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The Muslim religion, Islam was revealed to mankind by the Prophet Muhammed. The people who follow Islam are called Muslims. Islam can trace its origin to Arabia. All Muslims have six main beliefs relating to God and holy books. They believe that Allah is their one and only true god. Muslims also believe in the Day of judgement. They also believe that Allah has planned everything for them in their lives in advance.
The Muslim religion teaches that Allah has no form, and that he is omnipotent. It also teaches that Allah is very merciful and that he has no equal, superior or lesser Gods. The Koran stresses upon Jihad, or otherwise known as the holy war. This is a struggle to defend Islam, and they may do so with force if necessary, though they cannot employ extreme methods.
Islam, unlike any other religion, speaks about Jesus as a very great prophet. Though the image is entirely different from what Christians see, it nevertheless has vast expressions about him. There are sub-divisions in the Muslim community. The two main divisions are Sunni and Shia. They basically differ with their perception of whose teachings to follow, Prophet Muhammed’s or his family’s.
The religion followed by Muslims frowns greatly upon several things, including romantic dating, cruelty to animals and abortion. Though eating meat is allowed, they have to kill the animals very humanely. They may also not eat pork as it is unclean. The religion also accepts capital punishment, but does accept forgiveness. It prefers that someone forgives another person and they make peace.
The holy book of the Muslims speaks of children as a gift from God, though a married couple may use birth control methods. An abortion can only be allowed if the mother’s life is in danger. Circumcision of boys is considered very pure in the Muslim religion. They are the only religious community to do so in the world.
There are only two holy days for the Muslims. They are Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha. Ramadan is considered to be the holiest month in the religion, because they believe that the Koran was first revealed in this month. All Muslims fast this entire month for the sake of their religion. This will include exclusion of food, sex and other pleasurable activities.
Polygamy is allowed in this religion. Every year most Muslims from around the world, of all castes, color and ethnic groups travel to Mecca for their religious ritual. This also promotes the bond between all Muslim brothers and Muslim sisters, as brotherhood and sisterhood are an important aspect of the Muslim religion.
Muslims have to live by five important principles in their lives. The first and most important of them all, is that they have to pray five times a day. They also have to contribute to charity to help the poor. These are known as the pillars of Islam. The one who does not live by these principles is not a Muslim at heart.
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