The Growth Of Islam
...it has had a very powerful influence in every part of the world it touches, especially in America. First starting with the preachings of Elijah Muhammad, and continuing with those of Malcolm X, it has spread rapidly throughout America, especially within the black or African American community. This rapid growth of the religion throughout the African American culture can be attributed to its tolerance to people of all races and ethnicities.
Islam, to many, is not just a religion, but also a way of life. First founded by Muhammad, who is believed to be the last prophet, it follows Christianity and Judaism very closely. The main difference is that in Islam, Jesus was believed to be nothing more than a mortal prophet. Jesus is not believed to be divine, or the Son of God. These ideas stem from the belief the God/Allah could not have children because he was a divine entity. Therefore there is no way a divine entity can produce human offspring. One phrase that all Muslims are required to believe is that "Allah is one: He has no offspring, He was not born, and He has no relatives and no equals." But despite this major difference between the two religions, Islam is considered to be an extension of Christianity, even though Christians do not accept their validity the same way Jews do not accept Christianity.
As in many other religions, Islam is divided into two major sects, Sunni and Shiite. When Islam was first created, there was no division between the sects, but problems arose when deciding who should be Caliph, the successor to Muhammad. Each sect had its own criteria for choosing who should be the successor to Muhammad. The Sunni believed that the new Caliph should be the person would is the best fit to hold this position. The Shiite's on the other hand believed that the next Caliph should be of direct relation to Muhammad...
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