What Does "islam" Mean?

The Arabic word "Islam" simply means "submission", and is derived from a word meaning "peace" and a life focused on peace, mercy, and forgiveness. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. "Mohammedanism" is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad, peace be upon him, rather than God. "Allah" is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians.

Evangelized by the Prophet Muhammed in the 600's AD, Islam is a religion celebrated by an estimated one billion people. One fifth of the world's population from a vast range of cultures, nationalities, and races embrace Islam as both a religion and a way of life. In Turkey, approximately ninety-eight percent of the citizens are Muslims.

Muhammed was born in Mecca in about 570 AD. He preached that there is only one God and that he, Muhammed, was God's messenger. Those that accept him as such are called Muslims, which means "one who submits to God.". The Koran (Kuran, Qur'an) is the Islamic Bible, believed to be an exact record of the words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammed. Its basic theme is the relationship between God and his creations, yet at the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct, and an equitable economic system.

The following are the "Five Pillars" of Islam and are considered the framework of the Muslim life. The first pillar is faith in God and Muhammed as his messenger. The second pillar is prayer, performed five times a day. The third is concern for the needy, given as a tithe estimated at two and a half percent per annum. Next is self-purification. Every year in the month of Ramadan, all able Muslims fast from dawn till dusk, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Finally, physically and financially able followers are expected to make a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. About two million Muslims accomplish this trip each year.

Turkey adopted a secular government when it became a republic under the leadership of Kemal Ataturk.

The Call to Prayer

Five times a day the call to prayer drifts over each Muslim village, town, and city. Even though the Republic of Turkey is a secular country, ninety-eight percent of the population profess to be devout followers of the Islamic faith. Thus it is no surprise that the evocative sound of what has been called "Muslim music," the call to the faithful, is ubiquitous in the Middle East.

Every mosque, or prayer hall, has at least one minaret and a balcony where the muezzin, or crier, can fulfill his duty. He cries out to Muslims to stop their worldly tasks, face toward Mecca, and pray. The prayer, in essence, declares that there is