|
 One of three world religions: Christianity and Buddhism.
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity in quantity of its adherents. The majority of populations in 48 countries are Muslims. In most of this countries Islam is a state religion. More than 1 billion people of the world are Muslims and they live almost in all countries. In Arabic states, 90% of population is Muslims and 10% belong to representatives of other religions.
Practically, each religion in the world descends from name of its founder, from community or nation it came from. For example, Christianity comes from the name of its prophet Jesus Christos, Buddhism from the name of its creator Buddha and etc. As an exception is origin of Islam. It is known that Islam was created on Arabian Peninsula in VII century and its Prophet’s name was Muhammad.
Muhammad was a person who laid the foundation for formation of this religion.
Muhammad appeared for public as a prophet in Mecca in 610. In Islam’s history this date became a celebration of the birth of religion. His speeches didn’t bring him success at first time, but he found few adherents of a new religion. Authorities had an antagonistic attitude towards both propagation and founder of a new religion’s history. After death of a rich wife, Muhammad’s presence in Mecca became dangerous and he had to return to Medina in 622. On 15 of July 622, the time read in accordance with Muslims’ calendar began the khidjra- migration. Muhammad with a group of his followers left Mecca and moved to Yasrib (Medina). Local stems of auses and khazradjs composed a main group of prophet. It was good choice as Medina was a rival of Mecca in different issues, in trade first of all. New religion found a support, and a way for a new religion was opened.
At the end of Muhammad’s life on the Arabian Peninsula established an Islamic state- Caliphate. Islam divided into three branches after death of prophet in 632. The Shi'as recognized Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali as the only successor pf prophet. The Shi'as established the worship of Imam, religious teacher from Ali’s home, which is infallible in belief’s issues and had a sacramental knowledge. “People of traditions”, the Sunni, who take in to consideration opinion of religious authority, defended rights of Kureish’s tribes. The Kharijites believed that every member of Umma can be its leader.
In 30-s of the VII century, Caliphate defeated the Byzantine Empire and Iran. In 639 began the campaign against Egypt, which finished with victory. When the Omeyads captured the state power, political center moved in Damask. Islam expanded in the Middle East, Central and South-Eastern Asia and Africa. Arabs passed the Gibraltar and occupied the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and Sicily in the beginning of XI century. But Caliphate could not hold such a big territory. Northern Africa, Spain, Iran and India separated by the X century. Arabs were ousted from Spain in the end of XV century.
The contact of Arabic culture with Syrian, antique, Persian and Indian caused the explosion of Muslim poetry, philosophy of theology and law. As a flash of religious culture t is a Muslim ascetical school – Sufism, showed up in IX-XII centuries.
What is Islam? The Arabic term means “trust your self to Allah’s will”, i.e. total orderliness to Allah’s will. Islam prescribes daily blessing, observance of Lent, poor-due (zakat) and pilgrimage (hadj). Islam’s attributes are belief in judgment day, heaven and hell, dogma of predestination.
The main information source of Islam is Koran- historical document, composed by the nearest Mohammed’s adepts after prophet’s death. The Islam’s religious literature that was created at succeeding period is divided into biography books devoted to Mohammed and Hadiths- legends about real events and life periods of Mohammed.
Main dogmas of Islam are worshipping one and awesome God – Allah and veneration of Mohammed as an Allah’s prophet.
Six books of Haditsh were collected in a Sunnah- Islam’s holly scripture, and it is a practically used source.
The activity of Muslim communities in Central Asia is managed by the Muslim’s Religious Administration in Tashkent. |
