Facts for Kids

Tawhid is the Arabic word for the central idea in Islam: God is one and unique. Muslims feel God is unlike any person or thing and has no partners. The Arabic name for God is Allah, a single word used by many Arabic-speaking people.

God sends prophets to guide people. These prophets are human, not divine. They include figures you may know, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Muslims believe Muhammad is the last prophet. His life and sayings, called the sunnah, are written down in collections called hadith and help explain how to follow God’s message.

Islam is a monotheistic religion, which means it teaches belief in one God. It is based on the holy book called the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. People who follow Islam are called Muslims; there are about two billion Muslims around the world, so Islam is one of the largest religions today.

Muslims believe in the oneness of God and that life continues after death, with rewards for good deeds. Many Muslims live in places like Indonesia, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Africa, but you can find Muslim communities in almost every country.

Shariah is the name many people use for Islamic guidance about how to live. It comes from the Quran and the sunnah and is studied by scholars who explain rules for daily life. The study of these rules is called fiqh, and different schools of thought (madhhab) help people learn what to do.

Scholars write legal opinions called fatwas and use methods like analogy when a direct text does not answer a question. Rules often sort actions into five groups: required, recommended, allowed, disliked, and forbidden. Today, parts of shariah are used in family matters, food rules like halal, and many everyday manners called adab.

Sufism (also called tasawwuf) is a way some Muslims try to feel very close to God. It focuses on the heart, prayer, music, poetry, and deep friendship with a teacher. Sufis belong to many Muslim groups, so Sufism is not a separate branch.

Sufi teachers often form orders (called tariqa) that pass on special practices. Famous Sufi thinkers like Rumi wrote poems about love for God, and Sufism has shaped music and art in many places. Some people disagree with Sufis and this can cause tension, but Sufism remains important in many societies.

About one quarter of the world's people are Muslims, roughly 2 billion today. Most Muslims live in Asia and Africa; more than half live in countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Around nine out of ten Muslims are Sunni and about one in ten are Shia.

The Muslim population has grown fast because many Muslim communities are younger and have more children. Studies show that births, not big numbers of people changing faiths, explain most of this growth. By the middle of this century, experts expect the number of people who are Muslim to rise even more.

Five Pillars are the main acts of worship that help Muslims live their faith. The first is the shahadah, the short declaration of faith people say to show they believe in one God and that Muhammad is God’s messenger.

The second is prayer, or salah. Muslims pray five times each day, face Mecca, and wash (wudu) to be clean before praying. The third is zakat, giving part of your wealth (often 2.5%) to help the poor. The fourth is sawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset. The fifth is hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca which Muslims try to make at least once if they are able.

Many Muslim rules shape daily life. Modesty, called haya, affects how people dress, and some women wear the hijab to cover their hair. Men may grow beards and usually avoid tattoos. Cleanliness is important, so washing before prayer is a common habit.

Families mark life events with special customs. A groom gives a gift called a mahr when he marries. A newborn child often hears the adhan in the ear, and on the seventh day there is an aqiqah ceremony with charity for the poor. Respecting parents is very important, and simple, quick funerals are usual.

Many Muslims belong to one of two big groups: Sunni or Shia. About nine out of every ten Muslims are Sunni, and most of the rest are Shia. The word Sunni comes from a phrase that means people who follow the traditions of Muhammad and the community. Sunnis believe the first leaders after Muhammad were the right ones.

Within Sunni Islam there are different ways to follow the law and understand God. For example, four schools of law (Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) teach slightly different rules. Some groups focus on strict reading of texts, others add reason, and some try to return to the earliest practices. These differences make Muslim life rich and diverse across the world.

Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca around 570 CE. He worked as a trader and was known for being honest. Around 610 CE, while praying in a cave near Mecca, he received the first message that became part of the Quran. This night is called the Night of Power.

At first his teaching about one God met resistance in Mecca, so after about twelve years he and his followers moved to the city of Medina in 622 CE in an event called the Hijra. In Medina he helped write a community agreement, led the growing Muslim community through difficult times, and later returned to Mecca peacefully. He died in 632 CE.