Islam is not only a religion but also a civilization since it is represented by over one billion Muslims and over

50 Muslim states. Emerging as a civilization influenced by religious beliefs and practices, Islam influenced different groups of people in diverse stages of history and in different countries. A major part of the Islamic faith is the strong belief in an afterlife. Muslims spend their life preparing for their death and the bliss they will face if they follow the rules and life style of a model Muslim.

Before the influence of Islam, the people of the Arabian Peninsula followed many different religions through the tribe that they belonged to. The thought that there were many gods was common to the tribal religions (Alkouatli 10). However, Muhammad became the profit of Islam when the angel Gabriel spoke to him. One major part of what Gabriel said to Muhammad was that there was only one God. The belief in one God, Allah, and that Muhammad is the messenger and prophet of God is the bases of Islam. After that, Muhammad thought it was his duty to spread the religion. To follow Islam a Muslim must follow certain rules to get accepted into the afterlife and pass the Final Judgment (Braswell 7). The Five Pillars of Faith were five rules the Muslims had to follow to secure a place in the afterlife. They were the belief in one God and that Muhammad was the messenger, Fasting, Prayer, Pilgrimage, and Alms (Alkouatli 72-81). Allah, the only

one God is the main belief of Islam along with Muhammad being the messenger. To become Muslim, people must show testimony in public and private agreeing that they believe there is no god but God and Muhammad is the last messenger (Alkouatli 72). They must say the Shahadah at least once in their lifetime. It is a short statement affirming the greatness and oneness of Allah (Gordon 78). To

fast once a month during the holy month of Ramadan is another requirement needed by Muslims to reach the righteous afterlife. The ninth month is holy because it was the month that Muhammad first heard a message from the Koran (Elkann 22). Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this time a Muslim cannot eat and drink during the daylight hours (Gordon 78). The daily fast is broken at sunset when they are called to prayer. Along with not eating, Muslims are not allowed to engage in sexual activity or smoking (Elkann 21). The purpose of this is to cleanse the body of sin (Braswell 245). Fasting brings about spiritual renewal, additional prayer, reading of the Koran, meditation and restraining bad behavior. Alms are a prerequisite if one wants to pass the Final Judgment. Muslims who can afford are expected to pay money at specific times of the year (Braswell 245). The money goes to the poor, the sick, the insane and other people who are unable to fend for themselves. Unlike in the modern western world, the giving of money to the less fortunate is not considered charity but rather an important religious obligation (Gordon 79). Because Mecca was the city where Islam originated

and the prophet Gabriel spoke to Muhammad, a Muslim must travel to the city at least once in their life and pray at the Kaba (Braswell 245). There they must dress in all white to blend together; in the city of Mecca for the Muslims there is no separation through wealth and social standing. (Renard 78) The final pillar is Prayer. It is a major part of the

Islamic religion and must be done five times a day. A muezzin calls the Muslims to prayer by singing God is most great, I bear witness that there is no deity except God, I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God, come to prayer, come to salvation ( Elkann 22). To pray one must clean with water before as to purify them (Gordon 76). The five pillars of faith are simply five rules the Muslims must follow. However, to be a perfect Muslim there are many other factors. One important factor is Jihad. Jihad is the idea that it is the Muslims mission to spread the religion (Braswell 245). This is also one reason why the Islamic religion spread so rapidly. Battles that the Muslims fought to spread Islam secured Northern Africa, Spain, Anatolia, Balkans, India, Sicily and the Mediterranean Coasts (Alkouatli 58). However, once the lands were one, they let people keep their religion. People of the book- individuals who were either Christian, Jewish or Zoroastrian could live on the concurred land and freely follow their religion as long as they paid taxes. However, many converted to Islam once they were conquered (Braswell 45). If Muslims follow these

basic beliefs, they will go into the afterlife. At the time of loss, the angel of

death comes to take the soul. The soul will stay in the grave until the Day of Resurrection, when all souls lost will be awakened. After, the Day of Judgment occurs. This is when the souls will be evaluated in terms of their actions and intentions when they were on Earth ((Alkouatli 71). Good deeds will bring contentment and negative deeds will bring Majews ki 4 unmanageable pain. Muslims believe that Heaven is for the souls of people who acknowledged God, were compassionate toward others, bighearted, truthful, and patient, and those who followed the Muslim religion. Hell is reserved for the people who denied or ignored the existence of God and were arrogant, oppressive, unjust, and untruthful (Brasswell 55). The afterlife is not only extremely important because it tests a persons trust in what the Koran and the words of Muhammad say, it also affects how a Muslim lives his or her life. Belief in Allah is not enough to live a complete Islamic life; Muslims must show their belief through their actions. The five pillars of faith are a basic structure of the Islamic belief system. The rules teach how a Muslim is expected to behave and the path to reach the afterlife. Today, Americans regard the Islamic religion as being violent. However, if the five pillars are read, it proves that the Muslim religion teaches discipline to themselves and kind actions to the less well off. The way of the Islamic religion, from Muhammad facing religious persecution and

fighting for his religion, to it becoming the largest religion in the world, has provided a way for billions of people to reach what they believe to be the holy afterlife.