Muslims have 6 main beliefs
· Belief in Allah as the one and only God.
· Belief in angels.
· Belief in the holy books.
· Belief in the Prophets...
· e.g. Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Isa (Jesus).
· Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the final prophet.
· Belief in the Day of Judgement...
· The day when the life of every human being will be assessed to decide whether they go to heaven or hell.
· Belief in Predestination...
· That Allah has already decided what will happen.
· Muslims believe that this doesn't stop human beings making free choices.
Allah
Allah is the name Muslims use for the supreme and unique God, who created and rules everything.
The heart of faith for all Muslims is obedience to Allah's will.
· Allah is eternal, omniscient, and omnipotent...
· Allah has always existed and will always exist.
· Allah knows everything that can be known.
· Allah can do anything that can be done.
· Allah has no shape or form...
· Allah can't be seen.
· Allah can't be heard.
· Allah is neither male nor female.
· Allah is just...
· Allah rewards and punishes fairly.
· But Allah is also merciful.
· A believer can approach Allah by praying, and by reciting the Qur'an.
· Muslims worship only Allah...
· because only Allah is worthy of worship.
The One and Only God
All Muslims believe that God is one alone:
· There is only one God.
· God has no children, no parents, and no partners.
· God was not created by a being.
· There are no equal, superior, or lesser Gods.
Huaisheng Mosque
Religious Site, Ancestral Guangzhou
Huaisheng Si Guang Ta. In the cosmopolitan era of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) a Muslim missionary named Abu Wangus, said to be an uncle of the prophet Mohammed, came to southern China. He converted many Chinese to Islam and built this mosque in Guangzhouas their house of worship. Ever since he died here, his tomb in the northern part of the city has been a place of pilgrimage for visiting Muslims. The mosque, however, is his best-known memorial. The first mosque in China, it originally stood on the banks of the river and for 1,300 years provided a beacon for merchant ships from Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and Europe. Following progressive land reclamations, it is now almost downtown and surrounded by modern skyscrapers, yet it manages to retain an old-world dignity and an atmosphere of peaceful devotion.
A high wall encloses the mosque, which is dominated by the smooth, white minaret. Rising to 108 feet, it can be climbed using an interior spiral staircase, and the views from the top -- where a muezzin calls the faithful to prayer -- are still spectacular. Below is a gate-tower that was rebuilt in Tang style during the late 17th century, and the main prayer hall, which was refurbished in Ming Dynasty style in 1936. Around the mosque are courtyards and gardens where local Muslims and visitors can rest and meditate. COST: Free. OPEN: Sat.-Thurs. 8-5, except special holy days.
