Ten Interesting Facts About Islam

Religion does not really portray how a man would be, but it certainly portrays how a man should be. Following a religion makes the person more focussed and guided. It saves the world from chaos. Most religions have their own belief structure. Most people, within the boundary of a particular religion, have their own principles and deities.

Hinduism has the largest number of followers as well as the largest number of deities. Christianity believes in just one God, who is the most kind and loves all equally. Buddhism, the religion being widely accepted, was created by the beautiful principles and teachings of Gautam Buddha. When you talk of Islam, you should know that it is the second largest and one of the most appreciated religions of today’s time and age, and is hugely followed in many countries. It is one of the most sacred religions that are based on principles like truth, peace and beauty.

There are many out there who are misguided about the religion. Many out there who are unaware of the basic facts posed by this religion!

Here are a few facts of this religion that you should know and be aware of. These are the guiding principles that this religion is based on.

Peace Loving Religion
Islam does not portray or wish for violence. Islam itself means peace through complete submission to God. The basis of this religion is peace and harmony. This is one fact that most people are unaware of. Islam teaches equality and affection at the core of the religion. There is an incident in the Islamic history in which a prophet was brutally hit by a tribe, but the prophet let them go, instead of taking a revenge.

Daughters Are A Blessing
Another popular belief is that Islam degrades and disapproves of daughters. On the contrary, Islam considers daughters to be a blessing. It gives out complete freedom and the right of equality to their daughters. The daughters in a family receive more love and attention than the sons of that family. Even in the holy Quran, daughters are quoted before the sons, to shower respect and dignity on them.

Jihad, No Mass Killing
In the modern times, many people feel, or have portrayed that Jihad means holy war which leads to mass killing. This is not really true. The fact is that Jihad has been misunderstood tremendously in the modern times. It is more like a personal war; an inner struggle that most people go through when trying to submit themselves completely to the will of the Lord. It is also used during war time, when defending the self or their fellow muslims.

Five Pillars Of Islam
This religion is based out of five principles, known as the five pillars of Islam. The three compulsory ones are Tawheed, Salat and Ramadan. Tawheed is to accept Allah as the one and prophet is the messenger, Salat is to offer prayers five times in a day and Ramadan is to fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Apart from these, there are two others which are situational. Hajj should be fulfilled at least once and paying zakat is the other pillar which should be done as per the situation and financial state.

Allah Is Not The God Of Muslims
This is a common belief that Allah happens to be the God of Muslims. Al-ilaah is the origin of the word Alah where ilaah means deity or God. So Allah means The God. This means there is no deity that they pray to, who should have a name.

Women Can Refuse Marriage
It is a notion that women have no rights in Islam. The fact is Islam gives complete freedom to their women to choose their life partners and to refuse marriage if she does not want to have him as her husband.

Burqa Not Compulsory
Most people believe that Islam makes burqa compulsory. What the holy Quran says is that women should cover their whole body, and should not wear clothes that are tight fitting. They should cover their heads and faces to avoid dirty stares from men. There is no compulsion on burqa in the Quran.

The Truth Of Marriage
Islam allows four marriages for men, but there is a small hitch here. In case the first wife is alive, the man cannot get married till the wife approves of it. In case of a divorce, the man will need to take care of his wife financially.

Islam Relates To Science
Quran has a deep sense of Science. Things written in the religious texts some 1400 years back are actually happening today. There is a certain sync that this holy book has with science.

Hajj
This is the annual pilgrimage for Muslims. Around thousands of muslims gather in Mecca to perform Hajj, each year. Muslims don’t worship Kaba the stone structure covered with black cloth. Kaba symbolises unity and uniformity. It is just a symbolic monument, and not a deity to worship.