HAJJ+GROUP+3

__**Key Beliefs**__
 * Muslims hold six articles of belief
 * There is only one God without limit, called Allah.
 * Muhammad received the Qur'an as a copy of the eternal Qur'an which is inscribed in heaven.
 * God created heavenly beings called angels to serve God and they are opposed by evil spirits.
 * God sent his prophets to the earth at their appointed times, and the Prophet Muhammad was the last and greatest messenger of God.
 * There will be a last day of world history called the Day of Judgement. Good and evil will be weighed in the balance. The wicked will be punished and the just will enjoy eternal life in Paradise.
 * Everything in the universe has a predetermined course. Nothing happens without the will or knowledge of God.

The //sunna// is a collection of traditions, moral sayings and anecdotes (//hadiths//) of Muhammad. It embodies all the elaborations of Qur'anic teaching.

The practice of religious faith is also built on the five pillars of Islam:
 * **__ Shahadah __**** (declaration of faith): ** "I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God." By reciting this, one enters Islamic faith.


 * **__ Salaah __**** (prayer): ** Muslims are required to pray five times a day, washing themselves before prayer and facing in the direction of Mecca while praying.
 * **__ Zakat __**** (charity): ** Muslims are required to give away a percentage of their earnings to those less fortunate, regardless of their religion.
 * **__ Saum __**** (fasting): ** Muslims fast for one lunar month each year, a period called Ramadan. During this time, Muslims reflect on their behaviour and strive to purify their thoughts.
 * **__ Hajj __**** (pilgrimage): ** If it is financially possible, Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in their lifetime.
 * **__ Ijma __**** means 'the agreement of Islam.' ** It is an important mechanism for resolving theological conflicts because it is embodies a sense of past community in present action.
 * **__ Sharia __** is the sacred law of Islam, based on the divine revelations contained in the Qur'an and sunna.
 * **__ Dietary requirements __** Animals have souls and so need to be slaughtered in a special way. This is the meaning of halal (permitted).