ordinary years of 354 days and eleven leap years of 355 days in a thirty-year cycle.
Islamic dates cannot be converted to CE/AD dates simply by adding 622 years:
allowance must also be made for the fact that each Hijri century corresponds to only 97 years in the Christian calendar.
The year 1428 AH coincides almost completely with 2007 CE.
Islamic holy days fall on fixed dates of the lunar calendar,
which means that they occur in different seasons in different years in the Gregorian calendar. The most important Islamic festivals
are
Eid al-Fitr
(Arabic: عيد الفطر)
on the 1st of Shawwal, marking the end of the fasting month Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah,
coinciding with the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Similar to the Jewish calendar, days in the Islamic calendar last from sunset to sunset.
Clergy
Main articles:
Ulama, Sheikh,
and
Imam
There are many terms in Islam to refer to religiously sanctioned positions of Islam but generally refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies.
In a broader sense,
the term
ulema
is used to
describe the body of Muslim clergy who have completed several years
of
training and study of
Islamic sciences,
such as a mufti, qadi, faqih, or muhaddith.
Some Muslims include under this term the village mullahs, imams, and maulvis
—who have attained
only the
lowest rungs on the ladder of Islamic scholarship;
other
Muslims would say
that clerics
must meet higher standards to be considered ulema.
Some Muslims pratcise ijtihad
where
by they
don't accept the authority of clergy.
Denominations
Distribution of Islamic schools and branches
in areas
where large Muslim population
are found
Main article:
Islamic schools and branches
in
Islamabad, Pakistan
Main article:
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims,
who often refer
to it by its Arabic name,
masjid.
The word mosque in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated to Islamic worship, although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, privately owned mosque and the larger,
"collective"
mosque (masjid jāmi`).
Although the primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place of prayer, it is also important to the Muslim community as a place to meet and study.
Modern mosques have evolved greatly from the early designs of the 7th century,
and
contain a variety of architectural elements such as minarets.
Family life
Women in Islam
Many Muslim women do not show their hair in public.
The basic unit of Islamic society is the family,
and
Islam defines the obligations and legal rights of family members.
The father is seen as financially responsible for his family, and is obliged to cater for their well-being.
The division of inheritance is specified in the Qur'an,
which states that most of it is to pass to the immediate family,
while a portion is set aside for the payment of debts and the making of bequests.
The woman's share of inheritance
is
generally half of that of a man with the same rights of succession.
Marriage in Islam is a civil contract which consists of an offer and acceptance between two qualified parties in the presence of two witnesses.
The groom is required to pay a bridal gift
(mahr)
to the bride,
as stipulated in the contract.
A man may have up to four wives if he believes he can treat them equally,
while a woman may have only one husband.
In most Muslim countries,
the process of divorce
in
Islam is known as talaq,
which the husband initiates by pronouncing the
word
"divorce".
Scholars disagree whether Islamic holy texts justify traditional Islamic practices such as veiling and seclusion (purdah).
Starting in the 20th century,
Muslim social reformers argued against these and other practices such as polygamy in Islam, with varying success.
At the same time, many Muslim women have attempted to reconcile tradition with modernity by combining an active life with outward modesty.
Certain
Islamist groups like the Taliban have sought to continue traditional law as applied to women.
Calendar
Main article:
Islamic calendar
The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar cycle.
The formal beginning of the Muslim era was chosen to be the Hijra in 622 CE,
which was an important turning point in Muhammad's fortunes.
The assignment of this year as the year 1 AH
(Anno Hegirae)
in the
Islamic calendar was reportedly made by Caliph Umar.
It is a lunar calendar,
with nineteen ordinary years of 354 days and eleven leap years of 355 days in a thirty-year cycle.
Islamic dates cannot be converted to CE/AD dates simply by adding 622 years:
allowance must also be made for the fact that each Hijri century corresponds to only 97 years in the Christian calendar.
The year 1428 AH coincides almost completely with 2007 CE.
Islamic holy days fall on fixed dates of the lunar calendar,
which means that they occur in different seasons in different years in the Gregorian calendar. The most important Islamic festivals
are
Eid al-Fitr
(Arabic: عيد الفطر)
on the 1st of Shawwal, marking the end of the fasting month Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى) on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijjah,
coinciding with the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Similar to the Jewish calendar, days in the Islamic calendar last from sunset to sunset.
Clergy
Main articles:
Ulama, Sheikh,
and
Imam
There are many terms in Islam to refer to religiously sanctioned positions of Islam but generally refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies.
In a broader sense,
the term
ulema
is used to
describe the body of Muslim clergy who have completed several years
of
training and study of
Islamic sciences,
such as a mufti, qadi, faqih, or muhaddith.
Some Muslims include under this term the village mullahs, imams, and maulvis
—who have attained
only the
lowest rungs on the ladder of Islamic scholarship;
other
Muslims would say
that clerics
must meet higher standards to be considered ulema.
Some Muslims pratcise ijtihad
where
by they
don't accept the authority of clergy.
Denominations
Distribution of Islamic schools and branches
in areas
where large Muslim population
are found
Main article:
Islamic schools and branches
Islam
consists of a number of religious denominations
that
are
essentially similar in belief but which have significant theological and legal differences.
The primary division is between the Sunni and the Shi'a,
with Sufism generally considered to be a mystical inflection of Islam rather than a distinct school. Sunnis make up the largest branch of Islam followed by the Shi'a and the remaining number may belong to a variety of other Islamic sects.
Sunni
Movements in Islam
Main article:
Sunni Islam
Sunni Muslims are the largest group in Islam,
comprising the vast bulk of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims,
hence
the
title
Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah
(people of the principle and majority).
In Arabic, as-Sunnah
literally
means
"principle" or "path".
The Qur'an and the Sunnah
(the example of Muhammad's life)
as recorded
in
hadith are the primary foundations of Sunni doctrine.
Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs were the rightful successors to Muhammad;
since
God did not specify any particular leaders to succeed him,
those leaders had to be elected.
Sunnis believe that a caliph should be chosen by the whole community.
There are four recognised madh'habs
(schools of thought):
Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali.
All four accept the validity of the others and a Muslim
may choose any one
that
he or she finds agreeable.
Shi'a
Main article: Shia Islam
The Shi'a constitute 10–13% of Islam coming as the second-largest branch.
They believe in the political and religious leadership of Imams from the progeny of Ali ibn Abi Talib,
who according to most Shi'a are in a state of ismah, meaning infallibility.
They believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib,
as the
cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad,
was his rightful successor,
and
they call him the first
Imam
(leader),
rejecting the legitimacy of the previous Muslim caliphs.
To most Shi'a,
an Imam rules by right of divine appointment and holds
"absolute spiritual authority"
among Muslims,
having final say in matters of doctrine and revelation.
Shias regard Ali as the prophet's true successor and believe that a caliph is appointed by divine will.
Shi'a Islam has several branches, the largest of which is the
Twelvers
(iṯnāʿašariyya)
which the label Shi'a generally refers to.
Although the Twelver Shi'a share many core practices with the Sunni,
the two branches disagree over the proper importance and validity of specific collections of hadith.
The Twelver Shi'a follow a legal tradition called Ja'fari jurisprudence.
Other smaller groups include the Ismaili and Zaidi,
who differ from
Twelvers in both their line of successors and theological beliefs.
Sufism
Sufi whirling dervishes in Turkey
Main article:
Sufism
Sufism is a mystical-ascetic approach to Islam that seeks to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God.
By focusing on the more spiritual aspects of religion,
Sufis strive to obtain direct experience of God by making use of "intuitive and emotional faculties" that one must be trained to use.
Sufism and Islamic law are usually considered to be complementary,
although Sufism has been criticized by salafi for what they see as an unjustified religious innovation.
Many Sufi orders, or tariqas, can be classified as either Sunni or Shi'a, but others classify themselves simply as 'Sufi'.
Some Sufi groups
can be
described
as
non-Islamic when their teachings are very distinct from Islam.
Ahmadiyya
Main article:
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious movement founded
towards
the end of the 19th century
and
originating with the life and teachings
of
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908).
Ghulam Ahmad was an important religious figure who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times,
who was to herald the Eschaton as predicted in the traditions of various world religions
and
bring about
the final triumph
of
Islam as per Islamic prophecy.
He claimed that
he was the
Mujaddid
(divine reformer)
of the 14th Islamic century,
the promised
Messiah
(“Second Coming of Christ”)
and
Mahdi awaited by Muslims.
Ahmadi emphasis lay in the belief that Islam is the final law for humanity as revealed to
Muhammad and the necessity of restoring to it its true essence and pristine form, which had been lost through the centuries.
Thus,
Ahmadis
view themselves
as
leading the revival and peaceful propagation of Islam.
Others
* There are also Muslims who generally reject the Hadith, often called Quranists.
* The Kharijites are a sect that dates back to the early days of Islam.
The only surviving branch of the Kharijites is Ibadism.
Unlike most Kharijite groups, Ibadism does not regard sinful Muslims as unbelievers.
The Imamate is an important topic in Ibadi legal literature,
which stipulates
that the
leader should be chosen solely on the basis
of his
knowledge and piety,
and is to be
deposed if he acts unjustly.
Most Ibadi Muslims live in Oman.
There are communities of Ibadis that took refuge in the Mzab oases in southern Algeria, the Nafusa Mountains in western Libya,
and in
Djerba Island
(Tunisia),
in order to avoid persecution in certain periods of history.
Other religions
The
Alevi, Yazidi, Druze, Bábí, Bahá'í, Berghouata
and
Ha-Mim movements either emerged out of Islam
or
came to share certain beliefs with Islam.
Some consider themselves separate while others still sects of Islam
though controversial in certain beliefs
with
mainstream Muslims.
consists of a number of religious denominations
that
are
essentially similar in belief but which have significant theological and legal differences.
The primary division is between the Sunni and the Shi'a,
with Sufism generally considered to be a mystical inflection of Islam rather than a distinct school. Sunnis make up the largest branch of Islam followed by the Shi'a and the remaining number may belong to a variety of other Islamic sects.
Sunni
Movements in Islam
Main article:
Sunni Islam
Sunni Muslims are the largest group in Islam,
comprising the vast bulk of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims,
hence
the
title
Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘ah
(people of the principle and majority).
In Arabic, as-Sunnah
literally
means
"principle" or "path".
The Qur'an and the Sunnah
(the example of Muhammad's life)
as recorded
in
hadith are the primary foundations of Sunni doctrine.
Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs were the rightful successors to Muhammad;
since
God did not specify any particular leaders to succeed him,
those leaders had to be elected.
Sunnis believe that a caliph should be chosen by the whole community.
There are four recognised madh'habs
(schools of thought):
Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali.
All four accept the validity of the others and a Muslim
may choose any one
that
he or she finds agreeable.
Shi'a
Main article: Shia Islam
The Shi'a constitute 10–13% of Islam coming as the second-largest branch.
They believe in the political and religious leadership of Imams from the progeny of Ali ibn Abi Talib,
who according to most Shi'a are in a state of ismah, meaning infallibility.
They believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib,
as the
cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad,
was his rightful successor,
and
they call him the first
Imam
(leader),
rejecting the legitimacy of the previous Muslim caliphs.
To most Shi'a,
an Imam rules by right of divine appointment and holds
"absolute spiritual authority"
among Muslims,
having final say in matters of doctrine and revelation.
Shias regard Ali as the prophet's true successor and believe that a caliph is appointed by divine will.
Shi'a Islam has several branches, the largest of which is the
Twelvers
(iṯnāʿašariyya)
which the label Shi'a generally refers to.
Although the Twelver Shi'a share many core practices with the Sunni,
the two branches disagree over the proper importance and validity of specific collections of hadith.
The Twelver Shi'a follow a legal tradition called Ja'fari jurisprudence.
Other smaller groups include the Ismaili and Zaidi,
who differ from
Twelvers in both their line of successors and theological beliefs.
Sufism
Sufi whirling dervishes in Turkey
Main article:
Sufism
Sufism is a mystical-ascetic approach to Islam that seeks to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God.
By focusing on the more spiritual aspects of religion,
Sufis strive to obtain direct experience of God by making use of "intuitive and emotional faculties" that one must be trained to use.
Sufism and Islamic law are usually considered to be complementary,
although Sufism has been criticized by salafi for what they see as an unjustified religious innovation.
Many Sufi orders, or tariqas, can be classified as either Sunni or Shi'a, but others classify themselves simply as 'Sufi'.
Some Sufi groups
can be
described
as
non-Islamic when their teachings are very distinct from Islam.
Ahmadiyya
Main article:
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious movement founded
towards
the end of the 19th century
and
originating with the life and teachings
of
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908).
Ghulam Ahmad was an important religious figure who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times,
who was to herald the Eschaton as predicted in the traditions of various world religions
and
bring about
the final triumph
of
Islam as per Islamic prophecy.
He claimed that
he was the
Mujaddid
(divine reformer)
of the 14th Islamic century,
the promised
Messiah
(“Second Coming of Christ”)
and
Mahdi awaited by Muslims.
Ahmadi emphasis lay in the belief that Islam is the final law for humanity as revealed to
Muhammad and the necessity of restoring to it its true essence and pristine form, which had been lost through the centuries.
Thus,
Ahmadis
view themselves
as
leading the revival and peaceful propagation of Islam.
Others
* There are also Muslims who generally reject the Hadith, often called Quranists.
* The Kharijites are a sect that dates back to the early days of Islam.
The only surviving branch of the Kharijites is Ibadism.
Unlike most Kharijite groups, Ibadism does not regard sinful Muslims as unbelievers.
The Imamate is an important topic in Ibadi legal literature,
which stipulates
that the
leader should be chosen solely on the basis
of his
knowledge and piety,
and is to be
deposed if he acts unjustly.
Most Ibadi Muslims live in Oman.
There are communities of Ibadis that took refuge in the Mzab oases in southern Algeria, the Nafusa Mountains in western Libya,
and in
Djerba Island
(Tunisia),
in order to avoid persecution in certain periods of history.
Other religions
The
Alevi, Yazidi, Druze, Bábí, Bahá'í, Berghouata
and
Ha-Mim movements either emerged out of Islam
or
came to share certain beliefs with Islam.
Some consider themselves separate while others still sects of Islam
though controversial in certain beliefs
with
mainstream Muslims.
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