Samir is a devout Muslim. Raised in Ardibal, Iran.
Islam is a religion founded and based on faith in one supreme God, Allah. Every follower of Islam believes in this central doctrine and in Prophet Muhammad being the last messenger of God. The Quran, the holy book of the religion is a compilation of all of God’s revelations to the Prophet. God revealed his message to the Prophet Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel, about the onenness of God, how to worship him, and the perfected way of life. Therefore the Quran is considered the unchanged word of God and the constitution and the guide for Muslims in this life.
Muslim Beliefs about Allah
The single most important belief in Islam, and arguably the central theme of the religion, is that there is only one God. The name of God is Allah, which is simply Arabic for "the (al) God (Ilah)."
Muslim Beliefs about the Prophets
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is revered as "the Seal of the Prophets" - the last and greatest of the messengers of God. He is not divine in any way, for the strict monotheism that characterizes Islam (as well as Judaism) does not allow for such an interpretation. Other prophets are important in Islam as well, all of which are shared with the Jews or the Christians.
Muslim Beliefs about Human Nature
According to the Quran, Allah "created man from a clot of blood" at the same time he created the jinn from fire. Humans are the greatest of all creatures, created with free will for the purpose of obeying and serving God.
Muslim Beliefs about Life and Salvation
For a Muslim, the object of life is to live in a way that is pleasing to Allah so that one may gain Paradise. It is believed that at puberty, an account of each person's deeds is opened, and this will be used at the Day of Judgment to determine his eternal fate.
Muslim Beliefs about the Afterlife
Like Christianity, Islam teaches the continued existence of the soul and a transformed physical existence after death. There will be a day of judgment and humanity will be divided between the eternal destinations of Paradise and Hell.
Six Articles of Faith
There is no official creed to which one must adhere to be considered a Muslim. All that is required is to believe and recite the Shahada: "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet." Beyond this core belief, however, Muslim doctrine is often summarized in "Six Articles of Faith." Many Muslims believe that one must adhere to the six articles to be considered a Muslim.
Muslim Views of Other Religions
The Quran is clear that there must be "no compulsion in religion" (2:256). Yet Islam is not indifferent to conversion either - Muslims consider their religion to the be the one true religion, and invite people of all races, nationalities and religions to be part of it.
The five pillars are as follows (with a little help from Wikipedia!):
1) Shahadah (Creed) - This is the profession all Muslims make, that Allah (swt) is their only god and the Prophet (pbuh) is his Messenger. This creed is made during each daily prayer, and it's the oath converts recite upon becoming a Muslim.
2) Salah (daily prayers) - all Muslims are required to pray five times a day. These prayers are Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha (each prayed at certain intervals during that day).
3) Zakat (charity). All Muslims are required to give 5% of their earnings to charity a year, though they may give more if they wish.
4) Sawm (fasting during Ramadan) - with the exception of pregnant, sick, young, and traveling Muslims, all are required to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Once a boy turns 7, and a girl reaches puberty (technically it's 12, but it can be earlier/later), they must fast for the month.
* If you forget to fast, you must make it up later - this can be done either by making up the fast yourself later in the year OR by paying for a poor person's meal for that day.
5) Hajj - if a Muslim can afford it, he or she must make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in his or her lifetime.
Islam is a religion founded and based on faith in one supreme God, Allah. Every follower of Islam believes in this central doctrine and in Prophet Muhammad being the last messenger of God. The Quran, the holy book of the religion is a compilation of all of God’s revelations to the Prophet. God revealed his message to the Prophet Muhammad through the archangel Gabriel, about the onenness of God, how to worship him, and the perfected way of life. Therefore the Quran is considered the unchanged word of God and the constitution and the guide for Muslims in this life.
Muslim Beliefs about Allah
The single most important belief in Islam, and arguably the central theme of the religion, is that there is only one God. The name of God is Allah, which is simply Arabic for "the (al) God (Ilah)."
Muslim Beliefs about the Prophets
Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is revered as "the Seal of the Prophets" - the last and greatest of the messengers of God. He is not divine in any way, for the strict monotheism that characterizes Islam (as well as Judaism) does not allow for such an interpretation. Other prophets are important in Islam as well, all of which are shared with the Jews or the Christians.
Muslim Beliefs about Human Nature
According to the Quran, Allah "created man from a clot of blood" at the same time he created the jinn from fire. Humans are the greatest of all creatures, created with free will for the purpose of obeying and serving God.
Muslim Beliefs about Life and Salvation
For a Muslim, the object of life is to live in a way that is pleasing to Allah so that one may gain Paradise. It is believed that at puberty, an account of each person's deeds is opened, and this will be used at the Day of Judgment to determine his eternal fate.
Muslim Beliefs about the Afterlife
Like Christianity, Islam teaches the continued existence of the soul and a transformed physical existence after death. There will be a day of judgment and humanity will be divided between the eternal destinations of Paradise and Hell.
Six Articles of Faith
There is no official creed to which one must adhere to be considered a Muslim. All that is required is to believe and recite the Shahada: "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet." Beyond this core belief, however, Muslim doctrine is often summarized in "Six Articles of Faith." Many Muslims believe that one must adhere to the six articles to be considered a Muslim.
Muslim Views of Other Religions
The Quran is clear that there must be "no compulsion in religion" (2:256). Yet Islam is not indifferent to conversion either - Muslims consider their religion to the be the one true religion, and invite people of all races, nationalities and religions to be part of it.
The five pillars are as follows (with a little help from Wikipedia!):
1) Shahadah (Creed) - This is the profession all Muslims make, that Allah (swt) is their only god and the Prophet (pbuh) is his Messenger. This creed is made during each daily prayer, and it's the oath converts recite upon becoming a Muslim.
2) Salah (daily prayers) - all Muslims are required to pray five times a day. These prayers are Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha (each prayed at certain intervals during that day).
3) Zakat (charity). All Muslims are required to give 5% of their earnings to charity a year, though they may give more if they wish.
4) Sawm (fasting during Ramadan) - with the exception of pregnant, sick, young, and traveling Muslims, all are required to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Once a boy turns 7, and a girl reaches puberty (technically it's 12, but it can be earlier/later), they must fast for the month.
* If you forget to fast, you must make it up later - this can be done either by making up the fast yourself later in the year OR by paying for a poor person's meal for that day.
5) Hajj - if a Muslim can afford it, he or she must make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in his or her lifetime.