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Article: The Hajj: A moving spiritual experience.(Opinion & Editorial)
- Article from:
- Manila Bulletin
- Article date:
- January 11, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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UNTIL the Prophet Muhammad was ordered by the angel Gabriel 13 centuries ago to recite the first series of what eventually became the Quaran, the Arabs were mostly polytheists, worshipping tribal deities. They had no sacred history linking them to a universal god like other Middle Eastern peoples, no sacred text to live by, and no sacred language.
Today, Islam which began in Arabia is the second most popular faith in the world, with an estimated 1.4 billion believers and growing everywhere in the world. The five pillars of Islam put their faith into action, provides the framework of a Muslimas life, and weaves his beliefs into a single text of religious ...