Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/other/islam/islam1.txt

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                       INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

               Islam is the predominant religious faith in the Middle
          East and North Africa and one of the major religions in the
          world, comprising approximately one-fifth of the world's
          population with about 600 million adherents.  The word
          Islam means "surrender" or "reconciliation." Islam had its,
          beginning with the visions revealed to the Prophet Muhammad
          between 610 and 632 A.D.  Muslims believe that he was the
          last Messenger of God.  It is one of the fastest growing
          religions in the world, whose adherents are made up of many
          races and cultures.

               There is great misunderstanding of the followers of
          the Islamic faith because most non-Muslims know little
          about their religious beliefs.  People are in contact with
          followers of Islam throughout the Middle East and in other
          parts of the world.  They need to know about Islam because
          they will be interacting more frequently with persons of
          that religion.

               The purpose of this book is to present the religion of
          Islam in a clear, concise way in readable English to assist
          those who would like to have a better understanding of
          Islam.  It is hoped that uninformed attitudes will
          disappear and that the reader will develop a deeper
          appreciation for Islam, its history, and its traditions.
          Muslims are as diverse as Christians and Jews in respect to
          where they live, how intensely they practice their faith
          and their ethnic and cultural background.  In their
          diversity, they are unified by a common faith, Islam, often
          referred to as Dar al- Islam, the House of Islam.

          Historical Overview

               The history of Islam begins with the life of the
          Prophet Muhammad in the Seventh Century.  He was born,
          according to tradition, in 570 A.D. in the "Year of the
          Elephant," in Mecca.  He traced his lineage to Ishmail and
          Abraham.

               He was born in Mecca in the Hashemite clan of the
          Qurayeh tribe.  Though the Hashemite clan was one of the
          ruling clans, Muhammad's immediate family was poor.  He was
          born and grew up in the midst of a nomadic society.  (A
          more detailed account of Muhammad's life is given in
          Chapter III).

               Arabia was significant at the time because of the
          caravan trade routes which passed through the area and the
          diversity of its religious traditions.  Although a
          commercial trade center for caravan trade which transported
          goods overland from India and further east to the
          Mediterranean, Mecca had been a religious center for
          centuries before the advent of Islam.  The people there
          followed indigenous tribal religions, Judaism, and
          Christianity.  Mecca was an established religious
          pilgrimage site before Islam.  Merchants controlled access
          to its shrines and gained profits from the pilgrimage
          trade.

               As in most trading centers of the world, Mecca was
          rich with a variety of religious, ethnic and cultural
          traditions.  The religious pilgrimage shrine in Mecca, the
          Kaaba, had 360 deities.  The Meccans worshiped a variety of
          gods and goddesses and presented them with sacrifices.
          Christians and Jews also lived in the area along with those
          people who followed traditional religious practices.

               Violence was frequent and life was uncertain in the
          desert.  The violence and uncertainty of life may have
          contributed to an Arab tendency toward excess in almost
          every activity.  There were excesses in drinking, gambling
          and attitudes toward women.  They valued having large
          numerous flocks and many sons.

               It was into this highly volatile world that Muhammad
          received his prophetic call.  His message to the Meccans,
          which was revealed to him in visions, centered on the idea
          of one God, who created the world.  Muhammad taught that
          he, Muhammad, was the Messenger of God.

               The Meccans at first rejected Muhammad's message.  He,
          and his small band of followers fled Mecca after they were
          invited to Medina, an agricultural community, to mediate a
          long standing conflict between two tribes in the area.  The
          people of Medina accepted him as their leader and he
          continued to proclaim his message.  He consolidated his
          position in Medina and the neighboring areas, and attacked
          the caravans that were the source of the wealth to the
          Meccans.  Muhammad and his followers attacked Mecca and
          finally defeated that city in about 630 A.D.

               With the defeat of Mecca, Muhammad became the most
          powerful man in Arabia.  He succeeded in doing what no one
          before him, had done, he united the tribes under a single
          authority.  Along with this, he was accepted by the Arabs
          as the "Messenger of God."

               Islam became a way of life based on a faith in one God
          and obedience to His Prophet.  Islam spread by persuasion
          and "by the sword."  Within a century Islam was the
          predominate religion in all of the Middle East.

          Islam in the World Today

               The religion of Islam originated in Arabia in the
          Seventh Century and spread rapidly across the world from
          Africa to the Pacific rim and to central Asia.  In modern
          times it can be found on every continent on the globe.  In
          the course of this expansion, it assimilated many different
          peoples, as diverse as the Persians, the Berbers of North
          Africa, the Turks and Mongols of western Asia, and a large
          proportion of the peoples of India, Africa and
          south-Eastern Europe.

               Islam embraces about 800 million people of every race,
          from Senegal to China, from Algeria to the Soviet Union,
          and some two million Americans.  Muslims throughout the
          world may behave differently but they share a common
          religious belief, who say as the foundation of their faith,
          "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of
          God."

               The three biggest Muslim nations are Indonesia, with
          about 135 million Muslims; Pakistan with 80 million; and
          Bangladesh, with 75 million.  All countries in the Arabian
          Peninsula have a Muslim majority.  Muslims form nearly the
          total population (90 percent or more) in approximately
          twenty-five countries and a majority (50 percent or more)
          in another ten.  Mali, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Albania, and
          Iran are non-Arab countries with a Muslim majority.  There
          are large Muslim minorities in other countries including 75
          million in India, 42 million in the former U.S.S.R, 35
          million in Nigeria, 16 million in China, 5.6 million in
          South Africa, 2.6 million in Yugoslavia as well as 2
          million in Britain and 2 million in the United States.  The
          religion of Islam is the second largest religion in the
          world.  Only Christianity with almost two billion adherents
          is larger.

               Islam is spreading quickly because it has a strong
          appeal to the "grass roots" level because of its
          monotheistic simplicity, emphasis on brotherhood, and its
          strong missionary effort.  It has its fastest growth and
          highest concentration in the Third World.

          Islam Permeates All Aspects of Life

               The religion of Islam is more than a belief system and
          an ideology.  Islam is legalistic and permeates all of
          life.  When one reads of political, economic or legal
          issues in Islamic countries the issues are almost always
          tied to the religion of Islam, and to Islamic Law.  When
          Middle East terrorist activities are reported some aspect
          of Islamic religion is almost always an integral part of
          the story.  The religion of Islam permeates the lives of
          the followers because the faithful, in keeping with the
          definition of the term Islam, are in submission to it.  It
          controls all aspects of their daily life.  To submit, and
          to follow its prescribed practices, is to be in complete
          obedience to the tenets of the faith.

               The sociopolitical manifestation of Islamic
          fundamentalism, cannot be separated from, the religion
          itself, since Islam in practice penetrates, influences and
          dictates all aspects of a Muslim's life.  Islam, like
          orthodox Judaism, affects its followers in all that they
          do.  The religion is present in what they eat, and what is
          considered unclean or clean, such as pork and alcoholic
          beverages, which are forbidden for Muslims.  It affects
          their periods of prayer and their relations with others.
          Islam is legalistic and that in itself causes the religion
          to be all encompassing.  Except for its more highly
          fundamentalist groups, Christianity is not as legalistic.

               When capital punishment, conduct of behavior or the
          dress of women is commented upon by writers in Muslim
          countries, it is almost always done with a strong emphasis
          upon religious customs.  Because of its legalistic nature,
          Islam is a total way of life, a complete system governing
          all aspects of man's existence both individual and
          collective. It permeates worship, government, education,
          dress, work, money and possessions, food and eating, family
          life, relations between sexes, and all of human
          relationships.  The religion of Islam is present with its
          followers every waking moment.

               There is technically no distinction between religion
          and the state in Islam.  Islam holds itself out not just as
          a religion but as a source of law, guide to statecraft, and
          arbiter of social behavior for its adherents.

               Islam has been an enigma to some in the West because
          since its beginning it has been a source of conflict,
          violence, and fanaticism.  On the other hand it has been a
          source of beauty, generosity and inspiration to those who
          have studied it.  The Quran 4:8 states, "And when kinsfolk
          and orphans and the needy are present ... bestow on them
          therefrom. and speak kindly unto them." It teaches its
          adherents to love and care for weary travelers and to avoid
          violence, but on the other hand it unequivocally encourages
          violence in defense of the faith.  In the Quran 4:65 it
          states that those who fight unbelievers are assured that
          God is with them: "If there be of you twenty steadfast they
          shall overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a
          hundred steadfast they shall overcome a thousand of those
          who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are a folk
          without intelligence."  Many Muslims consider it their duty
          to subdue the enemies of Islam by means of jihad (holy
          war).

          What Muslims Believe

               Islam is a monotheistic belief system.  The word,
          Islam means "submission" or "surrender" to God (Allah) and
          he who submits is a Muslim.  The true name of the religion
          is Islam and those who follow it are called Muslims.  A
          believing Muslim says as an article of faith, "There is no
          god, but God, and Mohammed is the Messenger of God." As a
          religion it places less emphasis on elaborating a
          systematic theology than on understanding divine law; the
          concern is with ethics and doctrine.  Devout Muslims
          believe that faith include good deeds.

               The followers of Islam recognize other prophets,
          including Abraham, isaac, Ishmail, Moses and Jesus.
          Muslims, however, believe Mohammed to be the last Prophet.
          He was not only a Prophet but also a political and military
          leader.  He carried his message to Medina, Mecca, and
          throughout Arabia where Islam rapidly grew.  By the time he
          died in 632 A.D., Islam dominated all of the Arabian
          peninsula.

          The Quran

               The Quran is the holy book of Muslims.  The Quran is
          the primary source of doctrine in Islam.  It is followed by
          the Hadith, or traditions of the Prophet, and the Sunnah,
          or the Prophet's example. (The Hadith and the Sunnah are
          explained later.)

               The word, al-qur'an, from which we get the word Quran,
          in Arabic means "the reading" or the "recitation." Muslims
          believe that it is the last and final word of God.  They
          believe that the physical Quran is a part of a celestial
          Quran that is preserved in Heaven.  Muslims believe that
          the Quran reveals His will and that His will is preserved
          in Arabic.  They believe that the only correct reading of
          the Quran is done in Arabic.  In worship, the Quran is
          always recited in Arabic, the language in which it was
          revealed to the Prophet -- never in translation.  Whenever
          it is read or interpreted in another language, Muslims
          believe that the words are no longer those spoken by God.
          Educated Muslims will normally have a working knowledge of
          Arabic and the less educated will normally memorize parts
          of the Quran.

               The Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a
          period of twenty-three years and is about the size of the
          Christian New Testament.  He received his first revelation
          in 610 A.D. when he was meditating in a cave near Mecca
          during the month of Ramadan.  He continued to receive
          revelations until shortly before his death in 632 A.D.

               Muslims believe that the Quran lays down the moral and
          ethical principles that govern all aspects of human life.
          They believe that the Quran is the perfection of all human
          knowledge of the past, the present, and the future.  A
          devout Muslim attempts to address present day problems by
          using the Quran as a guide to contemporary living because
          is the foremost authority in all matters of faith and
          practice.

               The Quran states what is permitted and what is
          forbidden.  The Bible often leaves room for interpretation.
          For example, in the Bible one could justify abstinence from
          alcohol or one could justify that the use of alcohol is
          permitted.  The issue of unclean foods is another example.
          If one reads the Old Testament, one would conclude that
          pork is unclean, but if one reads the Pauline Epistles in
          the New Testament one could conclude that all foods are
          clean.  In the Gospels it is recorded that Jesus said, "It
          is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but
          what comes out of a man that makes him unclean."  In the
          Quran there appears to be no such latitude.  It is specific
          about matters which are prohibited as well as about those
          which are obligatory.

               The Quran is not written in a sequential or
          chronological order.  It is arranged roughly in order of
          length with the longer chapters listed first.  The
          exception is the first chapter which constitutes a short
          prayer.  The Quran can be opened and approached from any
          portion or page.  For Christians and Jews it would be like
          reading Proverbs or the Psalms.

               Muslims believe that the Quran was not written by
          Muhammad, but was transmitted through him. They believe
          that Muhammad orally passed on the messages he received
          from the Archangel Gabriel to his followers who then
          memorized them.

               The Quran is divided into verses called aya and
          chapters called surahs.  The Quran has 114 surahs.  The
          verses of the Quran are identified as to whether they were
          given in Medina or Mecca.  The ones from Medina are more
          poetic and have an apocalyptic theme, and the ones from
          Mecca, being later, deal more with laws.

               The Quran deals with legislation, the early Muslim
          community, relations with those who are not followers of
          the faith, the history of earlier Biblical prophets and
          various other subjects such as social or political
          situations.  It also contains descriptions about Paradise
          and Hell.

               Upon the Prophet's instructions some of the messages
          were recorded during his lifetime.  They were often
          recorded in a haphazard manner, on palm leaves, flat
          stones, the shoulder blades of camels and on scraps of
          parchment.  The Quran was finally compiled in its present
          form in 651 A.D., nineteen years after the Prophet's death.
          It was compiled and edited under the leadership of ibn
          'Affan 'Uthman, the third caliph.

          Hadith

               The Hadith are the traditions relating to the deeds
          and utterances of the Prophet as recounted by his
          companions.  Each Hadith had to originate with Muhammad.
          Another type of Hadith is that which God is speaking.

               The Hadith deals with the Law, religious dogma and the
          smallest points of religious practice.  The Hadith covers
          numerous subjects, large and small.  The narrations
          preserved in the books of Hadith deal with all facets of
          his life, from the most personal, for example how to tie
          sandals, to the affairs of state.

               After the death of Muhammad, the traditions were
          collected and preserved for the use of judges and others in
          authority.

          Sunnah

               Sunnah, the Prophet's "example," refers to the
          collected words and practices of the Prophet not the
          revelations given to him.  The Sunnah is used as a basis
          for law in Islam.  It means "custom" or "usage." It
          includes what the Prophet approved, allowed or condoned,
          and what he refrained from and disapproved.

          Islamic Sects

               From the beginning !slam split up into a large number
          of sects.  Various factions divided the Islamic community
          beginning the day Muhammad died in 632 A.D.  The division
          of Islam occurred because there was no central doctrinal
          authority and because Islam spread to regions where there
          were different social, cultural, philosophical and ethnic
          traditions.  The two major divisions of Islam are Sunnites
          and Shiites.  Most Muslims are Sunnites. Shiites form the
          predominant religion in Iran, and are also found in other
          places including Iraq, Lebanon and along the Persian Gulf
          coast of Arabia.

          Sunnites

               Most of the world's Muslims are Sunnites or members of
          the Sunni branch of Islam.  They have approximately
          360,000,000 adherents.  Sunnites are followers of one of
          the four Sunni Schools of Law.  They are those who
          historically accepted the authority of the four successors
          after Muhammad, known as the caliphate, or whoever held it
          and however he attained it, as opposed to Shiites who
          believed that the office should be hereditary.  The
          Sunnites comprise eighty to ninety percent of all Muslims
          and adhere to the basic beliefs and practices of Islam.
          They are referred to as orthodox Muslims.  They follow the
          traditions and recognize the first four caliphs and
          attribute no special religious or political function to the
          Prophet's descendants or present religious leaders.

          The Schools of Law

               Within the Sunnite branch of Islam there are four
          Schools of Law: the Haiiafi, Hanbali, Maliki, and Shafi'i.
          The Schools of Law arose because there was a need to
          interpret the provisions of the Quran and traditions of the
          Prophet.  When Muhammad was alive he was the chief judge of
          the community and resolved legal problems by interpreting
          the Quran.  His interpretations became the Hadith.  After
          his death, an organized judiciary evolved with the
          appointment of judges to the widespread provinces and
          districts.  The judges were called qadis.  The early qadis
          interpreted the law using their best knowledge of the
          Quran.  Pious scholars began to debate whether the law was
          being equally interpreted in accordance with the proper
          Quranic intent.  They established an Islamic code as a
          result of their studies.  The Sunnites recognize the four
          Schools of Law and on all matters of vital importance they
          are in agreement, and all recognize the other systems as
          orthodox.  A Sunni Muslim is expected to adhere to one of
          the four Schools of Law.

               The Hanafi School or rite is named after Abu Hanifah
          who died in 767 A.D.  It is dominant in most countries that
          were formally part of the Turkish Empire (Western Asia,
          excluding Arabia and lower Egypt) and India.

               The Malikite, named after Malik ibn Anas who died in
          795 A.D., is dominant in Southern Egypt and North and West
          Africa.

               The Shafi'ite school is named for Muhammad ibn Idris
          ash- Shafi'i who died in 820 A.D.  He was an outstanding
          figure and forceful thinker in Islamic jurisprudence. The
          Shafi'i school is dominant in Indonesia, Malaysia, the
          Philippines, Egypt, Central Asia and the Caucasus.

               The fourth school called Hanbalities is named for
          Ahmed ibn Hanbal who died in 855 A.D.  He was intensely
          conservative in the matter of the Hadith, and in general it
          may be said that he was responsible for the most intolerant
          and fanatical view of the Muslims' duties and
          responsibilities.  The Hanbalite school is only observed in
          Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

          The Shi'ites

               The Shiites comprise 10-15 percent, or approximately
          60,000,000 to 80,000,000 followers, of the Islamic faith,
          with doctrines significantly different from those of the
          orthodox Sunni majority.  Shiites are made up of a number
          of different sects who differ from one another as well as
          from the Sunnites.  The name Shia means a "partisan" and
          cores from Shi'at 'Ali (the party of Ali).

               The origin of the split between the Sunnites and the
          Shiites was political more than religious.  The Sunnis hold
          that Muhammad did not designate anyone to succeed him and
          they believe that the first four Caliphs (successors) were
          rightfully chosen from among the people.  The Shiites
          believe that the Prophet designated Ali, who was his cousin
          and son-in-law, as the successor and that the leader should
          be among the Prophet's descendants through him.

               When Muhammad died without a designating a successor,
          Muslims gathered to elect a caliph (successor).  All of the
          prospective successors were related to Muhammad by marriage
          and one, Ali ibn Abu Talib, his cousin was related by
          blood.  Many of those gathered supported Ali because he was
          married to the Prophet's favorite daughter, Fatima.  One of
          those who opposed Ali was the Prophet's young widow, Aisha,
          who persuaded the Muslims to elect her father, Abu Bakr as
          the first caliph.

               Abu Bakr, a good friend of Muhammad, succeeded in
          holding the young community together and saw Islam expand
          throughout Arabia.  When Abu Bakr died, he was succeeded by
          another of Muhammad's fathers-in-law, Omar ibn al-Khattsab.
          Omar was a strong leader, who directed the Muslim invasion
          of Syria and Egypt, established the judiciary system and
          changed the simple patriarchy of Islam into something
          resembling an imperial government.

               The third caliph was 'Uthman ibn Affan who at
          different times married two daughters of the Prophet.
          During his caliphate revolts began in iraq and Egypt.  It
          was 'Uthman who ordered the compilation of the Quran from
          the memories of the companions and such written records as
          existed, after which it was then edited and a definitive
          version which bears his name, was copied and sent to the
          four corners of the Islamic empire.

               Ali ibn Abi Talib was elected the fourth caliph in 656
          A.D., but Aisha did not accept his election and joined
          forces of Meccans to oppose him.  There was an armed
          conflict and Ali defeated his opponents at the Battle of
          the Camel.  Ali had to endure other conflicts and was
          eventually assassinated.  Ali's elder son, Hasan, was
          elected caliph, but he was threatened by Mu'awiya and ceded
          the caliphate to him.  Mu'awiya was proclaimed caliph in
          Jerusalem.

               The question of succession of the caliphate was the
          source of deep philosophical differences within Islam.  The
          Sunnites believe leaders can be selected by consensus in
          the Islamic community.  They believe such selection reveals
          the will of God.  The Shiites on the other hand restricted
          eligibility for the caliphate to the descendants of the
          Prophet through Ali and Fatima.  They believed that their
          religious leaders, called imams, only came through the
          divine lineage of Ali and Fatima.  In the more extreme
          Shiite sects this stance became elaborated in to a theory
          that the imam inherits a divine light by virtue of his
          descent, not only from Muhammad and Ali, but from all the
          prophets beginning with Adam.  The Shiites intensely
          believe that Muhammad designated Ali as his successor.

               The formal acts of the religion such as prayer and
          observances practiced by the Shiites differ little from the
          Sunnites.  One major distinction is the Shiites' admiration
          and desire for martyrdom.  The violent deaths of Ali and
          his sons, Hasan and Husain, created the adoration of
          martyrdom.  Hasan died in Medina, allegedly poisoned by his
          wife.  Husain was martyred during a battle at Kerbala in
          Iraq.  His death is enacted in a martyrdom play which is
          performed in the days preceding the anniversary of Kerbala
          according to the lunar calendar.

               The dramatic martyrdom of the kin of the Prophet, and
          the wave of anguish and penitence of the faithful that
          followed it, infused a new religious fervor in the Shia,
          now inspired by the potent themes of suffering, passion and
          expiation.

               Shia Islam has had so many followers who died martyrs'
          death that the faithful commemorate martyrdom with passion
          plays and self-laceration, i.e. self-flagellation with
          chains with hooks on them and cutting the forehead with
          swords.  In addition to their devotion to martyrdom, Shiite
          Islam is characterized by its belief in saints, pilgrimages
          to worship at the tombs of shiite holy men, and a belief in
          the eventual reappearance of the Twelfth Imam, "the hidden
          imam" designated by God who will establish justice and
          peace on earth.  "The hidden imam" will reappear on earth
          as the Mahdi or "the guided one."

               Another distinction between the Shiites and the
          Sunnites is the view held of religious leaders.  The
          Sunnites select their leaders and important decisions are
          reached by the consensus of the community.  The Shiites
          reject the principle of the community.  They believe the
          imam is an infallible spiritual leader whose decisions are
          divinely inspired.  His duty is to guide the believers in
          all matters of faith and tell them what to do.

          Other Shiite Sects

               The Twelvers

               The largest Shiite sect is the Ithna Ashariya or
          "Twelvers." They are called "Twelvers" because they
          recognize a line of successors down to the Twelfth Imam,
          who were all descendants of Ali and Fatima and ends with
          Muhammad al-Mahdi.  He disappeared around 873 A.D., and is
          still the "awaited imam" or Mahdi for the great majority of
          the Shia today.  The "Twelvers" believe that he still lives
          and will return to rule the world as the Mahdi, "the guided
          one." The "Twelvers" are the dominant branch of Islam in
          present day Iran.  This Shia group makes up 60 percent of
          the population in Iraq and have a sizeable minority in
          Afghanistan, Lebanon, Morocco, India, Pakistan, Syria as
          well as parts of Saudi Arabia and some of the Gulf States.
          They add the name of Ali to the profession of faith and
          petition the Holy Family to intercede for them with Allah.
          They believe the twelve imams are their protectors and
          direct their destiny.  They make pilgrimages to their tombs
          located in Saudi Arabia.

                The Seveners or Ismailis

               The group within Shia Islam that accepts the line of
          succession down to the Seventh Imam are known as
          "Seveners." In opposition to the rest of Shias, they regard
          Ismail as the seventh imam. They maintain that when the
          Sixth Imam died, his son Ismail was wrongly passed over for
          the caliphate in favor of another son, Musa al-Kazim.

               The Ismailis or "Seveners" follow Ismail and his
          descendants.  For about 150 years following his death, the
          Ismaili imams remained hidden and the group worked in
          secret.  They appealed to the pious, the intellectual and
          the spiritual.  To the discontented, they offered the
          attraction of a well-organized, widespread and powerful
          opposition movement, which seemed to provide a real
          possibility of overthrowing the existing order, and
          establishing in its place a new and just society, headed by
          the imam -- the heir of the Prophet, the chosen of God, and
          the sole rightful leader of mankind.  The Ismailis believed
          that they had a design for a new world order.  In the llth
          Century, the Ismailis spread their faith from the Atlantic
          to India.  They waged a violent battle against all
          non-Ismailis.

               The Ismailis are most remembered for the violence of
          the offshoot groups that descended from their beliefs.  The
          worst of these were the Assassins, a terrorist group based
          in Syria whose objective was murder.  They occupied a
          string of fortresses in Syria and their chief was known to
          the Crusaders as "the Old Man of the Mountain."  Marco Polo
          passed through the region in 1271 A.D., and recorded the
          account of his travels about what he heard about the sect.

               The "Seven-Imam Shiites" are found in India and have
          sizeable numbers in Central Asia, Iran, Syria and East
          Africa.

               Five-Imam Shiites

               Another group of Shiites that still exist is called
          "Five- Imam Shiites" or "Fivers." They are found only in
          Yemen.

               The Druzes

               Another heterodox sect which is an offshoot of
          Ismailism are the Druzes.  They are a reclusive group of
          people who live in the hills of Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
          The Druzes have a monotheistic belief system, but believe
          that God has reappeared in as many as seventy incarnations.
          The Druze religion is closed to converts and they keep
          their doctrine secret.  They will not accept converts.
          They have learned to assimilate into the surrounding
          populace without calling attention to themselves.  For
          instance, in Israel, they serve in the Israeli Army.

               The Druze accept both the Gospel and the Quran as
          inspired books, but only their Druze scriptures are
          regarded as "the bible".  There appears to be no
          restriction among the Druzes against participating in the
          rites of other religions; they may be seen kneeling in
          prayer with Muslims and attending Mass in Christian
          churches.

          Sufis

               The Sufis are an esoteric belief system in Islam.
          They are mystics.  They believe that the faithful can have
          a personal relationship with God based upon love rather
          than on fear and prohibition.  Their name is derived from
          the Arabic word for wool, suf.  The early followers wore a
          coarse woolen garment.  They rejected more sophisticated
          materials.  The mystics were impelled by the insistent
          desire to find a more intimate and personal approach to,
          and union with, God than was provided by Sunni formalism
          and detachment, which placed man at an almost finite
          distance from his creator and regarded the Prophet as
          merely an interpreter of God's word, not a mediator between
          God and man.  Sufism is found throughout the Muslim World.

               The foundation of Sufism, is a communal life, or
          brotherhoods.  Sufi orders spread all over the Muslim
          world.  North Africa is a stronghold of Sufism.

               Sufis detached themselves from material things to
          focus upon God.  They use various means to heighten their
          contact with God, including repetition of religious
          phrases, fasting, dancing, the use of drums and stimulants
          to help produce a trance-like state, and so forth.  They
          experienced conflict with orthodox Islam because some of
          their practices such as music, dancing and the
          prayer-beads, similar to the rosary, were seen as
          inappropriate by orthodox Islam.  Sufism has been strong
          among non-Arabs and some Sufi sects have recently attracted
          many people in the West.  A Sufi can be a member of a
          regular Islamic group and practice Sufism.

          Other Groups

               Bahai

               The Bahai developed in Iran as an off-shoot of the
          "Twelve- Imam" group in the Nineteenth Century.  They were
          persecuted and have developed a strong following in Europe
          and the United States.  The Bahai headquarters is in Tel
          Aviv, Israel.  The Bahai promote world peace, brotherly
          love and emphasize that all nations and groups of people
          have messengers of God and there are different paths to
          salvation.

               Nation of Islam

               The Nation of Islam in the United States, also known
          as the American Muslim Mission and the Nation of Islam, all
          more popularly, but inappropriately, known as Black Muslims
          was founded and controlled by blacks in the United States.
          Their early leaders were Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X and
          the movement had its beginnings as a black separatist
          movement.  In recent years they have modified their
          position and are accepted in the Muslim family.  They take
          the pilgrimage to Mecca and observe all of the tenets of
          orthodox Islam.  In recent years they have adopted a
          para-military police role in some drug-infested communities
          in the United States and use this as an example to
          proselyte for new members among people in those
          neighborhoods.