10 Characteristics Of Islam, Its Pillars And Basic Principles

We explain what Islamism is and what are the pillars of faith on which this religion is based. In addition, its characteristics, ceremonies and more.

What is Islamism?

Islamism, also known as fundamentalism or fundamentalism, is a diverse and heterogeneous movement with political but also religious characteristics . It has the purpose of acting in political life according to the thoughts , precepts and religious beliefs of Islam, the religion of Mohammed.

The three main ceremonies in Islam are birth, marriage, and death. The symbol of Islam is a crescent on the right side and a slightly smaller pentagram on the upper left.

Muhammad is the prophet of Allah, the only God for Muslims. Islamism has a book that is the word of Allah . This book is sacred. The eight words in Arabic that summarize the belief of Islam are: " There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet ".

Currently Islam is not unified but rather has different schools and facets . For this reason, it is important to clarify that not all Islamism is Islamic terrorism. While the former retains the precepts of Mohammed, the latter is an extreme variant of that religion.

10 Characteristics of Islam :

1. Source

Islam arose when Muhammad received a divine message from the Archangel Gabriel . After this message, Muhammad knew that he had to promulgate the religion and that it would be protected by Allah himself. Thus, he wrote the Koran, a sacred book with 114 chapters.

2. Pillars of Faith

There are 5 pillars of faith for Islam. These are:

• Accept the shahada, declaration of faith written by Muhammad himself as a message from Allah.
• Pray daily to God. This prayer is performed in front of Mecca.
• Work with charity.
• Fast.
• Pilgrimage to Mecca. This episode must happen at least once in the life of every Muslim. This is known as hach or hajj.
• There is a 6th pillar for many Muslims, this is called jihad. This means like “ make the effort ”. Others translate it as "holy war." However, the term refers to the search or fight for faith. This fight can be internal or external.

3. Fasting

The fast is done through Ramadan . This is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims must fast daily from dawn until sunset .

4. The Charity

Charity is one of the salient features of Islam. All members belonging to this religion should make an effort to be charitable. Charity is expressed through good deeds, fasting, sacrifice, and punishment for bad deeds such as adultery, theft, or murder.

5. Ceremonies

As for the important ceremonies for Islam are:

• The birth. At birth, the child's father whispers the "call to prayer" in his ear. Then put a little honey on the child's tongue. It is from this ritual that the child is Muslim. After a week of birth, a ceremony called " aquiqa " is celebrated, through which the newborn is given a name.
• Marriage. The groom is suggested by the parents but the future spouse can reject him if he wishes. As for the marriage ritual, there must be at least 2 witnesses for the ceremony. The marriage can take place in the house of one of the spouses or in the mosque. Both spouses must kneel in front of the imam (who leads the ceremony) to declare that they are getting married of their own free will.
• Death. If the person knows that he is going to die, he should begin to recite something called " chahada " but if it is not possible for the same person to recite it, then it will be those present who must recite it. After the death of the person the body is washed with water . This ritual must be performed by people of the same sex as the deceased. The body is then wrapped in the " irma ", the sacred white sheet. Finally the body is taken to the mosque.

6. Allah

This is the term to refer to God. No other person can be called Allah except the one true God. This name means "God" in Aramaic. Allah is the only supreme God, almighty and creator of the universe .

7. The Koran

The Quran is the holy book for the Islamic religion. This book consists of 114 chapters , which were transmitted to Muhammad from Allah (Allah) through the message of the angel Gabriel. This book contains the word of Allah and is a message written in a clear language for the salvation of mankind.

8. The Hadith

This is a story or narrative that represents the actions and sayings of Muhammad . The hadiths are the main source of the Sunnah, the second source of Muslim law after the Koran.

9. Sharia

Known as the Charía or Saria . It is also known as Islamic law . This constitutes a detailed code of conduct. It also includes behaviors of a moral nature and not only legal: it indicates what is allowed and prohibited.

The Sharia is made up of the Koran, the Sunna (conduct, form of behavior and customs) , the Ijma (consensus) and jtihad (effort).

10. The community "Uma"

The aspiration of all Islam is the unification of it. This religion split shortly after the death of Mohammed, dividing itself mainly into two large groups: the Sunni (majority traditional and orthodox religion) and the Shia, a minority branch (with the exception of southern Iraq, Iran and part of Lebanon where they are most). The latter hold that Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin, was the successor of the prophet Muhammad , to whom the name Caliph should be assigned.

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