We live in a large, rich, fertile country. That's just the order with us is not always and not everywhere smooth. This is due primarily to the fact that Russia, firstly, is a multinational state. Secondly, representatives of various faiths live in the country. Today we will focus on Islam. The bulk of the population of Russia, of course, profess Orthodoxy, therefore, if they are familiar with other religions, it is only superficial. Recently, however, we Christians have had to deal with Muslims more and more often, and I would like to understand some of the most basic and exciting issues. For example, learn more about Islam and Islam, about the difference between them.
What is Islam?
There are a number of legends in the world related to Islamic issues. But in order to understand how true they are, you need to know how Muslims identify themselves, how they view certain things. Firstly, Muslims strongly disagree with those who consider Islam the youngest religion. They are sure that this particular religion appeared at the beginning of the creation of the world.
The difference between Islam and Islam is only a matter of designation. Islam is the name of religion, which is translated from Arabic as “humility”. A Muslim is one who professes this religion or "one who obeys." There is a misconception in the world that Islam is such a single monolithic faith, and all Muslims think in exactly the same way. It's not like that at all. Islam has a lot of different currents and directions, the views of which differ on many issues.
Islam directions
Islam is divided into three main areas:
- Sunnis are the most numerous current. Sunna people consider themselves true Muslims, true followers of the Prophet Muhammad.
- Shiites are the second most numerous current. It is believed that after the death of the prophet a group of people was formed who claimed that only the descendants of Muhammad could have power in the community.
- Kharijits - there are not so many representatives of this movement (in comparison with Sunnis and Shiites) and they live mainly on the Arabian Peninsula (Oman state).
The difference between Sunnis and Shiites
None of the major currents draws a line between Islam and Islam. The difference between these concepts is not indicated. It exists only in the views of representatives of different currents. For example, Sunnis believe that the power of the caliphate can pass as a result of voting. The Shiites have diametrically opposed views on this score - power should be transferred exclusively by inheritance among the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. There are a lot of similar issues that the Sunnis and Shiites look at in completely different ways.
Wahhabism
Speaking about Islam and Islam, about the difference between these concepts, one cannot but recall Wahhabism. This trend arose in the 18th century in Saudi Arabia. The main goal of Wahhabism is to return Islam to its original purity and keep it as it was back in the days of the righteous caliphs. It was the representatives of this movement who were the first to offer to get rid of the infidels, considering as such even Muslims who at least somehow disagree with them. It was the Wahhabis who destroyed a large number of Shiites, plundered their holy places, tombs and mosques. Probably, it was with the advent of Wahhabis in the world that they began to wonder what the difference between Islam and Islam is. But this question cannot be considered ideologically correct. Wahhabism is also one of the movements of Islam, and representatives of this movement call themselves Muslims. However, the attitude of other representatives of the Muslim world towards Wahhabis is ambiguous. Many consider them sectarians, accuse of limited thinking and excessive fanaticism. Orthodox Muslims are categorically against the Wahhabis, believing that their main object of worship is not the Holy Quran, but money and power. Currently, the concept of “Wahhabism” is associated exclusively with death, terrorism, and murders. Its spread led to the fact that many people doubted Islam. Now it is believed that Islam does not carry anything except blood and destruction, although in fact, the main shrines of this religion are peace, humility and prosperity. The history of Wahhabism is war, deceit, bribery. In other words, everything that has nothing to do with Muslim morality. Therefore, do not separate Islam and Islam. There is no difference between these concepts, both words are directly related to the same religion.
Islam: interesting facts
There are many different religions in the world, but the main, largest, are considered three: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam (Islam). What is the difference between the last two religions (we won’t touch Buddhism, this is a topic of a completely different article), you can understand by considering the main points that distinguish Islam and Christianity. In fact, this is a very complex topic, which is unrealistic to consider in one short article, but we will dwell on at least the most basic points of interest to ordinary people:
- Muslims do not eat pork. Animals that have died from strangulation or as a result of natural disasters, also can not be eaten.
- On the tombstone after the death of an Orthodox Muslim, you can write only a name. Walking in the cemetery is prohibited.
- Muslims use the lunar calendar to determine the dates of religious holidays.
- A Muslim man can have up to four wives if he is officially married to each of them.
Muslim General Book
The main book of all Muslims is the Qur'an. It is believed that it is necessary to read it in the original, because any translation somewhat distorts what is written there. The Qur'an consists of 114 chapters called surahs. It is in this book that one can find the answer to the question of what differences exist between Islam and Islam. A true Muslim who knows the Qur'an will not name a single one. All people professing Islam are Muslims. These concepts are synonymous.