Islam

The term Islam means peace, submission and obedience. A person who follows the religion of Islam is called a Muslim. This means someone who has submitted him or her self to the will of Allah. The 2001 census states that there are 140, 033 Muslims in Birmingham and 16, 681 Muslims living in the Sparkbrook area. There are approximately 8, 990 Muslims living in Balsall Heath.

Muslims believe that the religion of Islam has always existed, but was first revealed to mankind in Mecca in the 7th Century by the Angel Gabriel. It is believed that the Angel Gabriel visited a man named Muhammad and told him that he had been chosen to spread the word of God throughout the people. The Angel Gabriel continued to visit Muhammad for 23 years with messages from God. Mohammed recorded each message and they now form the Islam Holy book called the Qu’ran.

Muslims believe that there is only one God called Allah. They believe that Allah created the entire universe and that Muhammad was the final prophet of God. As a mark of respect Muslims say a prayer asking Allah to bless Muhammad and to give him peace. This prayer is often shortened to ‘peace be upon him’ or written as PBUH.

The Prophet Muhammad named five acts of worship that all Muslims should do as a declaration of their faith and duty to Allah. These acts of worship are called The Five Pillars of Islam.

The Five Pillars of Islam are:

Shahadah: a declaration of faith. The Shahadah is written in Arabic on the flag of Saudi Arabia; the state which contains Islam’s holiest places.

Salat: prayer. God ordered Muslims to pray five times each day. These are: before sunrise, midday, late afternoon, sunset and before bedtime.

Zakat: giving to charity and helping people in need.

Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca.

Muslims join together for worship in Mosques. The mosque also acts as a place where Muslims can learn about their religion. There are no pictures or statues in a mosque because Islam teaches that all Muslims should have their own spiritual awareness of Allah and the prophets. Men and women sit separately from each other in the mosque. This is to prevent any distractions from prayer and worship.

Muslims can pray anywhere, but they must face Mecca and follow a special ritual of washing to prepare their minds and bodies for prayer. All mosques have a mark in one of the walls to show the direction of Mecca and a place where worshippers can wash before prayer.

A mosque usually has a picture of a moon and a star or a flag showing a moon and a star. This signifies that the countries where Islam originated were often so hot that people had to move during the night. The symbol of the moon and the star is often used on the buildings or flags of Islamic countries and shows how Islam guides a Muslim through life.

Muslims have many holy days within their calendar but the most important is Eid -ul -Fitr which is celebrated at the end of Ramadan. During Ramadan, all Muslims who are over 12 years old and in fit mental and physical health are expected to give up food and drink during the daylight hours. During the festival of Eid Muslims celebrate the end of fasting and give thanks to Allah for the help and self-control he granted them during the month of Ramadan. Adults and children dress up and visit the mosque to pray and give thanks. They also visit family and friends to celebrate with meals.

There are different groups of Muslims all over the world including Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims, but each Muslim is regarded as part of one family called the Ummah, meaning community or nation in Arabic.