Islam

Moral

Islam presents a “straight path” of clear-cut duties and commands. Islamic morals are a combination of genuine acts of love and justice on the one hand and legalistic performances on the other.

Muhammad is pictured in the Korean as a loving person, helping the poor and slow to take revenge. Nevertheless the firm belief that Muslims possess the one truth has led to much violence on the behalf of Allah through the ages.

Although the Koran actually worked to elevate the horribly degraded position of women in Arab society, women continue to be regarded more as possible temptations to sin for men than as human beings with their own responsibilities before God. Many modern Muslims take the Korean’s approval of multiple wives to be applicable only to ancient times.

Worship

Muhammad is not worshiped; only God is. Because of strict rules against depictions of human forms in art there is a strong impetus against idolatry or

saint-worshiping in Islam. Allah is extolled in hymns that depict his power and majesty. But even Allah cannot be ultimately leaned on for salvation, because salvation is man’s responsibility. Thus his guidance, in the form of words rather than persons, is emphasized.

For that reason the Koran is revered as perhaps no other book. It is probably the most memorized book in the world.

Acts of worship in Islam are embodied in the “five pillars”: A Muslim must (1) recite the basic creed, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Prophet”; (2) recite prayers in praise of Allah five times daily while facing Mecca; (3) give money to the poor; (4) fast for one month a year; and (5) make a pilgrimage at least once during his lifetime to Mecca, the city where Allah revealed the Koran to Muhammad.