For my article, I decided to choose the religion of Islam. I decided to choose this religion because of its rapid growth. It's also different from what I'm used to growing up with, so I wanted to learn more. I had learned some basic facts after 9/11, but Muslim religion and culture still remained a mystery to me. Choosing this topic helped me learn more about Muslims and will help me relate to them better in my future work. Background and History Islam is the religion of approximately one-fifth of the world's population and its numbers are growing. People who believe in Islam are called Muslims. It is a religion full of peace, mercy and forgiveness (basic facts about). Islam was founded in the 7th century AD by the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad was 40 years old when the angel Gabriel revealed God's message to him. He received this message for the next twenty-three years. Muhammad memorized the message and revealed it to his companions, who wrote it down word for word. This became known as the "Quran", a record of what exactly was said to Muhammad by Passer through Gabriel over the course of twenty-three years (Bulletin). Fundamentals and Beliefs Muslims believe in one God, whom they call Allah. They believe that Allah created the angels, who then transmitted Allah's revelations to the prophets. The beliefs of Muslims are based on the books of Allah. These are the divine revelations of Allah to his prophets which include the scrolls of Abraham, the Psalms, the Torah, the Gospel and the Quran. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet after Jesus and the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. The entire universe is completely governed and controlled by Allah. Muslims put all their trust in Allah and try to ...... middle of paper ...... from my professional experience. I'm glad I was able to learn more about their beliefs and practices, as I will need to be sensitive to them in my work. Some precessions I now know to take might be to avoid talking about bacon or to make sure I dress very modestly. I look forward to working with Muslims and learning more about their religion and culture. Works citedBulletin, I. Beliefs and practices of Islam. Retrieved from http://www.islamicbulletin.org/newsletters/issue_24/beliefs.aspxBasic facts about Islam. (nd). Retrieved from http://www.ncccusa.org/interfaith/facts.htmDavis-Stofka, B. (nd). Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Islam/Ritual-Worship-Devotion-Symbolism/Worship-and-Devotion-in-Daily-Life?offset=1&max=1Haynes, C. (nd). Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/ca/IslamicInfo/MuslimRights.html