Islam is a one of the world’s three main Abrahamic Religions (monotheistic religions that believe in only one God and can each trace their origins back to the figure of Abraham), the other two being Judaism and Christianity. Islam is articulated primarily through the Qur’an, a holy book considered by Muslims (adherents of Islam) to be the literal word of Allah (God).

Muslims believe the meaning of human life is to worship God and that Islam is the complete and final version of a faith that was revealed to man earlier – through religious prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus – but that these earlier messages from God (expressed in religious works such as the Jewish Torah and Christian Gospels) had become misinterpreted or had their message altered by human error over time.

For example, although Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet of God (he’s known as Isa in Islam) and, like Christians, believe in a Judgment Day when all humans will be resurrected and judged by God, Muslims believe that Christianity as a religion (particularly the later belief that Jesus was the physical manifestation of God) is a blasphemous heresy. Muslims believe Muhammad was God’s final prophet sent to deliver the last word of truth to Earth.

The Qur’an: Muslims believe the Qur’an holy book represents the direct word of God as revealed to Muhammad via the messenger angel Gabriel in the 7th Century. Muhammad recited these revelations which were written down by his followers. After Muhammad’s death, the writings were compiled during the time of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph (Islamic ruler), and standardised during the time of Uthman, the third Caliph, into the book that became known as the Qur’an.

The Hadith: The Qur’an itself is mainly concerned with moral guidance. For practical guidance and legal instruction, Muslim scholars refer to the Hadith, the traditional written record of Muhammad’s life, words and actions, as a supplement to – and an aid to interpreting – the Qur’an.

The Five Pillars of Islam: Five basic concepts and obligatory acts essential to being a Muslim: 1) a declaration of faith in God and Muhammad as his messenger; 2) obligatory prayer five times a day; 3) the giving of a portion of your wealth to the poor and needy; 4) fasting during the holy month of Ramadan; and 5) making the hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once.

Sharia Law: Adherence to Islamic law (Sharia Law) is essential. Sharia touches on almost every aspect of life and society, setting out duties and guidance to Muslims on every topic from banking to welfare, from family life to foreign relations and the environment. Sharia Law is determined by traditional Islamic scholars (jurists) and its interpretation can change over time (for example, regarding the representation of humans in art), although some aspects remain constant (for example, pork and alcohol being forbidden, meat only being allowed to be eaten when it has been ritualistically slaughtered, known as ‘halal’). Seen by some as controversial in the modern world, Sharia Law does not distinguish between ‘matters of faith’ and ‘matters of state’ – they are one and the same. The Muslim world has responded to western secular ideals which might conflict with Sharia in different ways – for example, while Turkey has been governed as a secular state since the 1920s, Iran replaced a secular state with an Islamic state in the 1970s. A number of Muslim countries operate fully under Sharia Law. Under what structure Muslim countries are governed will be one of the key questions for Muslim states to ask themselves over coming years.

Jihad: Some Muslims see Jihad, which means struggle (either the individual struggle to be a better Muslim, or the wider struggle against non-Muslims) as the unofficial ‘sixth’ Pillar of Islam. The vagueness of the ‘jihad’ term – and the reluctance of many Muslims to more clearly define it – has led to a great deal of criticism towards Islam, particularly when more extreme elements of the faith use terms like ‘global jihad’ and ‘jihadism’. When defined as a ‘holy war’, violent jihad can be justified under Sharia Law. Jihad can be declared against anyone from terrorists to criminal groups to leaders of entire states who are seen to be oppressing Muslims. There have been many military jihads over the centuries and this willingness to declare war and fight can – and has – led to an outside perception of Islam as a violent, volatile religion. Muslims would counter that military jihad is only ever used to protect the Muslim community.

So…..will Muslims and non-Muslims ever be able to peacefully co-exist? That’s the Big Question for these troubled times, and an absolutely key question for any World Peace Adventurers to try to find an answer to. It’s not going to be easy, particularly when so much misunderstanding abounds. Let’s go back to the beginning to try to understand the faith.

The History of Islam: In the early 7th Century (610 in western chronology) at the age of 40, the Prophet Muhammad began to receive revelations he believed were from God. Muhammad recited these revelations which were written down by his companions in what would become known as the Qur’an. Muhammad preached to the people of Mecca (in modern Saudi Arabia) and urged those people to abandon the practice of polytheism (worshipping more than one God). He and his followers were persecuted for this and fled to Medina in 622 – an emigration known as the Hijra and regarded as ‘Year One’ in the Muslim calendar. Muhammad solidified his support in Medina, gathered more followers from the surrounding desert tribes, then returned to lay siege to Mecca, conquering the city in 629 and uniting the various Arab tribes of the region into a single religious state.

When Muhammad died in 632, there was immediate disagreement over who should succeed him as the leader of this new united Muslim community. Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s companion and close friend, became the first Caliph (head of state), leading battles against Byzantine and compiling Muhammad’s writings into one book. Abu Bakr died just two years later and was succeeded as Caliph over the following years by Umar, then Uthman, then Ali (a family member of Muhammad’s household and the very first convert to the new religion of Islam).

During the time of these very first rulers – referred to retrospectively as the Rashidun Caliphate – Muslim territory expanded deep into Persian and Byzantine territories. Ali had been controversially elected Caliph by those said to be responsible for Uthman’s assassination, causing deep divisions over the religious and political leadership of the Islamic ummah (community), divisions which remain to this day. While the majority of Muslims (who became known as Sunni) recognised the legitimacy of all Caliphs prior to Ali, a minority (who became known as Shia) recognised only Ali as the rightful successor to Muhammad. The fledgling Muslim community tipped into the first Fitna (Islamic civil war). Ali was assassinated in 661, after which Muawiyah (a kinsman of Uthman) seized power and established the Umayyad Caliphate based out of Damascus in modern Syria. Muawiyah died in 680 and his son Yazid became Caliph, leading to the second Islamic Civil War in which Yazid’s soldiers killed Ali’s son – an event often seen as signifying the defining breaking point between Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims.

The Umayyad Caliphate lasted until the mid-8th Century when the descendants of Muhammad’s uncle rose up against the Umayyads, forming the Abassid Caliphate and moving the centre of Islamic power from Damascus to Baghdad in modern Iraq. Islamic influence spread and its culture flourished under the Abassids during a long period that later became known as the Islamic Golden Age. Philosophy, science and literature sat hand in hand with theological discourse.

The Abbasids expanded Islamic rule from the Middle East well into Africa, Asia and Europe, lasting 500 years from the mid-8th to the mid-13th Century until defeat at the hands of the Mongol Empire in 1258 fractured the Muslim ummah into numerous smaller power bases. The title of Caliph became largely symbolic in later centuries and was often disputed. Most notable of these regional powers became the Ottoman Empire from its base in modern Turkey but that ended – and the Caliphate with it – after World War 1 in the early 20th Century.

Modern Islam takes on many forms, with Muslim communities existing in both large and small numbers around the entire world. Liberal Islam has many adherents in the west and has attempted to reconcile religious tradition with, for example, modern norms of secular governance, human rights and women’s rights. So-called Islamist groups, by contrast, have garnered increasing support in the Middle East and beyond, advocating Islam as a comprehensive political and legal as well as religious solution, often calling for the re-establishment of a regional Caliphate.

Followers of Islam are predominantly based in the Middle East, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Indonesia, with sizable minorities also found in Europe, China, Russia, and the Americas. Most Muslims remain one of two primary denominations: Sunni (75%–90%) or Shia (10%–20%), with the two groups having fundamental differences. There are various sub-strands within these denominations: Salafis, for example, are a conservative offshoot of Sunni that place supreme importance on the first generation of Muslims. Sufis by contrast take a more mystical, spiritual, personal interpretation, looking to achieve a direct experience of God.

With approximately 1.8 billion followers, 26% of Earth’s population are now Muslim, making Islam the second-largest (and, significantly, the fastest-growing) religion on the planet. Questions remain over whether Islam truly facilitates its followers to integrate into, and live side by side with, other cultures. Many have succeeded, but others have not. It is – and will continue to be – everyone on the planet’s responsibility, Muslim or not, religious or not, to find a coherent way for all Muslims and all non-Muslims to live together peacefully and respectfully in the 21st Century.

This is a huge topic, so let’s open up a few new branches of the adventure:

To learn more about the informed concerns non-Muslims and atheists can hold about this religion, jump to Chapter 59: Criticism of Islam – content to follow

To learn more about how misunderstanding the religion can often manifest into ignorant hostility and prejudice against Muslims, jump to Chapter 60: Islamaphobia – content to follow

To learn more about why such reverence is often attached to the historic Abassid era, jump to Chapter 61: Islamic Golden Age – content to follow

To learn more about the life of the Prophet Muhammad, jump to Chapter 62: Muhammad – content to follow

To learn more about the Qur’an holy book, jump to Chapter 63: Qur’an – content to follow

To learn more about the Islamic legal system, jump to Chapter 64: Sharia Law – content to follow

To learn more about the divisions and common ground between the two main branches of Islam, jump to Chapter 65: Shia-Sunni Relations – content to follow