Regardless of their denomination, all Muslims can agree on the basic tenets of Islam: That God is one, Muhammad is God's prophet, Muslims should fast during the holy month of Ramadan and give alms to the poor.
Yet beyond these central pillars of the faith, Muslims worldwide vastly differ as religious convictions are shaped by cultural and social contexts, according to a new report by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
"The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity" draws on 38,000 face-to-face interviews in 39 countries, and finds that Muslims differ sharply over questions of faith like who counts as a Muslim and what spiritual practices are acceptable.
With 1.6 billion adherents, Islam is the world's second-largest religion, behind Christianity, and accounts for one-quarter of the world's population.
"There isn't one single Muslim world. There are many Muslims around the world that share beliefs, but there are differences as well," said James Bell, director of international survey research at the Pew Forum.
Such disunity is precisely what the Ahmadiyya Community has come to address. Have accepted a divinely appointed leadership, all Ahmadiyya Muslims unite under the banner of peace sharing the same views, beliefs and practices as were introduced, taught and practiced over 1,400 years ago by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Today, this is the only community in the Muslim world wherein millions of Muslims belonging to any region or village can come together under the guidance of one leader spreading peace and living in harmony.
The Ahmadiyya Post, World. By Zubair Ahmed. 11 Sept 2012.
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