IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1559 

Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 1, 2024 

Mr. GREEN of Texas (for himself, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. OMAR, and Mr. CARSON) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing Islam as one of the great religions of the world. 

Whereas this resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Original Resolution Recognizing Islam as One of the Great Religions of 

the World’’; 

Whereas the word ‘‘Islam’’ means ‘‘submission to the will of 

God’’ and ‘‘peace’’; 

Whereas the primary scripture of Islam is the Holy Quran, 

which has over 6,000 verses, or 114 chapters; 

Whereas Muslims consider the Holy Quran to be the book of 

divine guidance; 

Whereas Muslims frame their way of life around the Hadith, 

a collection of traditions and quotes of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him); 


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•HRES 1559 IH 

Whereas although its roots go back further, the religion 

began to spread rapidly in A.D. 622 when the Prophet 

Muhammad (may peace be upon him) began his travels 

from Mecca to Medina, the first day of which began the 

Islamic calendar; 

Whereas the Quran states that ‘‘the ink of the scholar is 

more holy than the blood of the martyr’’, leading to a 

focus on science, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, 

medicine, and philosophy throughout Islamic culture; 

Whereas Islam is the second-largest and fastest growing religion of the world; 

Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 

2,000,000,000 Muslims worldwide; 

Whereas there are approximately 3,500,000 Muslims in the 

United States, ranging from diverse ethnic and cultural 

backgrounds; 

Whereas American Muslims make significant contributions to 

the Nation’s economy, diversity, philanthropic efforts, 

medical and scientific research, civic engagement, and 

more; 

Whereas the first substantial population of Muslims in the 

United States were enslaved Africans, many of whom 

were forced to abandon their faith by slave owners; 

Whereas Islam is a monotheistic religion, and Allah (meaning 

God in Arabic) is the central deity; 

Whereas Islam teaches that Allah has 99 names, with each 

one representing His characteristics, such as The Merciful or The Provider; 

Whereas Islam is a complete system of strong moral convictions that promotes peace, equality, and social justice; 


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•HRES 1559 IH 

Whereas Islam charges that governments should always be 

focused on equity, justice, and compassion; 

Whereas Islam teaches and upholds the equality of all people, 

regardless of race or social status, abolishing systems 

that are against it, including the caste system; 

Whereas the Quran speaks about tolerance between Muslims 

and non-Muslims; 

Whereas the fundamental Muslim practices are known as the 

Five Pillars of Islam; 

Whereas the five pillars are shahadah (declaration of faith), 

salat (prayer 5 times daily), zakat (give 2.5 percent of all 

earnings to charity), sawm (fasting in the month of 

Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia); 

Whereas the 5 daily prayers are designed to remove any barriers between believers by encouraging praying in congregations and help one refrain from committing sins; 

Whereas the obligatory charity is designed to purify a person 

from selfishness and encourages empathy to the poor; 

Whereas fasting in Ramadan promotes self-restraint and 

spiritual renewal for Muslims worldwide; 

Whereas the pilgrimage to Mecca serves as a unifying force 

in Islam by bringing followers of diverse backgrounds together in religious celebration; 

Whereas Islam explicitly teaches that there is no compulsion 

in religion, and one is free to practice or reject any religion; 

Whereas Muslims consider Islam to be a way of life; 

Whereas the major holidays that Muslims observe are Eid alFitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated at the end of 


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•HRES 1559 IH 

the fasting month of Ramadan and on the 10th day of 

the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, respectively; 

Whereas Muslims follow the Islamic lunar calendar, also 

known as the Hijri calendar, wherein a new month is said 

to begin each time a new Moon is sighted; and 

Whereas carrying out these obligations provides the framework of a Muslim’s life, and weaves their everyday activities and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devotion: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

3 This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Original Resolu4 tion Recognizing Islam as One of the Great Religions of 

5 the World’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RECOGNIZING ISLAM AS ONE OF THE GREAT RELI7 GIONS OF THE WORLD. 

8 To demonstrate solidarity with and support for mem9 bers of the community of Islam in the United States and 

10 throughout the world, the House of Representatives recog11 nizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the 

12 world. 

Æ 


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