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[[Image:USBrigNiagaraInPort.JPG|thumb|U.S. Brig ''Niagara'' in port]]
{{Islam}}
The replica '''U.S. Brig''' '''''Niagara''''' is a [[museum ship]] and [[sail training]] vessel located in [[Erie, Pennsylvania]] at the [[Erie Maritime Museum]]. She is a replica of the original [[USS Niagara (1813)|USS ''Niagara'']], a [[brig]] which played a pivotal role in the [[Battle of Lake Erie]] and the victory of [[Commodore (USN|Commodore)]] [[Oliver Hazard Perry]] during the [[War of 1812]].
{{dablink|For other uses, including people named "Islam", see [[Islam (disambiguation)]].}}
'''Islam''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: {{Ar|الإسلام}}; ''{{ArabDIN|al-islām}}'' {{Audio|ar-al_islam.ogg|listen}}) is a [[monotheism|monotheistic]] [[religion]] based upon the [[Qur'an]], which adherents believe was sent by [[God]] through [[Muhammad]]. Followers of Islam, known as [[Muslim]]s (Arabic: {{Ar|مسلم}}), believe Muhammad to have been God's (Arabic: ''[[Allah|{{ArabDIN|Allāh}}]]'') final [[prophet of Islam|prophet]]; most of them see the historic record of the actions and teachings of Muhammad related in the [[Hadith]] as indispensable tools for interpreting the Qur'an.
The original ''Niagara'' was sunk in 1820 in Misery Bay on [[Presque Isle State Park|Presque Isle, PA]] for preservation. Owned successively by [[Benjamin H. Brown]] of [[Rochester, New York]], and Captain [[George Miles]] of Erie, ''Niagara'' was raised but found to need such extensive restoration that she was again allowed to sink. She was raised again on March 6, 1913 and restored by the Perry Centennial Commission, which towed her from [[Buffalo, New York]] to [[Chicago, Illinois]] for exhibition at all the larger towns of Lakes [[Lake Huron|Huron]] and [[Lake Michigan|Michigan]] during the commemoration of the [[Battle of Lake Erie]]. Returning to Erie on September 21, 1913, she was cribbed up just out of the water, deteriorating until 1929, when restoration was begun by the ''Niagara'' Association of Erie, aided by the [[Pennsylvania Historical Commission]] and the [[Pennsylvania|Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]]. The project halted for lack of funds in 1934, but was finally completed in 1963 for the [[sesquicentennial]] of her great victories.
Like [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]], Islam is considered an [[Abrahamic religion]].<ref>{{cite book | author=Vartan Gregorian | title=Islam: A Mosaic, Not a Monolith | publisher=Brookings Institution Press | ___location=Washington D.C. | year=2003 | id=ISBN 081573283X|pages=p. ix}}</ref> With a total of approximately 1.4 billion adherents, Islam is the [[major religious groups|second-largest religion]] in the world.<ref>{{cite book |author= Teece, Geoff |title=Religion in Focus: Islam |publisher=Smart Apple Media| year=2005| pages=p. 10}}</ref>
[[Image:Melbourne-Mayor-Tullio.jpg|left|Melbourne Smith and Erie Mayor Tullio]]In 1988, the original replica having fallen into disrepair, a second replica was constructed. The [[National Park Service]] erroneously calls the vessel a reconstruction, not a replica. [http://www.nps.gov/archive/pevi/HTML/Niagara.html] She is, however, a fully-modern ship built in 1988 by Melbourne Smith using period ship-building techniques. The present (fourth) replica/reconstruction ''Niagara'' incorporates a limited amount of original USS ''Niagara'' wood only in non-structural areas. Although she is a fully rigged square-rigged [[brig]], and is usually maneuvered under sail, she does have twin diesel engines.
Secular historians place Islam's beginnings during the late 7th century in Arabia. Under the leadership of Muhammad and his successors, Islam rapidly spread by religious conversion and military conquest.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Nelson|first=Lynn Harry|url=http://www.ku.edu/kansas/medieval/108/lectures/islam.html|title=Islam and the Prophet Muhammad|accessdate=2006-06-17|publisher=Kansas University}} - "One must remember that we are talking about the Muslim expansion, not Arab conquests. The expansion of Islam was as much, or perhaps much more, a matter of religious conversion than it was of military conquest."</ref> Today followers of Islam may be found throughout the world, particularly in the [[Middle East]], [[North Africa]], [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]].
[[Image:decking.niagara.jpg|right|Decking the U.S. Niagara]]Today, the ''Niagara'' is used to educate the public on the [[War of 1812]] and the [[Battle of Lake Erie]]. She serves as the [[flagship]] of the "''Niagara'' Fleet", with a half-professional and half-volunteer crew joining her on many of her voyages to exotic ports.
==Etymology==
In Arabic, ''Islam'' derives from the [[Triliteral|triconsonantal]] root {{ArabDIN|[[Shin (letter)|Sīn]]-[[Lamedh|Lām]]-[[Mem|Mīm]]}}, with a basic meaning of "to surrender". ''Islam'' is an abstract nominal derived from this root, and literally means "submission to 'The God' (Arabic:[[Allah]])". The legislative meaning is to submit to God by singling Him out in all acts of worship {Monotheism}, to yield obediently to Him and to free and disassociate oneself from Polytheism and its people. Other Arabic words derived from the same root include:
* ''[[Salaam]]'', meaning "peace" or "safety", also part of a common salutation, ''[[assalamu alaikum]]'' ("peace be upon you").
* ''Muslim'', an agentive noun meaning "one who submits wholeheartedly [to God]".
* ''Salamah'', meaning "safety", also used in the common farewell ''ma' as-salamah'' ("[go] with safety").
*''Aslam'' (with a short "a" vowel) also means "I submit", since the addition of a [[hamza]] to the beginning of the [[triliteral]] root, followed by the first two consonants, a short vowel, and the final consonant, is the first-person singular imperfect tense in Arabic. (For example, from Sĩn-Kãf-Nũn, the word "'askun" means "I live" [reside].)
==Beliefs==
{{main|Aqidah}}
[[Image:Aziz efendi-muhammad alayhi s-salam.jpg|200px|thumb|right|"[[Muhammad]]" in [[Islamic calligraphy|Arabic calligraphy]].]]
Muslims believe that God revealed his direct word for humanity to Muhammad (c. 570–632) through the angel [[Gabriel]] and earlier [[Prophets of Islam|prophets]], including [[Adam (prophet of Islam)|Adam]], [[Nuh|Noah]], [[Islamic view of Abraham|Abraham]], [[Islamic view of Moses|Moses]], and [[Islamic view of Jesus|Jesus]]. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last prophet, based on the Qur'anic phrase "[[Seal of the Prophets]]" and sayings of the prophet of Islam himself, and that his teachings for humanity will last until [[Qiyamah|the Day of the Resurrection]]. Muslims assert that the main written record of revelation to humanity is the [[Qur'an]], which is flawless, immutable, and which Muslims believe is the final revelation of God to humanity.
Muslims hold that Islam is the same belief as that of all the messengers sent by God to humanity since Adam, with the Qur'an, the text used by all sects of the Muslim faith, codifying the final revelation of God. Islamic texts depict Judaism and Christianity as prophetic successor traditions to the teachings of Abraham, and God in the Qur'an calls Jews and Christians "[[People of the Book]]", and people of other faiths "[[Polytheists]]". However, Muslims believe that some people have distorted the word of God by deliberately altering words in meaning, form and placement in their respective holy texts, such as Jews changing the [[Torah]] and Christians the [[Injeel]]. This perceived distortion is known as ''[[tahrif]]'', or ''tabdīl'', meaning "alteration, substitution". This doctrine is accepted by most Muslims; some relatively small sects, such as [[Mu'tazili]] and [[Ismaili]], as well as a few Islamic scholars and members of various [[liberal movements within Islam]], reject the view that the Qur'an is a correction of Jewish and Christian scriptures.{{fact}}
===Fundamental Practices===
{{main articles|[[Five Pillars of Islam]], [[Branches of Religion]]}}
====Shahadah====
{{main article|Shahadah}}
The basic creed or tenet of Islam is found in the [[shahadah|''shahādatān'']] ("two testimonies"): ''{{ArabDIN|ašhadu 'an lā ilāhā illā-llāhu; wa ašhadu 'an muhammadun-r-rasūlu-llāh}}'' — "I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."<ref>{{cite book |author=Barnes, Trevor | publisher= Kingfisher Publications | title= Islam: Worship, Festivals, and Ceremonies from Around the World |year=2005 | pages=p. 15 | ___location=Boston, Massachusetts}}</ref> As the most important pillar, this testament can be considered a foundation for all other beliefs and practices in Islam. Children are taught to recite and understand the shahadah as soon as they are able to do so. Muslims repeat the shahadah in prayer, and non-Muslims use the creed to formally convert to Islam.<ref>{{cite book | title=Islam: Its History, Teaching, and Practices |author= Nigosian, S A| publisher=Indiana University Press |year=2004 |___location=Bloomington, Indiana}}</ref>
====Salat====
[[Image:Mosque.Qibla.01.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Muslims performing [[salat]] (prayer).]]
{{main article|Salat}}
Muslims perform five daily prayers throughout the day as a form of submission to God. The ritual combines specific movements and spiritual aspects, preceded by [[ablution]]. It is also supposed to serve as a reminder to do good and strive for greater causes.<ref>{{cite book |author=Eastman, Roger |title=The Ways of Religion: An Introduction to the Major Traditions |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1999 |___location=New York, New York| pages=p. 431}}</ref>
====Zakat====
{{main article|Zakat}}
Zakat, or alms-giving, is a mandated giving of charity to the poor and needy by able Muslims based on the wealth that he or she has accumulated. It is a personal responsibility intended to ease economic hardship for others and eliminate inequality.<ref>{{cite book |title=Major World Religions: From Their Origins to the Present |author=Lloyd Ridgeon |year= 2003 |publisher= RoutledgeCorizon |___location= New York, NY |pages= p. 258}}</ref>
====Sawm====
{{main article|Sawm}}
Sawm, or fasting, is an obligatory act during the month of [[Ramadan]]. Muslims must abstain from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from dawn to dusk and are to be especially mindful of other sins that are prohibited. This activity is intended to allow Muslims to seek nearness to God as well remind them of the needy.<ref>{{cite book |title=Islam 101: Principles and Practice |author=Arshad Khan |publisher= Writers Club Press |year=2003 |___location=Lincoln, Nebraska |pages= p.54}}</ref>
====Hajj====
[[Image:Supplicating Pilgrim at Masjid Al Haram. Mecca, Saudi Arabia.jpg|200 px|thumb|The Pilgrimage (''[[hajj]]'') to [[Kaaba]], [[Masjid al Haram]], [[Mecca]], is an important practice for Muslims to perform]]
{{main article|Hajj}}
The Hajj is a pilgrimage that occurs during the month of [[Dhu al-Hijjah]] in the city of [[Mecca]]. The pilgrimage is required for all Muslims who are both physically and financially able to go and is to be done at least once in one's lifetime.<ref>{{cite book |title= A Concise History of the Middle East| author= Goldschmidt, Arthur| publisher=Westview Press |year=2002 |___location= Boulder, Colorado |pages=p. 48}}</ref>
===God===
{{main articles|[[Allah]], [[God]], [[Islamic concept of God]]}}
[[image:Allah-green.svg|thumb|right|[[Allah]] in Arabic]]
The fundamental concept in Islam is the Oneness of [[God]] (''[[tawhid]]''), monotheism which is absolute, not relative or pluralistic. God is described in [[Sura]] [[al-Ikhlas]], as follows:
:"Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him." {{Quran-usc-range|112|1|4}}
In Arabic, God is called ''Allāh''. The word is etymologically connected to ''ʾilāh'' "[[deity]]", ''Allāh'' is also the word used by Christian and Jewish Arabs, translating ''ho theos'' of the [[New Testament]] and [[Septuagint]]; it predates Muhammad and in its origin does not specify a "God" different from the one worshipped by Judaism and Christianity, the other [[Abrahamic]] religions.
The name "Allah" shows no plural or gender. In Islam "Allah" Almighty as the Qur’an says:
:"(He is) the Creator of the heavens and the earth: He has made for you pairs from among yourselves, and pairs among cattle: by this means does He multiply you: there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things)." {{Quran-usc|42|11}}.
The implicit usage of the [[definite article]] in ''Allah'' linguistically indicates the divine unity. Muslims believe that the God they worship is the same God of Abraham. Muslims reject the Christian doctrine concerning the [[trinity]] of God, seeing it as akin to [[polytheism]]. Quoting from the Qur'an,
[[sura]] [[An-Nisa]]:
:"O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of God aught but the truth. Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, was (no more than) a messenger of God, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His messengers. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for God is one God: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs." {{Quran-usc|4|171}}
No Muslim visual images or depictions of God are meant to exist because such artistic depictions may lead to [[idolatry]] and are thus disdained. Moreover, most Muslims believe that God is [[Spiritual being|incorporeal]], making any two- or three- dimensional depictions impossible. Such [[aniconism]] can also be found in Jewish and some Christian theology. Instead, Muslims describe God by the names and attributes that he revealed to his creation. All but one Sura (chapter) of the Qur'an begins with the phrase "[[Basmala|In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful]]".
===The Qur'an===
[[Image:FirstSurahKoran.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[Al-Fatiha|first]] [[surah]] in a Qur'anic manuscript by [[Hattat Aziz Efendi]].]]
{{main|Qur'an}}
The Qur'an is considered by Muslims to be the literal, undistorted word of God, and is the central [[religious text]] of Islam. It has also been called, in English, "the Koran" and (archaically) "the Alcoran." Qur'an is the currently preferred English transliteration of the Arabic original (قرآن); it means “recitation”. Although the Qur'an is referred to as a "book", when a Muslim refers to the Qur'an, they are referring to the actual text, the words, rather than the printed work itself.
Muslims believe that the Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by God through the [[Gabriel (archangel)|Angel Gabriel]] on numerous occasions between the years 610 and up till his death in 632. In addition to memorizing his revelations, his followers had written them down on parchments, stones, and leaves, to preserve the revelation.
Most Muslims regard paper copies of the Qur'an with veneration, washing as for prayers before reading the Qur'an. Old Qur'ans are not destroyed as wastepaper, but burned.
Most Muslims memorize at least some portion of the Qur'an in the original language (i.e. Arabic). Those who have memorized the entire Qur'an are known as ''[[hafiz]]'' (plural ''huffaz'').
Muslims believe that the Qur'an is perfect only as revealed in the original Arabic. Translations were the result of human effort, the differences in human languages, and human fallibility, as well as lacking the inspired verses believers find in the Qur'an. Translations are therefore only commentaries on the Qur'an, or "interpretations of its meaning", not the Qur'an itself. Many modern, printed versions of the Qur'an feature the Arabic text on one page, and a vernacular translation on the facing page.
==Organization==
===Islamic law===
[[Image:Masjid_Nabawi._Medina,_Saudi_Arabia.jpg|thumb|200 px|right|Masjid al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet)]]
{{main|Sharia}}
The Sharia (Arabic for "well-trodden path") is Islamic law, as shown by traditional Islamic scholarship. The [[Qur'an]] is the foremost source of [[fiqh|Islamic jurisprudence]]. The second source is the [[sunnah]] of Muhammad and the early Muslim community. The sunnah is not itself a text like the Qur'an, but is extracted by analysis of the [[hadith]] (Arabic for ''report''), which contain narrations of Muhammad's sayings, deeds, and actions. [[Ijma]] (consensus of the community of Muslims) and [[qiyas]] (analogical reasoning) are the third and fourth sources of Sharia.{{fact}}
Islamic law covers all aspects of life, from the broad topics of governance and foreign relations all the way down to issues of daily living. Islamic laws that were covered expressly in the Qur’an were referred to as ''hudud'' laws and include specifically the five crimes of theft, highway robbery, intoxication, adultery and falsely accusing another of adultery, each of which has a prescribed "hadd" punishment that cannot be forgone or mitigated. The Qur'an also details laws of inheritance, marriage, restitution for injuries and murder, as well as rules for fasting, charity, and prayer. However, the prescriptions and prohibitions may be broad, so how they are applied in practice varies. Islamic scholars, ''the ulema'', have elaborated systems of law on the basis of these broad rules, supplemented by the hadith reports of how Muhammad and his companions interpreted them.
In current times, as Islam has spread to countries such as Iran, Indonesia, Great Britain, and the United States, not all Muslims understand the Qur'an in its original Arabic. Thus, when Muslims are divided in how to handle situations, they seek the assistance of a [[mufti]] (Islamic judge) who can advise them based on Islamic [[Sharia]] and hadith.{{fact}}
{{see also|Sin}}
====Apostasy and blasphemy====
{{main|Apostasy in Islam}}
In Islamic law ([[sharia]]), the consensus view is that a male apostate must be put to death unless he suffers from a mental disorder or converted under duress, for example, due to an imminent danger of being killed. A female apostate must be either executed, according to [[Shafi'i]], [[Maliki]], and [[Hanbali]] schools of [[Sunni]] Islamic jurisprudence ([[fiqh]]), or imprisoned until she reverts to Islam as advocated by the Sunni [[Hanafi]] school and by [[Shi'a]] scholars.<ref name="Murtadd">{{cite encyclopedia|author=Heffening, W. | article=Murtadd | encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]'' Online Edition |editor=P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs |publisher=Brill Academic Publishers | id=ISSN 1573-3912}}</ref>
Some contemporary [[Shi'a Islam|Shi'a]] jurists, scholars, writers, and Islamic sects have argued or issued [[fatwa]]s that either the changing of religion is not punishable or is only punishable under restricted circumstances,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2005/02/050202_mj-montzari-renegade.shtml Grand Ayatollah Hossein-Ali Montazeri: "Not Every Conversion is Apostasy"], by Mahdi Jami, In Farsi, ''BBC Persian'', February 2, 2005, retrieved April 25, 2006</ref><ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4850080.stm What Islam says on religious freedom], by By Magdi Abdelhadi, BBC Arab affairs analyst, 27 March 2006, retrieved April 25, 2006 </ref><ref> [http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1119503545098&pagename=IslamOnline-English-Ask_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaE Fatwa on Intellectual Apostasy], Text of the fatwa by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi </ref><ref> S. A. Rahman in "Punishment of Apostasy in Islam", Institute of Islamic Culture, Lahore, l972, pp. 10-13 </ref><ref>[http://www.islamicperspectives.com/Apostasy1.htm The punishment of apostasy in Islam], View of Dr. Ahmad Shafaat on apostasy.</ref> but these minority opinions have not found broad acceptance among [[ulema|Islamic scholars]].<ref name="Murtadd"/>
===Islamic calendar===
{{main|Islamic calendar}}
Islam dates from the [[Hijra]], or migration from Mecca to Medina. Year 1, AH (Anno Hegira) corresponds to AD 622 or 622 CE, depending on the notation preferred (see [[Common Era]]). It is a [[lunar calendar]], but differs from other such calendars (e.g. the [[Celtic calendar]]) in that it omits [[intercalary month]]s, being synchronized only with [[lunation]]s, but not with the [[solar year]], resulting in years of either 354 or 355 days. Therefore, Islamic dates cannot be converted to the usual CE/AD dates simply by adding 622 years. Islamic holy days fall on fixed dates of the lunar calendar, which means that they occur in different seasons in different years in the [[Gregorian calendar]].
==Denominations==
{{main|Divisions of Islam}}
There are a number of Islamic religious denominations, each of which have significant theological and legal differences from each other but possess similar essential beliefs. The major schools of thought are [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] and [[Shi'a]]; [[Sufi]]sm is generally considered to be a mystical inflection of Islam rather than a distinct school. According to most sources, present estimates indicate that approximately 85% of the world's Muslims are Sunni and approximately 15% are Shi'a. <ref>[http://countrystudies.us/afghanistan/61.htm Sunni and Shia Islam], ''Country Studies'', retrieved April 04, 2006</ref>
===Sunni===
The [[Sunni]] are the largest group in Islam. In [[Arabic]], ''as-Sunnah'' literally means '''principle''' or '''path'''.
Sunnis and Shi'a believe that Muhammad is a perfect example to follow, and that they must imitate the words and acts of Muhammad as accurately as possible. Because of this reason, the [[Hadith]] in which those words and acts are described are a main pillar of Sunni doctrine.
Sunnis recognize four major legal traditions ([[madhhab]]s): [[Maliki]], [[Shafi'i]], [[Hanafi]], and [[Hanbali]]. All four accept the validity of the others and Muslims choose any one that he/she finds agreeable to his/her ideas. There are also several orthodox theological or philosophical traditions ([[kalam]]).
===Shi'a===
[[Image:Dome_of_the_rock_distance.jpg|thumb|200px|A view of the [[Dome of the Rock]] on the [[Temple Mount]] in [[Jerusalem]], a holy site in Islam]]
[[Shi'a]] Muslims, the second-largest branch, differ from the Sunni in rejecting the authority of the first three caliphs. They honor different accounts of Muhammad ([[hadith]]) and have their own legal traditions. Shi'a scholars have a larger authority than Sunni scholars and have greater room for interpretation. The concept of [[Imamah]] (leadership) plays a central role in Shi'a doctrine. Shi'a Muslims hold that leadership should not be passed down through a system such as the [[caliphate]], but rather, descendants of Muhammad should be given this right as [[Imams]].
{{see also|Historic background of the Sunni-Shi'a split}}
===Sufism===
[[Sufism]] is a spiritual practice followed by both Sunni and Shi'a. Sufis generally feel that following Islamic law or jurisprudence (or ''[[fiqh]]'') is only the first step on the path to perfect submission; they focus on the internal or more spiritual aspects of Islam, such as perfecting one's faith and fighting one's own ego (''[[nafs]]''). Most Sufi orders, or [[tariqa]]s, can be classified as either Sunni or Shi'a. However, there are some that are not easily categorized as either Sunni or Shi'a, such as the [[Bektashi]]. Sufis are found throughout the Islamic world, from [[Senegal]] to [[Indonesia]]. Their innovative beliefs and actions often come under criticism from [[Wahhabis]], who consider certain practices to be against the letter of Islamic law.
===Others===
[[Salafi]]s are a smaller, more recent Sunni group. To other Muslims and non-Muslims ''Wahabi'' is the term most popularly associated with them. Followers of Salafism often also use the term "Ahl-us Sunnah Wa Jama'ah" as a label for their following, which would translate to english as "Congregation of the Followers of Sunnah". Salafiyyah is a movement commenly thought as founded by [[Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab]] in the 18th century in what is present-day [[Saudi Arabia]]. They are classified as Sunni. One of the foremost principles, however, is the abolition of "schools of thoughts" (legal traditions), and the following of Muhammad directly through the study of the sciences of the Hadith (prophetic traditions). The [[Hanbali]] legal tradition is the strongest school of thought where the Islamic law in Saudi Arabia is derived from, and they have had a great deal of influence on the Islamic world because of Saudi control of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]], the Islamic holy places, and because of Saudi funding for [[mosque]]s and schools in other countries. The majority of Saudi Islamic scholars are considered as [[Wahhabi]]s by other parts of the Islamic world.
Another sect which dates back to the early days of Islam is that of the [[Kharijites]]. The only surviving branch of the Kharijites are the [[Ibadi|Ibadi Muslim]]s. Ibadhism is distinguished from Shiism by its belief that the Imam (Leader) should be chosen solely on the basis of his faith, not on the basis of descent, and from Sunnism in its rejection of [[Uthman]] and [[Ali]] and strong emphasis on the need to depose unjust rulers. Ibadi Islam is noted for its strictness, but, unlike the Kharijites proper, Ibadis do not regard major sins as automatically making a Muslim an unbeliever. Most Ibadi Muslims live in [[Oman]].
Another trend in modern Islam is that which is sometimes called progressive. Followers may be called [[Ijtihadists]]. They may be either Sunni or Shi'ite, and generally favor the development of personal interpretations of Qur'an and Hadith. ''See'': [[Liberal Islam]]
One very small group, based primarily in the United States, follows the teachings of [[Rashad Khalifa]] and calls itself the "Submitters". They reject the [[Hadith]] and [[Fiqh]], and say that they follow the Qur'an alone. They also consider Khalifa a messenger after Muhammad (Rashad Khalifa proclaimed himself the Messenger of the Covenant). Note that this is different to a Prophet. Neither the "Submitters" nor Rashad Khalifa believe there will be any more prophets after [[Muhammed]]. Most Muslims of both the [[Sunni]] and the [[Shia]] branches consider this group to be heretical. Some Muslims, however, will reject Khalifa's messenger status but will also reject both the Fiqh and the Hadith.
==Islam and other religions==
{{main|Islam and other religions}}
The Qur'an contains both injunctions to respect other religions, and to fight and subdue unbelievers during war. Some Muslims have respected Jews and Christians as fellow [[People of the Book|people of the book]] (monotheists following [[Abrahamic religions]]), while others have reviled them as having abandoned monotheism and corrupted their scriptures. At different times and places, Islamic communities have been both intolerant and tolerant. Support can be found in the Qur'an for both attitudes.
The classical Islamic solution was a limited tolerance — Jews and Christians were to be allowed to privately practice their faith and follow their own family law. They were called [[dhimmis]] and paid a special tax called the [[jizya]]. The status of dhimmis is a matter of dispute, with some claiming that dhimmis were persecuted second-class citizens, and others that their lot was not difficult.
The medieval Islamic state was often more tolerant than many other states of the time, which insisted on complete conformity to a state religion. The record of contemporary Muslim-majority states is mixed. Some are generally regarded as tolerant, while others have been accused of intolerance and human rights violations.
===Related Faiths===
The [[Yazidi]], [[Sikhism]], [[Bábís|Bábísm]], [[Bahá'í Faith]], [[Berghouata]] and [[Ha-Mim]] religions either emerged out of an Islamic milieu or have beliefs in common with Islam in varying degrees; in almost all cases those religions were also influenced by traditional beliefs in the regions where they emerged, but consider themselves independent religions with distinct laws and institutions. The last two religions no longer have any followers.
==History==
[[Image:Califate 750.jpg|thumb|200px|The territory of the Caliphate in the year 750]]
{{main|History of Islam}}
Islamic history begins in [[Arabia]] in the 7th century with the emergence of Muhammad. Within a century of his death, an Islamic state stretched from the [[Atlantic ocean]] in the west to [[central Asia]] in the east, which, however, was soon torn by civil wars ([[fitna]]s). After this, there would always be rival dynasties claiming the [[caliphate]], or leadership of the Muslim world, and many Islamic states or empires offering only token obedience to an increasingly powerless [[caliph]].
Nonetheless, the later empires of the [[Abbasid]] caliphs and the [[Seljuk Turks]] were among the largest and most powerful in the world.{{fact}} After the disastrous defeat of the Byzantines at the [[Battle of Manzikert]] in 1071, Christian Europe launched a series of [[Crusades]] and for a time captured Jerusalem. [[Saladin]], however, recaptured [[Palestine]] and defeated the [[Shiite]] [[Fatimid]]s.
From the 14th to the 17th centuries, one of the most important Muslim territories was the [[Mali Empire]], whose capital was [[Timbuktu]].
In the 18th century, there were three great Muslim empires: the [[Ottoman empire|Ottoman]] in Turkey, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean; the [[Safavid]] in Iran; and the [[Mogul]] in India. By the 19th century, these realms had fallen under the sway of European political and economic power, due to European [[industrialism]] and [[colonialism]].{{fact}} Following [[WWI]], the remnants of the Ottoman empire were parceled out as European [[protectorate]]s or [[sphere of influence|spheres of influence]]. Islam and Islamic political power have revived in the 20th century.{{fact}} However, the relationship between the West and the Islamic world remains uneasy.{{fact}}
==Contemporary Islam==
Although the most prominent movement in Islam in recent times has been [[fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] [[Islamism]], there are a number of [[liberal movements within Islam]], which seek alternative ways to align the Islamic faith with contemporary questions.{{fact}}
Early [[Sharia]] had a much more flexible character than is currently associated with [[Islamic jurisprudence]], and many modern Muslim scholars believe that it should be renewed, and the classical jurists should lose their special status. This would require formulating a new [[fiqh]] suitable for the modern world, e.g. as proposed by advocates of the [[Islamization of knowledge]], and would deal with the modern context. One vehicle proposed for such a change has been the revival of the principle of [[ijtihad]], or independent reasoning by a qualified Islamic scholar, which has lain dormant for centuries.{{fact}}
This movement does not aim to challenge the fundamentals of Islam; rather, it seeks to clear away misinterpretations and to free the way for the renewal of the previous status of the Islamic world as a centre of modern thought and freedom.{{fact}}
Many Muslims counter the claim that only "liberalization" of the Islamic Sharia law can lead to distinguishing between [[tradition]] and true Islam by saying that meaningful "fundamentalism", by definition, will eject non-Islamic cultural inventions — for instance, acknowledging and implementing Muhammad's insistence that women have God-given rights that no human being may legally infringe upon. Proponents of modern Islamic philosophy sometimes respond to this by arguing that, as a practical matter, "fundamentalism" in popular discourse about Islam may actually refer, not to core precepts of the faith, but to various systems of cultural traditionalism.{{fact}}
{{see also|Modern Islamic philosophy}}
===The demographics of Islam today===
{{main articles|[[Islam by country]] and [[Demographics of Islam]]}}
[[Image:Islam-by-country-smooth.png|200px|thumb|Distribution of Islam per country. Green represents a [[Sunni]] majority and blue represents a [[Shia]] majority.]]
Based on the figures published in the 2005 [[CIA World Factbook]] ([http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/xx.html "World"]), Islam is the second largest religion in the world. According to the [http://www.wnrf.org/news/trends.html World Network of Religious Futurists], the [http://www.religioustolerance.org/growth_isl_chr.htm U.S. Center for World Mission], and [[Samuel P. Huntington|Samuel Huntington]], Islam is growing faster numerically than any of the other [[major world religions]]. [http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_numb.htm Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance] estimate that it is growing at about 2.9% annually, as opposed to 2.3% per year global population growth. Non-Muslim observers attribute this growth to the higher birth rates in many Islamic countries (six out of the top-ten countries in the world with the highest birth rates are majority Muslim <ref>[http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/peo_bir_rat&int=10 Stats > People > Birth rate > Top 10], ''NationMaster.com'', retrieved March 27, 2006</ref>). A recent demographic study, meanwhile, has determined that the birth rates of some Muslim countries are plummeting to the levels of western countries <ref>[http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/GH23Aa01.html "The demographics of radical Islam"], by Spengler, ''Asia Time Online'', August 23, 2005, retrieved March 27, 2006</ref>.
The most exact calculations estimate Islamic population to be a little over 1.3 billion.{{fact}} Commonly cited estimates of the Muslim population today range between 900 million and 1.4 billion people (cf. [http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html Adherents.com]); estimates of [[Islam by country]] based on U.S. State Department figures yield a total of 1.48 billion, while the Muslim delegation at the United Nations quoted 1.2 billion as the global Muslim population in September 2005.{{fact}}
Only 18% of [[Muslim]]s live in the [[Arab]] world; 20% are found in Sub-Saharan Africa, about 30% in the [[South Asia]]n region of [[Pakistan]], [[India]] and [[Bangladesh]], and the world's largest single Muslim community (within the bounds of one nation) is in [[Indonesia]]. There are also significant Muslim populations in [[China]], [[Europe]], [[Central Asia]], and [[Russia]].
[[France]] has the highest Muslim population of any nation in Western Europe, with up to 6 million Muslims (10% of the population <ref>[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/fr.html#People France], ''CIA - The World Factbook'', January, 2006, retrieved March 27, 2006</ref>). [[Albania]] has the highest proportion of Muslims as part of its population in Europe (70%), although this figure is only an estimate (see [[Islam in Albania]]).
The number of Muslims in [[North America]] is variously estimated as anywhere from 1.8 to 7 million.{{fact}}
===Political and religious extremism===
{{main|Islamism|Islamic extremist terrorism}}
The term ''Islamism'' describes a set of political ideologies derived from [[Islamic fundamentalism]].{{fact}} Most Islamist ideologies hold that Islam is not only a religion, but also a [[theocracy|political system]] that governs the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state according to interpretations of [[Sharia|Islamic Law]].
[[Islamic extremist terrorism]] refers to acts of terrorism claimed by its supporters and practitioners to be in furtherance of the goals of Islam. The validity of an Islamic justification for these acts is contested by other Muslims.{{fact}} Islamic extremist violence is not synonymous with all terrorist activities committed by Muslims. Nationalists, separatists, and others in the Muslim world often derive inspiration from [[secular]] ideologies. These are not well described as either Islamic extremist or Islamist.{{fact}}
==Symbols of Islam==
{{main|Islamic symbols}}
Muslims do not accept any icon or color as sacred to Islam as they believe that worshipping symbolic or material things is against the spirit of monotheism. Many people assume that the [[star and crescent]] symbolize Islam, but these were actually the insignia of the [[Ottoman Empire]], <ref>[http://islam.about.com/library/weekly/aa060401a.htm Crescent Moon: Symbol of Islam?], by Huda, ''About'', retrieved April 01, 2006</ref> not of Islam as a whole. The color green is often associated with Islam as well; this is custom and not prescribed by religious scholars. However, Muslims will often use elaborately [[Islamic calligraphy|calligraphed]] verses from the [[Qur'an]] and pictures of the [[Kaaba|Ka'bah]] as decorations in mosques, homes, and public places. The Qur’anic verses are believed to be sacred.
==See also==
{{portal}}
{{Further|[[:Category:Islam|List of Islamic and Muslim-related topics]]}}
* [[Criticism of Islam]]
* [[Islamic economics]]
* [[Islamic feminism]]
* [[Shariat|Islamic law]]
* [[Islamic literature]]
* [[Islamic studies]]
* [[List of converts to Islam]]
* [[List of Muslims]]
* [[Muslim World]]
* [[Islamism|Political Islamism]]
* [[Religion]]
* [[Timeline of Islamic history]]
==References==
<div class="references-small">
<references />
</div>
== Bibliography ==
* Arberry, A. J. ''The Koran Interpreted: a translation by A. J. Arberry''. Touchstone, ISBN 0684825074
* Kramer, Martin. ''The Islamism Debate''. University Press, (1997) ISBN 9652240249
* Kurzman, Charles. ''Liberal Islam: A Sourcebook''. Oxford University Press, (1998) ISBN 0195116224
* Rahman, Fazlur. ''Islam''. University of Chicago Press; 2nd edition, (1979) ISBN 0226702812
* Safi, Omid. ''Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender and Pluralism''. Oneworld Publications, (2003) ISBN 1-85168-316-X
* Tibi, Bassam. ''The Challenge of Fundamentalism: Political Islam and the New World Disorder''. Univ. of California Press, (1998) ISBN 0520088689
She typically flies a War of 1812-era [[United States flag]], the state flag of Pennsylvania, and Perry's famous "Dont [sic] Give Up the Ship" flag.
[[Image:Brig Niagara 1913 LOC 3c27683u.jpg|thumb|Brig Niagara in 1913]]
==Specifications==
{| border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"
|-
| Length at water line || 110 feet, 8 inches (33.7 m)
|-
| [[Beam (nautical)|Beam]] || 30 feet, 6 inches (9.3 m)
|-
| [[draft (hull)|Draft]] || 9 feet (3 m)
|-
| [[mast (sailing)|Foremast]] || 113 feet, 4 inches (34.5 m) above water line:
|-
| Mainmast || 118 feet, 4 inches (36.1 m) above water line:
|-
| Armament ||
*eighteen 32-pdr. (15 kg) [[carronades]]
*two 12-pdr. (5 kg) [[long guns]]
|}
==External links==
*[http://www.brigniagara.org/niagara.htm U.S. Brig Niagara], ''Erie Maritime Museum''
{{sisterlinks}}
*[http://www.nps.gov/pevi/HTML/Niagara.html The Brig Niagara], ''[[National Park Service]]''
*[http://www.islam.org Islam.org]
*[http://usbrigniagara.com/ Reconstruction and Launch Photographs], ''[[Steven M. Hetrick]]''
*[http://www.lightuponlight.com/ Light Upon Light]
* [http://www.islam-guide.com/ Islam Guide]
* [http://www.sultan.org/ Sultan.org]
* [http://www.harunyahya.com/ Harunyahya.com]
* [http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/MainPage/indexe.php Islam Web]
* [http://www.al-islam.com/eng/ Al-Islam]
* [http://www.zaytuna.org/ Zaytuna Institute]
* [http://www.islamic-council.com/index.html Islamic Council]
* [http://www.islamtomorrow.com/ Islam Tomorrow]
* [http://www.islamicfinder.com/ Islamic Finder]
* [http://www.islamonline.net/english/index.shtml Islam Online]
* [http://www.islamicity.com/ Islami City]
* [http://www.beconvinced.com/en/main.php Beconvinced.com]
* [http://www.spiritofislam.com/ Spirit Of Islam]
* [http://www.islam-qa.com/ Islam Questions & Answers ]
* [http://www.caircan.ca/ Canadian Council On American-Islamic Relations]
* [http://www.isna.net/ Islamic Society Of North America]
* [http://www.youngmuslims.ca/ Young Muslims In Canada]
* [http://www.islamtoday.com/ Islam Today]
* [http://www.understanding-islam.com/ Islam from Various Aspects in Light of Quran & Sunnah]
* [http://www.alazhar.gov.eg/English/Default.aspx Al-Azhar Islamic University]
===Academic resources===
*[http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/ University of South California Compedium of Muslim Texts]
*[http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/islam/ Encyclopedia of Islam (Overview of World Religions)]
*[http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/home.html Resources for Studying Islam] (Department of Islamic Studies, University of Georgia)
*[http://arabworld.nitle.org/introduction.php?module_id=2 Unit on Islam] from the [[NITLE]] Arab Culture and Civilization Online Resource
===Directories===
*Islam in [http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~mriexin/euroislam.html Western Europe], [http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~mriexin/UKIslam.html the United Kingdom], [http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~mriexin/DIslam.html Germany] and [http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~mriexin/sasislam.html South Asia]
===Islam and the arts, sciences, and philosophy===
The US Brig Niagara is inspected by the US Coast Guard as a Sailing School Vessel. There are several ways for the general public to sail onboard. For more information on the ship, her history, or sailing school opportunities, contact the Erie Maritime Museum at (814)454-BRIG or visit *[http://www.brigniagara.org]
*[http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/intro.htm Islamic Art] (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
*[http://www.muslimheritage.com/ Muslim Heritage] (Foundation for Science Technology and Civilisation, UK)
*[http://www.islamicarchitecture.org/ Islamic Architecture (IAORG)] illustrated descriptions and reviews of a large number of mosques, palaces, and monuments.
*[http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ Islamic Philosophy] (Journal of Islamic Philosophy, University of Michigan)
*[http://www.ummah.net/history/scholars/ Famous Muslim scientists & scholars]
{{Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission}}
[[Category:Islam|*]]
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