Islam: Beliefs, History, and Branches – A Comprehensive Guide
ISLAM
GOD is one God and there is a phrase that reaffirms “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” A Muslim believer is one who denies the worship of all idols brought down to Muhammad in Mecca and all who are reborn in every generation.
Islam is a protest against all polytheism, even against the Trinity of cristianos.Ese “one God” that “has absolutely nothing like” God is creator. “Neither has engendered or been begotten”. “To Allah belongs the act of naming and erasing. We will look at all the centrality of creation God. She alone is the creator. And the name is what gives life.
Therefore, that God is omnipotent creator. Work according to his will. “He is not asked because of what they do.” It is eternal and transcendent whole. Allah is totally other, quite different. “There’s nothing like it.” Inaccessible, is beyond any description in this regard does not make sense any Muslim theology and would even be so wicked as the representation of God by images.
However, while different from men, that God have mercy on them. Mercy is one of the attributes by which it is invoked more frequently. But not alone. 99 names have been identified to address God the mighty, the wise, the living, the Holy …
He is the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, namely the God of Jews and Christians. Thus, faith in Allah, the One God, it is the belief in the prophets.
INITIATOR / FOUNDER-The great prophet, the founder of Islam was Muhammad, who was born in 570 in the city of Mecca. Soon lost his parents and was educated by his grandfather and then by his uncle Abu-Talib. At age 25 he entered the service of a wealthy widow, Khadija, who was 15, shortly after she married and had 3 sons and 4 daughters, who were the only ones to survive. The prophet fututo was honest, compassionate and generous. Often from the 25 years, retired the month of Ramadan a few miles from Mecca to the cave of Hira, spent several weeks there meditating. And it was there one winter day he had his first vision. He appeared the angel Gabriel. Puzzled and worried, wondering what he had heard, was entrusted with Khadijah Muhammad, who encouraged him. He took her to see a cousin, an elderly blind man who converted to Christianity. This, in turn, confirmed his vision and warned him: “This message is similar to the Torah of Moses … Wait to see you like all the prophets persecuted. Nobody believed her and fled back to the mountain where he reappeared Gabriel, who reassured him.
Since then, strengthened in their faith, Muhammad began to preach among the inhabitants of Mecca. Two themes predominate in his sermons: the one God and avenging the need to submit, and the last trial after which raise man. If ordinary people heard the message and followed the prophet, the wealthy Meccans were incensed against him and even began to chase his first followers.
MAIN MESSAGE “Allah is the only God and Muhammad is his prophet. The word of Allah given to Muhammad is the Qur’an. Allah spoke to other prophets but Muhammad is the one definitive. Its servers and the angels is the ruler of doomsday.
DEATH “Every man will be judged by Allah on the day of reckoning: the righteous paradise awaits with God, others fall into a hell of seven stories.
“The Holy Book is the Koran holy book, that before a book is a word. The very word of Allah is written in Arabic, which is considered the language of God. Hence, even in countries that do not speak Arabic, Arabic is the language in which you learn and recite the Koran.
This belief is very deeply distinguishes the Muslim relations with the Koran and the Christian with the Bible. This was only inspired by God, but has authors marked by culture, age, history or even his personality. During Muhammad’s life, words that the angel Gabriel told the he kept in his memory. Only some companions of the prophet wrote certain passages on fragments of pottery, leather or shoulder blades. They were then collected by the young leaves b’Thabit Zayd, and returned to Hafsa, the widow of Mohammed.
Only under the caliphate of Uthman were collected and classified, again at the hands of Zayd, the various versions of official texto.El Koran has 114 chapters or suras. Zayd classified them according to their size, the longest to shortest. The first, “Fatih” (the opening) is the essential prayer of Islam. The last two formulas reproduce ancient spell. For the convenience of its recitation, each chapter is divided into verses equal.
COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS-church-a community that brings to believers. It has a sense both mystical (communion) and political (Muslim nation).
MORAL-All life is governed by the Koran. The key is moderation. The great virtues are the hospitality, faith, justice for the poor, patience and forgiveness. It condemns greed, pride, gambling, lying, alcoholism …
BRANCHES AND CURRENTS–
The sunnisno are almost 90% Sunni
Muslims, especially in Indonesia, Pakistan, but also in China, Egypt, Morocco. The Sunnism is somewhat orthodoxy of Islam. Their followers are subjected not only to the Koran, but the tradition based on the gestures and words of Mohammed and the customs of the community musulmana.Para them, this “sunna” to interpret the Koran and take the situations of all times . Recognize the legitimacy of the first four caliphs, Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali, chosen by the “Sura” assembly. The caliph, at a time of spiritual and temporal leader in charge of enforcing the Koranic law, must be chosen.
The Shiism
It represents less than 9% of the Muslim world. They are numerous in Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq. But among the Shiite Iranians are also shades and even divisiones.Sin But the bulk of the Shiite doctrine is the refusal of the benefit of elective caliphate caliphate hereditary. But as Ali was deposed and his son Hussein murdered in 680 at Karbala (Iraq) Shiites expect since his return at the end of time, will inaugurate the reign of justice. Until then rely on the imams, who keep the secrets of Muhammad and are the guardians of this divergence divina.A light on the origin of power, is then added to some messianic Shiism. The magnet must again be confused with the Mahdi, the messiah of reckoning: for the Sunnis and they will be Muhammad Ali or any of his people.
Kharga
Born after the death of Ali, who was totally faithful show. Are austere and interpret the Koran literally. They favor the more worthy elective caliphate. They are very minor and are in: North Africa, Zanzibar and Oman. Sometimes they were called the Puritans of Islam.