2. Fast Facts
• Founded in Arabian Peninsula, 622CE
• Only one God, called Allah
• Islam means ‘submission’ & ‘Obedience’
• Followers of Islam: Muslims
• Second largest religion in the world
• Main region: Middle East & North Africa
• Symbol: crescent moon & star
3. Prophet Muhammad
• Often regarded as the founder of Islam
• Born in A.D. 570 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
• Last prophet to be sent by Allah
4. The Holy Qur’an
• Written in Arabic
• Muslims believe it is ‘the word of
God’
• Muslim beliefs & practices are
rooted in Qur’an
• Same prophets from the
Bible, including Jesus
• Placed on a special wooden stand
to be read
5. Mosque
• A building for Muslims to
worship God
• Often have domed roof &
minarets
• No pictures or statues in a
mosque
• Decorated with patterns &
words from the Qur’an
• ‘Qibla wall’ facing Mecca, to
give Muslims direction to pray
6. Prayer
• Perform ‘wudu’ (sacred wash) before prayer
• Pray 5 times a day
• Fajr
• Dhuhr
• Asr
• Maghrib
• Isha
• Men & women pray in different places
• Face in the direction of Mecca while praying
8. Five Pillars of Islam
• Shahadah: declaration of faith
• Salah: prayer
• Zakat: giving a fixed proportion to charity
• Saum: fasting during the month of Ramadan
• Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca
9. Mecca
• Kaaba: cube-shaped
building found in the center
of the Grand Mosque
• Holiest place on earth for
Muslims
• Built by Prophet Abraham
• Birth place of Prophet
Muhammad
10. Ramadan
• One of the major festival
• Ninth month of the Islamic calendar
• Fast during the hours of daylight, not
eating and drinking
• Continues for 1 month
• Muslims wake up early before Fajr
and have a light meal
• Fast-breaking meal: iftar
11. Clothing
• Women wear ‘abaya’ or ‘hijab’
• Keep themselves save from
males, especially adults
• Men usually wear ‘taqiyah’
Cover of Qur’an usually decorated with geometry patterns & calligraphy
Women should cover their heads & bodies with clothes when performing prayerMuslims are called to prayer from the mosques, when it’s time to pray, the muezzins (the men who speak from the minarets) of each mosque would start sing
Kaaba is covered by a black cloth & decorated by gold and silver words from Qur’anIf it is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in their lifetime (one of the Five Pillars of Islam – Hajj)The largest regularly occurring pilgrimage in the worldAbout 2.3 people attend the pilgrimage each year
Muslims believe that heaven’s door is open during Ramadan, and hell’s door is closed, so the devils are kept in hellMuslims donate money to the poor in Ramadan, and mosques provide free meal every nightOld people, kids, pregnant women & women during menstrual period do not need to fast, however, women have to make up for the days they miss after menstrual period finishes
Women are forced to wear ‘abaya’ in countries like Saudi Arabia, but more independent countries do not force women to cover themselvesMen wear ‘taqiyah’ when performing prayer or reading Qur’an
