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Essence of World Religions
Islam
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Founded
About 1,400 years ago in Arabia.
Founder
Prophet Mohammed (early 7th century)
Many Muslims believe that Prophet Mohammed is not the "founder" of Islam but he received the divine revelations recorded in the Qur'an during his life (570 - 632 AD). They regard their religion to be the restoration of the original religion of Abraham (Judaism) through the Prophet Mohammed in the 7th century. They would also stress that Islam is a timeless religion, not just because of the eternal truth that it proclaims but also because it is every person's religion, the natural religion in which every person is born.
Major Scriptures
The Qur'an is God's Speech written in Arabic. It is the sacred book of Islam explained as the religion of Abraham. In the Qur'an, Abraham is the patriarch who turned away from idolatry, who came to his Lord with an undivided heart, who responded to God in total obedience when challenged to sacrifice his son, and who served God uncompromisingly.
Sects
There are two main divisions within Islam. The Sunnis are followers of the political successors of Mohammed. The Shiites
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