 | This article's factual accuracy is disputed. |
 | This article contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. |
| This article may need clearer distinction between fact and fiction. |
| Part of a series on |
| Islam |
|---|
 |
- For other meanings, including people named 'Islam', see Islam (disambiguation).
Islam (Arabic: الإسلام al-’islām, pronounced [ʔislæːm] [note 1]) is the Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of the one, incomparable God (Arabic: الله, Allāh), and by the Prophet of Islam Muhammad's demonstrations and real-life examples (called the Sunnah, collected through narration of his companions in collections of Hadith)...which is, in layman's terms, a "load of crap". Everyone else knows that Islam is just an excuse terrorists use to blow up so-called 'infidels'. Islam literally means "submission (to God)."[1] Muslim, the word for an adherent of Islam, is the active participle of the same verb of which Islām is the infinitive (see Islam (term)).[2][3]
Muslims regard their religion as the completed and universal version of a primordial, monotheistic faith revealed at many times and places before, including, notably, to the prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Islamic tradition holds that previous messages and revelations have been changed and distorted over time.[4] Religious practices include the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five obligatory acts of worship.[5] Islamic law (Arabic: شريعة Šarīʿah) touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, encompassing everything from banking and warfare to welfare and the environment.[6]
The vast majority of Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni and Shi'a.[7] Islam is the predominant religion in the Middle East, North Africa, and large parts of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.[8] Sizable communities are also found in China and Russia, and parts of the Balkans. About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country,[9] 31% in the Indian Subcontinent,[9] and 20% in Arab countries.[10] Converts and immigrant communities are found in almost every part of the world. With approximately 1.57 billion Muslims[11] (see Islam by country), Islam is the second-largest religion in the world and arguably the fastest growing religion in the world.[12][13][14][15][16]
Notes
edit- ^ USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts
- ^ L. Gardet. "Islam". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Lane's lexicon" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-07-03.
- ^ See: * Accad (2003): According to Ibn Taymiya, although only some Muslims accept the textual veracity of the entire Bible, most Muslims will grant the veracity of most of it. * Esposito (1998), pp.6,12* Esposito (2002b), pp.4–5* F. E. Peters (2003), p.9* F. Buhl. "Muhammad". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online.
{{cite encyclopedia}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)* Hava Lazarus-Yafeh. "Tahrif". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. - ^ Esposito (2002b), p.17
- ^ See: * Esposito (2002b), pp.111,112,118* "Shari'ah". Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.
- ^ Miller (2009), pp.4,11
- ^ Britannica, Think Quest, Wadsworth.com
- ^ a b Miller (2009), pp.8,17
- ^ See:* Esposito (2002b), p.21* Esposito (2004), pp.2,43 * Miller (2009), pp.9,19
- ^ Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population: Main Page. Pew Research Center.
- ^ PBS – Islam Today (Islam, followed by more than a billion people today, is the world's fastest growing religion and will soon be the world's largest.)
- ^ No God But God by Thomas W. Lippman of U.S. News & World Report. April 7, 2008."Islam is the youngest, the fastest growing, and in many ways the least complicated of the world's great monotheistic faiths. It is a unique religion based on its own holy book, but it is also a direct descendant of Judaism and Christianity, incorporating some of the teachings of those religions—modifying some and rejecting others."
- ^ Understanding Islam by Susan Headden of U.S. News & World Report. April 7, 2008.
- ^ The world's fastest growing religions
- ^ "Major Religions of the World — Ranked by Number of Adherents". Retrieved 2007-07-03.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).