Islam (/slm/; Arabic: , al-Islm IPA: [lslm] ( listen) ) is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book

k considered by its adherents [1] to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: Allh) and by the teachings and normative example (called theSunnah and composed of hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of existence is to worship [3] God. Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed before many times throughout the world, including notably [4] through Adam, Noah,Abraham, Moses and Jesus, whom they consider prophets. They maintain that [5] the previous messages and revelations have been partiallymisinterpreted or altered over time, but [6] consider the Arabic Qur'an to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of God. Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multifarious topics from banking and welfare, to warfare and [7][8] the environment. Most Muslims are of two denominations, Sunni (7590%), or Shia (1020%). About 13% of [11] [11] Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country, 25% in South Asia, 20% in [12] [13] the Middle East, and 15% in Sub-saharan Africa. Sizable minorities are also found in Europe, China,Russia, and the Americas. Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world (see Islam by country). With about 1.6 billion followers or 23% of earth's [14][15] population, Islam is the second-largest religion and the fastest-growing religion in the [16][17][18][19] world.
Contents
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1 Etymology and meaning 2 Articles of faith

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2.1 God 2.2 Angels 2.3 Revelations 2.4 Prophets 2.5 Resurrection and judgment 2.6 Predestination

3 Five pillars

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3.1 Testimony 3.2 Prayer 3.3 Alms-giving 3.4 Fasting 3.5 Pilgrimage

4 Law and jurisprudence

4.1 Jurists

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4.2 Etiquette and diet 4.3 Family life 4.4 Economy 4.5 Government 4.6 Jihad

5 History

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5.1 Muhammad (610632) 5.2 Caliphate and civil war (632750) 5.3 Abbasid era (7501258) 5.4 Fall of Abbasids to end of caliphate (12581924) 5.5 Modern times (1924present)

6 Denominations

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6.1 Sunni 6.2 Shia 6.3 Sufism 6.4 Other denominations

7 Demographics 8 Culture

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8.1 Architecture 8.2 Art 8.3 Calendar

9 Criticism of Islam 10 See also 11 References

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11.1 Notes 11.2 Citations 11.3 Books and journals

11.3.1 Encyclopedias

12 Further reading 13 External links

Etymology and meaning

Islam is a verbal noun originating from the triliteral root s-l-m which forms a large class of words [20] mostly relating to concepts of wholeness, safeness and peace. In a religious context it means [21][22] "voluntary submission to God". Muslim, the word for an adherent of Islam, is the active participle of the same verb of which Islm is the infinitive. Believers demonstrate submission to God by serving God, following his commands, and rejecting polytheism. The word sometimes has distinct connotations in its various occurrences in the Qur'an. In some verses, there is stress on the quality of

Islam as an internal conviction: "Whomsoever God desires to guide, He expands his breast to [23] Islam." Other verses connect islm and dn (usually translated as "religion"): "Today, I have perfected your religion (dn) for you; I have completed My blessing upon you; I have approved Islam for your [24] religion." Still others describe Islam as an action of returning to Godmore than just a verbal [25] affirmation of faith. In the Hadith of Gabriel, islm is presented as one part of a triad that includes imn (faith), and ihsn (excellence), where islm is defined theologically as Tawhid, historically by asserting that Muhammad is messenger of God, and doctrinally by mandating five basic [26][27] and fundamental pillars of practice.

Articles of faith
Main articles: Aqidah and Iman

God
Main articles: God in Islam and Allah Islam's most fundamental concept is a rigorous monotheism, called tawhd (Arabic: ). God is [28] described in chapter 112 of the Qur'an as: "Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."(112:1-4) Muslims and Jews repudiate the Christian doctrine of the Trinity and divinity of Jesus, comparing it to polytheism. In Islam, God is beyond all comprehension and Muslims are not expected to visualize [29][30][31][32] God. God is described and referred to by certain names or attributes, the most common being Al-Rahmn, meaning "The Compassionate" and Al-Rahm, meaning "The Merciful" (See Names [33] of God in Islam). Muslims believe that the creation of everything in the universe was brought into being by Gods sheer [34] [35] command, Be and so it is, and that the purpose of existence is to worship God. He is viewed [36] as a personal god who responds whenever a person in need or distress calls him. There are no intermediaries, such as clergy, to contact God who states, "I am nearer to him than (his) jugular [37] vein." The reciprocal nature is mentioned in the hadith qudsi, "I am as My servant thinks (expects) I [38] am." Allh is the term with no plural or gender used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews [39] to reference God, while ilh (Arabic: ) is the term used for a deity or a god in general. Other nonArab Muslims might use different names as much as Allah, for instance "Tanr" in Turkish, "Khod" in Persian or ud in Urdu.

An angel presenting Mohammed(upper left) and his companions with a miniature city. In the Topkapi Palace Library, Istanbul.

Angels
Main article: Islamic view of angels Belief in angels is fundamental to the faith of Islam. The Arabic word for angel (Arabic: malak) means "messenger", like its counterparts in Hebrew(malakh) and Greek (angelos). According to the Qur'an, angels do not possess free will, and therefore worship and obey God in total obedience. Angels' duties include communicating revelations from God, glorifying God, recording every person's actions, and taking a person's soul at the time of death. Muslims believe that angels are made of light. They are described as "messengers with wings two, or three, or four (pairs): He [God] adds to [40] Creation as He pleases..."

Revelations
Main articles: Islamic holy books, Quran, and Wahy See also: History of the Quran

Quran
Al-Qurn

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Category Islam portal

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The first sura in a Qur'anic manuscript by Hattat Aziz Efendi

The Islamic holy books are the records which most Muslims believe were dictated by God to various prophets. Muslims believe that parts of the previously revealed scriptures, the Tawrat (Torah) and [5] the Injil (Gospels), had become distortedeither in interpretation, in text, or both. The Qur'an (literally, Reading or Recitation) is viewed by Muslims as the final revelation and literal word of God [41][42] and is widely regarded as the finest literary work in theArabic language. Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad by God through the archangel Gabriel(Jibrl) on many occasions between 610 CE until his death on June 8, 632 [43] CE. While Muhammad was alive, all of these revelations were written down by his companions [44] (sahabah), although the prime method of transmission was orally through memorization. The Qur'an is divided into 114 suras, or chapters, which combined, contain 6,236 yt, or verses. The chronologically earlier suras, revealed at Mecca, are primarily concerned with ethical and spiritual topics. The later Medinan suras mostly discuss social and moral issues relevant to the Muslim [45] community. The Qur'an is more concerned with moral guidance than legal instruction, and is considered the [46] "sourcebook of Islamic principles and values". Muslim jurists consult the hadith("reports"), or the written record of Prophet Muhammad's life, to both supplement the Qur'an and assist with its [47] interpretation. The science of Qur'anic commentary and exegesis is known as tafsir. Rules governing proper pronunciation is called tajwid. Muslims usually view "the Qur'an" as the original scripture as revealed in