Islam
| Islam | |
|---|---|
| الإسلام al-Islām | |
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| Classification | Abrahamic |
| Scripture | |
| Theology | Monotheistic |
| Region | Worldwide |
| Language | Quranic Arabic |
| Territory | Islamic world |
| Founder | Muhammad |
| Origin | c. 610 CE Jabal al-Nour |
| Separations | |
| Number of followers | est. 2 billion  (individually referred to as Muslims, collectively referred to as the Ummah) |
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Islam is an Abrahamic religion based on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad. The monotheistic religion has an estimated 2 billion worldwide adherents, called Muslims. Islam is the world's second-largest religion, after Christianity. Muslims believe that a primordial faith was revealed many times through earlier prophets and messengers, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and that Islam is the universal and complete form of this faith.
Muslims consider the Quran to be the verbatim word of God and the unaltered, final revelation. Alongside the Quran, Muslims also believe in previous revelations, such as the Tawrat (Torah), the Zabur (Psalms), and the Injil (Gospel). They believe that Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets and final prophet of God, through whom the religion was completed, and after whom no new prophet or divine law will come. The teachings and normative examples of Muhammad, called the Sunnah, documented in accounts called Hadith, provide a constitutional model for Muslims. Islam is based on the oneness and uniqueness of God (tawhid), and belief in the afterlife (akhirah) with the Last Judgment—wherein the righteous will be rewarded in paradise (jannah) and the unrighteous will be punished in hell (jahannam). The Five Pillars, considered obligatory acts of worship, are the profession of faith (shahada), daily prayers (salah), almsgiving (zakat), fasting in the month of Ramadan (sawm), and a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). Islamic law (sharia) touches on virtually every aspect of life, from banking and finance and welfare to men's roles and women's roles and the environment. The two main religious festivals are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The three holiest sites are Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, and Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound in Jerusalem.
Islam originated in Mecca c. 610 CE, when Muslims believe that Muhammad received his first revelation. By the time of his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. Islam rapidly expanded beyond Arabia under the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates. The two Islamic branches are Sunni Islam (87–90%) and Shia Islam (10–13%). Sunni and Shia Muslims together constitute nearly the entire global Muslim population, with estimates ranging from approximately 1.7–1.8 billion Sunnis to 285–300 million Shias worldwide. The Shia–Sunni schism initially arose from disagreements over the succession to Muhammad, and grew to encompass broader differences over the centuries, including distinct theological traditions, schools of jurisprudence, religious practices, and collections of hadith. Nevertheless, both branches share the fundamental foundations of Islam. The Sunni canonical hadith collection consists of The Six Books, while the Shia canonical hadith collection consists of The Four Books. Muslims are the world's fastest-growing major religious group, primarily due to a higher fertility rate and younger age structure compared to other major religions. Islam is projected to be the world's largest religion by the end of the 21st century, surpassing Christianity.