Hi there.  This is my little “primer” about Islam and is a very broad overview.   As Boo and others pointed out, it’s downright criminal for the government’s “experts” to know nothing about Islam.  Where I grew up however, there were few Muslims around, so I learned almost nothing about it as a kid.

Hope you find this useful!
The name “Islam” is an Arabic word that means “submission”, as in submission to the will of God.   The word “Allah” is simply the Arabic name for God.

The term “Muslim” refers to a follower or devotee of Islam.  The name of the religion is always “Islam” and never “Muslim” or the archaic “Mohamedism”.

All Muslims believe that a man named Muhammed (PBOH) became God (Allah’s) final prophet around 600 years ago.  Mohammed is not considered to be a saint, but is very revered and whenever Muslims mention his name they usually follow it by saying “Peace Be Upon Him”.

All Muslims believe that God, via an angel (Gabriel), revealed His final words of wisdom to Mohammed, who wrote them down in a book referred to as the Koran/Qur’an.  The Qur’an is written in Arabic, which is considered the holy language of Islam, and it is considered mandatory for all Muslims to read the Qur’an in Arabic or at least know some of the most fundamental sections and prayers in the Arabic language.

The physical Qur’an, even those mass produced, is considered a sacred item and must never be defaced or harmed in any way.

Mohammed, after receiving the Qur’an (final revelation) from Allah, then became the spiritual AND political leader of the Muslim community, called “Ummah” in Arabic.  This is a very important distinction from Christianity, as neither Jesus nor the Apostles became political leaders.

All Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the perfect and absolutely error-free revelation of God.  There is a secondary set of religious teachings which relate to the words and actions of Mohammed during his lifetime.  These are collectively called the “Hadith” and are used by religious scholars to make determinations.

Islamic law (what is considered obligatory for all Muslims) is referred to as Shar’ia in Arabic.  The Hadith and Qur’an is consulted by scholars to make modifications and determinations about what is Shar’ia.

All Muslims believe there are 5 essential pillars or fundamental principles of Islam that must be observed by all Muslims.  They are:

1) Shahadah – “Testimony”

The most fundamental creed of Islam, learned in the Arabic language by all Muslims, says that “There are no gods but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger/prophet”.    Reciting this one line is the only essential requirement to becoming a Muslim.

2) Salat – “Prayer”

Muslims are obligated to pray 5 times a day.  The method and manner in which Muslims pray is believed to have been shown to Mohammed directly by the angel Gabriel.

3) Zakat – “Charity”

Based on personal wealth, all Muslims are required to give charity to the poor and the needy.  This is similar in many ways to the Christian concept of “tithing”.

4) Sawm – “Fasting”

This refers to the obligatory fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, the most important religious “holiday” in Islam.  During this month, Muslims are forbidden (except in certain circumstances) to eat or drink during daylight hours to promote spiritual awareness and a humble, reverent attitude.

5) Hajj – “Pilgrimage”

All Muslims who are capable are obligated to make one pilgrimage in their lifetime to the holy city of Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia) during the month of “Dhu al-Hijjah”.  

Islam has many rules about what is considered ok to eat or drink and what is not.  That which is permitted is called “halal” in Arabic and is similar to the Jewish concept of “kosher”.

Pork and pork products, monkeys, dogs and cats, alcohol, blood (and blood byproducts) are all forbidden to Muslims.  Fish with scales are “halal” while other kinds of fish and most seafood is not.  Many Islamic scholars have ruled that more modern products such as tobacco are also forbidden.

Different Branches of Islam

Mohammed died without either appointing a successor or devising a system to select one.  It is because of this that Islam split into several different factions.  The word for the political leader of the Ummah (Muslim community) is “Caliph” in Arabic, and the territories ruled by the Caliph are called the “Caliphate”.

Most Muslims believed that Mohammed wanted a man named Abu Bak’r to succeed him as the next Caliph.  The ones who recognized Abu Bak’r as the first Caliph (after Mohammed) are generally referred to as Sunni.

The Sunni group of Islam is named after an Arabic word “as-Sunnah” which means “the path”, referring to their belief that Mohammed’s life is a perfect example (or path) to follow.  Roughly 85% of the planet’s Muslims are Sunni.

Sunnis are divided into 4 different groups based on their Shar’ia distinctions and by the Caliph that founded them: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.  You might recognize that Iraq’s current leader is named Maliki, referring to this distinction.  Although there are four groups, they are considered mutually compatible in most ways.

The Shi’a group of Islam originally split off from the Sunnis when they chose to recognize Ali  as the legitimate second Caliph (after Mohammed) rather than Abu Bak’r.    Because of this schism, over time religious differences grew even more pronounced until the two main branches of Islam (Sunni and Shi’a) became almost antagonstic towards one another.

The word “Shi’a” refers to a term in Arabic “Shi’at Ali”, meaning “the party of Ali” or the “supporters of Ali”.

This split became especially pronounced roughly 30 years after Mohammed’s death (in 632 A.D.) when the Muslim community became embroiled in a civil war.   The civil war was actually composed of 3 groups – Sunni, Shi’a and a third group named Khwarij (who had their own separate views on the legitimate caliphs).  

The Khwarij were, more or less, the ultra-zealots and as a result were too extreme and this branch has almost died out except for a small group of believers in the deserts of Oman and Yemen.

Essentially, Islam broke apart after Mohammed’s death due to his unfortunate omission of establishing clear rules about who was to succeed him.  All the differences in modern Islam stem from the original fighting and disputation of who the truly “legitimate” successors of Mohammed were.

To make it even more confusing, the man the Shi’ites believe should’ve been the direct successor of Mohammed, Imam Ali, is considered by Sunnis to be the fourth legitimate successor of Mohammed, after 3 others (starting with Abu Bakr).

I’m keeping this extremely generalized, but this is very important to understand about Islam.  

Imam Ali was both the cousin of Mohammed as well as Mohammed’s son-in-law, after marrying Fatima Zahra, the eldest daughter of Mohammed by his first wife.  Fatima “Zahra” (the word means “radiant” in Arabic) is considered by most Muslims to be the greatest woman who ever lived and a paragon of all female values and has roughly the same status as Mary does in the Christian Catholic/Orthodox tradition.  

Clearly Imam Ali was a close friend and favorite of Mohammed.  The reason why the (eventual) Sunnis chose someone else as their successor however was because Ali was pretty young at the time of Mohammed’s death.  

Abu Bak’r was unrelated to Mohammed by blood but is considered to have been the first adult male to have converted to Islam.  He was definitely a close friend and supporter of Mohammed through his life.  Abu Bak’r was 59 at the time of Mohammed’s death.  He spent the next two years of his life fighting wars against both external enemies as well as “heretical” sects of the new religion.

Sunnis often refer to Abu Bakr as “Al-Siddiq”, which means “the truthful one”.  This designation has also found its way into many Arabic family names (with different spellings such as Al-Siddiqi) and indicates their Sunni heritage.

So, to make this extremely simplified:

Mohammed dies after a brief illness, without making it (crystal) clear who will succeed him or how a successor will be chosen.

In the (eventually) Sunni camp, Mohammed’s long-time friend, first adult convert, wealthy and powerful business man Abu Bak’r is chosen by popular accord as the next leader.  He and 2 other caliphs, known as the “Righteous 4” (along with Imam Ali), become the founders of the Sunni branch of Islam.

In the (eventually) Shi’ite camp, Mohammed’s extremely close relation, Imam Ali, should have been given the political and spiritual post after Mohammed’s death but was shunted aside.  After 3 other men reign as Caliph, Imam Ali (and later two of his sons) become the leader of all of Islam.  So for Shi’ites, Imam Ali was the 1st legitimate Caliph while to Sunnis he is number 4.

The third (if you’re Sunni, after Abu Bak’r and another one) Caliph, named Uthman (who also married one of Mohammed’s daughters), was murdered in Medina in the year 656.  By this time the Islamic caliphate was growing rather large and for a brief time the entire Ummah turned to Imam Ali as their leader.  

So essentially Sunnis believe 4 men were the first four legitimate rulers of the Islamic world after Mohammed’s death, including Imam Ali.  The Shi’ites on the other hand believe Ali was originally denied his rightful position as the legitimate heir to Mohammed.

To make this even more confusing, after Ali became the recognized Caliph (either #4 or #1, depending on your point of view), he had to fight a civil war against two rebel groups, lead by none other than Aisha, one of Mohammed’s wives.    After this battle, in a move to centralize the growing Islamic empire, Ali moved his capital from Medina (now Saudi Arabia) to Kufa (now Iraq, very close to Najaf).

Ali then fought a civil war against a man named Mu’awiyah, who was related to Uthman (the third Caliph according to Sunnis).  Mu’awiyah was the governor of what is roughly Syria today and had considerable political and military strength.  The armies of Ali and Mu’awiyah fought a protracted battle (near to the modern day border of Iraq/Iran ironically enough) without either side being a clear winner.  The two sides then decided to arbitrate the outcome.

Due to a complicated series of reasons, the arbitration eventually ruled in favor of Mu’awiyah although Ali did not accept it.  Therefore Ali had the technical claim of legitimacy as the Caliph of the Islamic world but Mu’awiyah had all the political and real-world power (and ended up founding the Umayyad dynasty).  

Adding further strangeness to the mix, the third splinter group of Muslims (the Kharijites) felt that both Ali and Mu’awiyah were not pure enough and sent assassins to kill them both.  The attempt against Mu’awiyah failed but Ali was killed in Kufa and the place of his death is considered a holy shrine by Shi’ites unto this day.  

Ali was buried in nearby Najaf and this is also an extremely holy site to Shi’ites – and both of these towns are in modern-day Iraq.  This made him a martyr forevermore in the eyes of Shi’ites.

Other Terms

As-Salam(u) Alaykum – The way Muslims traditionally great eachother, meaning literally “peace be upon you” in Arabic language.

Ayatollah – Arabic and Persian (Farsi) word indicating a high ranking of clerics, used only in Shi’a Islam.  Roughly equivalent to “cardinal” or “bishop” in Catholicism.  The next lowest rank is called “Hojjat-al-Islam” and the next highest rank is “Grand Ayatollah”, although Ayatollahs have the religious authorities to issue rulings on what is considered permitted (or forbidden).  

There are currently about 20 Grand Ayatollahs on the planet.  The Grand Ayatollah of Iraq is currently Ali al-Sistani.  The true leader of Iran (ie the one with all the real power) is always a man with Grand Ayatollah ranking.

Fatwa – A legally binding judgment by an Islamic scholar (see Ulema).  The correct pluralization of this word is Fatawaa.  Similar in some ways to the Catholic term “papal bull”.

Hifz/Hafiz – Both Arabic terms.  “Hifz” refers to a course taught in madrassahs for students to memorize the entire Qur’an.  A person who has memorized the entire Qur’an is referred to as a “hafiz”.   Many Muslims who have become Hafiz use it as an honorific title.

Haraam – Whatever is forbidden to Muslims – the opposite of halal.

Hijab – An Arabic term literally meaning “cover”, referring to the Qur’an’s dictate to both men and women to dress modestly.  In some countries the hijab is a full body garment designed to disguise a woman’s features while in other countries it only refers to the headscarf or veil.

Imam – Arabic word meaning “commander” or “leader”.  This can mean anything from the leader of troops to the leader of prayers at the local mosque.  It is an honorific (such as Reverend) and does not necessarily indicate any theological standing or qualification.  Imam is generally a Shi’a term although not exclusively.

Insh’Allah – Arabic term literally meaning “if God wills it”, used commonly when the speaker is hoping something will happen.  The Spanish term “ojala” comes directly from this phrase.

Jihad – Arabic term literally meaning “struggle”.  This can be a personal “struggle” to become more pious or a literal, physical struggle against enemies in a war.  For much more on this, see here.

Madrassah – Arabic word meaning nothing more and nothing less than “school”.  These are often religious-based but not necessarily and a madrassah can be anything from a kindergarten to a university.  

Mahdi – Arabic term meaning “guided one” or prophet.  In some Islamic traditions, especially Shi’a, there is a belief that “The Mahdi”, a redeemer of the Muslim faith, will appear sometime in the future, similar to the Christian-Jewish term “messiah”.  

In both Sunni and Shi’ite tradition, The Mahdi will fight alongside Jesus (against a false Messiah called the “Dajjal”) to establish a kingdom of perfect justice before the end of the world.  

Most Shi’ites (including those in Iraq and Iran) are referred to as “Twelvers” for their belief that The Mahdi will be the 12th Imam, or spiritual leader of Islam.  Since the majority of Shi’ites are “Twelvers”, they are considered the “orthodox” Shi’ites.  

Two other variants, referred to as “Fivers” and “Seveners” believe The Mahdi will be the 5th or 7th Imam of Islam.   Most of the Shi’ites in Yemen (for instance) are “Seveners” and therefore have no connection with the “Twelvers” in Iran.

Mufti – An Arabic word referring to an Islamic scholar who is capable of issuing fatwas due to their expertise on Islamic law.  The highest rank cleric in many (Sunni) countries is referred to as the Grand Mufti and is roughly equivalent to the rank of Grand Ayatollah.  

Mullah – Persian (Farsi) word referring to a Shi’ite cleric of a certain (usually fairly low) rank.  Roughly equivalent to an ordained priest in Catholicism.   Because the word is in Farsi, it is sometimes used in Afghanistan or India to refer to Sunni clerics as well.

Mujahid – Arabic word, singular.  Plural is “mujahideen”.  Comes from the same root as “jihad” and means “struggler” or “warrior” in every sense.  In Arabic it has absolutely no connotation of the fighter/struggler being “holy”.

Sala’am – Arabic term meaning “peace”, used as both a greeting for “hello” and “goodbye”.

Salaf – Arabic term meaning “righteous ancestors” and refers to the first three generations of people who converted to Islam (ie during Mohammed’s lifetime and immediately afterwards).

The “Salafist” movement is the correct name of what is sometimes called “Wahhabism”.  Salafists believe they are returning Islam to its original “purer” forms and often practice a rather zealous, conservative form of Islam.  

The founders of Al-Qaeda, the Taliban (in Afghanistan) and the Muslim Brotherhood movement all claim allegiance to the Salafist movement.  Many Salafist scholars are heavily influential in modern day Saudi Arabia, Qatar and parts of Iraq.

Shahid – Arabic term literally meaning “witness”.  Used in some groups as a synonym for “martyr”, especially those who die for their faith such as in a suicide bombing.

Shaikh/Sheikh – Arabic word having multiple meanings from “elder” to “wise man”.  Sometimes denotes that a person is a scholarly master of Islam and sometimes just means local leader.  This word is also used by Arabic-speaking Christians to denote a man of importance.

Sufi – A branch of Islam that is neither Shi’a nor Sunni.  Somewhat similar to “Kabbalah” in Judaism.  For much more information see here.  Sufis are often persecuted as heretics in countries with a majority Muslim population.

Surah – Arabic word meaning “chapter” as in one of the books of the Qur’an.  The Qur’an is comprised of 114 Surahs (or books) and they are often referred to by either their number or their title.

Taliban – Pashtun word, plural of “Talib” meaning “seeker of knowledge” or “student”.   The political group who controlled Afghanistan in the late 1990’s were referred to as the Taliban because their original membership consisted of Islamic scholars (talib).

Ulema – A generalized Arabic term literally meaning (Muslim) scholars and refers to someone who has mastered the fundamentals of Islamic theology: Hifz, Shar’ia, the Hadith, Mantiq (Qur’anic logic) and Muslim history.   Muftis, Imams and Ayatollahs must all first attain the rank of Alim (singular of Ulema), meaning a scholar of Islam.

Other Facts About Islam

Followers of other monotheistic religions, such as Jews and Christians, are referred to in the Qur’an as “People of the Book”.  Generally the Qur’an preaches tolerance for their non-belief (in Islam).  In classical times, Islamic rulers allowed Jews and Christians to practice their faith so long as they paid a tax call “dhimmis”.  This is often referred to as a “special tax” especially on non-Muslims, but is predicated upon the fact that non-Muslims don’t have to make charitable donations while all Muslims do.

The religions of Yazidi, Sikhism, Babism and Baha’i are not considered to be Islamic but have been greatly influenced or derived from “orthodox” Islamic beliefs.

Many ethnic Druze, who live in modern day Israel, Lebanon and Syria, follow their own set of beliefs which are partially derived from Islam.

Islamic law gives women the right to divorce their husbands.  The Qur’an also specifically delineates the alimony required of the husband for his children.

Islamic law gives women the right to both inherit as well as own property and the Qur’an has numerous, specific instructions concerning this.  Furthermore, any possessions a woman has before entering into marriage remain solely hers and do not transfer to her husband, nor is she required to spend this money/wealth on her husband.

Islamic law permits women to become clerics (the equivalent of priests) and in fact there are even female Ayatollahs.  For much more on this, see here.

Islamic law generally allows women to vote and two Muslim nations, Albania and Azerbaijan, gave women universal suffrage rights before the United States.

Islamic law permits women to hold political office and women have been elected as head of state in majority Muslim nations such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia.

Islam considers men and women to be equal in nature.  In fact, the Qur’an specifically states that women are not to be blamed for Adam’s mistake in disobeying God’s command in Eden – both men and women are equally wrong.

Many Islamic marriages are intiated through a “dower”, a gift given by the groom to his future wife.  The opposite of this is “dowry”, a gift given by a prospective wife to her future groom.

Specifically mentioned twice in the Qur’an is the fact no Muslim woman can be forced to marry anyone against her will.

Most of the most horrific atrocities perpetrated against women in Muslim societies, such as clitirodectomies (female genital mutilation) and “honor killings”, are inherited from earlier, local customs and are in fact contrary to Islamic law.

There are approximately 1.5 billion Muslims on planet Earth today, of which only about 20% are Arab.  Arab is a term that refers to an ethnicity and has nothing to do with religion.  In fact, about 10% of Arabs are Christian.  

The single largest group of Muslims are actually in Asia.

The nation with the largest Muslim population in the world is Indonesia (approx 200 million).

The European nation with the largest Muslim population is France (approx 6 million).

There are two majority Muslim nations in Europe: Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

If 19 hijackers attacked the U.S. on 9/11/01 and they were true Muslims, that means they comprised less than 0.0000000126% of the world’s Muslim population.

Peace