Islam – Meaning, Origin and Teachings

The Indian subcontinent is home to numerous religions like Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity, etc. Islam is the second most followed religion in India and the second largest in the World as well. Around 11% of the Indian population followed Islam which is the third largest number of people in any country who followed Islam, after Indonesia and Pakistan.

Also Read: Hinduism – Origin and Hindu Movements

Buddhism – The Teachings and Philosophy

Jainism – The Philosophy and Teachings

Meaning and Origin of Islam

The word ‘Islam’ connotes ‘submission’ to God and hence, those who submit to God and follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad are called Muslims. Prophet Muhammad was the last among the messengers sent by God on earth like Abraham, Moses, etc. Islam originated from the Arabian Peninsula in the 7^th century AD. Islam was spread by the Islamic rulers by conquering large regions of the world. For example, Islam was promoted by Turkish rulers in India, although it was known in India before Turkish rulers.

Prophet Muhammad faced several problems while he was spreading the teachings of Islam. He had to leave his home in Mecca and was forced to migrate to Medina. But after the successful coup, he won back his homeland and came back to Mecca. This travel of the Prophet became a holy route and every Muslim needs to conduct this Hajj (holy) pilgrimage in their life. Abraham is the common ancestor of Christians and Muslims.

Teachings and Practice of Islam

Hadith is the holy book of Muslims which contains the day-to-day teachings of Prophet Muhammad. The holy book of the Quran was compiled before the death of the Prophet and this was also verified twice by the Prophet Muhammad himself. But this was compiled as a book only after the death of the Prophet. Sharia, Quran, and Hadith form the basis of Islam. In India, there are four major schools of law and thoughts of Islam; Hanafi, Shafei, Maliki, and Hambali.

The followers of Islam believed in only one Allah (manifestation of God) who sent messengers on Earth regularly to help and guide peoples, Prophet Muhammad was the last Prophet. Muslims believe in the day of judgment (that day when merit and bad deeds will be judged) and according to that hell or heaven will be granted. Muslims need to practice Namaz five times per day and a Juma Namaz needs to be performed every Friday of the week at the mosque.

The followers of Islam fasted during the month of Ramzan every day as the fast starts with sunrise and ends with sunset. The month of Ramzan ends with the celebration of Eid. Muslims need to perform Zakat (charity) to donate a certain part of their earning for the welfare of poor people.

Different Sects of Islam

The religion of Islam is mainly divided into two sects; Shia and Sunni. The Shia sect is followed by those people who believe that Ali (son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad) is rightly the successor of the Prophet. The Sunni sect followed the Sunnah and they believed that only a close associate or disciple was the rightful successor of Prophet Muhammad. The majority of the Indian Muslim population followed the Sunni sect and the presence of Shia sect followers can only be seen during Muharram. With time Islam also evolved and many changes came in Islam.

Reform Movements of Islam

To revive the glory of Islam in India, many movements were started in India by different peoples. The Ahmadiyya movement was started by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad for upholding true Islamic values. The Faraizi Movement was an initiative of Haji Shariatullah which aims at the purification of Islam and reviving the glory of Islam. Tariqh-i-Muhammadiyah was started by Sayyid Ahmad Barelvi which was eventually an armed movement aimed at establishing an Islamic state. The Aligarh movement was started by Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan who aimed to propagate modern education for Muslims.

Thus, Islam which was popularized by Turkish rulers in India, evolved with time and numerous movements.