Islam is the religion of Afghanistan. It is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the Quran. People who follow Islam are called Muslims. They believe that the Quran is the word of God, revealed to the last prophet, Muhammad. Muhammad’s sayings and actions are called Sunnah and were documented during his lifetime. These were collected by Muslim scholars of early generations into large volumes called Hadith. Muslims regard these collections as spiritual guidances in addition to the Quran. In Islam there is only one unforgivable sin, which is worshiping another god or giving gods qualities to a person, animal or drawing. As well as having religious laws, Islam has laws on how the government should be run. These laws are called “Sharia law”.

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. Faith: The Testimony is the Muslim belief that there is no god but Allah Himself, and that Muhammad is His messenger.

2. Prayer: Muslims pray five times at special times of the day, facing the holy city Mecca.

3. Charity: Muslims who have money must give alms to help poor Muslims in the local community.

4. Fasting: Muslims fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year. They do not eat or drink from sunrise till sunset for one lunar month. After Ramadan, there is a holiday called Eid al-Fitr. Muslims usually have a party with families and friends and go to the mosque in the morning for a special prayer.

5. Hajj (Pilgrimage): During the Hajj season, many Muslims go to Mecca, the holiest city of Islam, which is in Saudi Arabia. Muslims must make the hajj at least once in their life if they can afford to do so. There is no need if a Muslim does not have the money to make the Hajj. At the end of Hajj season, there is a holiday called Eid al-Adha. Muslims in general who can afford or who have made the Hajj must buy an animal, usually a goat, to sacrifice it and cook as food or give away to the poor, if they have the money for it. Muslims believe that Abraham, one of Allah’s earliest messengers, was told by Allah on the day of Eid al-Adha to sacrifice his son in Jerusalem. But the angel Gabrie congratulated Abraham’s obedience to Allah and gave him a lamb instead.