Islamic
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| Islam
has 840 million followers around the world. It was founded by the
prophet Mohammed, who received the holy scriptures of Islam, the
Koran, from Allah (God) c. A.D. 610. Islam (Arabic for
"submission to God") maintains that Mohammed is the last in
a long line of holy prophets, preceded by Adam, Abraham, Moses, and
Jesus. In addition to being devoted to the Koran, followers of Islam
(Muslims) are devoted to the worship of Allah through the Five
Pillars: the statement "There is no god but God, and Mohammed is
his prophet"; prayer, conducted five times a day while facing
Mecca; the giving of alms; the keeping of the fast of Ramadan during
the ninth month of the Muslim year; and the making of a pilgrimage at
least once to Mecca, if possible. The two main divisions of Islam are
the Sunni and the Shiite; the Wahabis are the most important Sunni
sect, while the Shiite sects include the Assassins, the Druses, and
the Fatimids, among countless others. |
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