Islam (from Arabic - devotion to God, obedience) appeared at the beginning of the seventh century B.C. in Arabia. It is one of the most widespread religions in the world. Islam is professed by more than 1.2 billion people. There are Moslem communities in more than 120 countries. In 28 countries, such as Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other countries, Islam is declared as national religion. Number of Moslems in the 20^th century increased seven times.

Appearance of Islam follows general trends in the formation of global religions. The founder of Islam is a real historical person - Prophet Mohammed (570-632).

The main holy book in Islam is Koran (Arabic - reading aloud, reciting, and declamation), in which Mohammed's sermons are recorded in the form of "God's Revelations".

The second after Koran source for Islamic religious studies is Sunna (holy legend of Islam, custom, sample) narrated in stories (Hadith) about acts and expressions of Prophet Mohammed. At present, a short collection of Hadith in Kazakh is published in the translation of Khalif Altai.

Based on Koran and Sunna, there are "Five Pillars" of Islam:
1. Recognition of exceptionality of Allah and Prophet Mohammed (tavhid);
2. Daily five-times prayer (namaz);
3. Payment of duty (zakyat);
4. Observance of monthly fast every year (uraza);
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) for "those who can find the way there".

Like in other religions, significant role in the cult system of Islam belongs to religious holidays, amongst which special significance belongs to Uraza-Ait, Kurban-Ait, Maulit, Mirajj.    

The basis for belief is obedience to Allah, belief in singularity of Allah. Islam is characteristic with the normative regulation of the whole life of a human - from birth to death. This regulation is carried out by means of Shariah - combination of legal and moral norms, ethical principles of a Moslem's behaviour.

There are two main directions in Islam: Sunnism and Shiism. Sunnites, unlike Shiites, do not admit the possibility of intermediation between Allah and people after Mohammed's death; reject the idea on special nature of Ali (last of four khalifs) and the special right of his descendants for imamate (leading the community).

Shiites in Islam are Moslems who admit the fourth khalif Ali and his descendants as the only successors of Prophet Mohammed. Shiism (from Arabic "shiah" - group, party), like Islam in general, does not represent the unified consolidated system; it is broken into numerous sects and directions.