Difference between revisions of "Islam"

Latest revision as of 04:08, 4 November 2007

This article deals with Islam as it relates to NationStates. For more general information, see the Wikipedia article on this subject.

In Arabic, Islām means "submission (to Allah)" and is described as a Dīn, meaning "way of life" and/or "religion." Etymologically, it is derived from the same root as, for example, Salām meaning "peace" (also a common salutation). The word Muslim is also related to the word Islām and means "one who surrenders" or "submits" to God, or a "vassal" of God.

Muslims hold that it is essentially the same belief as that of all the messengers sent by God to mankind since Adam, with the Qur'ān (the one definitive text of the Muslim faith) codifying the final revelation of God. Islam sees Judaism and Christianity as derivations of the teachings of certain of these prophets - notably Abraham - and therefore see them as fellow Abrahamic religions, and People of the Book. Unlike Christianity, Islam has not undergone any period of reformation; however, that is essentially the goal of various liberal movements within Islam. Islam has two primary branches of belief, based largely on a historical disagreement over the succession of authority after Muhammad's death; these are known as Sunnite and Shi'ite.

The basis of Muslim belief is found in the shahādatan ("two statements"): lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; muhammadur-rasūlu-llāhi — "No deity (god) is worshipped in truth except Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of God." One needs to recite and believe these statements in order to become a Muslim. All Muslims agree to this, although Sunnis further regard this as one of the five pillars of Islam.

Beliefs

Seven Articles of Belief

There are seven basic beliefs shared by all Muslims:

• Belief in Allah, the one and only one worthy of all worship.
• Belief in the Angels.
• Belief in the Qur'an (sent by Allah).
• Belief in all the Prophets and Messengers (sent by Allah).
• Belief in the Day of Judgment (Qiyamah) and in the Resurrection.
• Belief in Fate (Qadar)
• Belief in life after death

The Muslim creed in English:

I believe in Allah; and in His Angels; and in His Scriptures; and in His Messengers; and in The Final Day; and in Fate, that Good and Evil are from Allah, and Resurrection after death be Truth and life after death.

I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah; and I testify that Muhammad is His Messenger.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1] Shahadah (creed) Shahadah is the verbal commitment and pledge that there is only One God, Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This is spoken upon conversion, usually in the mosque in front of witnesses, in Arabic with the phrase "Ash-hadu anla ilaha illal-Lahu Wahdahu la Sharika Lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu" which translates "I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

2] Salat (prayer) The performance of the five daily prayers required of Muslims. These prayers are al-Fajr (dawn), al-Zuhr (morning), al-Asr (midday), al-Maghrib (afternoon), and al-Isha (evening). A Muslim may perform these prayers at home, but it is preferred that they be done at Mosque.

3]Zakat (charity) Zakat is a part of devotion enjoined upon Muslims by the Holy Quran. It is a means where the well-off pay a set amount of their wealth. Zakat means to purify oneself. It is obligatory on Muslims to pay a little percentage of their accumulated wealth towards Zakat, which is used for the benefit of the needy and the poor. Zakat is not levied on one's property that is in personal use, rather on the assets which have a means of increasing and which are surplus to one's needs. It is a means of social justice and order. It teaches sympathy of the highest order.

4] Saum (fasting) Along with salat, another important form of worship is fasting. It is obligatory for each Muslim, apart from some exemptions, to fast in the month of Ramadhan. During the hours of fasting, food and drink and conjugal relations between husband and wife are forbidden. It is enjoined that during fasting one should pay attention to remembrance of Allah and study the Holy Quran in abundance. One should try to curtail one's worldly pastimes as much as possible during Ramadhan, and to be particularly inclined towards charity and alms giving.

5] Hajj (pilgrimage) Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to the holy sites in Mecca which each adult Muslim, who can afford it, has to perform once in life time. Apart from the financial aspect, the ability to afford the pilgrimage also means that one is able to travel and perform the Hajj in peace. Muslims perform Hajj in order to visit for themselves the holy sites where their faith started. More importantly it is a pilgrimage to the Ka'aba, which we believe is the first place of worship ever built on this earth, Muslims thus refer to it as House of Allah.

Relevance to Nationstates

Islam is the religion of New imadistan, Tripali The Lightning Star, The Theocracy of Islamic Provinces, The Muslim Jews of Keruvalia, the Empire of Paradise, Arab League, United Arabia, Iran, Evil Vertigo, India and many other nations and regions. The Democratic Republic of Navi Bharat, also has a large Muslim population. There is a wide variety of interpretations of Islam, duly represented in NS with everything from radical terrorist states to moderate nations such as The Lightning Star.

The Republic of Sunnistan is almost 100% Sunni Muslim, and governs its people based entirely on the sharia, Qur'ān, and Hadith. However, various one-party, corrupt, and dictatorial rulers have given their own interpretations to Islamic laws, much to the dismay of many, more liberal Muslims, in the neighbouring state of Navi Bharat

The Muslim Jews of Keruvalia, UN Delegate for the region "Islam", is home to 2.133 billion devoted Muslims. The council of Imams in Keruvalia have declared fatwah against all terrorist states and seeks sweeping liberal reforms within the religion of Islam.

Gnostic Islam as practiced in Hydrarchia could be construed as an offshot of Islam (albeit an extremely heretical one).

The Parthians has a number of Arab slaves brought in from the multiple wars on their neighbors who still follow Islam, in addition, semi-free workers from Islamic nations exist but are confined to ghettoes and let out only for short periods each day for work. Islamic conversion of Persians and Aryans in Parthia was at one point alarming, but since all missionaries from any faith are deported and Islamic converts executed, the religion is entirely that of the oppressed minority serving a Persian master.

Some 84% of the population of Hallad practices Islam to some extent, thought much of it has taken on socialistic ideals.

Approximately 10% of the population of Dyelli Beybi practice Islam. It tends to be a fairly liberal form of the religion that does not tend to clash too much with the strong Roman Catholic majority.

Roughly about 0,9% of the population in Christiana Terra pratices Islam. It is a renowned religious minority, mainly composed of long time inmigrants but also of recent native converts.

Ecopoeia is home to approximately one million Sufis, descended from refugees who arrived at the islands in the early nineteenth century following expulsion from the Hackneys. The ferocious clashes between the fundamentalist Hindu west and secular east had left little room for pacifist minority faiths. Sufis in the west were routinely executed; those in the east regarded themselves as fortunate to escape with banishment.

Sufism has had an appreciable impact on both spiritual and political life in Ecopoeia; indeed, it was a major inspiration in the emergence of the eco-spiritualist Viriditas movement that played such a major role in the 1979 'ecopoesis' revolution. Unlike Viriditas, however, Sufism is not now in decline in Ecopoeia.

Kantoranity has been somewhat influenced by Islam. This includes the required three daily prayers to Chris Kantor while facing the Tower Kantor. The Kajj is a holy pilgrimage that all Kantorites must take every five years to any Bestbyte location where they will recieve blessings from Chris Kantor.

Myroria's official religion was Islam, after it became a vassal state of The Islamic Republic of Arab Sovereign States. Once it was freed in the War of Vorlon, it reverted back to Roman Catholicism. Islam remains the second most popular religion in Myroria.

The oldest child of the current royal family of Bejerot, Princess Hédiyeh, was adopted from a Shi'a family. Although she does not actively participate in worship by this point in time, she identifies very strongly with her birth religion.

About 5.1% of Bashenké identity as Muslims. Some, however, do not practice Islam, and describe it as simply part of their cultural identity, rather than a question of faith.

Roughly three (3) percent of Itinerate Tree Dweller practices the religion of Islam. Islam is also the third largest religion in ITD, behind Christianity and Religio Romana.

The Empire of Stevid began a mass expultion of all Muslims leading to a long stand off between several others, that nearly resulted in war. (main article Stevid Cold War)

Islam Denominations in the NS World

Sufism Renaissance

"Sufism renaissance" is a relatively new current of the historical mystical Islam: Sufism

"Sufism renaissance" Muslims don’t really believe in god, as the Qur'an states: “There is no god but Allah, there is nothing but Allah”. They then believe that Allah is everything, Allah is in everything, in everyone, and everyone is in Allah. Then, for them, Allah is not a “god” anymore but "everything" and “Love” and “The sacred universe”. They sometimes described themselves as Muslim pantheists. "Sufism renaissance" version of the Qur'an are mainly based on the new discovered early-written texts and new translations. "Sufism renaissance" imams don't criticize the theory of evolution. All "Sufism renaissance" mosques are mixed with men and women.

"Sufism renaissance" is the main current of Islam in Love and esterel. Many "Sufism renaissance" celebrations in love and esterel are inter-religious, where believers from other main religion and others faith are invited to attend and contribute. Believers also attend regularly others religions celebrations.

See also

• Category:Muslims, for a list of Muslims.