Islam counts Muhammad as the last of a long line of prophets and Koran
as its Holy writ. One who confesses the Islam is called Muslim that almost
means that one submits to God. Islam is today the world’s next largest
religion with about 1,2 milliard practising. They are foremost in Middle
East and North Africa.
Like bible the Koran thinks that Adam and Eve were the first human beings.
Like in bible they eat the forbidden fruit, but in the contrary to what
is happening in Old Testament, so they realize they behaved wrong and
they regret. They receive forgiveness from God and have a great confidence
of him. They become God’s assistance responsible for the whole creation.
When Muhammad was 25 years he was the caravan guide and worked at a rich
widow, Khadidja. He falls in love with her. Khadidja is said to be about
40 years and they two got married. As long she lives Muhammad does not
take any other wife.
According to Islamic doctrine Muhammad about year 610 gets – he
is 40ees – a vision of the archangel Jibril (Gabriel) to be prophet.
He receives from God a mission to carry out message about a monotheistic
faith in God (understanding that there is only one God).
He worked about twenty years as a prophet. His message had meaning that
people should recognize God as his creator who alone shall be worshipped
and to whom you should submit. Polytheism (God understanding that there
are several Gods) was hardly criticized. Mohammad was warning of the doomsday
where God should judge every man’s acts and punish with eternal
damnation or reward with the paradisiacal heavenly in accordance with
every man’s deeds.
Muhammad meets with resistance in the polytheist Mecca particularly by
the rich ones. He was forced to move with his followers to Yathrib (Medina)
where they were more interested in his message. The flight happened year
622 and is called hijra (emigration) that is the starting point for the
Islamic chronology.
The three Jewish tribes in Yathrib did not accept generally Mohammad as
a prophet and that lead to that Islam more and more is regarded as own
religion.
There are two large branches within Islamism: Shiahs and Sunnite. The
majority of the Muslims in the world are Sunnites. The Sunnites believe
a man’s ability to read (follow) the Book of Revelation while the
Shiahs mean that a man needs spiritual leader and thus does not manage
to get on alone.
The five base lines of the Islam are:
Shahada – confession of faith that reads there is no God except
God and Muhammad is his prophet
Salat – the prayer that will be exclaimed five times a day
Zakat – almsgiving
Saum – the fast during month of Ramada
Haddj – go on a pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim shall do at
least once a life
A Muslim does not eat pig meat and drink alcohol. Friday is a prayer day
and mosque is the name of prayer hall of the Muslims. At prayer they are
turned to Mecca – no matter where in the world they are. In every
mosque are the direction marked.
Islam do not put up with before- or extramarital relations. A man and
woman can meet together with other Muslims or family and discuss to get
to know each other. This can continue as long time as the partners wish,
that is, until they think they can marry or until they realize they do
not suit for each other.
It is very important that they take enough time and they make every possible
effort to find out each other’s thinking, character and temperament
to be able to decide if they suit to live together. In that way indicate
Islam that the marriage shall not be based on the physical attraction
that is passing without the same way of life and the same temperament.
The family is point of support in the Muslim society, it shall work as
a miniature society where the new generation will be brought up in the
Islamic spirit and carefully takes to the society.
Islam sees the man and wife as complement for each other. Each of them
has individual rights and duties. Together they form a peaceful and happy
family that makes the base for a sound and successful society.
It is important that a family try to get own housing, even if the large
family is important, is a peaceful home highly valued with Islam.
God urges the man to treat his wife with justice and respect her feelings
as well show her goodness and consideration. He shall not show her dislike
or expose her for worry. Within Islam are all people equal, men and women
are equal but not identical, women get pregnant and give birth to children,
the men do not. The man is bound to support the family and give economic
safety.
The men are comparatively more rational and less emotional than the women
and cause of this they have been given separate tasks in the family.
Faith is the one that binds together the Muslim family and that is why
a Muslim is forbidden to marry an atheist or polytheist.
