2.+Important+Days,+Places+and+Writing


 * Holy Days**
 * Al- Hijra or Muhurram is the Muslim New Year (Muslim is the word for those who practice Islam); it is at the beginning of the first lunar month, when Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina.
 * Ashura is a holiday commemorating the martyrs, including Imam Husain, a grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
 * Mawlid al- Nabi celebrates Muhammad’s birthday with a month of festivities.
 * Ramadan is the most holy of all holidays for Muslims and is celebrated the ninth month of the Islamic calender. Ramadan is a month long fasting practiced to show self-restraint and sacrifice toward Allah (the God). Muslims are only allowed to eat between dusk and dawn during Ramadan.
 * Eid-Ul-Fitr is the Islamic celebration of charity and the feasting the first day of Shawwal, which is the month after Ramadan.
 * Id al- Adha(day of sacrifice),also known as Eid-Ul-Adha, is in the twelfth lunar month, and commemorates when Abraham tried to sacrifice Ishmael. (The Jews/Christians believe that it was Isaac who was going to be sacrificed.) They celebrate this day by sacrificing animals.
 * Halloween is also a Islamic holy day. Halloween is a celebration of evil forces. They believe in evil, but are not supposed to celebrate their evil doings. Also, Muslims are not supposed to participate in trick-or-treating on Halloween.

(Muslims celebrating one of the Islamic holy days) **
 * [[image:Islamic_Art_Museum_004.jpg width="279" height="153"]]http://www.holidayinisrael.com/UserFiles/Islamic_Art_Museum_004.jpg


 * Important Locations and Dates**

Mecca is the holy s ite for the Muslims and Islamic believers. This is because the most famous Islamic prophet, Muhammad, was born there and Muhammad was thought to be the chosen one by God, or Allah, to have revelations and deliver them to the people. During Salat (praying five times daily) they must face in the direction of Mecca. Also, if they are able, they must go to Mecca during Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) at least once in their lives. Islam was believed to be founded around the seventh century C.E. (Mecca) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mecca,_Saudi_Arabia_locator_map.png


 * Holy Books and Writting**

The Qur’an (or Koran) is the major written source of guidance and healing for the Muslims. The Qur’an is believed to be God’s last revelation to mankind and was given to the great prophet, Muhammad, to deliver its messages to the people. Muhammad is the Islamic prophet, like John is in the Christian religion. Many Islam prayers recite passages from the Qur’an. The Qur'an is considered so holy that when copies of it are worn out, instead of throwing it away, they lay it to rest, kind of like a funeral for a book. (Islamic artwork) http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11321002/Islamic_Art.jpg