Islam is the world's fastest growing religion with an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. This accounts for around 20 % of the world's population and rates 2nd behind Christianity. In Spite of these numbers Islam is probably the worlds most misunderstood religion with many in the west viewing Muslims as fanatics. This stems from the increased publicity given to Islamic fundamentalists in the wake of September 11. I hope to gain more understanding of this religion by examining several of its important aspects in this paper.

Within Islam they call God, Allah and believe he last revealed himself through the Quran which is the Muslim equivalent to the Christian bible. They accept Allah to be the creator who is all knowing and all powerful with no human attributes to limit him. The Quran is believed to have been recorded by Muhammad after revelations from the angel Gabriel. Muhammad is the prophet of Islam responsible for the religions growth. He is seen as the Final messenger of Gods word whom formulated the Muslim people into a community best prepared for life and the Judgment day which awaits everyone within it. During Muhammad's

This paper has enlightened me on many aspects of Islam, from its prevailing sense of community to its follower's dedication. The five pillars of Islam are Shahada (affirmation) The duty to recite the creed: "There is nothing worthy of worship save Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of God". Salat (prayer) the duty to worship the One God in prayer five times each day. Zakat (almsgiving) the duty to give away alms and to help the needy. Siyam (fasting) the duty to keep the Fast of Ramadan. Hajj (pilgrimage) the duty to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime. These pillars provide the constraints and moral guidelines in which a Muslim must live. The Zakat, the duty to help the needy through donations was one thing which pleased me greatly. The notion of caring for other members of your community is encouraging in a world riddled with greed and oppression. The discipline required to be a devout Muslim amazes me particularly when I think of the misleading image formed by many in this part of the world due to the media. The restriction Islamic law puts on its follower's prompts me to believe that in order for it to be so popular there must be something real in it. Why would so many conform to this lifestyle if they weren't getting anything from it?

Islamic rituals include five daily prayers and a communal prayer on Friday. This prayer emphasizes their beliefs and the glory and oneness of God. Before praying Muslims performs a ritual cleansing by washing the hands, feet, mouth, and ears. There are fountains of running water outside of every mosque around the world. After the prayer is over, the Muslim looks to the left and the right as a symbolic greeting of the Umma, the world community of Muslims. Ramadan or fasting is another ritual of Islamic life. It annually commemorates and celebrates the revelation of the Quaran by God to Mohammed. At the end of Ramadan there is a three to four day feast called the Feast of the Breaking of the Fast. Another very important ritual is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Many Muslims consider this pilgrimage as the most important aspect of their life and belief system. It is the final religious duty that each Muslim is asked to perform. The focus of the pilgrimage is the Ka'ba, which is a cube shaped House of God. In this house

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ramadan Hajj, Christianity Islam's, Gabriel Muhammad, Wayne Oates, Rituals Islamic, Islam Quran, Venus Star, Hebrew Christian, House God, Spite Islam, mystical experiences, sunnis shiites sufis, pilgrimage mecca, help needy, city mecca, angel gabriel, muslims believe, pillars islam, christian bible, venus star, house god, five pillars islam,
Approximate Word count = 1541
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)