10 Facts About Islam to Teach Our Kids

Respect and understanding are the foundations of any society, and part of that is religious tolerance. To better understand one another, it’s helpful for us to know a little about each other’s beliefs and views. In this article, we will look at 10 facts about Islam to teach our kids:

1. Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission and obedience. It derives from a word meaning peace.
2. The Islamic religion is based upon the Five Pillars: belief, worship, fasting, alms-giving, and pilgrimage, which guide their lives and their worship.
3. Muslims pray, as one of the Five Pillars, at five specific times each day. This practice is known as salat.
4. Muslims follow their holy scripture, known as the Qur’an, which they believe is the inspired word of God (Allah), as given by the Arc Angel  Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad.
5. Shahadah, or the Islamic  declaration of faith  states: “I bear witness that there is no god, but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of God.” Reciting the Shahadah is how one enters the Islamic faith.
6. In Islam, Muhammad is considered the last in a line of prophets who include Moses, Abraham and Jesus (Isa).
7. It is an important distinction to make, particularly in these times, that because Islam is a faith, Muslims are a religious, and not a political, ethnic, or nationalist group of people.
8. Scholarship and education are very highly regarded within the Muslim faith. Islamic students attend a religious school known as madrasah.
9. Mecca is the birthplace of Muhammad, and so is considered sacred by Muslims. In the center of Mecca is a building called the Kaaba, the holiest place on earth for Islam. It is the direction of the Kaaba that Muslims pray five times daily.
10. During the period of Ramadan, Muslims will fast during daylight hours. This is a time for worship, contemplation and the strengthening of family and community ties.