Powered By Blogger
Powered By Blogger

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

ISLAM- WORLD GREATEST RELIGION


Islam (Arabic: الإسلام‎ al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] ( listen)[note 1]) is the religion articulated by the Qur’an, a religious book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of the single incomparable God (Arabic: الله‎, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's demonstrations and real-life examples (called the Sunnah, collected through narration of his companions in collections of Hadith). Islam literally means submission to God (see Islam (term)).[1]
An adherent of Islam is a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)".[2][3] The word Muslim is the active participle of the same verb of which Islām is the infinitive. Muslims regard their religion as the completed and universal version of a monotheistic faith revealed at many times and places before, including, notably, to the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Islamic tradition holds that previous messages and revelations have been changed and distorted over time.[4]
Religious practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community.[5] Islamic law (Arabic: شريعة Šarīʿah) touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from dietary laws and banking to warfare, welfare, and appropriate conditions for war.[6] The vast majority of Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni (87–90%) and Shi'a (10–13%).[7]
Islam is the predominant religion in the Middle East, North Africa, and large part of Asia.[8] Sizable communities are also found in China and Russia, and parts of the Balkans and the Caribbean. About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country,[9] 31% in the Indian Subcontinent,[9] and 20% in Arab countries.[10] Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world. With approximately 1.57 billion Muslims[11][verification needed] (see Islam by country), Islam is the second-largest religion in the world and arguably the fastest growing religion in the world.[The word Islam is a verbal noun originating from the triliteral root s-l-m, and is derived from the Arabic verb Aslama, which means "to accept, surrender or submit." Thus, Islam means acceptance of and submission to God, and believers must demonstrate this by worshiping him, following his commands, and avoiding polytheism. The word is given a number of meanings in the Qur'an. In some verses (ayat), the quality of Islam as an internal conviction is stressed: "Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to Islam."[17][improper synthesis?]
Other verses connect islām and dīn (usually translated as "religion"): "Today, I have perfected your religion (dīn) for you; I have completed My blessing upon you; I have approved Islam for your religion."[18] Still others[who?] describe Islam as an action of returning to God—more than just a verbal affirmation of faith.[19] Another technical meaning in Islamic thought is as one part of a triad of islam, imān (faith), and ihsān (excellence) where it represents acts of worship (`ibādah) and Islamic law (sharia).

No comments:

Post a Comment