Hi all,
So I have made several changes to my page. I uploaded the two music videos below. I also added a video summarizing the religion of Islam, which is under the section titled "Video." Finally, I added a little bit of information and a video clip about Your Black Muslim Bakery, which can be seen as a contemporary presence of Islam in our local community (although it is alittle bit depressing). That can be found under the section "Contemporary Presence." I hope you enjoy the changes.

Music:
I found this song Youtube. It is a song about praising Allah. I could not find the artist who sings it. It was simply titled "alla muslim music." Even if you are not Muslim, I think that you can appreciate the music. I thought the song was catchy and found myself dancing along by the end of it. Happy listening!


Below is a music video by Native Deen. The song is called "Not Afraid to Stand Alone." It is a modern and Americanized nasheed (Islamic song). Native Deen is a group of three African-American men from Washington D.C. who incorporate Islamic lyrics into their hip-hop music. They currently perform all over the world and their concerts sell out.





Video:
Below is a brief video taken from Google video. It provides a pretty good basic overview of the religion. It also has a pretty song playing in the background.


Contemporary Presence of Islam:
Your Black Muslim Bakery is a bakery located on San Pablo Ave in Oakland, CA. It was started by Muslim, Yusef Bey and was initially opened in Santa Barbara, CA but was relocated to Oakland in 1971. The Muslim bakery sold goods that were baked in accord with the teachings of the Qur'an; all goods were baked free of preservatives and refined sugar. Bey was a role model for many young African Americans. He spread the word of Islam throughout the Bay Area.
In 2007, a huge raid made by several Bay Area police forces was made on the bakery. The bakery was suspected to be linked to several crimes, including the death of journalist Chaucer Bailey.
Below is a brief video clip from the evening news on the day of the raid.








Hi there! So I have researched and examined the religion of Islam. I have summarized what I feel to be the most important, yet basic, understanding of the religion and its history. I have tried to condense and simplify most of my findings so that they are an easy read and a highlight of the most important beliefs and practices of Islam. I summarized most of my information from primarily internet sources and have included a few bits of my own knowledge. I hope it is helpful and enjoyable to read!



Islam is a monotheistic religion which originated in the 7th century in Arabia. Its roots are derived from the teachings of Muhammad (sometimes spelled Muhammed or Mohammed), a notable and well-known Arabic military, political, and religious figure of his time. Muhammad, who is considered to be the last prophet, was born in 570 AD. He grew up a believer of a polytheistic religion, which he came to doubt with age and maturity. It is believed that he started to have religious visions when he was 40 years old and eventually came to believe in one God, Allah. Muhammad memorized his frequent visions and taught them to others. All of his visions, which are believed to be messages sent from God through the angel Gabriel, were eventually recorded in the Qur’an (sometimes spelled Koran). Furthermore, it is believed that Muhammad had these visions until he died in 632 AD. Muslims do not hold that Muhammad is the founder of Islam, but rather that he restored the original faith in one God held by Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Muslims believe that both Christians and Jews misinterpreted and altered the original text that God gave to these prophets. Furthermore, Muslims do believe that Jesus was a prophet of God; however, they do not accept, nor believe, that Jesus was the son of God.
Muhammad, who is seen as the last and greatest prophet, was born and raised in Mecca; however, his word and teachings were not initially accepted by the people of his hometown. As a result, he and his followers moved to Medina (translated as “City of Prophets”). The movement was known as the Hijirat and marks the beginning date on Islamic calendars.
After Muhammad’s death, a conflict soon arouse between Muslims about how to establish Muhammad’s successor. Some believed that the successor should be elected, while other Muslims held that the successor should be a descendant of Muhammad. This dispute resulted in a division between the Sunnis (who believed that the successor should be elected) and the Shi’a (who believed that the successor should be a descendant of Muhammad).
Muslims hold that followers of Islam must exhibit their submission to Allah through worship, adherence to his commands, and steering clear of polytheism. In fact, the word Muslim means “anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God.” Both faith and duty are the primary emphasis of the teachings of Islam and it is maintained that Muslims must hold certain beliefs and carry out certain acts so that they may submit themselves to the word of God. It is believed that there are certain beliefs that Muslims should hold, as well as certain things that a Muslim must do. The core beliefs of Islam are outlined in The Six Articles of Faith, while the duties of each Muslim are outlined in The Five Pillars of Faith. Both are summarized below:

The Six Articles of Faith are the main set of guidelines in the religion of Islam. It is argued that all Muslims hold these same six beliefs, or at least they should:

1. The belief in Allah. Islam believes that there is only one true God, Allah. Furthermore, Allah is the only creator of the universe.
2. The belief in angels. Muslims believe that angels have messages to bring to people on earth. Additionally, each person has two angels; one who records their good actions, and one who records their bad actions.
3. The belief in Scripture. Islam believes that there are four books of scripture, but that the Qur’an is the only one that has not been interpreted or altered.
4. The belief in prophets. Muslims believe that there are many prophets, but that the last and greatest of all is Muhammad.
5. The belief in afterlife. Muslims believe that there will be resurrection and judgment and that those who follow Allah will go to Paradise, while those who are bad will go to hell.
6. The belief in the Divine Decree. Muslims believe that Allah’s will predetermines their destiny and fate and that he holds complete authority.

The Five Pillars of Faith are believed to be the responsibilities and duties each Muslim must carry out, in order to exemplify their faith. These duties are as follows:

1. Muslims must give testimony of their faith. This testimony, or creed, is known as shahadah. Muslims must recite 'ašhadu 'al-lā ilāha illā-llāhu wa 'ašhadu 'anna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh" (which translates to “I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God” in English). Furthermore, in order to convert to Islam, a non-Muslim must recite this in public.
2. Muslims must perform a ritual prayer five times a day. This ritual prayer is known as a salah. A salah must be performed upon rising, at noon, in mid-afternoon, after sunset, and before going to bed. The salah must be done facing the Kaaba in Mecca, which Muslims consider to be the holiest place.
3. Each Muslim must partake in almsgiving, or zakat. They are required to give one-fourth of their income to charity every year. This is considered an obligation of Muslims, not a voluntary act of charity.
4. Muslims must fast during the month of Ramadan (which is the ninth month in the Muslim year, and is thought to be when Muhammad received the Qur’an from Allah), this is known as sawm. Muslims are not permitted to eat or drink from dawn to dusk in this month.
5. Finally, each Muslim must make the pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the hajj, at least once in their lifetime. When the Muslim on their pilgrimage arrives within ten kilometers of Mecca, he or she must perform cleansing rituals and dress in Ihram clothing

Above is a picture of the Kaaba. The Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam. It is a cube which encompasses the holy black stone that Muhammad once kissed. The al-Masjid al-Haram mosque was later built around the Kaaba. Muslims face the Kaaba as they pray. Furthermore, during the Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) Muslims partake in a holy ritual which entails walking seven times around the Kaaba as they touch the black stone.


Islamic scholars have formulated the Sharia, which is considered to be Islamic law. This law is based on writings in the Qur’an. It covers multiple aspects of life including issues of state and day-to-day living. The Sharia outlines different hududs, which are punishments for five different crimes. These crimes include consuming alcohol, theft, highway robbery, sexual relations outside of marriage, and falsely accusing others of sexual relations outside of marriage. Furthermore, the Qur’an describes laws regarding fasting, marriage, charity, prayer, inheritance, and restitutions for murder and injury. These laws tend to be broad, so their application in practice tends to vary. Islamic law fails to specify “matters of church” and “matters of state.” Scholars of Islam (known as the ulema) serve as both jurists and religious interpreters. Islamic rulers have historically circumvented the Sharia courts and instead took matters directly to “Grievance courts” where they held complete control. However, since Muslims have made contact with the secular ideals of the Western world, these practices have significantly changed.

Today, there are roughly 1.61 billion Muslims throughout the world. This makes Islam the second largest religion of the world, with Christianity being the largest. Approximately 85% of Muslims are Sunni and 15% are Shi’a. Islam has come to be a universal religion. Only 20% of today’s Muslims are Arabic. Indonesia is home to the largest concentration of Muslims who number over 120 million. Islam has also come to be a predominant religion in sections of Asia and Africa.


Written By: Amy Pryle



Mecca Centric Da’wah Group. “30 Facts About Islam.” Retrieved from (http://www.meccacentric.com/30_facts.html).

Phillips, Abu Ameenah Bilal. “The True Religion.” Retrieved from (http://www.islamworld.net/true.html).

Wenner, Sarah. (2001).“Islam.” Retrieved from (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/islam/islam.html).

Wikipedia. (2008). “Islam.” Retrieved from (http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Islam).