There is only one God (Allah) who is the true God and Islam is the submission to Allah’s will. Allah created the world. Angels are the messengers of Allah, they are sinless beings created out of light. Of the four archangels Gabriel was the medium used to reveal Allah’s words to Muhammad. The devil is called Shaitan or Iblis and is a fallen angel. Other beings are called jinn and they can be either good or bad and they inhabit the human world.

The main place of worship for Muslims is the Mosque (from an Arabic word meaning ‘place of prostration’). Prayers are undertaken five times a day and the person praying must always be facing towards Makkah. The times the prayers should be undertaken are:

Fajr – at dawn Zuhr – at midday Asr – late afternoon

Maghrib – after sunset Isha – later in the evening

ORGANIZATION

Islam is divided up into three sects:

SUNNIS:
The majority of Muslims (around 90%) belong to this moderate sect. The word sunni refers to the practice of Muhammad. They look to Muhammad’s example if situations arise which are not able to be clarified within the Qur’an.

SHIITES:
They are a more fundamental group than the Sunnis. They rejected the first three caliphs (successors to Muhammad) and followed Ali who married the prophet’s daughter and was the first leader of this party. After Ali there were 12 Imams whom they followed. The last Imam disappeared in 940 and will return at the end of the world. They claim that they are the true followers of Islam. The Shi’a faith is the state religion in Iran.

SUFIS:
They are the mystic sect of Islam. They seek a personal relationship with Allah and do not believe in a rigid interpretation of the Qur’an.