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Newsela - An Introduction to Muhammad and the Faith of Islam

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Islam, founded by Muhammad, is the youngest of the three main world religions.

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Newsela | Prejudice and progress: Women with hijabs talk what it's like to wear them

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Women who wear the hijab share their different reasons for wearing the headscarf.

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Muhammad was born in Mecca. The Prophet Muhammad became the messenger of Allah after his first experience of revelation in the year 610. Muhammad had escaped to the mountains near Mecca during the month of Ramadan and was meditating in a cave when the Angel Jibril appeared to him. Muhammad was aged forty at the time and could not read, but three times Jibril ordered him to ' '. The angel said:

Proclaim! In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, who created - created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. Proclaim! And thy Lord Is Most Bountiful! He who taught (the use of) the pen taught man that which he knew not.

Muslims believe Allah chose Muhammad to be his prophet because he was a fair and wise man and because he was concerned for the people.

Allah continued to reveal his word to the prophet for the next 23 years. The revealed teachings were written down by the Prophet Muhammad's close friends and followers. The popular view amongst Muslims is that the final words of Allah to Muhammad were: This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.

Importance

Muhammad is the last prophet sent by God and is referred to as the . This means the Qur'an is the final revelation sent by God.

Because the Prophet Muhammad is of such importance to them, Muslims try to live in the ways of the prophet, and the and are important sources of authority for Muslims to guide their lives.

Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad has been chosen by Allah to give a universal message to all humanity. The message is that Allah is one and he is the God of all. God is to be worshipped by all. God is the final judge.

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Teachings on Muhammad - Prophethood - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - WJEC - BBC Bitesize

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Muhammad was born in Mecca. The Prophet Muhammad became the messenger of Allah after his first experience of revelation in the year 610. Muhammad had escaped to the mountains near Mecca during the month of Ramadan and was meditating in a cave when the Angel Jibril appeared to him.

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What is Ramadan? The Islamic Holy Month - Behind the News

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Life after death - Key beliefs in Islam - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - AQA - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about and revise key Islamic beliefs with BBC Bitesize GCSE Religious Studies - AQA.

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EID MUBARAK | Truth and Reason of Eid al-Fitr

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is the second of the . It is the belief that Muslims should pray five times each day. Prayer is important as it allows Muslims to communicate with Allah, listen to Allah and follow in the footsteps of the prophets.

Prayer is performed five times each day because of what the Qur'an says about prayer: Establish prayer at the decline of the sun [from its meridian] until the darkness of the night and [also] the Qur'an of dawn. Indeed, the recitation of dawn is ever witnessed. .

There are five key things that Muslims must do when they come into contact with Allah through salah. These are:

When a Muslim prays, the intention (niyyah) behind the prayer must be right, otherwise Allah will know and the prayer will be meaningless. Although Muslims are expected to pray five times each day, they are allowed to perform more prayers. For example, they might say extra prayers asking for forgiveness.

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Salah - Ways of Muslim living - Edexcel - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Edexcel - BBC Bitesize

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is the second of the . It is the belief that Muslims should pray five times each day. Prayer is important as it allows Muslims to communicate with Allah, listen to Allah and follow in the footsteps of the prophets.

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Why do Muslims believe in the afterlife?_BBC

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Why do Muslims believe in the afterlife?_BBC

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Islam teaches that there is life after death, and this is known as . In Islam, it is who decides when a person dies and most Muslims believe that when they die, they will stay in their graves until , the . On that day, they will be raised from their graves and brought before Allah and judged on how they lived their earthly lives. This belief is known as the resurrection of the body.

Those who have performed more good deeds than bad will enter , or . Jannah is a place described as a 'garden of everlasting bliss' and a 'home of peace'. In Jannah there will be no sickness, pain or sadness.

Those who have performed more bad deeds than good will enter or Hell. This is a place of physical and spiritual suffering.

Muslims believe that Allah is forgiving, merciful and compassionate, so not all bad actions will be punished. Allah will forgive those who have repented for their sins and those who have done some good in their lives, for example showing kindness to others.

There are, however, some sins that many Muslims believe to be unforgivable. These include the sin of .

Why do Muslims believe in life after death?

Muslims believe that Allah is in charge of their lives and decides how long they will live. The Qur'an says:

Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave. The term being fixed as by writing.

People's deeds will be taken into account on the Day of Judgement. The Qur'an states that the good will receive reward, while the bad will receive punishment:

Of the good that they do nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right. Those who reject faith - neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught against Allah: they will be companions of the fire, dwelling therein forever. Qur'an 3:115-3:116

Belief in life after death is central to the meaning and purpose of most Muslims' lives. Many Muslims believe that they are on this earth for a relatively short time and during this time they are preparing themselves for life after death. They view this life as a test and try to do as many good deeds as they can. In order to get to Jannah, they must also fulfil their Islamic obligations.

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What does Islam teach about life after death? - Life after death - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - BBC Bitesize

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Islam teaches that there is life after death, and this is known as . In Islam, it is who decides when a person dies and most Muslims believe that when they die, they will stay in their graves until , the .

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Why Muslims Fast during Ramadan & What it represents

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Why Muslims Fast during Ramadan & What it represents

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Ramadan 2021 is now well underway, having begun in the evening of Tuesday, April 13 and lasting until Wednesday May 12.

The month-long festival falls in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is marked by Muslims worldwide by fasting during the day.

It is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and commemorates Muhammad's first revelation.

But just why do Muslims fast throughout the month - and what does it represent? Here's what you need to know...

Why do Muslims fast for Ramadan? What does it represent?

Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and self-improvement for Muslims - who will refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours in order to focus more on their faith and avoid being distracted by worldly activities.

As well as food and drink (not even water is allowed), Muslims will also refrain from a number of other activities such as smoking, chewing gum and sexual activity.

The fast is also meant to remind Muslims of their dependence on Allah for sustenance, as well as to give them compassion and empathy for those who are less fortunate than them.

It is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam, along with Profession of Faith, Prayer, giving to charity and making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Muslims who are able to fast start their day during Ramadan with a pre-dawn meal known as Suhur, and break their fast at sunset with a meal known as Iftar.

Who is exempt from fasting?

Those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or bleeding after childbirth, or who are menstruating, are exempt from fasting - although they should make up the days they missed later on.w

Those who are ill or travelling are also exempt - if they are unable to make up the days (due to permanent sickness, for example) they can pay fidyah, which is similar to kaffarah in that it helps pay for food for the needy, but also can be done on a daily basis rather than a full 60 days.

Children under a certain age do not have to fast either - although no set age is given for when they should begin fasting, they are normally expected to do so around the time they reach puberty.

MORE : Can you get the Covid vaccine during Ramadan?

MORE : Chef Asma Khan's top tips to stay fuller for longer during Ramadan
Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Share your views in the comments below.

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Why do Muslims fast for Ramadan and what does it represent?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ramadan 2021 is now well underway, having begun in the evening of Tuesday, April 13 and lasting until Wednesday May 12. The month-long festival falls in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is marked by Muslims worldwide by fasting during the day.

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Akhirah - Muslim beliefs - Edexcel - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Edexcel - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about and revise Muslim beliefs with BBC Bitesize GCSE Religious Studies - Edexcel.

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What does my headscarf mean to you? Bias and the hijab

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What does my headscarf mean to you? Bias and the hijab

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What does my headscarf mean to you? | Yassmin Abdel-Magied

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Newsela | What is Eid and how do Muslims celebrate it? Six questions answered

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Muslims throughout the world will celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, a celebration at the end of Ramadan. Here's an introduction to this important feast and its partner, Eid al-Adha.

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Newsela | Who is Allah? Understanding God in Islam

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Jews call Him Yahweh, Christians call Him God and Muslims call Him Allah.

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Newsela | Issue Overview: Sunni-Shiite divide

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Muhammad is so respected that it is usual for Muslims to say 'peace be upon him' whenever they mention his name.

Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be the last prophet sent by God (Allah). They believe God sent prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His law.

Jesus (Isa), Moses (Musa) and Abraham (Ibrahim) are other respected prophets.

Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are an important part of Muslim life. They are five things that a Muslim must do so they can live a good and responsible life. They include:

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Learn what Islam is and discover its religious teachings with this KS2 religious studies guide.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Muhammad is so respected that it is usual for Muslims to say 'peace be upon him' whenever they mention his name.

Muhammad is believed by Muslims to be the last prophet sent by God (Allah). They believe God sent prophets to mankind to teach them how to live according to His law.

Jesus (Isa), Moses (Musa) and Abraham (Ibrahim) are other respected prophets.

Five Pillars of Islam

The Five Pillars of Islam are an important part of Muslim life. They are five things that a Muslim must do so they can live a good and responsible life. They include:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn what Islam is and discover its religious teachings with this KS2 religious studies guide.

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Nature of God - Key beliefs in Islam - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Eduqas - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about and revise Islam key beliefs with BBC Bitesize Religious Studies - Eduqas.

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Sawm - Practices - Eduqas - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Eduqas - BBC Bitesize

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Learn about and revise Islamic practices with BBC Bitesize GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas.

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Characteristics of prayer - Practices - Eduqas - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Eduqas - BBC Bitesize

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about and revise Islamic practices with BBC Bitesize GCSE Religious Studies - Eduqas.