"Islam" is an Arabic word that means "submission" and one who is a follower of Islam is a Muslim, which means "one who submits." Muslims pray five times a day on hands and knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground--an act that demonstrates this submission. Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with approximately 1.6 billion followers. And Islam comes from the same family of religions as Judaism and Christianity. In fact, they all started from the same person: Abraham. Abraham led his people out of Mesopotamia and into what is now Israel. According to the Torah, Abraham made a covenant with God in exchange for the Hebrews becoming God's chosen people. Abraham had several children. Jews and Christians trace their lineage through Abraham's son, Isaac. Muslims trace their lineage through Abraham's son, Ishmael. These three religions are very closely related and are known as the Abrahamic Religions. In total, over 3 billion people follow these religions today. Characteristics of Islam
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All three faiths share a belief in the prophets. A prophet is someone who speaks for God. Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad are all prophets. In fact, twenty-five of the prophets found in the Bible and Torah are also found in the Quran.
Muslims believe that before Muhammad ascended to heaven, he prayed with both Jesus and Abraham. This picture from Persia in the Middle Ages shows Muhammad leading prayer with Jesus, Abraham and Moses.
Muslims believe that before Muhammad ascended to heaven, he prayed with both Jesus and Abraham. This picture from Persia in the Middle Ages shows Muhammad leading prayer with Jesus, Abraham and Moses.
This website was designed to supplement a high school World History course, examining the birth of Islam and how it spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. A free webquest sheet is available here.
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