REBECCA: What are you drawing, Jalal?
JALAL: A Masjid.
REBECCA: A what?
JALAL: My family is Muslim, which means we follow the religion of Islam. Masjid is the Arabic word for mosque.
REBECCA: Oh. That’s your religious building?
JALAL: Yeah. We read The Qur’an and pray there. Prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam: the things many Muslims do to lead a good life. We try to pray five times a day so we do it at home, and at school… and we pray in the Mosque when we can. We do a ritual washing first. Then we kneel facing Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia, and recite the prayer together with certain movements.
REBECCA: Who do you pray to?
JALAL: Muslims believe in one God called Allah. It’s important to do Allah’s will, and we must be able to recite the Shahadah: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.”
REBECCA: Who’s that?
JALAL: We believe Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was Allah’s last prophet.
REBECCA: What did he do?
JALAL: Allah sent the Angel Jibril to share the Islamic teaching with him. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, memorised every word and now they are written down in the Qur’an. That’s our holiest book.
REBECCA: Wow. That’s really interesting, and your mosque drawing is great!
JALAL: Thanks!
The word 'Islam' in Arabic means submission to the will of God.
Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe there is one true God Allah (the Arabic word for God).
What do Muslims believe?
Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1,400 years ago in Mekkah, Arabia through a man called Muhammad.
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:
- The declaration of faith (Shahada)
- Praying five times a day (Salat)
- Giving money to charity (Zakah)
- Fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm)
- A pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in a lifetime (Hajj)
What is the holy book of Islam
The Muslim holy book is called the Qur'an. Muslims believe this to be the word of Allah as dictated to Muhammad.
They also have the Sunnah, which Muslims believe to be the practical example of Prophet Muhammad.
Where do Muslims worship?
Muslims worship in a building called a mosque. On Friday at noon, the most important of the weekly services is held.
When Muslims pray, they must always face Makkah in Saudi Arabia. Many Muslim men will wear a small cap called a taqiyah when they pray.
Islam in pictures
Image caption, Mosque
Mosques are places of worship for Muslims all over the world. Mosques usually have rules like leaving shoes outside and dressing modestly.
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Resources for teachers
Looking for more teaching resources? This short video of eleven-year-old Sara gives an introduction to Islam by describing the Five Pillars of Islam, the main rules Muslims try to live by.
BBC Bitesize for Teachers has thousands of free, curriculum-linked resources to help deliver lessons - all arranged by subject and age group.
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