its people and their way of life edited and enhanced by Michael North; reviewed and critiqued by Khalid Moidu, with added content suggested by James Kirkham
Overview 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. The following sites provide details about the fundamental beliefs, principles and tenets of Islam.
A brief history of Islam Islam originated around 600 AD in the Central Asian Arabian desert and soon spread to east Asia, Central Europe and North Africa. The religion started with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad who is considered to be the messenger of the one and only, formless, all-powerful God, Allah. Islam spread rapidly from the Arabian peninsula in less than 30 years. The Persian and Roman Empires were defeated by the much less equipped and out-numbered Muslim armies. Over the next several centuries, Islam reached as far as India in the east, and to Spain in the west. The spread continued through traders to southeast Asia, where for example, Indonesia, today's largest Muslim country, received the message of Islam through Arab traders. During the peak of Islam's rule, when Europe was in the Dark Ages, the sciences of mathematics, algebra, astronomy, medicine, physics and other disciplines were developed and are still in use today based on the principles of the early Muslim scholars. Today, Islam is considered to be the fastest growing religion in the world.
Prophet Muhammad Prophet Muhammad was married to a wealthy lady, and he was known for being a trustworthy, honest and kind person, when God revealed to him at his age of 40 years the details of a perfected religion through the angel, Gabriel. Prophet Muhammad is the last of a line of prophets beginning with Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The life of the Prophet before and after the revelation, his sayings and God's teachings, are well delineated in the following websites.
Women, status and role: Women are the dominant players in family and home, while the man is considered to be the economic provider. Women are expected to cover their bodies, except their hands and faces, in front of men other than than their brothers, husbands, fathers and sons, as an expression of modesty and so as not to sexually provoke or invite unacceptable sexual behaviour. The following websites give information as to the status and role of women in Islamic society, their attire and on issues like polygamy, which is allowed under Islamic law. Polygamy:
Shiite and Sunni Islam is a very united religion. However, due to different ways of interpretation of teaching of the prophet , Muslims are made up of two main different groups; Shi'ite and Sunni are the two main denominations. Of these two, Sunnis are a majority. The following websites provide detailed information regarding origin, principle differences and practices of these two factions of Islam.
Festivals and Celebrations Every Muslim except for the young and infirm is expected to lead a life of fasting, prayers, abstinence from alcohol and certain food items that are considered harmful. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Eid-Ul-Fitr is the festival that marks the culmination of Ramadan. More details about the festivals and practices of a Muslim can be obtained from
Muslims eat and drink all foods except pork and its products, and all types of alcohol beverages, as these are clearly prohibited in the Quran. Other animals should be slaughtered properly from the neck, while reciting: In the name of God, God is Great. This way of killing is the least painful for the animal. Muslims are prohibited from eating anything that is dead, except sea creatures. Details about the food preferences of a Muslim as per the Quran, can be obtained at the following site:
Islamic countries, maps and photographs Middle East: Muslim countries, their governments, photo galleries.:
Afghanistan Photo Galleries
Islam: Science, technology, education Articles, news, opinions on Islam and its impact on Science, humankind.
History and Science: Education:
Islam and current events Islamic fundamentalism at its extreme form has been named as the primary reason behind the events of recent past. This brand of Islamic fundamentalism preaches that its is acceptable to harm people who may through some means be the cause of the misery of others. This reasoning is far from what is allowed in the Quran. A number of well known specialists of Islamic faith have brought forth this fact. The following web sites contain their opinions on recent world events.
These websites provides links to numerous other pages regarding the recent happenings.
Islamic and Middle Eastern Music Greenstar has selected the very best of music from the world of Islam, sacred and classical, as well as modern interpretations. Samples of this music, and reviews, are available here:
 The People of Islam Greenstar has developed a close working relationship with the people of Al-Kaabneh, a Palestinian village on the West Bank, Palestinian Authority. The Bedouin people of this village are strict, traditional adherents of Islam, with a pure simple practice that is probably similar to that known in the original small desert villages where Islam first arose over 1000 years ago. You can see the people of this village, watch video and hear their traditional music, some of which is closely tied to their Islamic faith, on the Greenstar website: A good resource for connecting with ordinary, individual people who caare about the lives of the Palestinian people can be found here: 
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