لخّصلي

Whether or not you have an interest in politics, there’s no denying that there has been a lot of ‎focus on Islam in the news today. From misconceptions to stereotypes and even Islamophobia ‎left and right, it can sometimes be hard to decipher what is true and what is not. In an effort to ‎diffuse some of the tension and open the door to understanding, here are 11 things you need to ‎know about Islam. Did you know you can now travel with Culture Trip? Book now and join one ‎of our premium small-group tours to discover the world like never before‏.‏
Allah is just another word for “God,” not a different God
Many tend to equate the word “Allah” with simply being an Islamic thing, but the word “Allah” ‎is just the Arabic word for “God.” Christians in the Middle East who speak Arabic, therefore, ‎will also use the word “Allah” when reading the Bible‏.‏
Muslims also love Jesus and Mary
The Quran is the Islamic Holy Book
The Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai is open to non-Muslims | © Glen Pearson / Alamy Stock Photo ‎the Quran is the holy book for Muslims and is made up of the teachings specifically for Muslim ‎believers taught to Prophet Mohammad by the angel Gabriel and God. Parts of the Quran are ‎recited every day in the five daily prayers for Muslims, and the actual book should not touch the ‎ground. And Muslims also believe in the Bible and the Torah
‏ ‏n addition to the Quran, Muslims also believe in the Bible that the Prophet Jesus preached, as ‎well as the Torah that the Prophet Musa brought down to earth. However, because Prophet ‎Mohammad is the last of the prophets to bring down a religious book in the eyes of Muslims, ‎they see the Quran as the most perfected and final one out of the three‏.‏
There are Five Pillars of Islam the Five Pillars of Islam are believed to be the most important ‎aspects of the religion that all Muslims strive to follow. They are shahada (the belief in Islam), ‎salat (the five daily prayers), zakat (giving to charity), sawm (fasting), and hajj (pilgrimage to ‎Mecca at least once in a lifetime)‎‏.‏

Islam has different sects
While the three largest sects are the Sunni branch, the Shia branch, and the Sufi branch, there are ‎many others inside the religion of Islam. Each different school of thought has different customs, ‎belief in the history of Islam, and even ways of praying! Although each branch has its ‎differences, everyone is still Muslim and believes in God, the Quran, and the Prophet ‎Mohammad‏. ‏
Islam is a religion, not an ethnicity or a race
PJCBC6 Islamic Republic of Iran. . Fars Province, Rudbal. Qashqai nomads, males are smoking a ‎shisha, hooka, or water tabacco pipe. youn girl in traditional | © Emily Marie Wilson / Alamy ‎Stock Photo While the faith may have started in the Arabian Peninsula, it is in no way an Arab or ‎Middle Eastern religion. Just because someone is Muslim does not mean they are Arab or from ‎the Middle East. Indeed, Muslims live all around the world, from South America and Namibia to ‎Mongolia, Malaysia, and many other countries‏.‏
Not all Muslims speak Arabic
Because not all Muslims are Arab, not all Muslims will speak Arabic. While many will use certain ‎religious words that are in Arabic because of the Quran, most Muslims from outside the Middle ‎East will not know the language‏.‏
Shariah is just a moral code followed by individuals
Shariah is the Islamic moral code, outlined in both the Quran and the hadith (sayings of the ‎Prophet Mohammad) and will differ slightly based on which Islamic judge Muslims will follow. ‎Shariah does not command Muslims to kill all infidels or whatever else the right-winged media ‎might say. A large part of Shariah focuses on how much to give to charity, what to do if a child ‎becomes an orphan, or how to equally divide money‏.‏

Jihad simply means “to struggle‏”‏
One of the most misunderstood words related to Islam, “jihad” means “to struggle.” There is the ‎greater jihad and the lesser jihad. The latter is when a Muslim is attacked first; then, and only ‎then, are they allowed to defend themselves physically. The greater jihad, which is the most ‎important for all Muslims, is the inner jihad, which is the struggle to be a good person, treat ‎others with respect, and to stay strong in the love and belief of God. This kind of jihad ranges ‎from observing hijab to remembering to give to charity as much as possible‏.‏
Women were the first to have rights under Islam While some people believe that Muslim women ‎are oppressed under Islam, this is completely untrue. While the cultures of many places that ‎happen to follow Islam may oppress women, this is a misogynistic and sexist problem that the ‎large part of the world faces regardless of religion. Some of the first rules Islam set out was to ‎stop the killing of baby girls if families wanted boys instead; giving women economic freedom; ‎giving women the right to own property; allowing women to inherit money and remarry ‎whenever they wanted and reminding men always to show the utmost respect towards women. ‎Islam empowers so many women
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