
Introduction to Islam by Oprah Winfrey Network

It means fasting and it is abstaining from eating, drinking and engaging in sexual intercourse. In the terminology of Islamic law, sawm means to abstain from eating, drinking and sexual behavior during daylight hours. The observance of sawm during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan is the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam but is not confined to that month. It is done out of deep love for God and to learn self-restraint.

It is one of the Five Pillars in the faith of Islam and a daily necessity for every Muslim. It is a physical mental and spiritual act of worship that is observed five times every day at prescribed times. When they do this, they must face Mecca. In this ritual, the worshiper starts standing then bows and concludes while sitting on the ground. During each posture, the worshiper recites certain verses, phrases and prayers.

The Five Pillars of Islam is the foundation of the faith of the Muslims. These pillars are mentioned in the Qur'an.

It is the birthplace of Muhammad and the site of Muhammad's first revelation of the Qur'an. Mecca is home to the Kaaba, by majority description Islam's holiest site, as well as being the direction of Muslim prayer.

Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah, Salat, Zakat and Sawm. The Hajj is the second largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world.

It is the oral revelation of the Quran to Islamic prophet Muhammad and its subsequent written compilation into a manuscript. It spans several decades and forms an important part of early Islamic history. According to Muslim belief and Islamic scholarly accounts, the revelation of the Quran began in 610 C.E. when the angel Gabriel appeared to Muhammad in the cave Hira near Mecca, reciting to him the first verses of Sura Iqra.

This is considered as the official symbol of Islam, The symbol represents how Islam guides people and show them how to live. Many Muslims before lived in the dessert and in order to find their way around the night, they must use the stars and the moon as guidance.

Mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. There are strict and detailed requirements in Sunni jurisprudence (fiqh) for a place of worship to be considered a mosque, with places that do not meet these requirements regarded as musallas.

It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating they must avoid eating, drinking and sexual activities from dawn until sunset. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in resisting everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. While fasting, Muslims may only eat two meals a day, one before sunrise and the other after sunset.
Islam is one of the fastest growing world religions today. Revealed to humanity by the Prophet Muhammad, those who follow Islam are called Muslims.
Muslims follow the teachings of the holy book called Qur’an and they strive to follow the Five Pillars.
Their teachings are that Qur'an is the last relevation of Allah. Islam is a religious institute and began in the seventh century by their prophet, Muhammad.
ISLAM
Islam means “submission,” deriving from a root word that means “peace.” The word Muslim means “one who submits to Allah.”
One of the charms of Islam is the Five Pillars which starts out with, “There is no deity except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”.
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FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
The Five Pillars of Islam is the foundation of the faith of the Muslims. They follow and practice these pillars. These are mentioned in the Qur'an.

