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Islam, a major world religion, founded in Arabia and based on the teachings of Muhammad, who is called the Prophet. The Arabic word islam literally means “to surrender,” but as a religious term in the Koran, it means “to surrender to the will or law of God.” One who practices Islam is a Muslim. According to the Koran, Islam is the primordial and universal religion, and even nature itself is Muslim, because it automatically obeys the laws God has ingrained in it. For human beings, who possess free will, practicing Islam does not involve automatically obeying but rather freely accepting God's commandments. A Muslim is a follower of the revelation (the Koran) brought by Muhammad and thus is a member of the Islamic community. Because the name Muslim is given in the Koran itself to the followers of Muhammad (Koran 22:78), Muslims resent being called Muhammadans, which implies a personal cult of Muhammad, forbidden in Islam. They also object to the spelling Moslem as a distortion of Muslim. Although exact statistics are not available, the Muslim world population is estimated at more than 1 billion. Islam hasflourished in diverse climatic, cultural, and ethnic regions. It has begun to grow rapidly in the United States. The major groups comprising the world community of Islam include the Arabs (North Africa and the Middle East); sub-Saharan Africans (from Senegal to Somalia); Turks and Turkic peoples (Turkey, Central Asia); Iranians; Afghans; the Indo-Muslims (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh); Southeast Asians (Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines); and a small percentage of Chinese. In Europe, Islam is the second largest religion after Christianity. Islamic Doctrine  The two fundamental sources of Islamic doctrine and practice are the Koran and the Sunna, or the exemplary conduct of the Prophet Muhammad. The Koran  Muslims regard the Koran as the speech of God to Muhammad, mediated by Gabriel, the angel of revelation; they believe that God himself, not Muhammad, is the author and therefore that the Koran is infallible. The document called the Koran is the collection of the passages revealed to Muhammad during the approximately 22 years of his prophetic life (610-32). It is divided into 114 chapters of unequal length, the shortest containing only 3 short verses, the longest containing 306 long verses. Both Islamic and non-Islamic scholars agree on the essential integrity of the text of the Koran throughout its history. The Sunna  The second substantive source of Islam, the Sunna, or example of the Prophet, is known through Hadith, the body of traditions based on what the Prophet said or did regarding various issues. Unlike the Koran, which was memorized—either in whole or in part—by many followers of Muhammad during their lifetime and which was compiled in written form quite early, the transmission of Hadith was largely verbal, and the present authoritative collections date from the 9th century. Unlike the Koran, Hadith is not considered infallible. In the early Islamic period, whether or not the Prophet himself was infallible (apart from the revelations in the Koran) was a point of controversy. Later, however, the consensus of the Islamic community was that both he and the earlier prophets were infallible. Because Hadith was mainly transmitted orally, however, it was conceded that error could enter into the human transmission. Hadith, therefore, is a source secondary to the Koran, although it is almost equally fundamental for most Muslims. Recent research, not yet accepted by the large body of Muslims, has demonstrated that much of Hadith was not derived from the Prophet but represents the opinions of the early generations of Muslims, opinions that were subsequently attributed to the Prophet. In some cases a genuine statement of the Prophet was preserved, but additions to it were later made by Muslims who wanted to advance certain theological or legal opinions. God  Monotheism is central to Islam—a belief in only one God, unitary and omnipotent. Belief in a plurality of gods or in the extension of God's divinity to any person is emphatically rejected. God created nature through a primordial act of mercy; otherwise there would be pure nothingness. God provided each element of his creation with its own proper nature, or laws governing its conduct, so that it follows a characteristic pattern. The result is a well-ordered, harmonious whole, a cosmos in which everything has its proper place and limitations. No gaps, dislocations, or ruptures, therefore, are found in nature. God presides over and governs the universe, which, with its orderly functioning, is the primary sign and proof of God and his unity. Violations of the natural order in the form of miracles occurred in the past, but although the Koran accepts the miracles of earlier prophets (Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others), it declares them outdated; Muhammad's miracle is the Koran, the like of which no human can produce. According to Islam, God has four fundamental functions with respect to the universe and to humanity in particular: creation, sustenance, guidance, and judgment. God, who created the universe out of sheer mercy, is bound to sustain it as well. All nature has been made subservient to humanity, which may exploit it and benefit from it. The ultimate purpose of humanity, however, is to be in the “service of God,” that is, to worship him alone and to construct an ethical social order free from “corruptions.” Ethics  The Koran declares that “reforming the earth” is the ideal of human endeavor. The basic criticism of humanity in the Koran is that it is too proud and too petty, narrow-minded, and selfish. “Man is by nature timid,” says the Koran. “When evil befalls him, he panics, but when good things come to him he prevents them from reaching others.” This pettiness causes individuals to become so submerged in nature that they lose sight of its Creator—only when nature fails them do they, in their utter frustration, turn to God. Because of their shortsightedness, people fear that charity and sacrificing for others will result in their own impoverishment. This, however, is Satan's influence, for God promises prosperity in return for generosity to the poor. The Koran insists, therefore, that individuals transcend their pettiness and enlarge themselves. By doing so, they will develop the inner moral quality that the Koran calls taqwa (usually translated “fear of God,” but actually meaning “to guard against danger”). By this quality humans can discern right from wrong and, above all, can evaluate their own actions properly, escaping self-deception, a danger to which they are always exposed. Often people think they have done something consequential, but the deed has no importance in the long run. The real worth of a person's deeds can be judged only through taqwa, and an individual's aim should be the ultimate benefit of humanity, not the immediate pleasures or ambitions of the self. Prophets  Because of humanity's moral weakness, God has sent prophets to teach both individuals and nations correct moral and spiritual behavior. After creation and sustenance, God's mercy is consummated in these acts of divine guidance. Although right and wrong are inscribed in the human heart, the inability or refusal of many people to decipher that inscription has made prophetic guidance necessary. This guidance is universal; no one on earth has been left without it. Adam was the first prophet; after his expulsion from the Garden of Eden, God forgave him his lapse (for this reason Islam does not accept the doctrine of original sin). The messages of all prophets emanate from the same divine source, which in the Koran is called “The Preserved Tablets,” “The Hidden Book,” or “The Mother of All Divine Books.” Religions are, therefore, basically one, even though their institutionalized forms may differ. Prophets are one indivisible unity, and one must believe in all of them, for to accept some and reject others amounts to a denial of the divine truth. All prophets are human; they have no share in divinity, but they are the most perfect exemplars for humanity. Some prophets are superior to others, however, particularly in steadfastness under trial. Thus, the Koran describes Muhammad as the “Seal of all Prophets.” From this arises the Islamic belief that prophethood was consummated and finished with him and that the Koran is the final and most nearly perfect revelation of God, consummating and superseding all earlier ones. The Day of Judgment  The divine activities of creation, sustenance, and guidance end with the final act of judgment. On the Day of Judgment, all humanity will be gathered, and individuals will be judged solely according to their deeds. The “successful ones” will go to the Garden (heaven), and the “losers,” or the evil, will go to hell, although God is merciful and will forgive those who deserve forgiveness. Besides the Last Judgment, which will be on individuals, the Koran recognizes another kind of divine judgment, which is meted out in history to nations, peoples, and communities. Nations, like individuals, may be corrupted by wealth, power, and pride, and, unless they reform, these nations are punished by being destroyed or subjugated by more virtuous nations. Practices and Institutions     Five duties, known as the “pillars of Islam,” are regarded as cardinal in Islam and as central to the life of the Islamic community. Profession of Faith  In accordance with Islam's absolute commitment to monotheism, the first duty is the profession of faith (the Shahadah): “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet.” This profession must be made publicly by every Muslim at least once in his or her lifetime “by the tongue and with full assent from the heart”; it defines the membership of an individual in the Islamic community. Prayer  The second duty is that of five daily prayers. The first prayer is offered before sunrise, the second in the very early afternoon, the third in the late afternoon, the fourth immediately after sunset, and the fifth before retiring and before midnight. In prayers, Muslims face the Kaaba, a small, cube-shaped structure in the courtyard of al-Haram (the “inviolate place”), the great mosque of Mecca. A single unit of prayer consists of a standing posture, then a genuflection followed by two prostrations, and finally a sitting posture. In each of these postures prescribed prayers and portions of the Koran are recited. All five prayers in Islam are congregational and are to be offered in a mosque, but they may be offered individually if, for some reason, a person cannot be present with a congregation. Individual, devotional prayers are not obligatory, but Muslims are encouraged to offer them after midnight; they are called tahajjud (“night-vigil”). In the Middle East and Indonesia, women also join the congregational prayers, although they pray in a separate room or hall. In the Indian subcontinent, Muslim women pray at home. Before praying, the worshiper must make ablutions. Before every congregational prayer, a formal public call to prayer is made from a minaret of the mosque by the muezzin (from azan, “call to prayer”). In recent times the call has been made over a microphone so that those at some distance can hear it. Special early afternoon prayers are offered on Fridays in congregational mosques. These are preceded by a sermon from the pulpit by the imam, also called the Khatib. On the two annual religious festival days called Ids (one immediately after the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and the other immediately after the pilgrimage to Mecca), there are special prayers followed by sermons in the morning. These prayers are not held in mosques but in a wide space outside set apart for this purpose. Almsgiving  The third cardinal duty of a Muslim is to pay zakat. This was originally the tax levied by Muhammad (and later by Muslim states) on the wealthy members of the community, primarily to help the poor. It was also used for winning converts to Islam; for the ransom of war captives; for the relief of people in chronic debt; for jihad (the struggle for the cause of Islam, or holy war), which, according to the Koran commentators, includes health and education; and for facilitating travel and communications. Only when zakat has been paid is the rest of a Muslim's property considered purified and legitimate. In most Muslim states zakat is no longer collected by the government and instead has become a voluntary charity, but it is still recognized as an essential duty by all Muslims. In a number of countries strong demands have been made to reinstate it as a tax, but this would entail a complete revision of its rates and structure to conform with the needs of a modern state. Fasting  The fourth duty is the fast of the month of Ramadan. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Islamic festivals are not confined to any one season. Even during hot summers, most Muslims meticulously observe fasting. During the fasting month, one must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset. Throughout the month one must abstain from all sinful thoughts and actions. Those who can afford it must also feed at least one poor person. If one is sick or on a journey that causes hardship, one need not fast but must compensate by fasting on subsequent days. Pilgrimage  The fifth duty is the pilgrimage to the Kaaba at Mecca. Every adult Muslim who is physically and economically able to do so must make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. Held during the first ten days of the last month of the lunar year, the rite requires that the pilgrims enter into a state of purity in which they wear only a seamless white garment, abstain from shedding blood and cutting either hair or nails, and avoid all forms of vulgarity. The main constituents of this lengthy rite are seven circumambulations of the Kaaba, walking fast between two mounds near the sanctuary seven times, marching three miles to Mina, then proceeding six miles to Arafat, staying the afternoon and listening to a sermon there, then marching back to Mecca, offering a sacrifice in a memory of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of his son, and once again circumambulating the Kaaba. During recent years, air travel has allowed Muslims from all parts of the world to perform the pilgrimage. In 1977 the reported number was close to 2 million. Through the centuries, the Kaaba has played an important role as a meeting place of Islamic scholars for the exchange and diffusion of ideas. For the past two decades, the pilgrimage has also been used to promote political solidarity in the Muslim world. Besides these five basic institutions, other important laws of Islam include the prohibition of alcohol consumption and of eating the flesh of swine. Besides the Kaaba, the central shrine of Islam, the most important centers of Islamic life are the mosque, where daily prayers are offered, and the cathedral mosque, where Friday services are held. Islam and Society  The Islamic view of society is theocratic in the sense that the goal of all Muslims is “God's rule on earth.” This does not, however, imply clerical rule, although religious authorities have had considerable political influence in some Muslim societies. Islamic social philosophy is based on the belief that all spheres of life—spiritual, social, political, and economic—form an indivisible unity that must be thoroughly imbued with Islamic values. This ideal informs such concepts as “Islamic law” and the “Islamic state” and accounts for Islam's strong emphasis on social life and social duties. Even the cardinal religious duties prescribed in the five pillars of Islam have clear social implications. The Community of the Faithful The basis of Islamic society is the community of the faithful, which is consolidated by the performance of the five pillars of Islam. Its mission is to “command good and prohibit evil” and thus to reform the earth. The community must be moderate, however, and avoid all extremes. During the Middle Ages, Islamic religious authorities began to claim a degree of infallibility for the community, but the European colonial domination of Muslim countries led to speculation that the community must have erred and was being punished. In the 20th century, Islamic thinkers have consequently offered various diagnoses of Muslim society and proposals for reform. Education  The Islamic university system contributed to the great cultural developments of Islam. The universities were founded as institutions of religious learning, where the ulama (religious scholars), qadis (judges), muftis (interpreters of the law), and other high religious officials were trained. These officials formed an important political class, especially in Turkey and India, where they had much influence over state policies. In many 20th-century Muslim countries, however, the ulama have lost much of their former influence, especially among Western-educated Muslims who do not wish a strictly religious code of government; in Turkey the ulama have been stripped of legal power altogether. In the 9th century the caliph al-Mamun founded an academy at Baghdad for the study of secular subjects and for the translation of Greek philosophical and scientific texts. In the 10th century, at Cairo, the Fatimid caliphs also established an academy for secular learning, Al Azhar, still the most important center for Islamic learning. Rulers and wealthy patrons usually made funds available for individual scholars. Medieval Islamic scholars made important contributions to the fields of philosophy, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and the natural sciences; between the 9th and 13th centuries the Islamic community was the most productive civilization in the world. Among other famous Islamic universities, the Nizamiya, founded (1067) at Baghdad by the Iranian statesman Nizam al-Mulk, taught law, theology, and Islamic tradition and had on its staff the famous philosopher al-Ghazali; the Mustansiriya, founded (1234) at Baghdad, taught religious law and other subjects. Islamic Law  Islamic law, called the Sharia, spells out the moral goals of the community. In Islamic society, therefore, the term law has a wider significance than it does in the modern secular West, because Islamic law includes both legal and moral imperatives. For the same reason, not all Islamic law can be stated as formal legal rules or enforced by the courts. Much of it depends on conscience alone. The Four Sources  Islamic law is based on four sources, or “roots of law.” The first two are the documentary sources, the Koran and the Sunna, or Hadith. The third source is called ijtihad (“responsible individual opinion”). It has been used when an issue is not covered by passages in the Koran or Sunna; a jurist may then resolve the issue by using analogical reasoning (qiyas). Such reasoning was first employed when Islamic theologians and jurists in conquered countries were confronted with the need to integrate local customs and laws with the Koran and Sunna. Later, Islamic authorities considered this original thinking a threat to the Koran and Sunna and laid down strict rules limiting its use. Because of the profound changes in the Muslim world community during the last few decades, however, a renewed emphasis has been placed on the innovative thinking of ijtihad. The fourth source is the consensus (ijma) of the community, which is reached by gradually discarding some opinions and accepting others. Because Islam has no official dogmatic authority, this is an informal process that often requires a long period of time. Schools of Law  Five schools of law developed in Islam, four Sunnite and one Shiite. The four Sunnite schools emerged in the first two centuries of Islam: the Shafi'i, the Hanafi, the Maliki, and the Hanbali. All use systematic reasoning to deal with areas of law not covered by the Koran or Sunna. They differ primarily in their emphasis on textual authority or analogical reasoning, but each school recognizes the conclusions of the others as being perfectly legitimate and within the framework of orthodox Islam. Each school tends to predominate in certain areas: the Hanafi in the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, Turkey, and to some extent in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Palestine; the Maliki in North Africa; the Shafi'i in Southeast Asia; and the Hanbali in Saudi Arabia. The Shiite school (called the Jafari) prevails in Iran. Jihad  The term jihad, usually translated “holy war,” designates the struggle toward the Islamic goal of “reforming the earth,” which may include the use of armed force if necessary. The prescribed purpose of jihad, however, is not territorial expansion or the forcible conversion of people to Islam, but the assumption of political power in order to implement the principles of Islam through public institutions. The concept of jihad was nevertheless used by some medieval Muslim rulers to justify wars motivated by purely political ambitions. According to classical Islamic law, the world was divided into three zones: the House of Islam, where Muslims are ascendant; the House of Peace, those powers with whom Muslims have peace agreements; and the House of War, the rest of the world. Gradually, however, jihad came to be interpreted more in defensive than in offensive terms. In the 20th century the concept of jihad inspired Muslims in their struggle against Western colonialism. The Family  The early Islamic community aimed at strengthening the family at the expense of old tribal loyalties, although it was not able to suppress the latter. The Koran stresses filial piety and “love and mercy” between husband and wife. Men and women are declared equal, “except that men are a degree higher” because they are charged with the household expenditure. Sexual fidelity is sternly demanded, and proven adultery is punishable by 100 lashes. The Koran advocates measures that were intended to improve the condition of women. The infanticide of girls, formerly prevalent among certain tribes, is forbidden; daughters are given a share of inheritances, although only half of that allotted to boys. The Koran repeatedly emphasizes the kind treatment of women and grants to wives the right of divorce in case of maltreatment. The Koran approves polygamy, allowing as many as four wives, but also states, “if you fear you cannot do justice among co-wives, then marry only one wife.” The abuse of polygamy and of the husband's right in traditional Islam to repudiate his wife, even when her conduct is faultless, has recently led to the enactment of reformed family laws in most Muslim countries. History  In Muhammad's time (circa 570-632), the Arabian Peninsula was inhabited by nomadic Bedouins engaged in herding and brigandage, and by city-dwelling Arabs engaged in trade. The religion of the Arabs was polytheistic andidolatrous. Nonetheless, an old tradition of monotheism, or at least a belief in a supreme deity, existed. Jewish and Christian communities probably contributed to a growing receptivity to monotheistic doctrines, although neither Judaism nor Christianity proved attractive to the Arabs. A number of monotheistic preachers preceded Muhammad but had little success. Muhammad  Muhammad began his ministry at the age of 40, when, he claimed, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him in a vision. Muhammad confided to his family and close friends the substance of this and succeeding visions. After four years he had converted some 40 persons to his views, and he then began to preach openly in his native city of Mecca. Ridiculed by the Meccans, he went in 622 to Medina. It is from this event, the Hegira that the Islamic calendar is dated. At Medina, Muhammad soon held both temporal and spiritual authority, having been recognized as a lawgiver and prophet. Arab and Jewish opposition to him in Medina was crushed, and war was undertaken against Mecca. Increasingly, Arab tribes declared their allegiance to him, and Mecca surrendered in 630. At his death in 632 Muhammad was the leader of an Arab state growing rapidly in power. Muhammad's central teachings were the goodness, omnipotence, and unity of God and the need for generosity and justice in human relations. Important elements from Judaism and Christianity were incorporated into the emergent religion, but it was rooted in the pre-Islamic Arabic tradition; such central institutions as the pilgrimage and the Kaaba shrine were absorbed, in modified form, from Arabic paganism. Muhammad, in reforming the pre-Islamic Arabic tradition, also confirmed it. The Classical Period  During the first centuries of Islam (7th-10th century), its law and theology, the basic orthodox Islamic disciplines, were developed. Theology is next in importance to law in Islam, although it is not as essential as Christian theology has been to Christianity. Theological speculation began soon after Muhammad's death. The first major dispute was provoked by the assassination of the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, and subsequent political struggles. The question was whether a Muslim remains a Muslim after committing grave sins. A fanatical group called the Kharijites maintained that the commission of serious sins, without due repentance, excludes even an observant Muslim (who continues to subscribe to the articles of faith) from the Islamic community. Good works, therefore, and not just faith, are essential to Islam. The Kharijites came to regard almost all Muslim political authorities as impious, and after numerous rebellions, they were finally suppressed. A more moderate faction of Kharijites, called ibadis, survived, however, and still exists in North and East Africa, Syria, and Oman. The Mutazilites  The translation of Greek philosophical works into Arabic in the 8th and 9th centuries resulted in the emergence of the first major Islamic theological school, called the Mutazilites, who stressed reason and rigorous logic. The question of the importance of good works persisted, and the Mutazilites maintained that a person who committed a grave sin without repenting was neither a Muslim nor a non-Muslim but occupied a middle ground. Their fundamental emphasis, however, was on the absolute unity and justice of God. They declared God to be pure Essence without attributes, because attributes would imply multiplicity. Divine justice requires human free will, because if the individual is not free to choose between good and evil, reward and punishment become absurd. God, because he is perfectly just, cannot withhold reward from the good or punishment from the evil. As rationalists, the Mutazilites maintained that human reason is competent to distinguish between good and evil, although it may be supplemented by revelation. The theology of the Mutazilites was established as a state creed by the caliph al-Mamun, but by the 10th century a reaction had set in, led by the philosopher al-Ashari and his followers. They denied the freedom of the human will, regarding the concept as incompatible with God's absolute power and will. They also denied that natural human reason can lead to a knowledge of good and evil. Moral truths are established by God and can be known only through revelation. The views of al-Ashari and his school gradually became dominant in Sunnite, or orthodox, Islam, and they still prevail among most conservative Muslims. The tendency of the Sunnites, however, has been to tolerate and accommodate minor differences of opinion and to emphasize the consensus of the community in matters of doctrine. Medieval Philosophy  The Mutazilites were probably the first Muslims to borrow Greek philosophical methods in expounding their views. Some of their opponents used the same methods, and the debate initiated the Islamic philosophical movement, which relied heavily on the Arabic translation and study of Greek philosophical and scientific works, encouraged by the caliph al-Mamun. The first important Islamic philosopher was the 9th-century Arab al-Kindi, who tried to bring the concepts of Greek philosophy into line with the revealed truths of Islam, which he still considered superior to philosophical reasoning. As were subsequent Islamic philosophers of this period, he was primarily influenced by the works of Aristotle and by Neoplatonism, which he synthesized into a single philosophical system. In the 10th century, the Turk al-Farabi was the first Islamic philosopher to subordinate revelation and religious law to philosophy. Al-Farabi argued that philosophical truth is the same throughout the world and that the many different existing religions are symbolic expressions of an ideal universal religion. In the 11th century, the Persian Islamic philosopher and physician Avicenna achieved the most systematic integration of Greek rationalism and Islamic thought, but it was at the expense of several orthodox articles of faith, such as the belief in personal immortality and in the creation of the world. He also contended that religion is merely philosophy in a metaphorical form that makes it palatable to the masses, who are unable to grasp philosophical truths in rational formulations. These views led to attacks on Avicenna and on philosophy in general by more orthodox Islamic thinkers, notably the theologian al-Ghazali, whose book Destruction of the Philosophers had much to do with the eventual decline of rationalist philosophical speculation in the Islamic community. Averroës, the 12th-century Spanish-Arab philosopher and physician, defended Aristotelian and Neoplatonic views against al-Ghazali and became the most significant Islamic philosopher in Western intellectual history through his influence on the Scholastics. Sufism  The mystical movement called Sufism originated in the 8th century, when small circles of pious Muslims, reacting against the growing worldliness of the Islamic community, began to emphasize the inner life of the spirit and moral purification. During the 9th century Sufism developed into a mystical doctrine, with direct communion or even ecstatic union with God as its ideal. This aspiration to mystical union with God violated the orthodox Islamic commitment to monotheism, and in 922 al-Hallaj, who was accused of having asserted his identity with God, was executed in Baghdad. Prominent Sufis subsequently attempted to achieve a synthesis between moderate Sufism and orthodoxy, and in the 11th century al-Ghazali largely succeeded in bringing Sufism within the orthodox framework. In the 12th century Sufism ceased to be the pursuit of an educated elite and developed into a complex popular movement. The Sufi emphasis on intuitive knowledge and the love of God increased the appeal of Islam to the masses and largely made possible its extension beyond the Middle East into Africa and East Asia. Sufi brotherhoods multiplied rapidly from the Atlantic to Indonesia; some spanned the entire Islamic world; others were regional or local. The tremendous success of these fraternities was due primarily to the abilities and humanitarianism of their founders and leaders, who not only ministered to the spiritual needs of their followers but also helped the poor of all faiths and frequently served as intermediaries between the people and the government. The Shiites  The Shiites are the only surviving major sectarian movement in Islam. They emerged out of a dispute over political succession to Muhammad, the Shiites claiming that rule over the community is a divine right of the Prophet's descendants through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali. The Shiites believe in a series of 12 infallible leaders beginning with Iman Ali and are thus also known as the “Twelvers.” The 12th and last imam disappeared in 880, and Shiites await his return, at which time the world will be filled with justice. Until that time even the best ruler is only half legitimate. The Shiites, in contrast to the orthodox Sunnites, emphasize esoteric knowledge rather than the consensus of the community. Other Sects  Several small sects have developed out of Shia Islam, the most important of which is the Ismailis. The theological ideas of the Ismailis are more radical than those of the Shiites and are largely derived from Gnosticism and Neoplatonism. Ismailis are found mainly in India and Pakistan; others have recently emigrated from East Africa to Canada. An offshoot of Ismailism is the Druze sect, which arose after the mysterious disappearance in Cairo of the Ismaili Fatimid caliph al-Hakim. Many Druze believe al-Hakim to have been an incarnation of God. In 1844 a young Shiite, Mirza Ali Muhammad of Shìraz, in Iran, proclaimed himself the Bab (“gateway” to God) and assumed a messianic role. His followers, called the Babis, were severely persecuted by the Shiite clergy, and he was executed in 1850. Under the leadership of his disciple Mirza Hoseyn Ali Nuri, known as Bahaullah, the Bahais (as the group came to be called) developed a universalist pacifist doctrine, declared Bahai to be a religion independent of Islam, and won many converts in the United States. Islam in the Modern World  The stagnation of Islamic culture after the medieval period led to a reemphasis on original thinking (ijtihad) and to religious reform movements. Unlike the primarily doctrinal and philosophical movements of the Middle Ages, the modern movements were chiefly concerned with social and moral reform. The first such movement was the Wahhabi, named after its founder, Ibn Abd al-Wahhabi, which emerged in Arabia in the 18th century and became a vast revivalist movement with offshoots throughout the Muslim world (see Wahhabis). The Wahhabi movement aimed at reviving Islam by purifying it of un-Islamic influences, particularly those that had compromised its original monotheism, and by stressing the responsibility of Muslims to think independently rather than blindly accepting tradition. Other Islamic reformers have been influenced by Western ideas. The most influential reformist of the 19th century was the Egyptian Muhammad Abduh, who believed that reason and modern Western thought would confirm the truth of Islam rather than undermine it, and that Islamic doctrine could be reformulated in modern terms. Sir Muhammad Iqbal is the most important modern philosopher to have attempted the reinterpretation of Islamic doctrines. Other intellectuals in Egypt, Turkey, and India attempted to reconcile with the teachings of the Koran such ideas as those raised by constitutional democracy, science, and the emancipation of women. The Koran teaches the principle of “rule by consultation,” which in modern times, they argued, can best be realized by representative government rather than monarchy. They pointed out that the Koran encourages the study and exploitation of nature, but Muslims, after a few centuries of brilliant scientific work, had passed it on to Europe and abandoned it. They argued that the Koran had given women equal rights, but these had been usurped by men, who had grossly abused polygamy. Although the modernist ideas were based on plausible interpretations of the Koran, they were bitterly opposed by Islamic fundamentalists, especially after the 1930s. The reaction against modernism has been gathering momentum since that time for several reasons. The fundamentalists do not oppose modern education, science, and technology per se, but they accuse the modernists of being purveyors of Western morality. They believe that the emancipation of women, as conceived by the West, is responsible for the disintegration of the family and for permissive sexual morality. Some fundamentalists are suspicious of democracy because they do not trust the moral sense of the masses. Moreover, modernist leaders and officials in some Muslim countries have failed to improve significantly the condition of the mostly poor and rapidly increasing populations of those countries. Finally, and perhaps most important, the bitter resentment Muslims feel toward Western colonialism has made many of them regard everything Western as evil. During the modern period Islam has continued to win new converts, especially among black Africans and some black Americans, to whom its fundamental egalitarianism appeals. Islam and Other Religions  Convinced of the absolute truth of Islam, Muslims traditionally have not sought dialogue with representatives of other religions, although medieval Islamic scholars wrote fairly objective works about them. Recently, however, Muslims have engaged in dialogues with representatives of Christianity and Judaism, recognized in Islam as the two other “religions of the book” (based on revelation). Nonetheless, memories of Western colonialism have generated suspicion and impeded ecumenical efforts. See also Arabic Literature; Islamic Art and Architecture; Arab Music. For additional information on historical figures, see biographies of those whose names are not followed by dates. Contributed by:  Fazlur Rahman THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S LAST SERMON  (This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H in the Uranah Valley of mount Arafat ) Note: Found on the Net, but without source or copyright information. Please contact halsall@muray.fordham.edu if you have information  "O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and TAKE THIS WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY.  O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived...  Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.  O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and comitted helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.  O People, listen to me in earnest, whorship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. YOU ARE ALL EQUAL. NOBODY HAS SUPERIORITY OVER OTHER EXCEPT BY PIETY AND GOOD ACTION. Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.  O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QUR'AN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray.  All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly. BE MY WITNESS O ALLAH THAT I HAVE CONVEYED YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR PEOPLE."