Changes

Islam is a religion of Abraham (the other offshoots of which are Judaism and Christianity) that has grown to be the second largest religion with over 1.4 billion followers.  The word "Islam" means submission to God.  The followers of Islam are called Muslims.  Muslims practice complete monotheism, worshiping Allah and believing Muhammad to be his last and greatest prophet.  They live by the Koran, the pure and holy word of Allah that must be treated with the utmost respect.  Muslims wash their hands before reading the book, which is considered complete and perfect only in the original Arabic, and burn old copies instead of throwing them away.  Muslims follow the five pillars of Islam, which are straightforward and easy to understand.  The belief in one god is clear, and encourages familiarity.  Five daily prayers are recited facing toward Mecca with specific movements and times.  Giving to the poor keeps them from becoming greedy or putting too much stake in worldly possessions.  A month of fasting brings them closer to Allah.  A pilgrimage to Mecca shows respect for the prophet Muhammad and his journey.  Intoxication, gambling, stealing, adultery, and false accusations of adultery along with other offenses, are forbidden and highly punishable.  Because Islam is an uncomplicated religion to live by, it is sure to continue in its popularity around the world.   

Islam is a religion of Abraham that has grown to be the second largest religion with over 1.4 billion followers.  The word "Islam" means submission to God.  The followers of Islam are called Muslims.  Muslims practice complete monotheism, worshiping Allah and believing Muhammad to be his last and greatest prophet.  They live by the Koran, the pure and holy word of Allah that must be treated with the utmost respect.  Muslims wash their hands before reading the book, which is considered complete and perfect only in the original Arabic, and burn old copies instead of throwing them away.  Muslims follow the five pillars of Islam, which are straightforward and easy to understand.  The belief in one god is clear, and encourages familiarity.  Five daily prayers are recited facing toward Mecca with specific movements and times.  Giving to the poor keeps them from becoming greedy or putting too much stake in worldly possessions.  A month of fasting brings them closer to Allah.  A pilgrimage to Mecca shows respect for the prophet Muhammad and his journey.  Intoxication, gambling, stealing, adultery, and false accusations of adultery along with other offenses, are forbidden and highly punishable.  Because Islam is an uncomplicated religion to live by, it is sure to continue in its popularity around the world.   

==Islam and Paganism==

==Islam and Paganism==

Although most Muslims profess belief in a single, almighty [[Allah|God]], a substantial minority of accredited Western scholars believe that the Muslim belief system can be traced back to distinctly polytheistic antecedents. Some, for example, have attempted to to link Allah to a moon deity. <ref>Abramahov, "Islamic Theology". Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, 1988. [http://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Theology-Binyamin-Abrahamov/dp/0748611029/sr=8-4/qid=1172042917/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/105-1837174-2630046?ie=UTF8&s=books]</ref> Others have pointed to the pagan roots of various Muslim prohibitions, such as the ban on pork originating in the 3rd-century AD Damascene [[cult]] of the [[pig-god]] [[Jamal]]. <ref>Ibid.</ref> There is some evidence that traditional Muslim scholars have been suppressing this information as well as various recently-recovered scrolls that hint at early Muslim human sacrifice (e.g., at Uhud) which can also be found in one of the foundational myths of Christianity, the God-given mandate for Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. <ref>Esposito, "The Oxford History of Islam", p. 523. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1999. [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-History-Islam-John-Esposito/dp/0195107993/sr=8-1/qid=1172042853/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-1837174-2630046?ie=UTF8&s=books]</ref>

Although most Muslims profess belief in a single, almighty [[Allah|God]], a substantial minority of accredited Western scholars believe that the Muslim belief system can be traced back to distinctly polytheistic antecedents. Some, for example, have attempted to to link Allah to a moon deity. <ref>Abramahov, "Islamic Theology". Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, 1988. [http://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Theology-Binyamin-Abrahamov/dp/0748611029/sr=8-4/qid=1172042917/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/105-1837174-2630046?ie=UTF8&s=books]</ref> Others have pointed to the pagan roots of various Muslim prohibitions, such as the ban on pork originating in the 3rd-century AD Damascene [[cult]] of the [[pig-god]] [[Jamal]]. <ref>Ibid.</ref> There is some evidence that traditional Muslim scholars have been suppressing this information as well as various recently-recovered scrolls that hint at early Muslim human sacrifice (e.g., at Uhud). <ref>Esposito, "The Oxford History of Islam", p. 523. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1999. [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-History-Islam-John-Esposito/dp/0195107993/sr=8-1/qid=1172042853/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-1837174-2630046?ie=UTF8&s=books]</ref>

==References==

==References==

<references/>

<references/>