Top 10 Things You Should Know About Islam

You may be surprised by some of these basic facts about Muslims and Islam. Check out our list to test your knowledge.

1. 15% of Muslims are Arabs. (1.6 billion Muslims in the world)

Despite what most Americans think, all Muslims are not Arabs and not all Arabs are Muslims. As stated above only about 15% of Arabs are Muslim. That means that there are larger percentages of Muslims in different parts of the world! Read more

2. The largest percentage of Muslims live in Asia.

Though we most often hear about the Muslim community in the Middle East, it turns out that most Muslims actually inhabit Asia. It’s no surprise considering how large the continent of Asia is. Read more

3. Most Muslim women actually prefer the hijab. (provide status and discourage people to view them as sex objects)

Despite the common western belief that the hijab is oppressive to women, the reality of the situation is that most women prefer to wear them. In fact, some women feel that the hijab is empowering and encourage others to wear it. In the article "Finding Confidence Through Covering Up," one student was quoted saying “As a Muslim, I don’t feel like you’re necessarily obligated to wear [a hijab], even though some people feel that you are. I encourage people to do it.” Read more

4. There are five "Pillars of Islam" that Muslims follow

1) The Shahadah - A statement of faith all Muslims recite at least one time in their lives.

2) The Salat or Salah - A daily ritual prayer of faith done five times a day.

3) Zakat - a tax paid to benefit the poor or those in need.

4) Sawm - a fast done during the month of Ramadan.

5) Hajj - a pilgrimage every Muslim must do at least once in his/her life, if he or she can afford it, to the Holy city of Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia. The pilgrimage begins on the 7th or 8th day of the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and ends on the 12th day of that same month. Read more

5. Most Muslims are just as worried about Islamic extremism as the Western World.

“In many cases, people in countries with large Muslim populations are as concerned as Western nations about the threat of Islamic extremism, and have become increasingly concerned in recent years. About two-thirds of people in Nigeria (68%) and Lebanon (67%) said earlier this year they are very concerned about Islamic extremism in their country, both up significantly since 2013.” Read more

6. More than 50% of Muslims said that the 9/11 attacks were unjustified.

According to a study done by Pew Research Center in 2009, about three quarters (76%) of Muslim Americans are very or somewhat concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism around the world. In that same study, it was found that this also applied to 81% of the U.S. general population. The Muslim community is in fact just as concerned about terrorism as the average non-Muslim American.

7. Being Transgender is not looked down upon by most Muslim countries

In fact, Iran is second only to Thailand in the volume of sex-change operations carried out. It is even possible to get a government grant to finance part of the reassignment procedure, which is not available in America. Read more

8. Islam has something equivalent to the Golden Rule

In Islamic teaching it is said that “He who goes to bed with a full stomach while his neighbor is hungry is not from among us (the Muslims)” and the interpretation of that is that we are responsible for seeing that our neighbors, down to the 40th house away from us, have enough to eat, regardless of whether they are Muslim or not.

Read more

9. In the five daily prayers, Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The structure was built by Prophet Abraham and Muslims face it during their prayers in order to bring a sense of unity to the religious community as well as serving as a symbol of common belief and religious focus. Read more

10. The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war"

It actually means "to struggle" or "to strive". In a religious context, it means the struggle to successfully surrender one's will to the will of God. Jihad is actually more of a concession to God, and a statement that one is struggling to do what is right in the eyes of God. Read more