Islam

There are two ways to read this question:

What is the newest Asian Muslim country?

The last country created in Asia that is predominately Muslim is Turkmenistan. It was created on December 25, 1991.

What country in Asia became majority-Muslim at the latest point in history?

This is unclear, but the answer is probably Indonesia. Islam only reached the area in the mid-1200s and only became firmly established in the 1500s.

The Islamic religion was founded by Muhammed in the seventh century. In 622 he founded the first Islamic state, a theocracy in Medina, a city in western Saudi Arabia located north of Mecca.

There are two major branches of the religion he founded.

1: The largest group, called the Sunnis believe that the first four caliphs--Muhammed's successors--rightfully took his place as the leaders of Islam. They recognize the heirs of the four caliphs as legitimate religious leaders. These heirs ruled continuously in the Arab world until the break-up of the Ottoman Empire following the end of the First World War.

2: The smaller of the major groups are the Shi'ites. There are a number of subdivisions under the 'umbrella' of 'Shi'a' and although they differ in the details all of them believe that only the heirs of the fourth caliph, Ali, are the legitimate successors of Muhammed.

The Shi'ites call these successors Imams. Shi'ites do not accept that the Imam is to be only a political leader but they believe that they are literally 'manifestations of God', they are sinless, infallible and the bringers of true understanding to all humanity. They are referred to within the Shi'ite tradition as being masum, that is, free from error or sin.

The last Imam, the Mahdi, is believed not to have died but to be in hiding and Shi'ites believe that he will appear at the end of time in order to bring about the victory of the Shi'a faith (see third paragraph below).

The main groups under the Shi'ite umbrella are the Zaydiyyah or Fivers, the Isma'iliyyah or Seveners and the Imamiyyah or Twelvers. The numbers five, seven and twelve refer to the last authorised interpreter of the law or Imam that each group accepts. Of the three the Twelvers are the biggest & it was in 931 that the Twelfth Imam disappeared.

This was a seminal event in the history of these Shi'ite Muslims. According to R. Scott Appleby, a professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, "Shi'ite Muslims, who are concentrated in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, [believe they] had suffered the loss of divinely guided political leadership" at the time of the Imam's disappearance. Not "until the ascendancy of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1978" did they believe that they had once again begun to live under the authority of a legitimate religious figure.

The other important concept in Shi'ite Islam concerning the Imam (regardless of whether he was the Fifth, the Seventh or the Twelfth) is that he will return. He is called the Mahdi and will bring about the Kingdom of God on earth after an apocalyptic battle between the forces of Islam and the rest of the world. [Note that other groups descended from Shi'ia Islam such as the Babis and Baha'is define the 'battle at the end of time' as a symbolic or metaphysical one rather than an actual battle.]

A useful site for information on the various groups is the Overview of World Religions site hosted by St Martin's College in the UK.

http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/islam/shia/index.html

Many people believe in Christ, Buddha and other deities, so why not Muslims

Also, Islam religion, per God revelation of Qur'an to Prophet Muhammad, was to correct for the alterations introduced in Judaism and Christianity faiths as well as calling the polytheists to worship the one and only one God, the Creator, with no son, no partner, and no associate. Refer to the related questions below for more information on Islam basic principles and why Qur'an was revealed.

The 5 core beliefs are:

1. Belief in God oneness
2. Belief in all God prophets (including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad; peace be upon them all)
3. Belief in all God holy books (including Torah, Bible, and Qur'an)
4. Belief in God angels
5. Belief in the Resurrection Say and 2nd eternal life
6. Belief in God will and Destiny

Refer to related question below.

The earliest Homo sapiens were probably too homogenous to have identifiable racial characteristics. The development of pale skin and longer noses, such as in those of European origin, arose in response to the cold climates.

Of course there were earlier humans, including our immediate predecessors, Homo erectus, but they were really separate species, not just different races or ethnic groups. At this stage, Ardipithecus ramidus is probably our oldest known ancestor, but much still needs to be learnt about the hominids who lived millions of years ago.

Women only have to wear the hijab when they have gotten through their 'puberty' process and are considered grown-ups. Before that, it is their choice and they do not have to wear it.

The father, brother(s), uncle(s), grandfather(s), husband and any female can see the woman without any hijab. Cousins and any other stranger male cannot, however, see them without the hijab.

Wearing a hijab doesn't only mean to cover your head but to also wear appropriate clothes in front of stranger males.

answer:

All parts of free women, except their palms and faces, including their wrists, outer parts of their hands, hanging parts of their hair and under their feet are awrat (and therefore they must be covered) during a namâz, according to the Hanafî Madhhab. There are also quite a number of valuable books saying that outer parts of hands are not awrat. According to them, it is permissible for women to perform namâz while outer parts of their hands up to wrists are bare.

there are 8 categories mentioned in the following verse of the quraan :"The alms are only for the Fuqara' (the poor), and Al-Masakeen (the needy) and those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and for Allah's Cause, and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise." [Al-Quran -9:60]

The eight categories mentioned in the verse above are:

• Fuqaraa: Those who own property in excess of basic necessities but below the value of Nisab

• Masakeen: Extremely poor who possess no wealth whatsoever

• Aamileen: Those persons who are appointed by an Islamic Head of State or Government to collect Zakat; this person does not have to be a needy person to qualify for Zakat

• Muallafatul Quloob: Those poor and needy persons who may have recently converted to Islam; Zakat is given to them with the intentions of solidifying their hearts or to bring them closer to Islam

• Ar-Riqaab: slaves whose masters have agreed to set them free on a payment of a fixed amount; Zakat may be used to purchase their freedom

• Al Ghaarimeen: A person whose debts exceed his assets; to qualify, his/her net assets (after deducting liabilities) must be below the Nisab limit

• Fi Sabeelillah: Those who are away from home in the path of Allah

• Ibnus-Sabeel: A traveler, who, whilst wealthy at his residence, is stranded and in need of financial assistance

reference : http://www.hidaya.org/social-welfare/zakat---alms/who-receives-zakat.HTML

and Allah knows best

Sunnah

Ahl-i-Sunnat wal jama'at. They from about 85% of the total number of Muslims.
The largest branch of Islam is Sunnis that reach more than 85% of all Muslim population.

The benefits of performing Wudu or Ablution are:

• fulfilling worship requirements
• preparing yourself psychologically to meet your Creator when praying
• symbolizing the importance of cleanliness both bodily and spiritually.

Guru means teacher and comes from 2 words:

Gu means darkness.

Ru means light.

So, when put together Guru means that there is light after the

darkness.