Core Beliefs and Pillars of Islam

Core Beliefs

• Tawhid: Belief in the oneness of God (Allah)
• Risalah: Belief in the prophets, including Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad
• Malaika: Belief in angels
• Kitab: Belief in the holy books, including the Quran, Torah, Gospel, and Psalms
• Qiyamah: Belief in the Day of Judgment
• Qadar: Belief in predestination

Five Pillars of Islam

1. Shahada: Declaration of faith in Allah and Muhammad as his prophet
2. Salat: Performance of five daily prayers
3. Zakat: Giving of alms to the poor and needy
4. Sawm: Fasting during the month of Ramadan
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime, if physically and financially able

Branches of Islam

• Sunni: Largest branch, accounting for approximately 90% of Muslims
• Shia: Second-largest branch, accounting for approximately 10% of Muslims
• Sufi: Mystical branch, focusing on spiritual growth and inner purification

Key Figures

• Muhammad: The final prophet of Islam, receiving revelations from Allah through the angel Gabriel
• Abu Bakr: First caliph (leader) of the Islamic community after Muhammad's death
• Umar: Second caliph, known for his justice and fairness
• Uthman: Third caliph, known for compiling the Quran
• Ali: Fourth caliph, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad

Islamic Practices

• Dhikr: Remembrance of Allah, often through repetition of prayers or phrases
• Halal: Permissible foods and actions, as opposed to Haram (forbidden)
• Jihad: Struggle or striving, often misunderstood as holy war
• Khutbah: Sermon delivered during Friday prayers

Important Dates

• Hijri: Islamic calendar, based on lunar cycles
• Mawlid al-Nabi: Celebration of Muhammad's birthday
• Laylat al-Mi'raj: Celebration of Muhammad's ascension to heaven
• Eid al-Fitr: Celebration of the end of Ramadan
• Eid al-Adha: Celebration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son

Core Beliefs

• The oneness of God (Allah) is a fundamental belief in Islam, known as Tawhid.
• Belief in the prophets, including Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, is essential, referred to as Risalah.
• Malaika refers to the belief in angels, who are seen as messengers of God.
• Muslims believe in the holy books, including the Quran, Torah, Gospel, and Psalms, which is known as Kitab.
• The Day of Judgment, referred to as Qiyamah, is a core belief in Islam.
• Qadar refers to the belief in predestination, where God has knowledge of all events.

Five Pillars of Islam

• The declaration of faith in Allah and Muhammad as his prophet is known as Shahada.
• Performing five daily prayers is an essential practice, referred to as Salat.
• Giving alms to the poor and needy is a fundamental aspect of Islam, known as Zakat.
• Sawm refers to the practice of fasting during the month of Ramadan.
• The pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime, if physically and financially able, is known as Hajj.

Branches of Islam

• The Sunni branch accounts for approximately 90% of Muslims.
• The Shia branch accounts for approximately 10% of Muslims.
• The Sufi branch focuses on spiritual growth and inner purification.

Key Figures

• Muhammad was the final prophet of Islam, receiving revelations from Allah through the angel Gabriel.
• Abu Bakr was the first caliph (leader) of the Islamic community after Muhammad's death.
• Umar was the second caliph, known for his justice and fairness.
• Uthman was the third caliph, known for compiling the Quran.
• Ali was the fourth caliph, cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad.

Islamic Practices

• Dhikr refers to the remembrance of Allah, often through repetition of prayers or phrases.
• Halal refers to permissible foods and actions, as opposed to Haram (forbidden).
• Jihad refers to the struggle or striving, often misunderstood as holy war.
• Khutbah refers to the sermon delivered during Friday prayers.

Important Dates

• The Hijri calendar is based on lunar cycles.
• Mawlid al-Nabi celebrates Muhammad's birthday.
• Laylat al-Mi'raj celebrates Muhammad's ascension to heaven.
• Eid al-Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan.
• Eid al-Adha celebrates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son.